Abstract: In accordance with the disclosure, when a base station is serving at least a threshold quantity of devices and the base station is allocating at least a threshold quantity of its air-interface resources per unit time, the base station will disable carrier-aggregation service, so as to help minimize or eliminate instances where the base station's carriers would be used as secondary component carriers for carrier-aggregation service and would not support MU-MIMO service. By disabling carrier-aggregation service in that scenario, air-interface resources that might otherwise have been used for secondary-component-carrier transmission without MU-MIMO service may then instead be available for use with MU-MIMO service, which may help to improve spectral efficiency.

Abstract: A method and system to help provide efficient configuration of reference signal transmission in a wireless communication system. A processing system evaluates handover history between sectors in the system, considering the reference signal configurations of the sectors between which handovers have occurred, as a basis to determine what reference signal configurations to implement in one or more sectors. And the processing system may then cause the sectors to implement the determined reference signal configurations. Further, the processing system may iteratively repeat this process, to help optimize reference signal configurations throughout the region.

Abstract: A method and system to help provide efficient configuration of reference signal transmission in a wireless communication system. A processing system evaluates the configurations of various sectors within a region, taking into account distances between the sectors and azimuths of the sectors, to determine for at least one sector an aggregate interference score with respect to one or more nearby sectors having the same reference signal as the sector. And based on the aggregate interference score, the processing system may then reconfigure reference signal transmission of the sector, such as by changing the reference signal configuration of the sector for instance. Further, the processing system may iteratively repeat this process for numerous sectors within a region, to help optimize reference signal configurations throughout the region.

Abstract: When a UE is served by a first RAN and engages in signaling via the first RAN with a second RAN for the second RAN serve the UE with a call (e.g., in a circuit-switched fallback process), the second RAN will determine a speed of movement of the UE and will decide based on the speed of movement whether to provide the UE with a second-RAN traffic channel assignment in addition to providing the UE with an indication of second-RAN coverage in which the call will be served. For instance, if the UE is moving at a threshold high rate of speed, then the entity will provide the UE with a second-RAN traffic channel assignment so as to help expedite the start of the call and to help avoid an issue where the UE may move out of the second-RAN coverage in which the call is to be served.

Abstract: A method for donor selection in a relay access node includes identifying a plurality of candidate donor access nodes and obtaining one or more characteristics associated with each of the plurality of candidate donor access nodes. The method further includes determining a primary donor access node based on a comparison of the one or more characteristics between each of the plurality of candidate donor access nodes, and receiving a reference signal transmitted by the primary donor access node at a transmission power higher than a transmission power of downlink information transmitted by the primary donor access node. One or more quality characteristics of the primary donor access node are evaluated, and based on the one or more quality characteristics meeting a predetermined threshold, a connection to the primary donor access node is requested. Devices and systems relate to donor selection.

Abstract: Systems and methods are described for determining candidates for handover of wireless devices in a wireless network. A first access node in communication with one or more wireless devices may receive signal information for second access nodes from the wireless devices. A communication link between the first access node and each second access node may be used to transmit second access node network characteristics to the first access node. The first access node may store information about second access nodes in a neighbor relation table. If a removal condition is satisfied, one or more second access nodes may be removed from the first access node neighbor relation table and may be blacklisted. Blacklisted second access nodes may be monitored for improvements in signal information or network characteristics. Improved second access nodes may be removed from the blacklist based on a comparison with threshold values for signal information and network characteristics.

Abstract: Systems and methods are described for controlling a reference signal mode to facilitate beamforming. A load amount for reference signals from one or more wireless devices in communication with an access node is determined and compared with load level criteria. When the load amount meets or exceeds the load level criteria, the one or more wireless devices are directed to transmit reference signals using a subband mode of transmission. A subband quality is determined for a plurality of subbands available for the one or more wireless devices and a subband for reference signal transmission is selected from the plurality of subbands based on channel quality criteria. Wireless transmission, such as from an access node, to the one or more wireless devices is scheduled utilizing beamforming based on the reference signal.

