Sprint Spectrum L.p.

Sprint Communications Comapny L.p.

T-mobile Innovations LLC

Muralidhar Malreddy

Ryan Sanford Talley

Rajveen Narendran

Shilpa Kowdley Srinivas

Kyle C Allen

Julio Costa

Julio C Costa

Bhanu Prakash Voruganti

Andrew Mark Wurtenberger

Nicolas A Nehme Antoun

Sameer Akbar Khan

Shilpa Kowdley Srivinas

Paul Tracy

Sreekar Marupaduga

Nicholas David Kullman

Lawrence Charles Gassman

A wireless communications system comprises wireless local area network (WLAN), WLAN controller coupled to the WLAN, a core network, a RADIUS based interface, and an interface between the WLAN controller and the PCRF. The WLAN controller is configured to transmit, via the RADIUS based interface, to the AAA, a request to authenticate a user equipment (UE) currently accessing the core network, wherein the first message comprises an identifier identifying the UE. The PCRF is configured to transmit, via the interface between the WLAN controller and the PCRF, a policy associated with the UE, wherein the policy indicates a quality of service (QoS) subscribed for by a user of the UE in the core network. The WLAN controller is further configured to manage resources within the WLAN, based on the policy, to establish a session between the UE and the WLAN.

Methods and systems to support wireless local area network (WLAN) quality of service (QoS)

Systems and methods are provided for facilitating the placement of a small cell, wherein at least one of a first set of parameters is determined at each of a first and a second location, at least one of a second set of parameters is determined at each of the first and the second location, and a recommended small cell placement location is generated based on at least one of the determined first set of parameters and the determined second set of parameters.

Systems and methods for configuring and connecting unplanned small cells

Based on measurement reports reported to a base station by a plurality of UEs, the base station or a data system may dynamically configure a location of a physical random access control channel (PRACH) defined by the base station such that the PRACH is located in an optimal location. In one example, a data system may receive a plurality of subband CQI reports that includes one or more subband CQI values reported to the base station by each of a plurality of UEs served by the base station. The data system may determine, based on the plurality of subband CQI reports, that a particular range of resource blocks has a highest reported downlink air interface quality. And the data system may cause the base station define a PRACH instance in the particular range of resource blocks for carrying random access requests from the plurality of UEs to the base station.

Optimizing uplink synchronization via dynamic PRACH configuration

A wireless communication network serves data content to a wireless user device. An access wireless relay wirelessly receives a user request for the data content from the wireless user device. The access wireless relay wirelessly transfers the data content to the wireless user device when it stores the data content. When the access wireless relay does not store the data content, it transfers content requests having a Time-To-Live (TTL). Serving wireless relays receive the content requests during the TTL. The serving wireless relays transfer the data content to the access wireless relay if they store the data content. The serving wireless relays forward the content requests with the TTL when they do not store the data content. Terminating wireless relays receive the content requests after the TTL. The terminating wireless relays stop forwarding the content requests.

Wireless communication network with wireless relays that serve data content to wireless user devices

A mechanism for S1 handover triggered by a target eNodeB. When a UE is being served by a source eNodeB and detects threshold strong coverage of a target cell, the UE sends an RRC connection request to the target eNodeB and informs the target eNodeB that the UE is being served by the source eNodeB. In response, the target eNodeB engages in a process to invoke handover of the UE to the target eNodeB, without the target eNodeB having received from the MME or from the source eNodeB a handover request for the handover of the UE.

Target initiated S1 handover of user equipment

A micro cell management system and method are provided. The micro cell management system in one example includes a communication interface configured to exchange communications with one or more wireless micro cells and a processing system coupled to the communication interface. The processing system is configured to obtain GPS information for each wireless micro cell of a micro cell cluster, obtain backhaul information for each wireless micro cell of the micro cell cluster, select a master cell for the micro cell cluster, with the master cell comprising a wireless micro cell having one or both of an optimum GPS signal or an optimum backhaul signal, and configure the master cell to perform one or more of relaying GPS data to other wireless micro cells of the micro cell cluster or exchanging backhaul data for the micro cell cluster.

