Sprint Spectrum L.p.

Sprint Communications Comapny L.p.

Yu Zhou

Muhammad Ahsan Naim

Luca Zappaterra

Daniel Vivanco

Shahzada Basharat Rasool

Chunmei Liu

Volkan Sevindik

Aik Chindapol

Kyounghwan Lee

Noman Muzaffar Alam

Ankur Sharma

Pei Hou

Krishna Sitaram

Yu Wang

David Rosen

Hemanth Balaji Pawar

Pratik Kothari

Anuja Chaand

David Mcgrath

David McGrath

Disclosed are methods and systems to facilitate use of a single channel for voice communications and of multiple channels for non-voice communications. In particular, a transmitting node may determine that data is to be communicated from the transmitting node to a receiving node and may then make a determination of whether the data is to be communicated as part of a voice communication. If the determination is that the data is not to be communicated as part of a voice communication, then the transmitting node may responsively communicate the data to the receiving node over two or more channels. Whereas, if the determination is that the data is to be communicated as part of a voice communication, then the transmitting node may responsively communicate the data to the receiving node over just one channel rather than communicating the data to the receiving node over two or more channels.

Use of a single channel for voice communications and multiple channels for non-voice communications

Disclosed herein are systems and methods for allocating bandwidth in a wireless network comprising an aggregated uplink carrier formed from a plurality of contiguous uplink component carriers. In some embodiments, a base station allocates bandwidth for UE (User Equipment devices) transmissions within the aggregated uplink carrier during an upcoming TTI (Transmission Time Interval), wherein for the upcoming TTI, the aggregated uplink carrier has an enhanced subframe format with an enhanced PUSCH (Physical Uplink Shared Channel) region that maps to a continuous frequency range extending across one or more frequency boundaries between one or more of the plurality of uplink component carriers.

Enhanced PUSCH in uplink carrier aggregation

Systems, methods, and processing nodes for communicating with a wireless device via at least two access nodes include receiving, at a gateway node, data addressed to a first network address of the wireless device, transmitting, via a donor access node, a first portion of the data within a first bearer addressed to a second network address of the wireless device, and transmitting, via a relay access node wirelessly coupled to the donor access node, a second portion of the data within a second bearer addressed to a third network address of the wireless device.

Communicating with a wireless device via at least two access nodes

Dual connectivity operations described herein include splitting a PDU into at least first and second portions of data addressed to or from first and/or second network addresses of a wireless device respectively, and modifying a source/destination address of the second portion of data from the first network address to the second network address in the downlink direction, and from the second network address to the first network address in the uplink direction. Uniquely-marked bearers set up between relay access nodes and donor access nodes (and gateways associated therewith) enable transmission of portions of data to and from the different network addresses.

Systems, methods, and processing nodes are related to preventing message overloading in a wireless network. The method includes establishing, by the access node, the wireless connection with the wireless device. The method also includes forwarding, from the access node to a controller node, a network connection message from the wireless device. The network connection message requests connection to network services of the wireless network. Additionally, the method includes receiving, at the access node from the controller node, a message indicating that the wireless device is denied access to the network services. Also, the method includes terminating, at the access node, the wireless connection with the wireless device in response to receiving the message. The method further includes limiting, at the access node, an establishment of future wireless connections with the wireless device in response to receiving the message.

Methods and systems for preventing message overloading in wireless networks

Systems, methods, and processing nodes for communicating with a wireless device via at least two access nodes include communicating with a wireless device via at least two access nodes includes receiving, at a relay access node coupled to a donor access node, downlink data intended to be transmitted to an end-user wireless device attached to the relay access node; determining that a signal condition at the relay access node meets a criteria; and in response to determining that the signal condition meets the criteria, forwarding the downlink data to the donor access node. The donor access node transmits the downlink data to the end-user wireless device, and the relay access node maintains a control channel with the end-user wireless device.

Contention-based random access operations are enhanced by enabling wireless devices to transmit a plurality of orthogonal preambles simultaneously to an access node, thereby increasing the probability of at least one preamble being heard by the access node, and minimizing the risk of preamble collision with another wireless device. Different classes of devices may be configured to transmit different numbers of preambles, depending on a priority level for that class, for purposes such as emergency communications, real-time applications, etc. Parameters including relationships between specific priority levels, device classes, application classes, quality of service, and number of preambles permitted, may be broadcast or otherwise communicated to wireless devices by the wireless network.

