Abstract: Methods, systems, and media for improving pairing of user equipment (UE) in a Massive multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) system using carrier aggregation are provided. Component carriers (CC) used for communication with UEs in the network may undergo routine beamforming calibration checks to determine if the CCs are calibrated. If a CC fails calibration, then UEs that communicate with the CC as their primary component carrier (PCC) may not be receiving the high data throughput typically experienced through the PCC. In response to determining that a CC fails calibration, a computing device may pair UEs with another CC as their PCC until the original CC passes a calibration check. The computing device may determine which CC to pair to the UEs based on uplink capacity, bandwidth, or a passed calibration check.

Abstract: The disclosed technology provides a system and method for allocating resource blocks to a wireless device based on a power headroom of the wireless device as contained in a power headroom report (PHR) from the wireless device. The network allocates wireless devices with the highest power headroom (e.g., power headroom above a certain power threshold) with edge resource blocks, wireless devices with the lowest power headroom (e.g. power headroom below a certain power threshold) with inner resource blocks, and other wireless devices with outer resource blocks.

Abstract: The disclosed technology provides a system and method for allocating resource blocks to a mobile device based on a traffic priority of wireless resources between the network and the mobile device. Traffic priority can be determined based on quality of service (QOS) identifiers or network slice identifiers. The highest priority users are allocated inner resource blocks with the lowest allowed maximum power reduction (MPR), the lowest priority users are allocated edge resource blocks with the highest allowed MPR, and the intermediate priority users are allocated outer resource blocks.

Abstract: The disclosed technology provides a system and method for allocating resource blocks to a mobile device based on a power headroom of the mobile device as contained in a power headroom report (PHR) from the mobile device. The network allocates mobile devices with the highest power headroom (e.g., power headroom above a certain power threshold) with edge resource blocks, mobile devices with the lowest power headroom (e.g. power headroom below a certain power threshold) with inner resource blocks, and other mobile devices with outer resource blocks.

Abstract: The disclosed technology provides a system and method for allocating resource blocks to a mobile device based on a traffic priority of traffic between the network and the mobile device. Traffic priority can be determined based on quality of service (QOS) identifiers or network slice identifiers. The highest priority users are allocated inner resource blocks with the lowest allowed maximum power reduction (MPR), the lowest priority users are allocated edge resource blocks with the highest allowed MPR, and the intermediate priority users are allocated outer resource blocks.

Abstract: A method and system for controlling how many carriers to aggregate together for carrier-aggregation service of a UE. A base station could take into account how many MIMO layers a UE would support respectively for each of various candidate quantities of carriers, and the base station could select the candidate quantity of carriers that would result in use of a highest aggregate total number of MIMO layers. Further, the selection could involve mapping UE-reported rank to a quantity of carriers, with the rank being inversely proportional to the selected quantity of carriers. The base station could then configure carrier-aggregation service of the UE with the selected quantity of carriers.

Abstract: Methods and systems are disclosed that can help to select an enhancement mode for uplink coordinated multipoint (CoMP). An exemplary method involves: determining a measure of remaining battery power of a first user equipment (UE), wherein the first UE is capable of uplink coordinated multipoint (CoMP) communication; determining a particular UE type of the first UE, wherein the particular UE type is one of a plurality of possible UE types; based at least in part on (a) the particular UE type of the first UE, and (b) the measure of remaining battery power of the first UE, selecting either a battery-saving mode or a throughput-enhancement mode as an uplink CoMP enhancement mode for the first UE; and providing uplink CoMP service to the first UE according to the selected uplink CoMP enhancement mode.

Abstract: When a UE is served with dual-connectivity by a master node (MN) over master connection on a first radio access technology (RAT) and a secondary node (SN) over a secondary connection on a second RAT and where the UE is engaged in a voice call over the master connection, an entity detects that quality of the UE's master connection has become threshold poor and responsively carries out a sequence of operations including (i) releasing the UE's secondary connection with the SN so as to transition the UE from dual-connectivity to standalone-connectivity served by the MN, and (ii) then transferring the UE's voice call from being served by the MN on the first RAT to instead being served by a tertiary node (TN) on a third RAT.

Abstract: When a serving base station encounters a trigger for handover of a UE to a target base station, the serving base station will responsively predict whether, before the serving base station would direct the UE to handover to the target base station, an inactivity timer for the UE will expire, and the serving base station will then control the handover based on that prediction. For instance, responsive to the predicting being that the inactivity timer will expire before the serving base station would send a handover command message to the UE, the serving base station could forgo engaging in handover-preparation signaling with the target base station for the handover, instead allowing the UE to transition to idle mode upon expiration of the timer, at which point the UE could then engage in idle-mode handover to the target base station.

Abstract: When a donor base station serves a relay on a wireless backhaul connection that encompasses at least two carriers, and where the relay includes a relay base station and a relay-WCD, communications over the wireless backhaul connection will be distributed among the carriers based on whether the communications are control-plane communications with the relay base station or rather user-plane communications with a WCD served by the relay base station. For instance, all such control-plane communication could be carried on one of the carriers, and all such user-plane communication could be carried instead on another of the carriers.

