Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for improving uplink coverage in a wireless communication network. A first correlated array and a second correlate array each comprise a plurality of antenna elements. Each correlated array has an inter-element spacing of one wavelength of a signal for which the array is configured to receive. The first and second correlated arrays are interleaved such that one-half of a wavelength of a signal for which at least one of the correlated arrays is configured to receive separates adjacent elements of the first and second correlated arrays. Signals received by each correlated array are combined using statistical signal processing techniques to create combined signals that may be provided to the wireless communication network. Combining uplink signals from at least two interleaved uncorrelated arrays may increase the effective spacing of each array without sacrificing base station space or throughput.

Abstract: A system for selecting a number of transmitting ports in an antenna at an access node includes an access node configured to deploy a first radio air interface to provide wireless services to wireless devices. The access node includes an antenna having ports and configured to communicate data with wireless devices through the ports and the first radio air interface. The access node also includes a processor configured to determine a trigger for dynamically selecting a number of transmitting ports in the antenna based on data received from the wireless devices relating to changes in levels of signals received at the wireless devices. The processor is also configured to estimate an amount of change based on the data relating to the changes. The processor is further configured to select a number of transmitting ports in the antenna based on the estimated amount of change.

Abstract: A battery-powered wireless communication device has internal antennas. In the wireless communication device, transceiver circuitry wirelessly receives external antenna data that indicates on/off status, reserve battery power, and geometric earth-orientation for the individual antennas in a different wireless communication device. Baseband circuitry determines internal antenna data that indicates the on/off status, reserve battery power, and geometric earth-orientation for the internal antennas. The baseband circuitry executes a user application that generates and consumes user data. The baseband circuitry selects a set of the internal antennas to serve the user application based on the internal antenna data and the external antenna data. The transceiver circuitry wirelessly exchanges the user data over the selected set of the internal antennas.

Abstract: An Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) access point receives and processes beamforming feedback data from User Equipment (UE) to form a beamforming feedback loop, transmits a beamformed radio signal to the UE, and determines if the beamforming feedback loop is experiencing a beamforming lag condition, and if so, switches to a closed-loop spatial multiplexing transmit protocol. The OFDM access point receives and processes closed-loop spatial multiplexing feedback data from the UE to form a closed-loop spatial multiplexing feedback loop, transmits a closed-loop spatial multiplexed radio signal to the UE, and determines if the closed-loop spatial multiplexing feedback loop is experiencing a spatial multiplexing lag condition, and if so, switches to an open-loop spatial multiplexing transmit protocol.

Abstract: Devices, systems, and methods to reduce interference in heterogeneous networks having a plurality of access nodes, such as combinations of macro cells, micro cells, pico cells, femto cells, etc. are disclosed. Interference caused in sectors of two or more access nodes that face each other is minimized by dividing a total number of resource blocks into resource block sets that are uniquely numbered and allocated across each sector of each access node. The allocation is rotated based on a different time stamp or a different starting number, or may be a random sequence of sets per access node. These independent allocations for each access node generally distribute the interference across the system, and provide better interference reduction, resulting in an increase in system capacity per sector of each cell.

Abstract: When a first base station is serving a wireless client device (WCD), the first base station provides the WCD with a copy of the WCD context information that the first base station maintains for serving the WCD. When the WCD then experiences a radio-link failure and connects with the second base station, the WCD will forward the provided WCD context information to the second base station, for use by the second base station as a basis to serve the WCD. This process of transferring the context information through the WCD from the old base station to the new base station could help to avoid the need for the second base station to engage in direct context-transfer signaling with the first base station, which could be especially useful in a scenario where the base stations are unable to engage in that direct transfer.

Abstract: In an example method, a donor base station determines that an air interface, over which the donor base station serves a relay-UE and plurality of second UEs, is threshold highly congested and that a relay base station is serving a threshold high number of first UEs. The relay base station is coupled to a relay-UE that provides wireless connectivity for the relay base station and that is served by the donor base station. Responsive to at least the determining that the air interface is threshold highly congested and that the relay base station is serving a threshold high number of first UEs, the donor base station (i) selects one or more of the plurality of second UEs and (ii) hands over the selected one or more second UEs to another base station other than the donor base station.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method and system in which connections are pre-established without any UE association and are then a pre-established connection is selected and associated with a UE when the UE seeks to attach. Each pre-established connection could include an S5 tunnel between an SGW and PGW and an IP address assignment. And upon UE attachment, an MME could readily signal with a base station to establish an S1-U tunnel for the UE, and to convey the IP address assignment to the UE, without having to wait for establishment of the S5 tunnel and assignment of the IP address, and the MME could further signal with the SGW to cause the S5 tunnel and IP address assignment to be made UE specific and to tie the S5 tunnel with the newly established S1-U tunnel. Further, the quantity and service level of connections pre-established could be based on historical trends.

Abstract: A computing system will detect when a UE engaged in a voice call hands over from a lower frequency coverage area to a higher frequency coverage area where it is raining, and the computing system will responsively take action to help improve the UE's communication quality, in an effort to help minimize the extent to which voice call quality will degrade as a result of the transition to the higher frequency where it is raining. In particular, per the disclosure, the computing system could respond to this scenario by causing the target base station to use a more robust wireless transmission mode than the source base station was using to serve the UE.

