Use of power headroom on first air interface as basis to dynamically control UE service capability with respect to second air interface

A first access node configured to control service capability configuration in a system in which a user equipment device (UE) has a first connection with the first access node and a second connection with a second access node, the first access node comprising:

• a wireless communication interface through which the first access node is configured to provide the service on the first connection;
• a network communication interface though which the first access node is configured to communicate on a core network;
• and
• a controller for controlling the handover measurement threshold by carrying out operations including:
• determining a first-connection power headroom of the UE, wherein the first-connection power headroom of the UE represents a difference between a maximum transmit power of the UE for transmission on the first connection and a current transmit power of the UE for transmission on the first connection, and
• using the determined first-connection power headroom of the UE as a basis to control a service capability configuration of the UE for service on the second connection,
• wherein the second access node stores capabilities data that indicates for each of multiple service features whether the UE supports the service feature on the second connection, and wherein using the determined first-connection power headroom of the UE as a basis to control a service capability configuration of the UE for service on the second connection comprises (i) comparing the determined first-connection power headroom to a threshold value of power headroom and (ii) revising the stored capabilities data based on the comparing.

A user equipment device (UE) comprising:

• a wireless communication interface supporting air interface communication concurrently on a first air-interface connection with a first access node and a second air-interface connection with a second access node, wherein the wireless communication interface supports variable transmit power of the UE respectively on each air interface;
• and
• a controller configured to cause the UE to carry out operations including:
• determining a first-connection power headroom of the UE, wherein the first-connection power headroom of the UE represents a difference between a maximum transmit power of the UE for transmission on the first connection and a current transmit power of the UE for transmission on the first connection, and
• using the determined first-connection power headroom of the UE as a basis to control a service capability configuration of the UE for service on the second connection,
• wherein the second access node stores capabilities data that indicates for each of multiple service features whether the UE supports the service feature on the second connection, and wherein using the determined first-connection power headroom of the UE as a basis to control a service capability configuration of the UE for service on the second connection comprises (i) comparing the determined first-connection power headroom to a threshold value of power headroom and (ii) revising the stored capabilities data based on the comparing.