Contention based random access

Disclosed are methods and systems for selecting and configuring a distribution of multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) layers among one or more carriers. For a first candidate distribution, a base station may determine a first total throughput of communications between the base station and a user equipment device (UE). And for a second candidate distribution, the base station may determine a second total throughput of communications between the base station and the UE. Then, the base station may determine that the first total throughput is higher than the second total throughput and may responsively configure MIMO service of the UE with MIMO communication on at least two layers distributed across one or more carriers in accordance with the first distribution.

Selective distribution of MIMO layers among carriers

Disclosed is a method and apparatus to help manage communication on a wireless channel when transmitting and receiving nodes will engage in a sequence of data-ACK exchanges with each other on the channel. As disclosed, the transmitting node and/or receiving node may include in at least one of the data-ACK exchanges an indication of how many data-ACK exchanges remain in the sequence and may further include indicia of how often each data-ACK exchange will occur and how long each data-ACK exchange will last. A neighboring node that is observing the channel to determine whether the channel is available may thus determine, based at least in part on the indication in the data-ACK exchange how many times to refrain from transmitting on the channel, how often to so refrain, and how long to refrain in each instance.

Method and apparatus for managing sequential communication on a wireless channel

A method and system for assigning data packet transmission in a wireless communications network is provided. The method comprises receiving first and second user data packets having respective first and second packet sizes, one of the packet sizes being larger than the other, determining an uplink/downlink ratio based on network statistics, and assigning the first and second data packets to respective first and second signal carrier spectrums each having a different time interval between uplink transmissions with the network. A system is also provided comprising a network controller configured to receive data packets and assign individual data packets to one of a first and a second signal carrier spectrum based on the size of the data packets, the first and the second signal carrier spectrums having the same uplink/downlink ratio and different uplink intervals.

Method to transmit data packets on a network

A wireless communication transmitter converts the user data into static user data symbols and dynamic user data symbols. The wireless communication transmitter wirelessly transmits the dynamic user data symbols over user data resource elements and wirelessly transmits the static user data symbols over reference signal resource elements. A wireless communication receiver wirelessly receives the dynamic user data symbols over the user data resource elements and wirelessly receives the static user data symbols over the reference signal resource elements. The wireless communication receiver determines a wireless channel status condition based on the static user data symbols received over the reference signal resource elements. The wireless communication receiver generates a user data block including the user data from the dynamic user data symbols and the static user data symbols.

Channel condition estimation using static user data symbols over user equipment (UE) specific reference signals

Reducing latency in a wireless network includes initiating a sensing period for measuring signal indicators of a plurality of frequency channels of an unlicensed spectrum, determining that one of the plurality of frequency channels is able to sustain a traffic load, interrupting the sensing period, and scheduling one or more cellular subframes during the remainder of the sensing period using the one of the plurality of frequency channels.

Reducing latency in an unlicensed frequency spectrum

Methods and systems are provided for calculating a bias value based on radio frequency signal power measurements. A wireless communication device (WCD) measures the powers of radio frequency signals received by the WCD, including a first radio frequency signal transmitted by a first base station of a wireless network and a second radio frequency signal transmitted by a second base station of the wireless network. The first base station transmits radio frequency signals at a higher power than the second base station. The WCD calculates a bias value based on at least one of the measured powers of the first radio frequency signal and the second radio frequency signal. The bias value, in combination with the measured powers of the first and second radio frequency signals, can be used to select one of the first and second base stations.

Dynamic cell range expansion

A method and system to help facilitate efficient use of frequency spectrum. A base station will provide service on two carriers that partially overlap with each other in frequency. To facilitate this, the base station could shift the frame timing of one carrier in relation to the other carrier, so as to minimize or avoid overlap of the carriers' downlink control channels. Further, the base station could control service on each carrier in a manner that helps avoid resource conflicts within the overlapping frequency region.

Providing cellular service on partially-overlapping carriers

A method and system for using a positioning reference signal (PRS) of a cell to indicate an operational state of the cell. The cell could have two or more candidate PRS configurations defining physical configurations of its PRS, such as frequency positions of air interface resources that carry the cell's PRS. One such PRS configuration could correspond with one operational state of the cell (e.g., heavy cell load), and another such PRS configuration could correspond with a different operational state of the cell (e.g., normal or light cell load). A base station could thus select and apply a particular PRS configuration to indicate operational state of the cell. And an entity such as a wireless client device or neighboring base station could determine the PRS configuration used in the cell as a way to determine the operational state of the cell.

Growing community of inventors

Herndon, VA, United States of America

Yu Zhou