Abstract: Increased resource utilization efficiency can be improved by modeling path costs during admission and path-selection. Specifically, path costs for candidate paths are modeled based on load characteristics (e.g., current load, load variation, etc.) of links in the candidate paths. Path costs can represent any quantifiable cost or liability associated with transporting a service flow over the corresponding path. For example, path costs can correspond to a probability that at least one link in the path will experience an outage when transporting the service flow, a price charged by a network operator (NTO) for transporting the traffic flow over the candidate path, or a total network cost for transporting the flow over a candidate path. The candidate path having the lowest path cost is selected to transport a service flow.

Abstract: Methods, devices and systems are provided for incorporating a consideration of the quality of service (QoS) of different end-to-end paths in a network, or portions thereof, into the scheduling of uplink data and the selection of data by a user device for transmission to one or more target reception points in a network. The target reception points may be determined from a number of possible reception points by a scheduling entity or by a network access node, gateway or other entity in the network and provided to a user device along with one or more indications of QoS for an uplink scheduling grant.

Abstract: Systems, devices and methods for link level communication between a user equipment and plurality of network devices are described. A user equipment can include at least one processor configured to: after broadcasting a first data message to the plurality of base stations, receive one or more acknowledgements, corresponding to the first data message, from at least one of the plurality of base stations; and upon receipt of at least one acknowledgement, broadcast an indicator to the plurality of base stations, the indicator providing an indication of at least one of the at least one received acknowledgement.

Abstract: Predicting mobile station migration between geographical locations of a wireless network can be achieved using a migration probability database. The database can be generated based on statistical information relating to the wireless network, such as historical migration patterns and associated mobility information (e.g., velocities, bin location, etc.). The migration probability database consolidates the statistical information into mobility prediction functions for estimating migration probabilities/trajectories based on dynamically reported mobility parameters. By example, mobility prediction functions can compute a likelihood that a mobile station will migrate between geographic regions based on a velocity of the mobile station. Accurate mobility prediction may improve resource provisioning efficiency during admission control and path selection, and can also be used to dynamically adjust handover margins.

Abstract: Methods and systems for providing joint power control (PC) and scheduling in a wireless network are provided. In one example, a method includes generating a near-optimal power pattern for PC and scheduling in accordance with long term channel statistics. The near-optimal PC solution may be generated by first generating a set of possible power patterns in accordance with likely scheduling scenarios, then statistically narrowing the set of possible power patterns to identify the most commonly used power patterns, and finally selecting one of the most commonly used power patterns as the near-optimal power pattern. In another example, a table of optimal PC solutions are provided for performing distributed PC and scheduling in an adaptive and/or dynamic manner.

Abstract: System and method embodiments are provided for providing customized virtual networks based on SONAC. In an embodiment, a network management entity for providing a customized VN includes a SONAC module executed by a computing device that is connected to a wireless network, the SONAC module configured to receive service requirement data from the wireless network and create a service customized VN according to the service requirement data, the service requirement data describing one or more service requirements, wherein the SONAC module comprises an interface to interact with: an SDT component, the SDT component used by the SONAC module to determine a service customized logical topology; an SDRA component that maps the logical topology to physical network resources within the wireless network; and a SDP component that determines an end-to-end data transport protocol for communication between a first device and a second device via the wireless network.

Abstract: A wireless communication access path exists between an ingress station and an egress station. A logical communication tunnel is established between the ingress and egress stations directly or through any number of intermediate relay stations to handle session flows of PDUs. As PDUs arrive, the ingress station may determine and add information bearing on an identified QoS associated with the PDU to the PDUs before they are delivered to the downstream egress station(s) or intermediate relay station(s). The information may be used by the downstream stations to schedule the PDUs for further delivery. The information may also be used by the egress station to schedule the PDUs for delivery.

Abstract: Systems, devices and methods are provided for incorporating a quality of experience (QoE) assessment into requests or negotiations for a particular quality of service (QoS) for an application in a communications network. A network may provide service in accordance with a particular set of QoS parameters in order to meet a user's requested QoE. A user may select a particular QoE for an application depending on costs associated with the corresponding sets of QoS parameters available from the network. Functionality to determine the correlation between a user's QoE and sets of QoS parameters may be implemented primarily in a user's electronic communications device, primarily in a network device, or in both of these devices. A separate device may be used for determining the QoE and corresponding sets of QoS parameters for various services or applications.

Abstract: Upon receiving a request for a virtual network and before admitting the requested virtual network, a virtual service provider controller may assess the ability of the virtual service provider network to meet conditions specified in the request. In particular, the virtual service provider controller may consider details of the traffic expected in the requested virtual network in the context of existing traffic on the virtual service provider network. Consideration may be given to geographic distribution of traffic, type of traffic, and key performance indices. Indeed, traffic of different types may be homogenized through the use of weighting factors to simplify the assessment. Upon determining that the virtual service provider network may not be able to meet the conditions, the virtual service provider controller may attempt to obtain additional resources from an infra-structure provider network or may attempt to adjust resources allocated to already admitted virtual networks.

