US 11,812,305 B1
Dynamic control of uplink communication from a dual-connected device, based on antenna pattern efficiency per connection
Sreekar Marupaduga, Overland Park, KS (US)
Assigned to Sprint Spectrum L.P., Bellevue, WA (US)
Filed by Sprint Spectrum L.P., Overland Park, KS (US)
Filed on May 4, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/662,006.
Application 17/662,006 is a division of application No. 16/948,109, filed on Sep. 3, 2020, granted, now 11,350,313.
Int. Cl. H04W 28/08 (2023.01); H04W 28/086 (2023.01); H04W 92/10 (2009.01)
CPC H04W 28/0958 (2020.05) [H04W 28/0858 (2020.05); H04W 28/0861 (2023.05); H04W 92/10 (2013.01)] 15 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for controlling uplink communication from a user equipment device (UE) that has at least two co-existing air-interface connections including a first air-interface connection with a first access node and a second air-interface connection with a second access node, wherein one of the first and second air-interface connections defines a primary uplink path of the UE to which the UE restricts uplink user-plane data transmission of the UE unless and until a trigger condition causes the UE to split the uplink user-plane data transmission of the UE between the first and second air-interface connections, the method comprising:
comparing a level of antenna pattern efficiency associated with the first air-interface connection with a level of antenna pattern efficiency associated with the second air-interface connection;
selecting, based at least on the comparing, one of the first and second air-interface connections to be the primary uplink path of the UE; and
configuring the UE in accordance with the selecting,
wherein the first access node has a first antenna structure that radiates to define a first antenna pattern defining a first coverage area in which the first air-interface connection is established, and wherein the level of antenna pattern efficiency associated with the first air-interface connection comprises a level of antenna pattern efficiency of the first antenna structure based on at least one factor selected from the group consisting of (i) a sector power ratio of the first antenna pattern and (ii) a front to back ratio of the first antenna pattern, and
wherein the second access node has a second antenna structure that radiates to define a second antenna pattern defining a second coverage area in which the second air-interface connection is established, and wherein the level of antenna pattern efficiency associated with the second air-interface connection comprises a level of antenna pattern efficiency of the second antenna structure based on at least one factor selected from the group consisting of (i) a sector power ratio of the second antenna pattern and (ii) a front to back ratio of the second antenna pattern.