Abstract: A first wireless network serves a wireless device and generates loading information. A second wireless network also serves the wireless device and also generates loading information. The first and second wireless networks share a plurality of wireless access points. A paging system receives a page request for the wireless device for delivery over the first network. The paging system processes the loading information to determine if paging assistance from the second network is applicable. If so, the paging system transfers a first page to the second network for delivery to the wireless device. The paging system receives a page response from the wireless device over the second network and processes the response to identify the shared wireless access point serving the wireless device. The paging system transfers a second page to the first wireless network for delivery to the wireless device through the identified shared wireless access point.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are systems and methods for managing signaling traffic in a radio access network (RAN) that provides wireless service to wireless communication devices (WCDs) in a plurality of wireless coverage areas. The RAN may determine a level of ingress of WCDs into a wireless coverage area and/or a level of egress of WCDs out of the wireless coverage area. Further, the RAN may then select a respective transmission rate in the coverage area for one or more control-channel messages based at least in part on a determined ingress level and/or at least in part on a determined egress level. The RAN may then broadcast each control-channel message at that message's respective selected transmission rate.

Abstract: A method and system for managing broadcast of notifications indicating whether system information has changed, so as to enable served devices to determine when to read and store updated system information. A radio access network tracks changes in system information on a per wakeup cycle basis, so as to determine whether system information has changed since a last instance of broadcasting such a notification in a particular wakeup cycle. If system information has changed, the network responsively broadcasts an indication that system information has changed, so as to cause devices operating on that wakeup cycle to read and store the updated system information. Whereas, if system information has not changed, the network responsively broadcasts an indication that system information has not changed (or forgoes broadcasting an indication that system information has changed), so that devices operating on that wakeup cycle can avoid reading and storing the system information.

Abstract: A mobile station measures a pseudonoise (PN) offset and a signal strength of a spread spectrum signal transmitted by a given sector of a spread spectrum communication system. The measured PN offset differs from a nominal PN offset of the given sector. The mobile station transmits a measurement message that includes the measured PN offset and the measured signal strength. The spread spectrum communication system receives the measurement message and determines a location associated with the mobile station (e.g., based on location coordinates included in the measurement message). The spread spectrum communication system determines the nominal PN offset of the given sector based on the measured PN offset and the location associated with the mobile station. If the given sector is a valid handoff destination, the spread spectrum communication system transmits to the mobile station a handoff instruction that identifies the given sector by the measured PN offset.

Abstract: A method and system to help manage transition of a device between wireless access networks. The device engages in a call served by a given access network and the call ends. Responsive to the call ending, (i) a determination is made as to which base station of that network last served the device, (ii) the determined base station is mapped to a proximate base station of another access network, and (iii) a bearer connection is established in the other access network with the proximate base station in anticipation of the device seeking to be served by that base station.

Abstract: A wireless network allocates uplink resources to wireless communication devices (WCDs) based on power headroom reports, with more resources being allocated to WCDs reporting greater power headrooms. Each WCD may determine a respective power headroom as a difference between its maximum transmit power and a transmit power requirement for its current uplink resource allocation. However, a WCD may report an adjusted power headroom that is obtained, for example, by decreasing its respective power headroom by an adjustment value. The WCD may then receive an uplink resource allocation that is based on the adjusted power headroom that it reported. The adjustment value could be based on a priority level of the WCD, a priority level of data to be transmitted by the WCD, and/or an instruction from the wireless network. In one example, basic-priority WCDs report adjusted power headrooms so that more uplink resources are available for high-priority WCDs.

