T-mobile Usa, Inc.

Sprint Spectrum L.p.

Future Wei Technologies, Inc.

George Cummings

Brett Lee Christian

John J Humbert

Scott Probasco

George Calcev

Bin Chen

Erik Colban

Lyle Thomas Bertz

Scott Francis Migaldi

David Jones

Nick J Baustert

Ronald Xuzhuang Mao

Mike Witherell

Gezim Krasniqi

The disclosed technology includes a technique for securing communications over a wireless telecommunications network. Quantum entangled particles are generated and optically communicated to a wireless endpoint device (e.g., smartphone) within Line-of-Sight (LOS) of the particle generator and optionally to a network access node (e.g., base station). A particle generator can be positioned on a communications tower, mountain, tall building, or other structure that enables greater LOS to multiple endpoint devices and network access nodes. The quantum states of entangled particles are used to generate counterpart cryptographic keys at the wireless endpoint device and network access node. As such, the counterpart keys can secure communications while underlying particles remain quantumly entangled. Moreover, any third-party observation of a quantumly entangled particle would cause collapse of the entanglement, which would render the cryptographic keys inoperable and serve to alert the network that an entangled particle was compromised.

Quantum cryptographic keys for secure wireless communications in a telecommunications network

In a system where a first node provides a first area of TDD coverage on a first TDD carrier using a first TDD configuration and an adjacent second node provides a second area of TDD coverage on a second TDD carrier using a different second TDD configuration, the first node could additionally provide an area of FDD coverage on a first FDD carrier, including causing the area of FDD coverage to sit at least partially between the first and second areas of TDD coverage and therefore to define a spatial buffer between the first and second areas of TDD coverage. For instance, the first access node could restrict its service on the first TDD carrier to be for user equipment devices (UEs) that are relatively close to the first access node and could restrict its service on the first FDD carrier to be for UEs that are relatively far away from the first access node.

Use of cell-edge FDD coverage to separate cell-center TDD coverage from adjacent TDD coverage with conflicting TDD configuration

A system uses pulsed lasers to enhance a signal propagation path in a telecommunications network. The system can estimate a signal propagation path, which varies based on a current location of a mobile device relative to a base station. The system can detect a propagation loss due to a condition of a propagation medium including the signal propagation path and determine whether the mobile device is in Line-of-Sight (LOS) of a laser emitter. In response to detection of the propagation loss, the laser emitter can emit a pulsed laser that can enhance signal propagation by mitigating the propagation loss on the signal propagation path. The pulsed laser has a propagation path overlapping the signal propagation path when the mobile device is in LOS of the laser emitter, which is mounted on the base station.

Laser-based enhancement of signal propagation path for mobile communications

Use of cell-edge FDD coverage to separate cell-center TDD coverage from adjacent FDD coverage with conflicting TDD configuration

Solutions for physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) allocation, for example on a 5G network, include receiving, at a base station (BS) on a network, a session request message from a user equipment (UE) requesting a network session; based on at least receiving the session request message, determining a channel quality of a channel between the UE and the BS; based on at least the channel quality, selecting a first PUCCH format; and transmitting a message, from the BS, to the UE, instructing the UE to configure the PUCCH according to the first selected PUCCH format. Some examples further include: monitoring for a format change trigger; based on at least detecting the format change trigger, selecting a second PUCCH format different than the first PUCCH format; and transmitting a message, from the BS, to the UE, instructing the UE to configure the PUCCH according to the second selected PUCCH format.

Dynamic PUCCH allocation

A method and system to help address this issue. When a device is within coverage of a cell that operates with a particular TDD configuration, the device will determine based on its location a set of one or more TDD frame configurations that the device would support, which could be based on maximum uplink transmission power of the UE, permitted maximum transmission power in the location, and uplink duty cycle defined by each of the various TDD configurations. The UE will then control whether or not it will be served by the cell based on whether the TDD configuration of the cell is within the determined set.

Method and system for controlling UE operation based on TDD configuration support per location

Disclosed is a method and system for managing carriers on which a wireless communication system serves a UE over an established radio-link-layer connection. As disclosed, a base station serves the UE with carrier aggregation service using (i) a first carrier as a primary carrier for the UE and (ii) a second carrier as a secondary carrier for the UE. While serving the UE, the system determines that the base station should serve the UE with the carrier aggregation service using (i) the first carrier as the secondary carrier and (ii) the second carrier as the primary carrier. In response to the determination and while maintaining the established radio-link-layer connection with the UE, the system causes the base station to serve the UE with the carrier aggregation service using (i) the first carrier as the secondary carrier and (ii) the second carrier as the primary carrier.

Transitioning a UE to a new PCell without handover processing

An apparatus for managing contention in a communications system, the apparatus comprising a processor and a non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing programming for execution by the processor. The programming may include instructions to receive a ranging code from a device in a ranging channel, the ranging code corresponding to a current ranging attempt. The programming may further include instructions to broadcast a message acknowledging reception of the ranging code. The programming may further include instructions to receive a ranging request message from the device, the ranging request message comprising a ranging retries parameter that specifies a number of ranging retries that the device performed during the current ranging attempt.

Method and system for handling congestion in a communications system

A method for reporting a power outage to a communications controller includes detecting the power outage, and selecting a transmission slot from a plurality of transmission slots in order to report the power outage to the communications controller, the transmission slot selected according to a non-uniform probability distribution function, the non-uniform probability distribution function is monotonic with time after the power outage. The method also includes transmitting a first power outage indicator to the communications controller in the transmission slot selected.

Growing community of inventors

Gilbert, AZ, United States of America

George Cummings