Charter Communications Operating, LLC

Saran Khalid

Perwaiz Akhtar

MohammedYusuf Shaikh

Mohammedyusuf M Shaikh

Haider H Syed

Vijay Kumar Mechineni

Manoj Kumar Das

Zalak Shrof

Syed M Abid

Yusuf M Shaikh

Methods and apparatus for automatically identifying overshooting cells and automatically changing PCIs in cases of actual or possible PCI confusion are described. A cell with a poor KPI, e.g., indicative of failed attachment attempts, is identified. PCI confusion is considered as a possible cause of the poor KPI. A cell which uses the same PCI as the cell with the poor KPI is identified and the coverage areas of the cell with the poor KPI and the other cell using the same PCI is determined. Operating UEs in trace mode combined with deactivation of a cell while the other cell using the same PCI remains active is sometimes used to map cell coverage areas. If the coverage areas of two cells using the same PCI are determined to overlap, a different PCI is assigned to one of the two cells using the same PCI to thereby eliminate possible PCI confusion.

Methods and apparatus for automatically detecting and/or correcting physical cell ID (PCI) collisions

Methods and systems for automated relay registration in a customer premises is described herein. A method for automatically registering a relay using a Citizens Broadband Radio Service (CBRS) spectrum includes receiving, at a spectrum access system (SAS) registration processing tool from a user interface input unit, relay information for a relay to extend wireless coverage in a customer premises, the wireless coverage extending from a donor base station, extracting, by the SAS registration processing tool, commonly-used object information from a donor base station object associated with the donor base station, generating, by the SAS registration processing tool, a relay registration object from the relay information and the extracted commonly-used object information, and automatically registering, by the SAS registration processing tool, the relay with a spectrum access system using the relay registration object when the relay is turned on at the customer premises.

Automated relay registration in a citizens broadband radio service (CBRS) system

In a hierarchical communication network having a network controller at a highest network level and network devices at one or more lower network levels, where each network device at a lowest network level supports communications with one or more end nodes, the network controller supports an initial phase of a communication session between first and second end nodes, where communication signals transmitted from the first end node to the second end node traverse the network controller; determines that a subsequent phase of the communication session can be supported by a particular lower-level network device; and configures the lower-level network device to support the subsequent phase, wherein communication signals transmitted from the first end node to the second end node do not traverse the network controller, thereby potentially reducing the processing and/or memory requirements for the WLAN controller, WLAN controller and/or link costs, and/or latency and delay levels.

Hierarchical network with lower-level switched traffic

The present invention relates to methods and apparatus for achieving frequency, phase and time of day synchronization in wireless systems. An exemplary method of operating a first wireless base station in a first network in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention comprises the steps of: (i) receiving, at the first wireless base station, a first message; (ii) in response to receiving the first message entering, by the first wireless base station, into a first mode of operation; and (iii) while operating in the first mode of operation, obtaining, by the first wireless base station, synchronization information from a first user equipment device using over the air device to device communications, the synchronization information including time synchronization information.

Methods and apparatus for frequency, phase and time of day synchronization in wireless systems

Methods and apparatus for provision of resources from one or more devices within a wireless communication network to one or more devices that are outside of the wireless communication network. In one embodiment, the methods and apparatus utilize so-called 'quasi-licensed' CBRS (Citizens Broadband Radio Service) wireless spectrum in conjunction with a cellular wireless communication network (e.g. 4G, 5G, or LTE-based) for the delivery of services to a number of installed fixed wireless apparatus (CPE/FWA) at user or subscriber premises. The CPE/FWAs may act as relays and/or supplementation devices to provide service to the CPEs that are out of the network coverage, effectively enabling addition of new customers to the network. As such, additional CAPEX (capital expenditure) on infrastructure is largely avoided.

Methods and apparatus for service provision to out-of-coverage apparatus in wireless systems

Apparatus and methods for coordinating operation of two or more wireless networks operating within a common area or venue. In one embodiment, the apparatus and methods provide mechanisms for scheduling access node(s) of one or more of the wireless networks relative to others of the networks so as to minimize interference or contention for common frequency resources (e.g., unlicensed spectrum such as that used by WLAN, NR-U or LTE-U technologies). In one variant, a network coordinator process generates schedule data that is pushed to one or more of the wireless networks that specifies temporal and spatial aspects wherein access nodes of the recipient one or more networks can operate (e.g., transmit) with suitable levels of interference from other wireless network(s) operating within the area or venue. The schedule data is separate from underlying protocol scheduling by the access nodes, thereby preserving all operational aspects of the underlying ireless protocols.

Apparatus and methods for spectrum scheduling in heterogeneous wireless networks

Methods and apparatus for enhancing area coverage and data rates in a quasi-licensed wireless communication network. In one embodiment, the methods and apparatus utilize so-called 'quasi-licensed' CBRS (Citizens Broadband Radio Service) wireless spectrum in conjunction with a cellular wireless communication network (e.g. 4G, 5G, or LTE) for the delivery of services to a number of installed fixed wireless apparatus (CPE/FWA) at user or subscriber premises. The CPE/FWAs may act as relays or supplementation devices to provide requisite data rates to the CPEs that are out of the network coverage, effectively adding new customers to the network. As such, the CPEs that acts as relays are connected to one or more base stations, dynamically allocate some resources to the out of coverage CPEs, for the delivery/receipt of information to/from the out-of-coverage CPES/FWA.