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: Systems and methods are described for coordinating interference mitigation techniques and beamforming. Information about transmissions made by at least one access node neighboring a first access node is obtained. Further, profile data for a wireless device within a transmission range of the first access node is obtained. The systems and methods contemplate determining that transmissions from the first access node to the wireless device will utilize beamforming, based upon the profile data for the wireless device. The first access node is instructed to schedule wireless transmissions to the wireless device utilizing beamforming, based upon the determination to use beamforming.

Abstract: In systems and methods of random access preamble selection, a first plurality of random access preambles and a second plurality of random access preambles are stored at an access node. A random access channel request is received from a wireless device at the access node, the random access channel request comprising an application type of an application running on the wireless device, and a network load, a priority class of the wireless device, and a mobility of the wireless device are determined. When the first plurality of random access preambles is not exhausted, the network load meets a load criteria, the priority class of the wireless device meets a priority criteria, the mobility of the wireless device meets a mobility criteria, and the application type of the application meets an application criteria a random access preamble is assigned to the wireless device from the first plurality of random access preambles.

Abstract: In systems and method of frequency band selection, a mobility and an application requirement of an application running on a wireless device are determined for a wireless device in communication with an access node over a first frequency band using a first radio access technology. When it is detecting that a signal level of the first frequency band meets a handover criteria, a message is sent to the wireless device comprising information of a second frequency band and a third frequency band, wherein the second and third frequency bands use a second radio access technology. The wireless device is instructed to communicate with the access node using one of the second and third frequency bands based on the determined mobility and application requirement.

Abstract: Systems and methods are described for determining candidates for handover of wireless devices in a wireless network. An application requirement, a mobility, and an activity factor associated with wireless devices in communication with a first access node may be used to classify wireless devices. The first access node may then receive signal information and identifiers of second access nodes from the wireless devices. The second access node identifiers may be transmitted in response to a reporting event based on a first signal level of the first access node and second signal levels of the second access nodes. A communication link between the first access node and each second access node may be used to transmit second access node network characteristics to the first access node in order to determine if the second access node is a candidate for handover of wireless devices having classification criteria.

Abstract: In systems and methods of access node selection, signal level criteria and a signal quality criteria are provided, and a received signal level and a received signal quality are determined based on a signal from the access node to the wireless device. An application requirement is determined of an application running on the wireless device. Based on a comparison of the received signal level and the signal level criteria, a comparison of the received signal quality and the signal quality criteria, and the application requirement, the wireless device is instructed to perform an initial access procedure with the access node.

Abstract: In systems and methods of random access preamble selection, a first plurality of random access preambles and a second plurality of random access preambles are stored at an access node. A random access channel request is received from a wireless device at the access node, the random access channel request comprising an application type of an application running on the wireless device, and a network load, a priority class of the wireless device, and a mobility of the wireless device are determined. When the first plurality of random access preambles is not exhausted, the network load meets a load criteria, the priority class of the wireless device meets a priority criteria, the mobility of the wireless device meets a mobility criteria, and the application type of the application meets an application criteria a random access preamble is assigned to the wireless device from the first plurality of random access preambles.

Abstract: A mobile station (MS) used in a wireless communication system collects communication metrics data during a call session and stores the communication metrics data in the MS at the time that a session is disrupted. When a new communication link is established, the MS transmits the stored communication metrics. The communication metrics and other data relating to the disrupted communication session may be analyzed to determine which communication metrics were operating at abnormal values and determine the probability that a particular communication metric was related to the cause of the session disruption. The communication metrics values and probability metrics values may be used to determine a likely cause for the session disruption.

Abstract: A mobile station (MS) used in a wireless communication system collects communication metrics data during a call session and stores the communication metrics data in the MS at the time that a session is disrupted. When a new communication link is established, the MS transmits the stored communication metrics. The communication metrics and other data relating to the disrupted communication session may be analyzed to determine which communication metrics were operating at abnormal values and determine the probability that a particular communication metric was related to the cause of the session disruption. The communication metrics values and probability metrics values may be used to determine a likely cause for the session disruption.