Abstract: Base stations as well as Radio Access Network (RAN) controllers have embedded communication agents that are responsible from control messaging between these entities that enable creation and management of RAN Slices. At a given time, it is possible that multiple active RAN slices co-exist on the same base station, where each RAN slice may run its own scheduler, its own admission control and have its own handoff management parameter values.

Abstract: A joint optimization module (jointly optimizing MRO and MLB) includes: (a) an interpolator receiving a measurement report containing: signal strength/ quality values, other performance indicator values, and load values reported by each base station; identifying one or more time instances that lack measurements (of signal strength/quality, performance indicator, or load values), and interpolating values for such time instances; (b) a storage unit storing the received measurement report and interpolated measurement values; (c) a MLB unit receiving the measurement report and outputting optimized HO parameters from a load balancing perspective to an optimizer; (d) a MRO unit receiving the measurement report and outputting optimized HO parameters based on reducing HO related link failures; and (e) an optimizer optimizing, jointly for both MLB and MRO, one or more HO parameters per user group based on the stored measurement reports and interpolated measurement values, the MLB module output, and the MRO module outpu

Abstract: A hand over (HO) parameter optimization module includes: (a) an interpolator that receives a measurement report comprising: (1) signal strength or signal quality values as measured by an user equipment (UE), (2) performance indicator values as measured by the UE, and (3) load values associated with at least one base station that serves the UE, identifying one or more time instances that lack signal strength, signal quality, performance indicator, or load values, and interpolating values for the identified one or more time instances; (b) storage that stores the received measurement report and interpolated values; and (c) an optimizer that optimizes one or more HO parameters per group based on stored measurement reports and interpolated values.

Abstract: A hierarchy of controllers that are part of a communication network include: (1) a network controller at the top of the hierarchy having direct access to at least one subscription profile, ProfileUE, associated with at least one User Equipment (UE), (2) a radio access network (RAN) controller located at a level directly beneath the network controller receiving the subscription profile, ProfileUE, from the network controller, (3) a base station controller associated with a base station and located beneath the RAN controller in the hierarchy, (4) a UE controller associated with an UE located beneath the base station controller in the hierarchy.

Abstract: Disclosed is a novel base station that has a layer 1-3 protocol stack to control and process incoming/outgoing flows with user equipment (UE) and a Random Access Network (RAN) hypervisor virtualizing one or more instances, each instance corresponding to an active profile associated with the base station. Each such instance is associated with a given profile comprising: (1) an admission control module, (2) a handoff control module, and (3) a scheduling module. Also provided is a controller having: (1) an interface to communicate over a network with such base stations over a communication protocol to send the details of new profiles or modifications of existing profiles to such base stations, (2) a profile management application managing a database of a plurality of active profiles associated with the one or more base stations, and (3) a controller operating system that ensures that no two active profiles in said profile management application create conflicts in any of the one or more base stations.

Abstract: Disclosed within is a communication architecture for medium access control (MAC) layer virtualization, where the architecture is made up of: a MAC layer, a plurality of physical resource blocks (RBs) associated with the MAC layer, a plurality of virtual medium access control (vMAC) layers (each vMAC layer corresponding to a separate service group, where each service group programs its own scheduling logic in each vMAC instance), a plurality of virtual resource blocks (vRBs) associated with each vMAC layer (the vRBs filled with data packets according to the scheduling logic in each vMAC instance), where the MAC layer virtualizes the RBs as vRBs and assigns them to each vMAC layer.

Abstract: A programmable spectrum switch located on a single node has a first radio access technology (RAT) interface communicating utilizing the licensed frequency spectrum; and a second RAT interface communicating utilizing the unlicensed frequency spectrum. A flow table may be maintained having a flow-matching rule and a corresponding forwarding action represented by a weight, wherein the flow-matching rule is specified by matching, fully or partially, one or more fields in a packet header to specific values, and wherein a specific weight value associated with the weight specifies one of the following: (a) what fraction of packets should be forwarded to the first RAT interface, (b) a code vector associated with a unique policy, (c) multicasting over both the first and second RAT interfaces, or (d) coded multicasting where packets of the matching flow are encoded together and forwarded in a round robin fashion via the first and second RAT interfaces.

Abstract: Disclosed within is a communication architecture for medium access control (MAC) layer virtualization, where the architecture is made up of: a MAC layer, a plurality of physical resource blocks (RBs) associated with the MAC layer, a plurality of virtual medium access control (vMAC) layers (each vMAC layer corresponding to a separate service group, where each service group programs its own scheduling logic in each vMAC instance), a plurality of virtual resource blocks (vRBs) associated with each vMAC layer (the vRBs filled with data packets according to the scheduling logic in each vMAC instance), where the MAC layer virtualizes the RBs as vRBs and assigns them to each vMAC layer.

Abstract: Disclosed is a novel base station that has a layer 1-3 protocol stack to control and process incoming/outgoing flows with user equipment (UE) and a Random Access Network (RAN) hypervisor virtualizing one or more instances, each instance corresponding to an active profile associated with the base station. Each such instance is associated with a given profile comprising: (1) an admission control module, (2) a handoff control module, and (3) a scheduling module. Also provided is a controller having: (1) an interface to communicate over a network with such base stations over a communication protocol to send the details of new profiles or modifications of existing profiles to such base stations, (2) a profile management application managing a database of a plurality of active profiles associated with the one or more base stations, and (3) a controller operating system that ensures that no two active profiles in said profile management application create conflicts in any of the one or more base stations.

