Abstract: Methods and system for managing, during an external event, a wireless communication device configured to search for an available wireless communication system from among a plurality of wireless communication systems in accordance with a first priority order. Upon detecting that an external event has occurred, a communication network may determine, based in part on the external event, a period of time that is associated with the external event, and cause the wireless communication device to search, for the determined period of time, for an available wireless communication system from among the plurality of wireless communication systems in accordance with a second priority order instead of the first priority order. Upon expiration of the determined period of time, the communication network may cause the wireless communication device to search for the available wireless communication system in accordance with the first priority order instead of the second priority order.

Abstract: A method and apparatus to help minimize tuneaway time of a user equipment device (UE), by dynamically scheduling when the UE should tune away to scan for coverage of a particular wireless communication system, such as a time division duplex (TDD) system for instance. The UE may receive downlink transmissions from a TDD system and determining a downlink transmission schedule of the TDD system based on when those downlink transmissions occurred. Further, the UE may then use the determined downlink transmission schedule as a basis to schedule tuneaway of the UE from a serving system to scan for coverage of the TDD system.

Abstract: A mobile station receives system time information from a source base transceiver station (BTS) in a spread spectrum communication system. The mobile station estimates a distance between the mobile station and the source BTS. The mobile station calculates a propagation delay based on the estimated distance. The mobile station develops a propagation-delay-adjusted time reference based on the system time information and the calculated propagation delay. The mobile station uses the propagation-delay-adjusted time reference to search for a target pseudonoise (PN) offset corresponding to a target BTS in the spread spectrum communication system. The mobile station may be closer to the target BTS than the source BTS.

Abstract: Described herein is a method and corresponding radio access network (RAN) arranged to dynamically control, based on vehicular traffic monitoring data, allocations of network capacity in a wireless coverage area. More particularly, according to the method the RAN may receive vehicular traffic monitoring data, perhaps from a service provider such as a vehicular traffic monitoring agency. Based on the received vehicular traffic monitoring data, the RAN may adjust a limit on extent of capacity allocated to new call originations and/or a limit on extent of capacity allocated to handoffs in a wireless coverage area of the RAN. According to one aspect of the method, the RAN may adjust network capacity allocations in the wireless coverage area based on a specified vehicular traffic speed. According to another aspect of the method, the RAN may adjust network capacity allocations in the wireless coverage area based on a specified vehicular traffic obstruction.

Abstract: A method and system for managing backhaul capacity between radio access network (RAN) infrastructure and a plurality of base stations providing coverage areas in the active set of a wireless communication device (WCD), where each base station has a respective backhaul link with the RAN infrastructure. An example implementation of the method involves determining separately for each base station a ratio of a quantity of control data to bearer data on the base station's backhaul link, determining that a given one of the base stations has the lowest determined ratio of the determined ratios, and responsively transitioning to a restricted mode where control data communication with the WCD occurs via just that base station and not via the other base stations, but bearer data communication with the WCD occurs via all of the base stations.

Abstract: Embodiments disclosed herein provide systems and methods for carrier frequency assignment based on transmit power differentials. In a particular embodiment, a method comprises determining first power levels of first carrier frequencies transmitted from a first wireless network base station and determining second power levels of second carrier frequencies transmitted from a second wireless network base station. The method further comprises determining transmit power differentials between the first power levels and the second power levels for corresponding ones of the first and second carrier frequencies. The method further comprises assigning a wireless communication device to one of the first carrier frequencies based on the transmit power differentials.

Abstract: A method and system is disclosed for control of discontinuous transmission based on vocoder and voice activity. An access terminal (AT) may engage in a communication session via an encoder-decoder in a network device in a wireless network. During silence intervals of the communication session, when the AT has no data to transmit, the AT may transmit periodic silence frames at a silence-frame rate to the encoder-decoder. The silence frames may contain parameters for generation of audio noise by the network device. Upon determining that the encoder-decoder has ceased transmitting data to the AT in response to a prolonged absence of transmissions from the AT, the AT may increase the silence-frame rate so as to reduce the duration of the absence of transmissions from the AT, and correspondingly cause the encoder-decoder to begin transmitting audio data to the AT.

Abstract: Exemplary methods and systems are disclosed herein that may, among other benefits, help a mobile station to conserve power by intelligently determining how often to scan for incoming pages. An exemplary method may be carried out by a mobile station that has most-recently registered with a radio access network in a zone of last registration, and involves the mobile station (a) determining a location of the mobile station in relation to the zone of last registration, (b) using the location of the mobile station in relation to the zone of last registration as a basis for determining a scan period to wait between scans of the paging channel; and (c) periodically scanning the paging channel according to the determined scan period. Furthermore, an exemplary method may be carried out in order to conserve battery power when a mobile station determines that its battery power is low.

Abstract: A radio access network (RAN) may radiate to define a wireless coverage area that is configured to provide wireless coverage to wireless communication devices (WCDs). If the utilization of the wireless coverage area is below a low-utilization threshold, the RAN may begin transmitting noise frames in the wireless coverage area. In doing so, the transmitted signal strength of the wireless coverage area may increase, which in turn may increase the likelihood that the WCDs can acquire and use the wireless coverage area.

