Sprint Communications Comapny L.p.

Sprint Spectrum L.p.

Jay Cole

Wen Xue

Talat Jamshidi

Rajat Kumar

Suryanarayanan Ramamurthy

Philip Martin Kunkel

Sharon Lynn Woodrum

Krishna Sitaram

Eric C English

Siddharth S Oroskar

Jasinder P Singh

Deveshkumar Narendrapratap Rai

Rajil Malhotra

Saravana Velusamy

Nitesh Manchanda

James J Bae

Saurindra M Basu

Shoba Umamaheswaran

Methods and systems for selective scanning and connecting to a wireless network are described. In an example, a mobile device may be configured to scan for availability of a wireless network and measure, at the mobile device, signal strengths of a wireless signal from the wireless network. Also, the mobile device may be configured to determine a rate of signal strength change for the wireless signal from the wireless network based on the measured signal strengths; and compare the rate of signal strength change to a threshold value. If the rate of signal strength change is less than the threshold value, the mobile device may be configured to establish a connection with the wireless network; if not, the mobile device may be configured to stop scanning for the wireless network.

Methods and systems for selective scanning and connecting to a wireless network

To help manage resources in a cellular wireless communication system, a base station may track air interface resource allocation for each UE the base station is serving with a call and may identify one or more of the UEs or calls as candidates for handover from the base station on grounds that air interface resource allocation to each of the identified one or more UEs is high. Upon receipt of a request from a UE to initiate a new call, the base station may then predict based at least on that UE's channel quality what the air interface resource allocation rate will be for the requested call. And if the predicted rate for the given UE is threshold low, the base station may select one of the candidate UEs and force a handover of the selected UE's call from the base station.

Managing calls based on resource allocation

In accordance with the disclosed methods and systems, while providing a service that enables user equipment devices (UEs) being served by a first network to engage in signaling with a second network via the first network, a controller or other network entity may detect an error condition associated with the service, such as a threshold-high level of signaling or an interface failure. In response to detecting the error condition, base stations in the first network may then direct one or more UEs being served by the first network to refrain from using the given service. As a result, the one or more UEs may refrain from using the given service and may instead use another approach to engage in signaling with the second network, which may enable the one or more UEs to circumvent the error condition until it gets remedied.

Method and system for addressing an error condition associated with a service that enables user equipment devices being served by a first access network to engage in signaling with a second access network

Embodiments disclosed herein provide systems and methods for dynamically selecting a packet gateway based on LTE network loading. In a particular embodiment, a method provides receiving a request to establish a data session for a wireless communication device through a non-LTE wireless network. The method further provides determining an amount of non-LTE active data sessions on the non-LTE wireless network and determining an amount of LTE active data sessions on an LTE wireless network. The method further provides selecting a packet gateway for the data session based on the amount of non-LTE active data sessions and the amount of LTE active data sessions.

Dynamic packet gateway selection based on long term evolution network loading

Systems, methods, and computer-readable media for facilitating initiation of communication actions in accordance with cable attributes. In one embodiment, cable attributes are referenced that indicate utilization of a cable device at a time a communication event is directed to a user device. The user device and the cable device may be associated with the same user. Communication actions to apply in accordance with the communication event are determined based on at least one of the cable attributes. Thereafter, the communication actions are initiated, for example, such that a user is provided with an indication of the communication event visually via the cable device and/or audibly via the user device, depending on the particular cable attributes.

Facilitating communication actions in accordance with cable attributes

A first home packet gateway (PGW) device may receive a binding update message on behalf of a wireless communication device (WCD). The first home PGW device may be associated with a first pool of Internet Protocol (IP) addresses, and the WCD may be assigned a particular IP address. It may be determined that the first pool of IP addresses does not include the particular IP address, and that the particular IP address is included in a second pool of IP addresses that is associated with a second home PGW device. Possibly in response to determining that the particular IP address is included in the second pool of IP addresses that is associated with the second home PGW device, the first home PGW device may forward the binding update message to the second home PGW device.

