Abstract:
An access network may identify paging areas based on a reference location (e.g., a mobile station's last known location), where each paging area includes at least one coverage area. The access network may then determine paging-channel occupancies for coverage areas in at least identified paging area. In turn, the access network may adjust a given identified paging area based on the determined paging-channel occupancies, resulting in an adjusted paging area. For example, the access network may add coverage areas to the given identified paging area and/or remove coverage areas from the given identified paging area based on the paging-channel occupancies for those coverage areas. Thereafter, the access network may page a mobile station associated with the reference location in the adjusted paging area.
Abstract:
A method and system is disclosed for dynamic reverse activity bit (RAB) offset adjustment based on soft handoff ratio. A base station controller (BSC) or radio node controller (RNC) or similar network device will determine the ratio of access terminals in soft handoff service to a total number of access terminals in service in each of a first and a second sector. Based at least on a comparison of a the ratio in the two sectors, the BSC (or RNC) will dynamically set a RAB offset in each sector in such a way that the response by served access terminals to RAB broadcasts from the two sectors will impact the smallest number of access terminals, while still achieving the intended purposes of RAB broadcasts.
Abstract:
A method and system is disclosed for dynamically adapting operation of an auxiliary pilot according to reverse noise. An access terminal in a wireless communication system that includes a base station may operate in a first state in which the access terminal transmits a primary pilot signal on an air interface communication link to the base station, and also transmits an auxiliary pilot signal on the air interface communication link to the base station concurrently with transmission of the primary pilot signal. While operating in the first state, responsive at least to receiving a noise-level message from the base station indicating excessive reverse-link noise, the access terminal may transition to a second state in which it ceases to transmit the auxiliary pilot signal but continues to transmit the primary pilot signal.
Abstract:
Methods and systems for adaptive hybrid automatic repeat request (H-ARQ) protocols are disclosed. The protocols preferably adapt to changing network conditions between a client node and an access node by omitting the transmission of certain messages when network conditions are determined to be favorable. In doing so, packets are processed faster, thus reducing communication latency as well as the memory requirements of the protocols. One scenario in which the protocols may operate is where the client node is a wireless communication device coupled to the access node via a wireless network. In such a scenario, the access node may, from time to time, measure a quality of the wireless air interface between the client node and the access node, and determine whether to transmit an acknowledgement message based on the outcome of the measurement as compared to a threshold value.
Abstract:
An improved mechanism for managing allocation of air interface timeslots for transmission of data to access terminals. When an access terminal requests an access network to transmit data to the access terminal in a first sector, the access terminal will identify within its request a second sector that the access network can optionally use instead. The access network will then determine whether a threshold number of upcoming timeslots in the first sector are already scheduled to carry data to other access terminals and whether at least one of those timeslots is available for use in the second sector. If so, the access network will then responsively transmit the data to the access terminal in the at least one timeslot on the second sector. Advantageously, this process can help to increase sector throughput.
Abstract:
A method for selecting a wireless coverage sector to serve a mobile station, such as in response to a handoff request that designates a sector-identifier that represents two or more possible sectors. A serving radio access network (RAN) may identify potential sectors in the region and may then select the sector whose azimuth is closest to the geographic bearing of the mobile station from the sector's base station. Further, in the event of a tie between two or more sectors or in other circumstances, the RAN may also take into consideration how close the mobile station is to various base stations, such as selecting the sector to whose base station the mobile station is closest. In a system that uses neighbor lists to govern handoff, the invention can help to facilitate handoff in a scenario where a mobile station requests handoff to a sector not listed in the mobile station's neighbor list.
Abstract:
A method of operating a wireless packet access network comprises receiving, at a wireless network control system, a packet data request from an application in a wireless communication device, determining if the application is a member of a first application group or a second application group, and selecting a core packet network access point from a plurality of core packet network access points based on whether the application is a member of the first application group or the second application group. The method further comprises transmitting the packet data request to the selected core packet network access point to initiate access to a core packet network.
Abstract:
A mobile station involved in a call receives a forward link signal from a radio access network (RAN) and transmits a reverse link signal to the RAN. If the mobile station detects a reception failure of the forward link signal, such as the receipt of an errored frame, the mobile station determines the power level that the RAN used to transmit the forward link signal when the reception failure occurred. If the RAN was already transmitting at its maximum power level, the mobile station may discontinue transmission of the reverse link signal if the next frame from the RAN is also an errored frame. Otherwise, the mobile station defines a test period that is sufficient for the RAN to increase its transmit power to the maximum level. If the reception failure continues throughout the test period, the mobile station discontinues transmission of the reverse link signal.
Abstract:
A method and system is disclosed for dynamic adjustment of reverse-link rate-control parameters. An access terminal in a wireless communication system that includes a base station will operate in a state in which the access terminal responds to receiving reverse-noise messages from the base station by (i) transmitting data on a reverse-link traffic channel to the base station at a data transmission rate based at least on the received reverse-noise messages and on a level of a resource in reserve for consumption in data transmission, and (ii) when the received reverse-noise messages indicate that conditions for increasing the data transmission rate are satisfied, replenishing the resource by an allocation size specified by at least one parameter. In response to receiving the parameter-adjustment message and while still operating in the state, the access terminal will increase the allocation size by adjusting the at least one parameter, and thereby increase an amount by which the data transmission rate increases.
Abstract:
During connection establishment, an access network and/or an access terminal may decide whether to transmit bearer-traffic data rather than null-traffic data based on a channel quality of a wireless link. For example, if the access network has forward bearer-traffic data ready for transmission to the access terminal during connection establishment, the access network may decide to transmit that forward bearer-traffic data rather than forward null-traffic data in response to determining that a forward-channel quality of the wireless link is sufficient to carry such data. As another example, if the access terminal has reverse bearer-traffic data ready for transmission to the access network during connection establishment, the access terminal may decide to transmit that reverse bearer-traffic data rather than reverse null-traffic data in response to determining that a reverse-channel quality of the wireless link is sufficient to carry such data.