Use of per-connection frequency bandwidth as basis for dynamic control of air-interface communication with dual-connected device

1. A method for controlling data split of a dual-connected user equipment device (UE) when the UE 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 each of the air-interface connections encompasses one or more carriers, and wherein each carrier of the one or more carriers encompassed by each air-interface connection has a respective frequency bandwidth defining how wide the carrier is in frequency, the method comprising:

comparing an aggregate frequency bandwidth of the first air-interface connection with an aggregate frequency bandwidth of the second air-interface connection, wherein the aggregate frequency bandwidth of the first air-interface connection comprises a sum total frequency bandwidth of the one or more carriers encompassed by the first air-interface connection, and wherein the aggregate bandwidth of the second air-interface connection comprises a sum total frequency bandwidth of the one or more carriers encompassed by the second air-interface connection;

based at least on the comparing, establishing a split ratio that defines a distribution of data flow of the UE between at least the first air-interface connection and the second air-interface connection; and

based on the establishing, causing the established split ratio to be applied.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the established split ratio is an uplink split ratio, and wherein causing the established split ratio to be applied comprises transmitting to the UE a directive that causes the UE to apply the established split ratio.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the established split ratio is a downlink split ratio, wherein an entity splits downlink data flow of the UE between the first air-interface connection and the second air-interface connection, and wherein causing the established split ratio to be applied comprises causing the entity to apply the established split ratio.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the method is carried out by at least one of the first access node and the second access node.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

determining the aggregate frequency bandwidth of the first air-interface connection; and

determining the aggregate frequency bandwidth of the second air-interface connection,

wherein comparing the aggregate frequency bandwidth of the first air-interface connection with the aggregate frequency bandwidth of the second air-interface connection comprises comparing the determined aggregate frequency bandwidth of the first air-interface connection with the determined aggregate frequency bandwidth of the second air-interface connection.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein establishing the split ratio based on the comparing of the determined aggregate frequency bandwidth of the first air-interface connection with the determined aggregate frequency bandwidth of the second air-interface connection comprises establishing the split ratio based on a ratio of (i) the determined aggregate frequency bandwidth of the first air-interface connection to (ii) the determined aggregate frequency bandwidth of the second air-interface connection.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein establishing the split ratio based on the ratio of the determined aggregate frequency bandwidth of the first air-interface connection to the determined aggregate frequency bandwidth of second air-interface connection comprises establishing the split ratio to be equal to the ratio of (i) the determined aggregate frequency bandwidth of the first air-interface connection to (ii) the determined aggregate frequency bandwidth of the second air-interface connection.

8. The method of claim 5 , wherein establishing the split ratio based on the comparing of the determined aggregate frequency bandwidth of the first air-interface connection with the determined aggregate frequency bandwidth of the second air-interface connection comprises:

selecting one of the first and second air-interface connections based on the determined aggregate frequency bandwidth of the identified air-interface connection being greater than the determined aggregate frequency bandwidth of the other of the first and second air-interface connections; and

based on the selecting, establishing as the split ratio a split ratio that will put a majority of the data flow of the UE on the selected air-interface connection.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first air-interface connection operates in accordance with a first ratio access technology (RAT) and the second air-interface connection operates in accordance with a second RAT different than the first RAT.

10. A computing system configured to control data split of a dual-connected user equipment device (UE) when the UE 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 each of the air-interface connections encompasses one or more carriers, and wherein each carrier of the one or more carriers encompassed by each air-interface connection has a respective frequency bandwidth defining how wide the carrier is in frequency, the computing system comprising:

a processor;

non-transitory data storage; and

program instructions stored in the non-transitory data storage and executable by the processor to cause the computing system to carry out operations including:

comparing an aggregate frequency bandwidth of the first air-interface connection with an aggregate frequency bandwidth of the second air-interface connection, wherein the aggregate frequency bandwidth of the first air-interface connection comprises a sum total frequency bandwidth of the one or more carriers encompassed by the first air-interface connection, and wherein the aggregate bandwidth of the second air-interface connection comprises a sum total frequency bandwidth of the one or more carriers encompassed by the second air-interface connection,

based at least on the comparing, establishing a split ratio that defines a distribution of data flow of the UE between at least the first air-interface connection and the second air-interface connection, and

based on the establishing, causing the established split ratio to be applied.

11. The computing system of claim 10 , wherein the computing system is at a given one of the first and second access nodes.

12. The computing system of claim 10 , wherein the established split ratio is an uplink split ratio, and wherein causing the established split ratio to be applied comprises transmitting to the UE a directive that causes the UE to apply the established split ratio.

13. The computing system of claim 10 , wherein the established split ratio is a downlink split ratio, wherein an entity splits downlink data flow of the UE between the first air-interface connection and the second air-interface connection, and wherein causing the established split ratio to be applied comprises causing the entity to apply the established split ratio.

14. The computing system of claim 10 ,

wherein the operations further include (i) determining the aggregate frequency bandwidth of the first air-interface connection and (ii) determining the aggregate frequency bandwidth of the second air-interface connection, and

wherein comparing the aggregate frequency bandwidth of the first air-interface connection with the aggregate frequency bandwidth of the second air-interface connection comprises comparing the determined aggregate frequency bandwidth of the first air-interface connection with the determined aggregate frequency bandwidth of the second air-interface connection.

15. The computing system of claim 14 , wherein establishing the split ratio based on the comparing of the determined aggregate frequency bandwidth of the first air-interface connection with the determined aggregate frequency bandwidth of the second air-interface connection comprises establishing the split ratio based on a ratio of (i) the determined 1 aggregate frequency bandwidth of the first air-interface connection to (ii) the determined aggregate frequency bandwidth of the second air-interface connection.

16. The computing system of claim 14 , wherein establishing the split ratio based on the comparing of the determined aggregate frequency bandwidth of the first air-interface connection with the determined aggregate frequency bandwidth of the second air-interface connection comprises:

selecting one of the first and second air-interface connections based on the determined aggregate frequency bandwidth of the identified air-interface connection being greater than the determined aggregate frequency bandwidth of the other of the first and second air-interface connections; and

based on the selecting, establishing as the split ratio a split ratio that will put a majority of the data flow of the UE on the selected air-interface connection.