Binding update forwarding between packet gateways

A method and system for responding to a call-teardown request generated, for instance, as a result of a user equipment device (UE) losing coverage of a first serving radio access network (RAN) while the UE is engaged in a call with another party. A signaling intermediary receives the call-teardown message en route from a first call server to a second call server and responsively determines whether the UE is now served by a second RAN. Responsive to determining that the UE is served by the second RAN, the intermediary arranges for establishment of a new call connection with the UE via the second RAN and for linking of the new call connection with an existing leg of the call with the other party, and the intermediary discards the call-teardown message rather than forwarding it along to the second call server.

Control over call connection in response to call-teardown request

Disclosed is an arrangement in which a radio access network detects a trigger such as the RAN being threshold loaded, and the RAN responsively causes each of one or more served UEs to transition from operating in a mode in which the UE would engage in call initiation signaling via the RAN to set up the call extending through the RAN, so the UE would then engage in the call served by the RAN to operating in a mode in which the UE would engage in call initiation signaling via the RAN to instead set up the call extending through another RAN and would transition to be served by the other RAN, so the UE would engage in the call served by the other RAN. As disclosed, one RAN may be an LTE RAN, and the other RAN may be a fallback RAN such as a CDMA or GSM RAN.

Controlled transition between operating modes for call initiation

A first service request, on behalf of a wireless communication device (WCD) may be received. The first WCD may be served by a first base station of a first wireless network provider, and may be subscribed to a second wireless network provider. A home packet gateway (PGW) device, with which to establish an inter-provider bearer path for the first WCD, may be identified. The inter-provider bearer path may include the first base station, a first serving gateway (SGW) device, and the home PGW device. The home PGW device may be operated by the second wireless network provider. In response to determining that the home PGW device is unresponsive, a backup PGW device may be identified. The backup PGW device may be operated by the first wireless network provider. The first SGW device may be instructed to establish intra-provider bearer paths that include the backup PGW device.

Packet gateway assignment based on network connectivity

A Wireless Communication Device (WCD) and method for hand-up from a less-capable communication protocol of a wireless access node to a more-capable communication protocol of the wireless access node are provided. The WCD in one example embodiment includes a communication transceiver configured to exchange wireless communications and receive a control signal from the wireless access node, with the control signal including a hand-up field, and a processing system coupled to the communication transceiver and configured to process the hand-up field to determine if the WCD can hand-up from the less-capable communication protocol to the more-capable communication protocol, set a hand-up state according to the hand-up field, and scan for the availability of the more-capable communication protocol if the more-capable communication protocol is indicated by the hand-up state.

Wireless Communication Device and method for hand-up from less-capable to more-capable communication protocol

Embodiments disclosed herein provide systems and methods for selective use of a packet voice trigger in a wireless access network. In a particular embodiment, a method provides receiving a call request for a call from a wireless device. The method further provides determining a location of the wireless device and processing an identifier for the wireless device to retrieve a device profile for the wireless device. If the device profile indicates that a trigger should be used for packet voice communications, then the method provides determining whether the trigger should be disarmed based on a quantity of the plurality of different access networks available to the wireless device at the location. If the trigger is armed, transfer the call request for delivery to the packet voice server to set up the call and, if not, process the call request in the wireless access network to set up the call.

Selective packet voice trigger use in a wireless communication network

Systems, methods, and computer-readable media for network handovers are provided. An eNodeB of a fourth generation mobile telecommunications network identifies available channels of a third generation mobile telecommunications network in which to handover user devices. Once an available channel is identified, the user device may be handed off to the available channel without unnecessary latency.

Network handovers

Embodiments disclosed herein provide systems and methods to provide data session continuity between wireless networks. In a particular embodiment, a method provides receiving a request to create a data session for a wireless communication device exchanging communications with a wireless local area network via a wireless access point. The method further provides determining an access point identifier for the wireless access point and selecting a control system for a cellular communication network of a plurality of cellular communication networks based on the access point identifier. The method further provides anchoring the data session to the control system.

Growing community of inventors

Overland Park, KS, United States of America

Jay Cole