Abstract: Systems, methods, and software for operating a wireless communication system are provided herein. In one example, a method of operating a wireless communication system is provided. The method includes transferring, for delivery to user devices, overhead signaling for a non-long term evolution (LTE) communication protocol over an LTE signaling pathway. The method also includes identifying control channel congestion for wireless communications exchanged with the user devices over a LTE signaling pathway. The method also includes determining when the control channel congestion exceeds a congestion threshold, and responsively transferring the overhead signaling for the non-LTE communication protocol using a non-LTE signaling pathway to ones of the user devices having power headrooms exceeding a headroom threshold.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are systems and methods for symmetrical implementation of inter-cell interference coordination (ICIC) in a radio access network (RAN) having a first base station serving a first set of access terminals and a second base station serving a second set of access terminals. In an embodiment, a network entity makes both a first determination that each access terminal in the first set is receiving at least a threshold-strong signal from the second base station and a second determination that each access terminal in the second set is receiving at least a threshold-strong signal from the first base station. Responsive to making these determinations in combination, the network entity manages an assignment of reverse-link resource blocks in the RAN such that no reverse-link resource blocks are assigned to both an access terminal in the first set and an access terminal in the second set.

Abstract: A radio access network (RAN) determines whether transmission time interval (TTI) bundling is warranted for a wireless communication device (WCD) based on at least a power headroom report from the WCD. In response to determining that TTI bundling is warranted, the RAN selects a TTI bundle size, N, for the WCD and instructs the WCD to use the selected TTI bundle size. The TTI bundle size, N, could be selected from among a set of predefined values, such as N=2, N=3, and N=4. The selection could be based on various factors, such as a utilization of an uplink shared channel, a re-transmission rate of the WCD, and/or a remaining battery life of the WCD.

Abstract: During an initial part of a communication session, a transmitting node transmits digital data over a first air interface channel to a receiving node, using a first data rate and a first level of repetition. A degradation in quality of the communication session is detected. During a subsequent part of the communication session, the transmitting node transmits digital data over the first air interface channel as before but also transmits the digital data over a second air interface channel, using a second data rate and a second level of repetition. The second data rate is higher than the first data rate, and the second level of repetition is higher than the first level of repetition. Thus, during a given transmission period, the transmitting node may transmit a voice frame once over the first air interface channel and N times over the second air interface channel.

Abstract: A RAN may receive a call establishment request, on a first frequency, seeking to establish a call involving a WCD. In response to receiving the request, the RAN may select a plurality of wireless coverage areas, each defined using the first frequency. The RAN may determine that utilization of a first wireless coverage area of the selected wireless coverage areas meets a utilization threshold. In response, the RAN may determine that a strength at which the WCD receives signals from the first wireless coverage area exceeds the strengths at which the WCD receives signals from other wireless coverage areas in the plurality of wireless coverage areas by at least a signal strength differential value. Accordingly, the RAN may assign, to the WCD, a traffic channel from a second wireless coverage area, defined using a second frequency, for supporting the call.

Abstract: A method of operating a wireless communication device comprises storing initial data in a first wireless channel table that associates a geographic identifier, a network availability signal, and a first wireless communication channel. New data is received that associates the geographic identifier, the network availability signal, and a second wireless communication channel. The initial data is compared to the new data to determine that the first wireless communication channel in the initial data changed to the second wireless communication channel associated in the new data. A conditional statement is generated that directs the wireless communication device to utilize the first wireless communication channel for the geographic identifier if a performance metric of the second wireless communication channel fails to meet a performance standard.

Abstract: A radio access network (RAN) may be configured to identify a set of wireless coverage areas in which to transmit inter-frequency search directives. Identifying the set of coverage areas may involve determining which of the coverage areas defined by the RAN have threshold weaker coverage on one carrier frequency than on another carrier frequency of that coverage area. For each coverage area of the set, the RAN may identify one or more WCDs operating in the coverage area that are operating on the coverage area's carrier frequency that has the weaker coverage. Based on the identifying of the WCDs, the RAN may send to each identified WCD an inter-frequency search directive to cause the WCD to scan for and report to the RAN a measurement of coverage on one or more carrier frequencies other than the carrier frequency on which the WCD is currently operating.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are methods and systems that may help to adjust, e.g., CDMA paging and access parameters in a coverage area, based on the prevalence of devices that are configured for enhanced circuit switch fallback (eCSFB) in the coverage area. For example, a base station in a radio access network (RAN) may: (a) determine a measure CSFB-device prevalence in a coverage area, (b) use the measure of CSFB-device prevalence in the coverage area as a basis for adjusting one or more parameters for communications with via a first channel (e.g., a CDMA paging or access channel), and (c) apply the one or more adjusted parameters to communications with devices via the first channel.