Methods and apparatus for enhancing coverage in quasi-licensed wireless systems

A Configuration Auditor and Configuration Enforcer (CACE) automatically runs audits of cells in a network and finds any discrepancies between the actual and preferred configuration. The CACE has access to lists of parameters and preferred settings for the network operator in which the cell being audited is located and thus knows the preferred settings for the given type of radio being audited and/or use of the radio in terms of the intended coverage area and/or traffic type being communicated. The list of parameters to which the actual radio settings is compared is sometimes referred to as a 'golden parameter list'. The detection of radio parameter setting discrepancies, e.g., setting errors, and the correction of the parameter settings is performed automatically with parameter settings being automatically corrected on the fly, e.g., immediately, when possible without disrupting service or during a scheduled service interval if a radio reboot is required.

Methods and apparatus for detecting and automatically correcting radio parameter settings in cells of a communications network

Methods and apparatus for determining losses due to obstructions in a wireless communications system are described. Pairs of measurements points, one of each side of an obstruction are selected, and wireless device reported received signal energy measurements corresponding to the pair of selected locations are used to determine a path loss through the obstruction. In some embodiments, the pair of measurements points are selected based on one or more of: wireless device orientation at the time of measurement, application in use at the time of measurement, time between measurements, or location between measurements. In one example, a first selected location in the pair corresponds to an outdoor location with a unobstructed line of sight view to the base station, while the second selected location corresponds to an indoor location.

Smart radio frequency penetration losses assessment for digital clutter

A wireless network environment includes communication management hardware such as disposed in customer premises equipment. The communication management hardware detects a request communication from a mobile communication device, the request communication transmitted from the mobile communication device to a wireless base station. In response to detecting the request communication, the customer premises equipment monitors for reply communication from the wireless base station. The communication management hardware detects failure of the wireless base station to respond to the request communication. In response to detecting the failure, the communication management hardware operates in a relay mode to provide the mobile communication device connectivity with the wireless base station.

Content distribution in a multi-network environment

Disclosed herein are methods and apparatus for automatically switching virtual private networks. A method includes automatically detecting, by a switching virtual private network application, activation of an application, automatically determining, by the switching virtual private network application, whether the application is a defined application in the switching virtual private network application, wherein each defined application includes an associated virtual private network which is needed for a user device to access the application, automatically disconnecting, by the switching virtual private network application, a different virtual private network when the application is defined in the switching virtual private network application, automatically initiating, by the switching virtual private network application, a connection with a virtual private network associated with the application when the application is defined in the switching virtual private network application, and automatically establishing a virtual private network for the application upon acceptance of credentials associated with the virtual private network.

Method and apparatus for automatically switching between virtual private networks

A Narrow Band-Internet of Things (NB-IoT) communications link between a wireless access point of a non-cellular network and a cellular base station of a cellular network is implemented and used to support load management operations in a communications system including a cellular network and a non-cellular network. A service management system uses UE performance information and network statistics communicated over the NB-IoT communications link to evaluate network loading with regard to congestion in the non-cellular network. The session management system initiates a communications session for congestion control to offload a session from a congested network to a less congested network. The NB-IoT link is used to communicate session handoff related signaling.

Network load management methods and apparatus

Configuration information that identifies a plurality of components that define a network is received. Based on the configuration information, a plurality of virtual network function (VNF) instances are caused to be generated on a plurality of general-purpose computing devices to implement the network on the plurality of general-purpose computing devices, each VNF instance corresponding to one of the plurality of components. Based on the configuration information, at least some of the VNF instances of the plurality of VNF instances are configured. Testing data and testing criteria are obtained. The testing data is submitted to the network, and network test results based on the testing data and the testing criteria are output.

Automated network generation, validation and implementation in a production environment

Methods and apparatus for optimizing antenna beam and performance within a wireless system. In one embodiment, the methods and apparatus utilize so-called 'quasi-licensed' CBRS (Citizens Broadband Radio Service) wireless spectrum in conjunction with a controller that dynamically adjusts antenna direction, orientation and receive/transmit beam for receiving/transmitting the information at an installed fixed wireless apparatus (FWA) at user or subscriber premises. In one variant, the FWA includes controller logic that tracks Radio Frequency (RF) propagation parameters and optimizes antenna azimuth and tilt to maximize the antenna gain towards a serving base station. As such, service calls by operator personnel to optimize antenna performance are not required, thereby reducing network operating expenses. Moreover, increased customer density at a prescribed service level is achieved through more precise coordination and mitigation of interference between nearby FWA devices and their serving base stations.

Methods and apparatus for antenna optimization in a quasi-licensed wireless system

Methods and apparatus related to radio configuration of a wireless device, such as for use in a quasi-licensed wireless system. In one embodiment, a computerized apparatus is provided, which comprises at least one computer program configured to: (i) detect at least one connectable wireless network; (ii) obtain data relating to one or more associated network conditions; and (iii) change radio configuration of the wireless device based on the obtained data e.g., to enable the wireless device to connect to an optimal base station. In one variant, the data relating to the one or more network conditions is obtained via one or more configurable logic blocks (CLBs) of the wireless device. In one implementation, a CLB can be configured to e.g., generate network data traffic to detect the network conditions. Furthermore, the CLBs can be configured to activate or de-activate individual ones of an array of radios with sectorized antenna of the wireless device.

Growing community of inventors

Denver, CO, United States of America

Saran Khalid