Abstract: Methods and systems are disclosed that may help a base station to adjust forward-link data rates in a given sector based on transmission-power variations in neighboring sectors. An exemplary method involves a base station that serves a first sector: (a) determining a respective transmission power for each of two or more channels of a second sector, (b) detecting a transmission-power difference between at least two of the channels of the second sector, and (c) in response to detecting the transmission-power difference: (i) determining a data rate control (DRC) adjustment for the first sector based at least in part on the transmission-power difference; and using the determined DRC adjustment to determine a forward-link data rate for at least one access terminal in the first sector.

Abstract: Embodiments disclosed herein provide systems and methods for improving reverse link throughput using Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO) across multiple wireless devices. In a particular embodiment, in response to receiving a user instruction to execute an application associated with a wireless protocol over a MIMO transmit antenna system, a method provides transferring a wireless probe signal to identify whether an external MIMO antenna element is available over another wireless protocol. The method further provides generating a signal with a Walsh code for the application and wirelessly transmitting the signal from an internal MIMO antenna element for receipt by a MIMO receive antenna system. The method further provides wirelessly transmitting the signal over the other wireless protocol, wherein a second wireless device including the external MIMO antenna element receives the signal and wirelessly transmits the signal from the external MIMO antenna element for receipt by the MIMO receive antenna system.

Abstract: Methods and devices for transmission of communications during a silence interval are described. A base station (BS) provides timing data to an access terminal (AT) and AT uses timing data to synchronize with BS to carry our silence and non-silence intervals for an RF air interface. AT attempts to initiate communications by transmitting an access probe (AP) to BS during a non-silence interval. Other ATs may transmit communications to BS during non-silence interval. If BS acknowledges AP during non-silence interval, AT does not transmit during a subsequent silence interval. If AP was for an emergency communication and BS does not acknowledge AP sent during non-silence interval, AT transmits another AP during the subsequent silence interval to initiate emergency communication. If AP was not for emergency communication, AT does not transmit AP during the subsequent silence interval. The other ATs do not transmit communications to BS during the subsequent silence interval.

Abstract: A UE may be configured to support wireless communication in two or more frequency bands. In some embodiments, the UE initiates a first wireless communication session in a first frequency band of the two or more frequency bands, and in response to initiating the wireless communication session in the first frequency band, the UE prevents itself from communicating in a second frequency band of the set of two or more frequency bands until the first wireless communication session has ended. Some embodiments further include subsequently enabling the UE to communicate in the second frequency band of the set of two or more frequency bands in response to ending the first wireless communication session in the first frequency band.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method and corresponding apparatus for enhanced scheduling of resources based on use of carrier aggregation. The method involves determining that (i) an individual UE is being served with carrier aggregation or with greater than a threshold amount of frequency and (ii) a processor load of the base station is greater than a threshold load. The method then involves, responsive to the determining that the individual UE is being served with carrier aggregation or with greater than a threshold amount of frequency and that the processor load of the base station is greater than the threshold load, causing the base station to allocate an extent of resources to the individual UE without using FSS.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method and system that involves establishing a communication between a wireless device and a base station notwithstanding, and in response to, a determination that the wireless device is threshold far away from the base station. When the base station or its supporting network infrastructure determines that the device is threshold far away from the base station, the base station will simultaneously establish the communication via the base station and at least one other base station. Once adequate communication then occurs through the other base station, the first base station will be dropped from the communication, allowing the communication to proceed though the other base station.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method and corresponding apparatus for enhanced scheduling of resources based on use of carrier aggregation. The method involves determining that (i) an individual UE is being served with carrier aggregation or with greater than a threshold amount of frequency and (ii) a processor load of the base station is greater than a threshold load. The method then involves, responsive to the determining that the individual UE is being served with carrier aggregation or with greater than a threshold amount of frequency and that the processor load of the base station is greater than the threshold load, causing the base station to allocate an extent of resources to the individual UE without using FSS.

Abstract: Disclosed are a method, apparatus, and system for securing a communication link between a user equipment device (UE) and a communication network. A first wireless communication link is established between the UE and the communication network. The first wireless communication link is an unsecured communication link and is established under a first air interface protocol. A second wireless communication link is established between the UE and the communication network. The second wireless communication link is a secured communication link and is established under a second air interface protocol. An encryption key is transmitted to the UE over the second wireless communication link, the UE encrypts data using the encryption key, and the encrypted data is communicated over the first wireless communication link from the UE to the communication network.

Abstract: A mobile station involved in a call receives a forward link signal from a radio access network (RAN) and transmits a reverse link signal to the RAN. If the mobile station detects a reception failure of the forward link signal, such as the receipt of an errored frame, the mobile station transmits a wait time to the RAN. The wait time specifies how long the reception failure can continue before the mobile station will discontinue transmitting the reverse link signal. In response, the RAN may increase the transmit power level at which the RAN transmits the forward link signal, such that a maximum transmit power level is reached during the wait time. The wait time could be based on a user preference and/or user behavior with respect to abandoning calls.

Abstract: An enhanced Node B (eNB) and method for contention-free handoff of an emergency telephone call in a wireless network are provided. The eNB in one example embodiment includes a transceiver system configured to communicate with a User Equipment (UE) and a processing system coupled to the transceiver system and configured to receive a telephone call from the UE via the transceiver system, determine if the telephone call comprises an emergency telephone call, if the telephone call comprises an emergency telephone call, then determine neighbor eNBs that are not configured to provide contention-free handoffs, if the telephone call comprises an emergency telephone call, then reserve a contention-free (CF) preamble from each neighbor eNB that is not configured to provide contention-free handoffs, and provide the reserved CF preambles to the UE.