Abstract: Various embodiments are described for redirecting a mobile station via a traffic channel. In one embodiment, a first RAN receives a request from a mobile station to establish a traffic channel between the mobile station and the first RAN for use in a communication session. The first RAN makes a determination to not establish the communication session, but nevertheless establishes the requested traffic channel after making the determination. Then, without establishing the communication session, the first RAN redirects the mobile station via the established traffic channel to a second RAN. By establishing the traffic channel even though the RAN may be unable (or unwilling) to allow the mobile station to establish the communication session, the RAN is able to control the behavior of the mobile station in the event that the RAN cannot establish the requested communication session.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are methods and systems that may help to determine and/or adjust parameters for zone-based paging over CDMA paging channels, based on the prevalence of devices that are configured for enhanced circuit switch fallback (eCSFB) in one or more paging zones. For example, a switch in a radio access network (RAN) may: (a) determine a respective measure of CSFB-device prevalence in one or more paging zones in the RAN, (b) use the respectively determined measure of CSFB-device prevalence in at least one of the paging zones as a basis to determine one or more parameters for zone-based paging in the at least one of the paging zones, and (c) apply the one or more determined parameters for zone-based paging in the at least one of the paging zones.

Abstract: A method, apparatus, and system for helping to manage advanced handoff to a coverage area based on correlation with a geographic region. A mobile station determines that it is in or approaching a defined geographic region, and the mobile station determines from correlation data that the geographic region is correlated with a particular cellular coverage area. The mobile station therefore requests handoff to the cellular coverage area and provides an advanced-handoff indication to cause the serving radio access network to maintain assignment of a radio connection in the coverage area longer than the network would normally, to help allow time for the mobile station to arrive at the coverage area and begin communicating on the radio connection with the network.

Abstract: Disclosed are a method, apparatus, and system for managing repeat-paging processes within a radio access network. When a base station receives a paging directive, the base station begins broadcasting a first series of page messages destined to a mobile station. Response to the first base station receiving no response from the mobile station to the first series of page messages, the first base station sends a repeat-paging directive to a second base station. The repeat-paging directive directs the second base station to begin broadcasting a second series of page messages destined to the mobile station.

Abstract: Embodiments disclosed herein provide systems and methods for dynamically transferring between multiple-input and multiple-output (MIMO) transmit modes based on a usage level of a wireless access node. In a particular embodiment, a method provides transferring wireless communications to a wireless communication device via a plurality of ports in a wireless access node on a wireless communication network. The method further provides determining an access node usage level for the wireless access node. If the access node usage level satisfies a condition for access node usage, the method provides configuring the plurality of ports to use a MIMO 2 transmit-2 carrier mode for transmitting the wireless communications. If the access node usage level does not satisfy the condition for access node usage, the method provides configuring the plurality of ports to use a MIMO 4 transmit-1 carrier mode for transmitting the wireless communications.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are methods and systems that may help to adjust, e.g., CDMA paging and access parameters in a coverage area, based on the prevalence of devices that are configured for enhanced circuit switch fallback (eCSFB) in the coverage area. For example, a base station in a radio access network (RAN) may: determine a measure of circuit switch fallback (CSFB) device prevalence in a coverage area, use the measure of CSFB-device prevalence in the coverage area as a basis for updating one or more paging parameters for communications via a paging channel defined under the first air-interface protocol; and apply the one or more updated paging parameters to communications with devices via the paging channel defined under the first air-interface protocol.