US 11,838,974 B1
Use of uplink MU-MIMO grouping efficiency as basis to control split-uplink-mode operation for dual-connectivity service
Sreekar Marupaduga, Overland Park, KS (US)
Assigned to Sprint Spectrum LLC, Bellevue, WA (US)
Filed by Sprint Spectrum L.P., Overland Park, KS (US)
Filed on Jul. 6, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/810,875.
Application 17/810,875 is a continuation of application No. 16/946,864, filed on Jul. 9, 2020, granted, now 11,425,770.
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. H04W 36/00 (2009.01); H04W 72/12 (2023.01); H04W 76/15 (2018.01); H04B 7/0452 (2017.01); H04W 92/10 (2009.01)
CPC H04W 76/15 (2018.02) [H04B 7/0452 (2013.01); H04W 92/10 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for controlling operation in a wireless communication system having a first access node that provides service on a first air interface and a second access node that provides service on a second air interface, wherein the first and second access nodes support cooperatively providing dual-connectivity service in (i) a single-connection-uplink mode, with uplink user-plane communication being carried on just the second air interface and (ii) a split-uplink mode, with the uplink user-plane communication being split between the first air interface and the second air interface, the method comprising:
determining an uplink Multi-User Multiple-Input-Multiple-Output (MU-MIMO) grouping efficiency of the second air interface; and
based on the determined uplink MU-MIMO grouping efficiency of the second air interface, controlling whether to provide the dual-connectivity service in the single-connection-uplink mode or rather in the split-uplink mode,
wherein the uplink MU-MIMO grouping efficiency of the second air interface represents an extent to which the second access node provides uplink MU-MIMO service.