Abstract:
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.
Abstract:
A gateway may respond to a data-connection request, relating to a request to establish a packet data connection for a requesting wireless communication device (WCD), based on a request rate determined from the number of other data-connection requests that the gateway has received during a particular period of time. If the request rate is below a first threshold, the gateway may initiate an authentication process to authenticate the requesting WCD and either accept or reject the data-connection request based on whether the authentication process is successful or unsuccessful. If the request rate is greater than the first threshold and less than a second threshold, the gateway may accept the data-connection request without initiating the authentication process. If the request rate is greater than the second threshold, the gateway may reject the data-connection request without initiating the authentication process.
Abstract:
A method is disclosed to help keep a UE's network identifier available for reassignment to that UE even after that UE engages in a particular type of handover. In accordance with the method, a network may make a determination that a UE should engage in a particular type of handover. In response to making this determination, the network may terminate the UE's active connection. However, based on the particular type of handover in which the network determined that the UE should engage, the network may also reserve the network identifier assigned for the UE's active connection.
Abstract:
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.
Abstract:
A method and system for selectively allowing uplink wireless transmission from a wireless communication device (WCDs) to a base station without a resource block assignment. Certain resource blocks may be designated for this use but still available for assignment to particular WCDs. When the base station receives data in such a resource block without having assigned the resource block for use by any WCD, the base station may determine based on a class or other identity of the transmitting WCD whether to forward the received data for transmission onto a transport network or rather whether to discard the data. The base station may then act accordingly. This arrangement may help improve performance in a scenario where many WCDs in a coverage area, such as embedded WCDs, would tend to transmit small amounts of data often, but the disclosed arrangement is more generally applicable as well.
Abstract:
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.
Abstract:
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.
Abstract:
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.
Abstract:
A method and system for preserving context records is disclosed. The method is operable in a communication system including a wireless network serving user equipment devices (UEs), where the wireless network stores, for each UE served by the wireless network, a context record for the UE. The method involves the wireless network detecting a trigger condition comprising a condition selected from the group consisting of (i) a threshold number of context release messages being transmitted between at least two network entities in the wireless network, wherein the threshold number is greater than one and (ii) a network entity beginning a shut-down process. The method further involves, in response to detecting the trigger condition, the wireless network (i) detaching from the wireless network each UE being served by the wireless network at the time of detecting the trigger condition but (ii) preserving the context records for the detached UEs.