Micro cell management system and method

Embodiments are described that may help to provide wireless service in a circuit-switched fall back scenario. In particular, when a user entity (UE) falls back from a first network to a second network to conduct a voice call, the first network may instruct the UE to scan a certain predetermined channel or channels for coverage from the second network. However, certain types of base stations typically operate on unlisted channels that differ from the predetermined channels that the UE is instructed to scan. Accordingly, a UE may pre-emptively scan unlisted channels, and report any unlisted channel that is detected to the first network. The first network can then coordinate with the second network to re-provision the base station that was operating on an unlisted channel, to instead operate on one of the predetermined channels that a UE will be instructed to scan during fall back to the second network.

Intelligent re-provisioning of base stations for circuit-switched fallback

A method and system for controlling broadcast of system identification. A base station may broadcast in one or more timeslots of a control channel, as a System Identifier (SID) of the base station, a particular SID, but may broadcast in one or more other timeslots of the control channel, as a SID of the base station, a different SID. In addition, when a mobile station registers to be served by the base station, the base station may determine which slot(s) of the control channel the mobile station will monitor and may broadcast in the determined slot(s) a SID that may help to keep the mobile station from transitioning to be served by a different base station.

Method and system for controlled broadcasting of system identification

A method for dynamically selecting one of a plurality of base stations for provision of timing information. A base station compares satellite signal strengths measured at satellite-positioning-system receivers of a plurality of base stations, such as the plurality of base stations in a local area network (LAN) for instance. The base station then selects one of the plurality of base stations to provide timing information based at least in part on the comparison, such as the one base station having the greatest satellite signal strength for instance. The base station then operates according to timing information indicated by satellite data from the selected base station. Advantageously, this method can help to increase the accuracy and reliability of the timing information.

Method for sharing satellite positioning system information among nearby base stations

In a communication system comprising a first base station of a plurality of base stations, a computing system may identify one or more other base stations of the plurality based on whether each of the one or more other base stations sits as a node on the same local area network (LAN) as the first base station, and perhaps based on other considerations, such as whether each of the one or more other base stations is geographically located near the first base station and whether each operates with a whitelist. The computing system may then cause the first base station to wirelessly transmit, to at least one user equipment device (UE) served by the first base station, a specification of the identified one or more base stations to enable the at least one UE to search for coverage of at least one of the specified one or more base stations.

Methods and systems for establishing a circuit-switched fallback scan-list

A method and corresponding system is provided to help strike a balance between alleviating load among macro cells and reducing excessive signaling when UEs travel through small cells. In one embodiment of the method, a UE may function to receive an indication of the size of a coverage area, calculate current speed, determine that the calculated speed exceeds a threshold speed, and responsively hand over to a different coverage area. In another embodiment of the method, a RAN entity may function to estimate of the size of a coverage area, receive an indication of the current speed of a UE traveling through the coverage area, determine that the calculated speed exceeds a threshold speed, and responsively instruct the UE to hand over to a different RAN. Other examples are possible.

Small cell handover technique based on speed

A method for configuring a first base station to use a coverage area identifier is described. For instance, a computing system may determine that coverage provided by the first base station overlaps with coverage provided by a second base station. Further, of a plurality of third base stations that also provide coverage overlapping the coverage provided by the second base station, the computing system may identify one or more third base stations having an extent of handover with the determined second base station that is below a threshold extent of handover. The computing system may then select, as the coverage area identifier to be assigned to the first base station, a coverage area identifier that is also assigned to a particular one of the one or more identified third base stations. The computing system may configure the first base station to use the selected coverage area identifier.

Method for allocating coverage area identifiers among nearby base stations

Disclosed herein are systems and methods for dynamically configuring femtocell pilot beacon based on macro-network load. An embodiment takes the form of a method of operating a wireless network system that includes a first base station operating on a first frequency and one or more second base stations operating on a plurality of second frequencies. The method includes transmitting a frequency-hopping pilot beacon among the plurality of second frequencies. The method further includes determining loading on each of the second frequencies and in particular that a given one of the second frequencies is more heavily loaded than at least one other, and responsively prioritizing transmission of the frequency-hopping pilot beacon on the given frequency as compared to the at least one other frequency.

Growing community of inventors

Overland Park, KS, United States of America

Muralidhar Malreddy