Abstract:
Disclosed herein are exemplary methods and systems that may help determine when to make a rapid page attempt in a certain coverage area, before resorting to zone-based paging. An exemplary method involves: (a) at a radio access network, determining that a wireless communication device (WCD) should be paged; (b) responsive to determining that the WCD should be paged: (i) determining a last-known coverage area of the WCD, (ii) based at least in part on a WCD mobility indicator of the WCD and a coverage-area mobility indicator of the last-known coverage area, determining an overall mobility indicator, and (iii) using the overall mobility indicator as a basis for determining whether or not to make a rapid page attempt to the WCD; (c) if it is determined to make the rapid page attempt, then making the rapid page attempt in the last-known sector; and (d) otherwise, using a zone-based paging scheme to page the WCD.
Abstract:
A method and system for using call drop and re-origination data to trigger handoff of wireless communication devices. Handoff trigger data is established in response to detecting that at least one mobile station experienced a call drop and then quickly re-originated on a sector that was not included in the mobile station's active set at the time of the call drop. The handoff trigger data correlates a location where the call drop occurred with the sector on which re-origination occurred. When another mobile station is thereafter engaged in a call at or near that location and does not have the sector in its active set, a serving radio access network may direct the mobile station to handoff to the sector, in an effort to prevent a call drop.
Abstract:
A method and system is disclosed for shifting the phase of a PN long code for access attempts by an access terminal in a wireless communication network. An access terminal may seek to acquire access from a base station that is detected by the access terminal above a threshold power level, even if the access terminal is further away from the base station than a threshold distance beyond which access is not normally granted. According to one embodiment, the access terminal will, upon determining that it is beyond the threshold distance, embed in an access request message an apparent distance that is smaller than the threshold distance, by phase-shifting a timing signal and encoding the access request message with the phase-shifted timing signal. The access terminal will then transmit the access request message on an air interface communication link to the base station.
Abstract:
A method and system for vertical handoff of a mobile station from a first-protocol RAN to a second-protocol RAN. The method and system provide a make-before-break vertical handoff, by having the first-protocol RAN (i) acquire, on behalf of the mobile station, a traffic channel assignment defining one or more traffic channel parameters for air interface communication in the second-protocol RAN, and (ii) pass to the mobile station, via the first air interface protocol, the one or more traffic channel parameters so that the mobile station can then readily switch over to communication under the second-protocol RAN. Optimally, the acquisition and passing of the one or more second-protocol traffic channel parameters may occur without the mobile station having requested the handoff, without the mobile station having asked for the traffic channel assignment, and without the mobile station having yet begun communication with the second-protocol RAN.
Abstract:
What is disclosed is a method of operating a communication system. The communication system includes wireless access nodes and a network control system, where user devices and the wireless access nodes communicate over wireless links, and the wireless access nodes and the network control system communicate over individually associated backhaul links. The method includes transferring forward communications in a forward direction from the network control system to a first one of the wireless access nodes over a forward link portion of a first backhaul link associated with the first wireless access node, and transferring reverse communications in a reverse direction from the first wireless access node to the network control system over a reverse link portion of the first backhaul link. The method also includes monitoring forward performance of the forward link portion and monitoring reverse performance of the reverse link portion, and identifying a second of the wireless access nodes to assist the first wireless access node. If the forward performance of the forward link portion exceeds a forward threshold, then the method includes instructing the first wireless access node to initiate a backup wireless link between the first wireless access node and the second wireless access node, and if the reverse performance of the reverse link portion exceeds a reverse threshold, then the method includes instructing the second wireless access node to initiate the backup wireless link between the first wireless access node and the second wireless access node. The method also includes using the backup wireless link to offload communications of the first backhaul link.
Abstract:
System and methods for generating and transmitting dynamic route-update-radius parameters are described. The parameters are dynamic in that the parameters may be modified from time-to-time. Modification of the parameters may be triggered by a radio access network (RAN) determining that a coverage area formed by the RAN is handling more than a threshold amount of communications to and/or from access terminals operating in the coverage area. The RAN may transmit the dynamic route-update-radius parameters so as to prevent some access terminals from registering with the coverage area while the coverage area is handling more than the threshold amount of communications. While the coverage area is handling a reduced amount of communications, such as less than a threshold amount of communications, the access network may transmit default route-update-radius parameters to coverage areas remote from that coverage area. The route-update-radius parameters may include a route-update-radius, a modified route-update-radius, and a route-update-radius offset.
Abstract:
A method of operating a wireless communication device is disclosed. The method includes determining signal quality for wireless communications received over each of a first antenna element and a second antenna element, and processing the signal quality and a power status of the wireless communication device to determine a first multipath search window for the first antenna element and a second multipath search window for the second antenna element.
Abstract:
Methods and computer-readable media are provided to determine which sector the mobile device will bias during soft handoff. Signals are received from multiple sectors, and for a first quantity of time slots of a frame, the signals are inspected to determine whether a quality threshold is met. Based on whether the quality threshold is met, each sector is assigned a power control command indicating that either a decrease or increase of output power is recommended when a subsequent signal is sent to the mobile device. For a second quantity of time slots, the overall power control command sent to the sectors corresponds to the power control command assigned to the sector that has communicated the highest quality signals for the first quantity of time slots of the frame.
Abstract:
Wireless access terminals operating in a radio access network (RAN) may move from one coverage area to another coverage area formed by base stations within the RAN. The RAN tracks the location of the access terminals so that RAN can efficiently route communications, such as page messages, to a base station serving the access terminals. From time-to-time, the access terminals can send route-update messages to inform the RAN of their locations. Sending the route-update messages can increase the loading on base station channels that carry the messages. Methods, systems, and devices for delaying transmission of the route-update messages are described. Delaying or not delaying transmission of the route-update messages may be dependent on occupancy of access channels of a base station and whether the access terminals are mobile at the time the route-update messages are to be sent.
Abstract:
Systems, computer-readable storage media, and methods are disclosed for providing wireless voice communication transmissions between a mobile unit and at least one base station. An illustrative method may comprise receiving an access request from a mobile unit. Based on information extracted form the access request and protocols for selecting a communication channel, identifying a selected communication channel for transmissions between the mobile unit and the base station. In the event of congestion or poor RF quality on the selected communication channel, where multiple communication channels associated with a home network are available at a base station, the mobile unit will attempt to access an alternate communication channel before going to a roaming network.