Abstract: A wireless communication device (WCD) may be able to acquire wireless service from preferred wireless coverage areas that are managed by the WCD's service provider. In some cases, the WCD may instead use wireless service from non-preferred wireless coverage areas of the service provider's roaming partners. In order to save roaming fees, the service provider's RAN may determine when the WCD is likely to roam to a non-preferred wireless coverage area. In response to this determination, the RAN may transmit a redirect message to the WCD, causing the WCD to switch from one preferred wireless coverage area to another preferred wireless coverage area. In some situations, the RAN may transmit such a redirect message because the WCD has reported that it has a low remaining battery life.

Abstract: Systems, methods, and computer-readable media are provided for reducing the use of network resources during a conference call with mobile communications devices. An active conference call is detected between a conference bridge service, including a conference bridge leader, and participants who are ace sing the conference call by way of a mobile communications device in a wireless communications network. An indication is received that the conference bridge leader has muted the lines of the participants. As a result, each of these mobile communications devices are notified to stop transmitting data over a reverse link other than data used for signaling purposes until the devices are no longer muted.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are systems and methods for selectively enabling and disabling secondary-band radios via primary-band signaling. In one embodiment, at least one RAN entity provides service to a multi-band-capable access terminal that comprises a first radio arranged to communicate over a first radio band and a second radio arranged to communicate over a second radio band, wherein the access terminal is arranged to prefer the first radio band to the second. The at least one RAN entity makes a secondary-radio-disabling determination, which includes determining that the access terminal is located in a vicinity of a particular set of one or more base stations that operate on the second radio band. Responsive to making the secondary-radio-disabling determination, the at least one RAN entity sends to the first radio over the first radio band a command that the multi-band-capable access terminal disable the second radio.

Abstract: In order to provide better wireless service to wireless communication devices (WCDs) at different altitudes (e.g., on different levels of a high-rise structure), a radio access network (RAN) may include antennas that are configured to provide coverage at these different altitudes. The RAN may assign an initial transmit power to a particular WCD based on the particular WCD's altitude. For instance, if the particular WCD is above a threshold altitude, the RAN may set the initial transmit power to the WCD to a lower value. However, if the WCD is below the threshold altitude, the RAN may set the initial transmit power to the WCD to a higher value, to overcome low-altitude signal obstructions. As a result, RAN and WCD performance may improve.

Abstract: In order to provide better wireless service to wireless communication devices (WCDs) at different altitudes (e.g., on different levels of a high-rise structure), a radio access network (RAN) may include antennas that are configured to provide coverage at these different altitudes. The RAN may assign resources, such as transmit power or frequencies, to wireless coverage areas serving particular altitude ranges in a proportion that is commensurate with the number of WCDs being served by these particular altitude ranges. As a result, RAN and WCD performance may improve.

Abstract: A method and system for dynamically adjusting reverse-link ACK transmission power based on forward-link timeslot utilization. A radio access network (e.g., a base station) may monitor timeslot utilization on the forward link and, upon detecting that the timeslot utilization is threshold high, may cause one or more served access terminals to increase their ACK transmission power, thereby possibly helping to minimize re-transmissions for data packets that have already been successfully received, and thus helping to minimize unnecessary use of potentially scarce forward-link timeslots.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method and apparatus for managing transmission of messages such as SMS messages. A device will determine based on access probe count history whether to transmit a message on a reverse access channel or on a reverse traffic channel, and the device will transmit the message accordingly.

Abstract: A method and corresponding system is provided to help mitigate sector congestion. In one embodiment of the method, a RAN entity evaluates load among sectors of a tracking area and determines that the load is at least a threshold level of load. In response, the RAN entity enlarges the tracking area. In another embodiment of the method, when the RAN entity makes a decision to reconfigure a tracking area, it may consider one or more factors when determining how to reconfigure. In one example, the RAN entity may identify a particular border sector that has at least a threshold level of load or is a border sector in another network. Responsively, the RAN may reconfigure the tracking area such that the identified border sector is no longer a border sector. Other examples are possible.

Abstract: A method and system is disclosed for managing transmission of data in upcoming timeslots on an air interface. A radio access network detects that in the upcoming timeslots, less than a threshold portion of currently-contending devices are scheduled to receive transmissions, and the radio access network responsively de-schedules a number of the devices and schedules in their place a greater number of other devices, where the newly scheduled devices have higher forward link data rates than the de-scheduled devices.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are methods and systems for managing usage of traffic-channel resources in an access network, which are preferably resources that are reserved during a traffic channel assignment (TCA) process. An exemplary method comprises (i) a base station determining a usage level of at least one traffic-channel resource in a coverage area of the access network; (ii) based at least in part on the determined usage level, updating one or more TCA parameters affecting expected usage of the traffic-channel resource resulting from the TCA process; and (iii) performing the TCA process according to the updated TCA parameters. Preferably the usage level is determined for Medium Access Control Identifiers (MAC_IDs). Further, the access-channel occupancy (ACO) may be determined and the base station may further base the updating of TCA parameters on the ACO. In an exemplary embodiment, the updated TCA parameters include the TCA count and/or the TCC wait timer.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method and apparatus for helping to reduce latency that may arise from requesting retransmission of non-received packets. A device carrying out the method may be arranged to not send negative acknowledgements for non-received packets. Further, in an implementation where the device is to send for each packet of an incoming sequence either a positive acknowledgement indicating that the device received the packet or a negative acknowledgement indicating that the device did not receive the packet (and constituting a request for retransmission of the packet), the device will send for each packet a positive acknowledgement regardless of whether the device received the packet. The device will thus send a positive acknowledgement for at least one packet even though the device did not receive the packet.