Dynamic swapping of uplink and downlink base stations

A device configured for operation in a wireless communication system, wherein the wireless communication system includes a first base station and a different, second base station, the device comprising:

• one or more processors;
• memory;
• and
• machine-readable instructions stored in the memory, that upon execution by the one or more processors cause the device to carry out operations comprising:
• while a user equipment device (UE) is engaging in a communication session over a downlink air interface channel from the first base station to the UE and over an uplink air interface channel from the UE to the second base station, making a determination that more favorable operating conditions for transmitting session communications to the UE are available on a downlink air interface channel from the second base station to the UE than on the downlink air interface channel from the first base station to the UE, wherein the downlink air interface from the first base station is assigned to the UE for downlink session communications to the UE, and the uplink air interface to the second base station is concurrently assigned to the UE for uplink communications from the UE, and
• in response to making the determination, causing swapping of the downlink air interface channel from the first base station with the downlink air interface channel from the second base station, and causing swapping of the uplink air interface channel to the second base station with an uplink air interface channel from the UE to the first base station, wherein as a result of swapping, the downlink air interface from the second base station is assigned to the UE for downlink session communications to the UE, and the uplink air interface to the first base station is concurrently assigned to the UE for uplink communications from the UE,
• wherein swapping of the downlink air interface channel from the first base station with the downlink air interface channel from the second base station comprises executing a channel reassignment protocol with the UE to replace the downlink air interface channel from the first base station to the UE with the downlink air interface channel from the second base station to the UE, and thereafter transmitting session communications to the UE over the downlink air interface channel from the second base station,
• and wherein swapping of the uplink air interface to the second base station with the uplink air interface to the first base station comprises executing the channel reassignment protocol with the UE to replace the uplink air interface channel from the UE to second base station with the uplink air interface channel from the UE to first base station, and thereafter receiving session communications from the UE over the uplink air interface channel to the first base station.

A non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon that, upon execution by one or more processors of a radio access network (RAN) device of a wireless communication network that includes a first base station and a different, second base station, cause the RAN device to carry out functions including:

• while a user equipment device (UE) is engaging in a communication session over a downlink air interface channel from the first base station to the UE and over an uplink air interface channel from the UE to the second base station, making a determination that more favorable operating conditions for transmitting session communications to the UE are available on a downlink air interface channel from the second base station to the UE than on the downlink air interface channel from the first base station to the UE, wherein the downlink air interface from the first base station is assigned to the UE for downlink session communications to the UE, and the uplink air interface to the second base station is concurrently assigned to the UE for uplink communications from the UE, and
• in response to making the determination, causing swapping of the downlink air interface channel from the first base station with the downlink air interface channel from the second base station, and causing swapping of the uplink air interface channel to the second base station with an uplink air interface channel from the UE to the first base station, wherein as a result of swapping, the downlink air interface from the second base station is assigned to the UE for downlink session communications to the UE, and the uplink air interface to the first base station is concurrently assigned to the UE for uplink communications from the UE,
• wherein swapping of the downlink air interface channel from the first base station with the downlink air interface channel from the second base station comprises executing a channel reassignment protocol with the UE to replace the downlink air interface channel from the first base station to the UE with the downlink air interface channel from the second base station to the UE, and thereafter transmitting session communications to the UE over the downlink air interface channel from the second base station,
• and wherein swapping of the uplink air interface to the second base station with the uplink air interface to the first base station comprises executing the channel reassignment protocol with the UE to replace the uplink air interface channel from the UE to second base station with the uplink air interface channel from the UE to first base station, and thereafter receiving session communications from the UE over the uplink air interface channel to the first base station.