Abstract: A method of operating a communication system includes communicating a traffic channel information stream with a wireless device using a first air-interface scheme while communicating control channel information with the wireless device using the first air-interface scheme. The control channel information is communicated with the wireless device using the first air-interface scheme is used to handover the wireless device from the first air-interface scheme to a second air-interface scheme. After the handover of the wireless device from the first air-interface scheme to the second air-interface scheme, the traffic channel information stream is communicated with the wireless device using the second air-interface scheme while still communicating control channel information with the wireless device using the first air-interface scheme.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method and system for enabling user equipment devices (UEs) to apply less attenuation than may be specified more generally for UEs served by a base station of a wireless service provider. The base station may operate on a carrier band, serving UEs that are subscribers of the wireless service provider as well as UEs roaming in the base station's coverage area from another service provider. To avoid uplink transmission power leakage across the edges of the carrier band, the base station may broadcast a message to all the UEs notifying them to attenuate their respective transmission levels. In response, a UE may determine whether or not it is roaming to a wireless communication network of a different service provider. If the UE determines that it is not roaming, it may then attenuate its uplink transmission power by less than an amount indicated by the message.

Abstract: Systems and methods for assigning resources in a wireless communication system are provided. First data addressed to a first wireless device can be encoded by multiplying the first data with a first masking code. In addition, second data addressed to a second wireless device can be encoded by multiplying the second data with a second masking. The encoded first data can be assigned to a first resource element of a resource block. The encoded second data can be assigned to a second resource element of the resource block. Alternatively, the encoded first and second data can be assigned to the same resource element of a single resource block. The resource block can be transmitted to the first wireless device and the second wireless device.

Abstract: A method, system, and medium are provided for improving uplink performance of an antenna array configured for downlink beam forming. Beam forming requires an antenna element spacing that results in correlated downlink signals. Uplink reception preferably uses an element spacing such that uplink signals are uncorrelated. For an eight-element antenna configured for beam forming, using eight-branch combining to produce a single resultant signal is thus less than optimal. In an embodiment, non-adjacent elements in the antenna array, which receive uncorrelated signals, may be combined in pairs with two-branch combining. The four resultant signals may then be combined using four-branch combining to provide a single resultant signal.

Abstract: Disclosed are methods and systems for requesting a UE to forgo handover to a congested neighbor. In particular, a wireless communication system may serve the UE over an air interface connection between the UE and the first base station. While serving the UE, the wireless communication system may receive from the UE a handover request requesting a handover of the UE from the first base station to a second base station. In response to receiving from the UE the handover request, the wireless communication system may determine that the second base station is threshold congested, and, responsive to the determining, (i) deny the handover request and (ii) send to the UE a command for the UE to withhold transmission of further requests for handover of the UE from the first base station to the second base station.

Abstract: A system for broadcasting a telecommunications signal is configured to detect the use of an improper filter, and/or also, the presence of an improper return signal from a filter. The system includes a broadcast cell having a signal generation component and a signal transmitting component, a filter through which the signal generated by the signal generation component is sent, and a directional coupler that diverts a portion of a return signal reflected from the filter back to the broadcast cell away from the broadcast cell to a detector, the detector configured to determine when the return signal is at least a minimum level, or within a range, that indicates use of an improper filter or the presence of an improper return signal, allowing modification of the system or notification of the conditions, in certain circumstances.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method and system for use of orthogonal coding to manage control channel load. Based on evaluation of downlink air interface load, a base station dynamically toggles use of orthogonal coding of downlink control information (DCI) messages for transmission on a downlink control channel. When downlink load is high, the base station may responsively operate in a state in which the base station orthogonally codes DCI messages to facilitate transmitting multiple DCI messages per set of resource elements on the downlink control channel, possibly boosting transmission power in those resource elements to help facilitate successful transmission. Whereas, when downlink load is not high, the base station may responsively operate in a state in which the base station does not orthogonally code DCI messages and thus sends just one DCI message per set of resource elements.

Abstract: A wireless device is determined to be in communication with a first access node is at a location in a coverage area of a first communication network, and it is determined whether the wireless device is in communication with the first access node using a first radio access technology or a second radio access technology. The availability of the first r and the second radio access technologies from the first communication network are determined, and the wireless device is permitted to register with the PTT communication system when the wireless device is in communication with the access node using the first radio access technology. Further, the wireless device is prevented from registering with the PTT communication system when the wireless device is in communication with the access node using the second radio access technology and the first radio access technology is available for the wireless device.

Abstract: Reference signals (a.k.a., pilot signals) are broadcast to aid in at least channel estimation, cell selection, and handover. When a multi-antenna mode (i.e., MIMO) is used data signals on one antenna should not interfere with reference signals on another antenna. Reference signal resource elements (a.k.a., slots) being broadcast from one antenna are multiplied by a first Walsh code and the data (or reference) signal resource elements being broadcast from another antenna are multiplied by second Walsh code in the same family. Multiplication by Walsh codes reduces or eliminates the correlation between the data resource elements on a first antenna and the reference signal resource elements simultaneously broadcast on a second antenna.

Abstract: A wireless communication system serves a first wireless device with a first access node using a frequency band and serves a second wireless device in an adjacent cell with a second access node that uses the same frequency band. The communication of a first resource block is scheduled between the first wireless device and the first access node. The communication of a second resource block between the second wireless device and the second access node is also scheduled. The scheduling of the first resource block and the second resource block correspond in time and frequency. The first resource block is encoded with a first orthogonal code from a family of orthogonal codes. The second resource block is encoded with a second orthogonal code from the family of orthogonal codes. After encoding, the first resource block and the second resource blocks are transmitted using the frequency band.

Abstract: Wireless device information comprising a power level of a successful access probe sent by wireless devices to an access node and a location of each of the wireless devices relative to the access node is acquired. Based on the wireless device information, a first access probe power level is determined. The determined first access probe power level is provided to a new wireless device and an access probe is received from the new wireless device using the first access probe power level.