Abstract: Disclosed within is a communication architecture for medium access control (MAC) layer virtualization, where the architecture is made up of: a physical MAC layer, a plurality of physical resource blocks (RBs) associated with the MAC layer, a plurality of virtual medium access control (vMAC) layers, where each vMAC layer corresponds to a separate service group, with each service group programming its own scheduling logic in each vMAC layer, and a plurality of virtual resource blocks (vRBs) associated with each vMAC layer, where the vRBs are filled with data packets according to the scheduling logic in each vMAC instance. The physical MAC layer virtualizes the RBs as vRBs and assigns them to each vMAC layer according to a service level agreement associated with each service group, and each vMAC maps traffic flows of subscribers associated with it onto the assigned vRBs.

Abstract: Disclosed within is a communication architecture for medium access control (MAC) layer virtualization, where the architecture is made up of: a physical MAC layer, a plurality of physical resource blocks (RBs) associated with the MAC layer, a plurality of virtual medium access control (vMAC) layers, where each vMAC layer corresponds to a separate service group, with each service group programming its own scheduling logic in each vMAC layer, and a plurality of virtual resource blocks (vRBs) associated with each vMAC layer, where the vRBs are filled with data packets according to the scheduling logic in each vMAC instance. The physical MAC layer virtualizes the RBs as vRBs and assigns them to each vMAC layer according to a service level agreement associated with each service group, and each vMAC maps traffic flows of subscribers associated with it onto the assigned vRBs.

Abstract: One or both end points of the communication and a network controller of a software defined network (SDN) agree on a definition of a traffic flow that varies as a function of time, where communicating end points vary one or more fields of the packet headers at the sender side before sending the flow packets to the network according to an agreed upon procedure with the network controller. The network controller dynamically updates the forwarding tables in forwarding elements such that whenever source node transitions into the next epoch, and thus alter the header fields, a corresponding forwarding rule is already installed onto the forwarding elements along the route of the packet towards the other end point of the communication, referred to as destination node.

Abstract: A hierarchy of controllers that are part of a communication network include: (1) a network controller at the top of the hierarchy having direct access to at least one subscription profile, ProfileUE, associated with at least one User Equipment (UE), (2) a radio access network (RAN) controller located at a level directly beneath the network controller receiving the subscription profile, Profile UE,, from the network controller, (3) a base station controller associated with a base station and located beneath the RAN controller in the hierarchy, (4) a UE controller associated with an UE located beneath the base station controller in the hierarchy.

Abstract: The code space associated with the communication system is divided into at least two subspaces where each subspace is assigned to a different mode of operation. In one mode, such as a voice mode, each user is given full time access to a portion of the subspace associated with that mode of operation. In a second mode, such as a data mode, each user uses the entire subspace associated with that mode on a time shared basis.

Abstract: The code space associated with the communication system is divided into at least two subspaces where each subspace is assigned to a different mode of operation. In one mode, such as a voice mode, each user is given full time access to a portion of the subspace associated with that mode of operation. In a second mode, such as a data mode, each user uses the entire subspace associated with that mode on a time shared basis. Additionally, in-sector handoffs from one Walsh code to another are used to more efficiently distribute the code space.

Abstract: Data rate determination is provided in a system where the available power fraction and available Walsh codes in each active leg are dynamically changing over time. This method adapts the rate (modulation and coding) based on the combined resource (power & code space) levels seen at each cell. The method results in maximization of the rate supportable by each cell given their resource constrained situation while meeting the constraints of target packet or frame error rate and orthogonality. Furthermore, improved fast cell selection by the mobile results due to this approach that is based on knowledge of combined resource (power & code space) levels across the cells in the active set.

Abstract: A communication system's transmit configuration is reconfigured based on mobile station associated conditions such as the capability of the mobile receiver, carrier to interference or signal to noise ratios, and the degree of mobility associated with the mobile station. As a result, the transmit configuration is optimized for the conditions associated with a particular mobile receiver. In one embodiment, the transmit configuration may be selected to operate in configurations such as a single transmit antenna configuration, a space time spreading configuration, a selective transmit diversity, and a multi-output and multi-input configuration.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method of integrating voice and data services onto a same frequency channel using available transmit power information to determine data rates, wherein the available transmit power information indicates an amount of transmit power available for future data transmissions over one or more data channels. In a “distributed” embodiment, a transmitter or base station transmits, via a forward link, an available power message to a receiver or mobile-telephone indicating an amount of available transmit power at some future time t+z. The mobile-telephone performs signal-to-interference measurements corresponding to the received forward link and received interference, and uses such signal-to-interference measurements and the available power message to determine a data rate that can be supported by the mobile-telephone. Preferably, the determined data rate corresponds to a maximum data rate at which a minimum level of quality of service can be achieved at the mobile-telephone.

Abstract: A method for increasing the capacity of a communication network by assigning subscribers of the communication network to individual antennas of an antenna array and allowing the antenna array to convey information to the assigned subscribers under the control of a scheduling algorithm. Antennas—under the control of the scheduling algorithm—in the antenna array are thus able to convey information to different subscribers at different times. The scheduling algorithm determines when to convey information to an assigned subscriber based on channel condition information it receives from the subscribers. The scheduling algorithm also uses the channel condition information to assign certain subscribers to certain antennas.

Abstract: Data rate determination is provided in a system where the available power fraction and available Walsh codes in each active leg are dynamically changing over time. This method adapts the rate (modulation and coding) based on the combined resource (power & code space) levels seen at each cell. The method results in maximization of the rate supportable by each cell given their resource constrained situation while meeting the constraints of target packet or frame error rate and orthogonality. Furthermore, improved fast cell selection by the mobile results due to this approach that is based on knowledge of combined resource (power & code space) levels across the cells in the active set.