Abstract: Methods and systems for providing efficient communications between two mobile stations served by the same base station or relay station are provided. A base station maintains information identifying which mobile stations it is serving. When a connection is set up between two mobile stations, if they are both being served by the same base station, the base station forwards traffic directly between the two mobile stations without forwarding it on to higher level network entities.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a method of wireless load balancing includes receiving, by a communications controller from a device, a plurality of messages including a plurality of demands of a plurality of UEs and a plurality of locations of the plurality of UEs, where the plurality of demands includes a demand of a UE of the plurality of UEs, where the plurality of locations includes a location of the first UE, and where the location of the UE is in a cell and determining a utility map in accordance with the plurality of demands and the plurality of locations. The method also includes determining a recommendation of user behavior of a user of the first UE in accordance with the utility map, the location of the first UE, and the demand of the UE and transmitting, by the communications controller to the UE, the recommendation of user behavior.

Abstract: Methods and systems for facilitating uplink power control (PC) and scheduling in a wireless network are provided. In one example, common interference patterns are obtained from long term channel statistics, and used to perform local PC and scheduling by distributed base stations (eNBs). In some implementations, the common interference patterns are obtained through statistical narrowing techniques that identify common ones out of a plurality of potential interference patterns. The common interference patterns may specify maximum interference thresholds and/or individual eNB-to-eNB interference thresholds which may govern the local PC and scheduling decisions of the distributed eNBs.

Abstract: Methods and systems for providing joint power control (PC) and scheduling in a wireless network are provided. In one example, a method includes generating a near-optimal power pattern for PC and scheduling in accordance with long term channel statistics. The near-optimal PC solution may be generated by first generating a set of possible power patterns in accordance with likely scheduling scenarios, then statistically narrowing the set of possible power patterns to identify the most commonly used power patterns, and finally selecting one of the most commonly used power patterns as the near-optimal power pattern. In another example, a table of optimal PC solutions are provided for performing distributed PC and scheduling in an adaptive and/or dynamic manner.

Abstract: Methods and systems for providing efficient communications between two mobile stations served by the same base station or relay station are provided. A base station maintains information identifying which mobile stations it is serving. When a connection is set up between two mobile stations, if they are both being served by the same base station, the base station forwards traffic directly between the two mobile stations without forwarding it on to higher level network entities.

Abstract: A user equipment (UE) may compute uplink power control levels as a function of a downlink signal to noise ratio (SNIR). For example, the UE may determine an uplink transmit power level by summing a full power control (FPC) transmit power level, a product of a first adjustment factor (?) and the downlink SNIR, and a negative of a second adjustment factor (?2) when the product of the first adjustment factor (?) and the downlink SNIR is greater than or equal to the second adjustment factor (?2). A UE may also compute an uplink power control level as a function of target and/or current interference levels associated with neighboring base stations. A UE may also iteratively reduce a transmit power level until an interference level experienced by a neighboring base station has fallen below a threshold.

Abstract: A method for operating a user device adapted to transmit data in a communications system in which available resources are divided into contention resources and non-contention resources includes selecting a first non-contention resource from the non-contention resources in accordance with selection information, the user device configured to transmit data on the first non-contention resource, determining a contention resource from a first plurality of contention resources associated with the first non-contention resource, in accordance with an association between the first plurality of contention resources and the first non-contention resource is known by the user device and a network node in the communications system, and transmitting a message on the contention resource, wherein the message initiates a random access procedure to obtain access to the selected first non-contention resource.

Abstract: A wireless communication access path exists between an ingress station and an egress station. A logical communication tunnel is established between the ingress and egress stations directly or through any number of intermediate relay stations to handle session flows of PDUs. As PDUs arrive, the ingress station may determine and add information bearing on an identified QoS associated with the PDU to the PDUs before they are delivered to the downstream egress station(s) or intermediate relay station(s). The information may be used by the downstream stations to schedule the PDUs for further delivery. The information may also be used by the egress station to schedule the PDUs for delivery.

Abstract: A wireless communication system and method for a network having a tree topology. An initial path from a base station to an end relay node is selected. The path selection includes an active communication path and a redundant communication path. The path selection is based on at least one policy factor. The at least one policy factor is monitored and the path is updated based on a change to the monitored at least one policy factor.

Abstract: A wireless network includes a relay station (RS) for extending wireless coverage of a base station. Data is sent by the base station and relayed through the RS to a mobile station (MS), where the data is associated with a preamble that is sent directly from the base station to the MS. A transmit power of the RS is adjusted for transmitting the data from the RS to the MS to reduce a difference between a first power level of the preamble received at the MS and a second power level of the data received at the MS. The uplink transmit power of the MS for the data sent to the RS is adjusted to compensate for the difference in path loss from MS to base station and MS to RS and to compensate for the difference in noise_plus_interference level at RS compared to that of the base station.

Abstract: A method selects a path for forwarding a data packet in a wireless communication system. A system capacity versus delay impact curve is calculated for a direct path to mobile station. The direct path has a capacity cost based on communication quality of a direct link between a base station and the mobile station. This curve is shifted by a predetermined time corresponding to an additional delay over a relay path to produce a projected capacity curve for the relay path having a second capacity cost determined according to a combined measure of signal quality of multiple links in the relay path. The second capacity cost is multiplied by a capacity cost ratio to produce a relay capacity curve. The direct path or the relay path is selected based on a comparison of the system capacity versus delay impact curve and the relay capacity curve according to a QoS requirement.