Alcatel Lucent

Lucent Technologies Inc.

Philip Lamoureux

Colin Leon Kahn

Bulin B Zhang

Myles Patrick Murphy

Xin Wang

Anil S Sawkar

Michael D Turner

Norman Gerard Ziesse

Ahmed A Tarraf

Joe Huang

Alex Matusevich

Max Aaron Solondz

Mohammad Laham

Tomas S Young

Colin L Kahn

Mahmoud Sherif

Eric David Leonard

Jorge Rodriguez

Sherif Sherif

In one embodiment, at least one grouping message is broadcast from a network element. The grouping message causes an access terminal (AT) in the communications network to regard the at least first and second subnets as both being members of a same subnet group. Location information and a maximum distance parameter associated with at least one area and configured to create a buffer zone along a border between the first and second subnets are broadcasted from the network element to the AT. The AT is prevented from sending a subnet identifier request message when the AT has, as an origin area, an area of the first subnet in the buffer zone and the AT travels to an area of the second subnet in the buffer zone. Session transfers are performed outside the buffer zone triggered by distance based location update messages, thus preventing session transfer ping-ponging.

Method of providing hand-off hysteresis for subnet borders

The invention includes a method and apparatus adapted for controlling congestion in a Radio Access Network (RAN). In one embodiment, a method includes monitoring packets received at a first network element of the RAN for an indication of congestion, where the packets are associated with a quality-of-service class, and, in response to detecting an indication of congestion in at least one of the received packets, signaling congestion status information from the first network element of the RAN toward a second network element of the RAN that is adapted for applying congestion control for the quality-of-service class. In one embodiment, a method includes receiving, at a first network element of the RAN, from a second network element of the RAN, congestion status signaling indicative of a congestion condition associated with a quality-of-service class, and applying congestion control for the quality-of-service class in response to receiving the congestion status signaling indicative of the congestion condition.

Method and apparatus for providing congestion control in radio access networks

The invention includes a method and apparatus for signaling proprietary information between network elements of a core network (CN) of a wireless communication network. A method for signaling proprietary information within the CN includes encoding the proprietary information in an IPv4 Options field of an inner header of an IP packet, and pre-pending an outer header to the IP packet for Mobile IPv4 (MIPv4) tunneling the IP packet from a first node of the CN to a second node of the CN. The first and second nodes of the CN may include a mobility anchor node and a mobility gateway node, respectively. The first and second nodes of the CN may include a mobility gateway node and a mobility anchor node, respectively. A method for signaling proprietary information includes receiving a tunneled IP packet at a first node of the CN (where the IP packet includes an outer header, an inner header, and a payload), removing the outer header from the IP packet, stripping an IP Options field from the inner header of the IP packet where the IPv4 Options field includes the proprietary information, and propagating the proprietary information from the first node of the CN to a second node. The first node of the CN may be a mobility gateway node and the second node may be a node of a radio access network (RAN). The first node of the CN may be a mobility anchor node and the second node may be another node of the CN.

Method and apparatus for signaling proprietary information between network elements of a core network in a wireless communication network

To manage resource allocation between users of a wireless or wireline network, recent resource usage by each user is determined and priorities are assigned accordingly. Then, the network resources are allocated according to the assigned priorities. A respective priority of a user may be inversely proportional to the recent resource usage by that user. To facilitate continuous fair distribution of the network resources, the users may be re-prioritized and resources are re-allocated accordingly. Information about recent resource usages by the users is continuously accumulated, including about users moving from one access point of the network to another. When resource allocation for a particular access point is determined, recent resource usage for a user that has joined the access point from another access point in the network may include prior resource usage by that user at the other access point.

Method and apparatus for managing allocation of resources in a network

The invention includes a method and apparatus adapted for managing packets within a Radio Access Network (RAN). A method includes receiving a packet within the RAN, determining a packet priority assigned to the packet, and managing the packet within the RAN based on the packet priority of the packet and a condition of the RAN. The packet priority assigned to the packet is based on at least one characteristic of the packet, which is determined based on packet contents of the packet. The at least one characteristic associated with the packet comprises information available at or above the network layer. The packet priority may be assigned to the packet within the RAN and/or outside of the RAN. The management of the packet within the RAN may include managing assignment of RAN resources to the packet (e.g., processor resources, radio resources, and the like), directing an access device to use a proscribed resource allocation, managing scheduling of the packet for transmission over the air interface of the RAN, and the like, as well as various combinations thereof.

Method and apparatus for prioritizing packets for use in managing packets in radio access networks

Method for automatically determining whether a communication trunk is operating properly without having to take the trunk out of service and without the need of a craftsperson to initiate the testing of the communication trunk. The communication trunk is tested for continuity and integrity on a periodic or aperiodic basis.

Method for automatically monitoring continuity and integrity of communication trunks

Sharing the existing sector antennas at the base station each of which corresponds to one sector of the outer communication coverage area to create an omnidirectional inner communication coverage area. When transmitting or receiving data from a mobile in one sector of the outer communication coverage area only one antenna is used, and when transmitting or receiving data from a mobile in the inner communication coverage area all the antennas are used. This allows an increase in capacity of the hybrid inner/outer sectored cell without the additional cost of adding further antennas.

Antenna configuration for a hybrid inner/outer sectored cell

A time slotted system capable of switching between two or more antennas during the guard times of the time slots. Switching between antennas during the guard time of the time slots eliminates any disturbance to the user, since it eliminates any loud noise, or popping that can occur during the switching between antennas. The beamwidth of each of the antennas is narrower than needed to cover a sector of a cell of the system, increasing the size of the cell due to the larger gain of the narrower beamwidth antenna elements. The system also includes a scanning radio for determining the optimal signal amongst the signals received on the antennas, and a switch for coupling the antenna receiving the optimal signal to a receiver system. In one embodiment of the invention the optimal signal is based on the information content of the signal, such as the signal's bit error rate. In another embodiment of the invention, the optimal antenna is selected, and a plurality of a combined signals is obtained by combining the signal received on the optimal antenna and a signal received on one of the other antennas, until all of the antennas have been paired with the optimal antenna. The optimal combined signal is selected, and the antenna pair that received the signals that produced the optimal combined signal are coupled to the receiver system.

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Succasunna, NJ, United States of America

Philip Lamoureux