Abstract: A method and system to control UE handover is disclosed herein. A source base station serving a UE receives from the UE a measurement report that specifies a signal strength of a neighboring target base station. The source base station sets a value of a handover threshold parameter, with the set value being based at least in part on whether the target base station is a relay base station or a non-relay base station. Further, the source base station may compare the specified signal strength of the target base station to the set value of the handover threshold parameter and determine that a handover condition is satisfied. Responsive to making such a determination, the source base station may invoke handover of the UE from the source base station to the target base station.

Abstract: In an example method, a base station determines that a UE is CSFB capable and that the base station is currently serving a relay on a first carrier of a plurality of carriers. The base station provides a coverage area on which to serve UEs, and the coverage area operates on the plurality of carriers. Based on at least the determining that the UE is CSFB capable and that the base station is currently serving the relay on the first carrier, the base station assigns the UE to operate on a carrier of the plurality of carriers other than the first carrier rather than having the UE operate on the first carrier on which the base station is currently serving the relay.

Abstract: Systems and methods are described for reducing a maximum allowable transmit power of a wireless device. Instructions to reduce a maximum transmit power of wireless devices operating at a carrier band edge of a band channel maybe received at an access node. Power headroom reports may be collected from the wireless devices. The wireless devices may be classified based on the collected power headroom reports. Power reduction may be imposed on wireless devices classified as low power wireless devices and wireless devices classified as high power wireless devices may be handed off to a neighboring band channel.

Abstract: A method and system for controlling handover of a wireless communication device from a first base station to a second base station. Upon detecting a trigger (such as load) for handing over at least one WCD from the first base station, the first base station or another entity selects at least one of the WCDs served by the first base station based on a determination that the WCD is not configured to support use of a particular communication scheme, such as a particular modulation scheme, that the first base station is configured to support using for air interface communication. Based at least in part on that determination, the first base station then selects the WCD. And the first base station processes handover of the selected WCD from being served by the first base station to being served by the second base station.

Abstract: Systems and methods are described for configuring a handover threshold for wireless devices in a wireless network. A plurality of wireless devices operating in a radio range of an access node (AN) are instructed to report an actual maximum allowable transmit power value at the AN. The plurality of wireless devices are classified based on the reported actual maximum allowable transmit power value. Handover thresholds for the plurality of wireless devices are configured based on the classification.

Abstract: A method and system to help control CoMP service in a V-RAN arrangement. The load on a cell site's fronthaul network interface between the cell site's RRH and the cell site's BBU is determined. And in response to detecting that the fronthaul load is threshold high, a limit will be imposed on application of CoMP service involving the cell site. For example, in response to detecting that the cell site's fronthaul network interface is threshold highly loaded, (i) the cell site could be made to use decentralized joint processing rather than centralized joint processing, (ii) a lower coverage strength threshold could be imposed as a basis to trigger CoMP service involving the cell site, and/or (iii) the quantity of uplink communication that is subject to CoMP service involving the cell site could be limited.

Abstract: A base station that provides coverage on at least one TDD carrier and at least one FDD carrier detects that the base station is serving a UE on just one or more of the TDD carrier(s) and that the UE is TDD-FDD CA capable. In response, the base station reconfigures the UE to change the UE's carrier prioritization from (i) prioritizing TDD over FDD to (ii) prioritizing FDD over TDD. For instance, if TDD carriers are defined in one or more frequency bands, and FDD carriers are defined in one or more other frequency bands, this could involve changing the UE's band prioritization to cause the UE to prefer connecting on TDD.

Abstract: A base station may use another base station's carrier-aggregation policy for a cell and carrier-aggregation capability information for a UE as a basis to control handover of the UE from the base station to the other base station. As one example, a first base station may receive, from a UE, a report that the UE has detected coverage of a target cell. The target cell may be provided by a second base station, and the first base station may determine whether the target cell can be aggregated with one or more other cells and whether the UE supports carrier aggregation. The first base station may then select a handover threshold based on the determination, and use the selected handover threshold as a basis to control handover of the UE from being served by the first base station to being served by the second base station.

Abstract: Systems and methods are described for adjusting a scheduling algorithm based on wireless device priority. A plurality of resource blocks may be transmitted from an access node to a set of wireless devices using a scheduling algorithm, wherein the set comprises a first priority subset of wireless devices and a second priority subset of wireless devices. It may be detected that a number of resources blocks received by the second priority subset of wireless devices is greater than a number of resource blocks received by the first priority subset of wireless devices. And, based on the detecting, the scheduling algorithm may be adjusted such that the resource blocks received by the first priority subset of wireless devices are increased after the adjustment.

Abstract: When a serving base station encounters a trigger for handover of a UE to a target base station, the serving base station will responsively predict whether, before the serving base station would direct the UE to handover to the target base station, an inactivity timer for the UE will expire, and the serving base station will then control the handover based on that prediction. For instance, responsive to the predicting being that the inactivity timer will expire before the serving base station would send a handover command message to the UE, the serving base station could forgo engaging in handover-preparation signaling with the target base station for the handover, instead allowing the UE to transition to idle mode upon expiration of the timer, at which point the UE could then engage in idle-mode handover to the target base station.