Abstract: A method and apparatus to help mitigate interference from an adjacent coverage area. A user equipment device (UE) determines a time division duplex (TDD) frame arrangement of a neighboring base station and reports the determined TDD frame arrangement to a serving base station. The serving base station uses the reported TDD frame arrangement of the neighboring base station as a basis to avoid scheduling downlink transmission of bearer traffic to the UE at times when the TDD frame arrangement of the neighboring base station defines uplink transmission.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method and corresponding apparatus to make use of hybrid-ARQ repetition factors as a way to differentiate service quality to various mobile terminals. Depending on a mobile terminal's subscription service class, such as the mobile terminal's PLMN, the mobile terminal may be made to use a particular hybrid-ARQ repetition factor. For instance, a mobile terminal of a high service class may be made to use a low hybrid-ARQ repetition factor, which may help the mobile terminal experience less downlink transmission delay and thus a higher downlink data rate. Whereas, a mobile terminal of a low service class may be made to use a high hybrid-ARQ repetition factor, which may cause the mobile terminal to experience more downlink transmission delay and thus a lower downlink data rate, and may further free up downlink transmission resources to facilitate better service for other mobile terminals.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are systems and methods for enforcing vendor-based restrictions on wireless service. One embodiment takes the form of a method that is carried out by at least one radio access network (RAN) entity and that includes receiving an access request from a mobile station via a base station, and responsively making a vendor identification to identify a vendor of the base station. The method further includes denying the access request based at least in part on the vendor identification.

Abstract: A wireless communication device comprises a wireless communication transceiver and a processing system. The wireless communication transceiver is configured to measure reference signal received power (RSRP) values and reference signal received quality (RSRQ) values of a plurality of candidate sectors. The processing system is configured to determine a greatest relative difference between the RSRP values of the candidate sectors. If the greatest relative difference between the RSRP values of the candidate sectors falls below a power threshold, the processing system is configured to direct the wireless communication transceiver to transfer the RSRP values of the candidate sectors and one of the RSRQ values associated with a strongest candidate sector that has a greatest RSRP value of the candidate sectors, and if the greatest relative difference between the RSRP values of the candidate sectors exceeds the power threshold, the RSRP values of the candidate sectors are transferred.

Abstract: Embodiments disclosed herein provide systems and methods for adjusting the rate at which an application retrieves data updates based upon application usage. In a particular embodiment, a method provides exchanging communications with a wireless communication network. The method further provides executing an application that exchanges application data in the wireless communication device with the wireless communication network. The method further provides determining an application usage rate for the application and adjusting an application update rate for the application based on the application usage rate. Additionally, the method provides updating the application data over the wireless communication network based on the application update rate.

Abstract: A serving base station (SBS) that provides service to a UE device can receive or determine admission capacity of a neighbor base station (NBS). The SBS can determine a reporting interval based on the admission capacity and provide the UE device with the reporting interval. Upon determining that handover from the SBS to the NBS may be necessary, the UE device can responsively start transmitting measurement data regarding the NBS to the SBS. Transmission of the measurement data can occur at intervals that equal the reporting interval. The value of the reporting interval can be conditioned on the admission capacity of the NBS. As the capacity for admitting more UE devices decreases, the likelihood of the UE device handing over to the NBS may decrease. Increasing the reporting interval for reporting measurement data regarding the NBS can reduce loading of the reverse-links to the SBS.

Abstract: Systems, methods, and software for wireless frequency changes for wireless communication devices based on tracking area updates in wireless communication systems are provided herein. In one example, a method of operating a communication system is provided. The method includes providing wireless access to communication services for wireless communication devices over a first frequency spectrum at a wireless access node, and receiving tracking area updates transferred by ones of the wireless communication devices. The method also includes processing at least a quantity of the tracking area updates received at the wireless access node to determine idle timers for the wireless communication devices, where an expiration of an associated idle timer indicates that an associated wireless communication device can no longer receive the wireless access over the first frequency spectrum and can receive further wireless access over a second frequency spectrum.

Abstract: Systems, methods, and software for providing network access information to a wireless communication device are provided herein. In one example, method of operating a communication system is provided. The method includes communicating with a wireless communication device over a long-term evolution (LTE) wireless communication link provided by a first wireless access node, detecting a handoff from the first wireless access node to a second wireless access node for the wireless communication device when the wireless communication device is in an idle mode of operation, and responsive to the handoff, transferring network access information for a non-LTE network to the wireless communication device.

Abstract: An inter-frequency handoff of a mobile station engaged in a call via wireless network is effected by gradually changing a carrier frequency of a forward link signal from a first-channel frequency, corresponding to a first frequency channel, to a second-channel frequency, corresponding to a second frequency channel. Initially, a first transmitter in the wireless network transmits the forward link signal in the first frequency channel. A second transmitter then transmits the forward link signal while changing the carrier frequency from the first-channel frequency to the second-channel frequency at a specified tuning rate. The tuning rate may be dynamically adjustable in response to requests from the mobile station. Once the second-channel frequency is reached, a third transmitter continues transmitting the forward link signal in the second frequency channel. The mobile station may also gradually change the carrier frequency of the reverse link signal that it transmits for the call.

Abstract: A method and corresponding system for controlling billing for communication service. An area of coverage of a first wireless serving system is dynamically determined based on signals from one or more mobile stations served by the first wireless serving system. A determination is then made as to whether a mobile station was within the determined area of coverage of the first wireless serving system when the mobile station was being served with communication service by a second wireless serving system. And a billing rate, for billing for the communication service, is selected based at least in part on the determination.