Apparatus, system, and method for managing transmission power in a wireless communication system

• US 20060050798A1
• Filed: 08/31/2005
• Published: 03/09/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/09/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Kasturi, Nitin, Subrahmanya, Parvathanathan, Odigie, Erumusele O.
• Granted Patent: US 7,899,480 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 375/259
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/221 using past power control commands
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/223 predicting future states of the transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/267 taking into account the information rate
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/346 distributing total power among users or channels
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/367 Power values between minimum and maximum limits, e.g. dynamic range
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

An apparatus, system, and method efficiently manage transmission power in a user equipment (UE) device by maintaining and applying an authorized power level to determine a transmission power level after a power limited transmission and before a new power control command has been received. The UE device maintains the authorized power level by monitoring and adjusting the authorized power level based on received power control commands. After a power limited transmission where the maximum power level is less than the authorized power level, the UE device determines the transmission power level for the next transmission based on the authorized power level. Accordingly, after the power limiting situation has ceased, the UE device transmits at the optimum power level eliminating the inefficiencies of transmitting at a lower than authorized power before the next power control command is received.

Claims

1. A method of managing transmission power in a user equipment device, the method comprising:

maintaining an authorized power level based on received power control commands;

determining, after power limited transmission and before a new power control command has been received, a transmission power level for a signal based on the authorized power level.

2. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the power limited transmission comprises:

a signal transmission at a maximum power level of the user equipment device, the maximum power level less than a previous authorized power level.

3. A method in accordance with claim 2, further comprising:

transmitting a power limited signal at a maximum power level when the maximum power level is less than the authorized power level; and

transmitting a non-limited signal at the authorized power level when the authorized power level is less than the maximum power level and before the new power control command is received.

4. A method in accordance claim 3, wherein transmitting the power limited signal comprises:

setting channel transmission power levels of a plurality of channels to reduce a total transmission power from a total authorized power for the plurality of channels to the maximum power level.

5. A method in accordance with claim 3, wherein transmitting the power limited signals comprises:

setting a total transmission power level to reduce a total authorized transmission power for a first data rate to the maximum power level.

6. A method in accordance with claim 3, wherein the authorized power level is based on a first data rate of the power limited signal and the non-limited signal has a second data rate less than the first data rate.

7. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the maintaining comprises:

adjusting the currently authorized power level based on a change between a first transmission data rate of the first signal and a second transmission data rate of the second signal.

8. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the maintaining comprises:

adjusting the currently authorized power level based on a power control command if the authorized power control is less than the maximum power level.

9. A method in accordance with claim 8, wherein the maximum power level is determined by selecting the minimum of the user equipment category class and a network signaled value.

10. A user equipment device configured to communicate in a wireless communication system, the user equipment device comprising:

a receiver configured to receive power control commands;

a controller configured to maintain an authorized power level related to a transmission data rate and based on the power control commands, the controller further configured to determine, after a power limited transmission and before a new power control command has been received, a transmission power level for a signal based on the authorized power level.

11. A user equipment device in accordance with claim 10, wherein the power limited transmission comprises:

a signal transmission at a maximum power level of the user equipment device, the maximum power level less than a previous authorized power level.

12. A user equipment device in accordance with claim 11, further comprising:

a transmitter configured to transmit a power limited signal at the maximum power level when the maximum power level is less than the authorized power level and configured to transmit the non-limited signal at the authorized power level when the authorized power level is less than the maximum power level and before the new power control command is received.

13. A user equipment device in accordance claim 12, wherein transmitter is further configured to transmit the power limited signal by setting channel transmission power levels of a plurality of channels to reduce a total transmission power from a total authorized power for the plurality of channels to the maximum power level.

14. A user equipment device in accordance with claim 12, wherein the transmitter is further configured to transmit the power limited signal by setting a total transmission power level to reduce a total authorized transmission power for a first data rate to the maximum power level.

15. A user equipment device in accordance with claim 12, wherein the authorized power level is based on a first data rate of the power limited signal and the non-limited signal has a second data rate less than the first data rate.

16. A user equipment device in accordance with claim 10, wherein the controller is further configured to maintain the authorized power level by adjusting the currently authorized power level based on a change between a first transmission data rate of the first signal and a second transmission data rate of the second signal.

17. A user equipment device in accordance with claim 10, wherein the controller is further configured to maintain the authorized power level by adjusting the authorized power level based on a power control command if the authorized power control is less than the maximum power level.

18. A user equipment device in accordance with claim 17, wherein the maximum power level is determined by selecting the minimum of the user equipment category class and a network signaled value.

19. A wireless communication system comprising:

a node B transmitting power control commands; and

a user equipment (UE) device receiving the power control commands and maintaining an authorized power level based on the power control commands, the UE device comprising;

a receiver configured to receive the power control commands; and

a controller configured to maintain the authorized power level related to a transmission data rate and based on the power control commands, the controller further configured to determine, after a power limited transmission by the UE device and before a new power control command has been received, a transmission power level for a signal based on the authorized power level.

20. A wireless communication system in accordance with claim 19, the UE device further comprising:

a transmitter configured to transmit a power limited signal at a maximum power level when the maximum power level is less than the authorized power level and to transmit a non-limited signal at the authorized power level when the authorized power level is less than the maximum power level and before the new power control command is received.

21. A program product for managing transmission power in a user equipment device, a distributed computer system, the program product comprising computer-executable instructions contained on a computer-readable medium and configured for causing the following computer-executed steps to occur:

maintaining an authorized power level based on received power control commands;

determining, after power limited transmission and before a new power control command has been received, a transmission power level for a signal based on the authorized power level.

22. A program product in accordance with claim 21, wherein the power limited transmission comprises:

a signal transmission at a maximum power level of the user equipment device, the maximum power level less than a previous authorized power level.

23. A program product in accordance with claim 22, the computer-executable instructions further configured to cause the following steps to occur:

transmitting a power limited signal at a maximum power level when the maximum power level is less than the authorized power level; and

transmitting a non-limited signal at the authorized power level when the authorized power level is less than the maximum power level and before the new power control command is received.

24. A program product in accordance claim 23, wherein transmitting the power limited signal comprises:

setting channel transmission power levels of a plurality of channels to reduce a total transmission power from a total authorized power for the plurality of channels to the maximum power level.

25. A program product in accordance with claim 23, wherein transmitting the power limited signals comprises:

setting a total transmission power level to reduce a total authorized transmission power for a first data rate to the maximum power level.

26. A program product in accordance with claim 23, wherein the authorized power level is based on a first data rate of the power limited signal and the non-limited signal has a second data rate less than the first data rate.

27. A program product in accordance with claim 21, wherein the maintaining comprises:

adjusting the currently authorized power level based on a change between a first transmission data rate of the first signal and a second transmission data rate of the second signal.

28. A program product in accordance with claim 21, wherein the maintaining comprises:

adjusting the currently authorized power level based on a power control command if the authorized power control is less than the maximum power level.

29. A user equipment device configured to communicate in a wireless communication system, the user equipment device comprising:

a maintaining means for maintaining an authorized power level based on received power control commands;

a determining means for determining, after power limited transmission and before a new power control command has been received, a transmission power level for a signal based on the authorized power level.

30. A user equipment device in accordance with claim 29, wherein the power limited transmission comprises:

a signal transmission at a maximum power level of the user equipment device, the maximum power level less than a previous authorized power level.

31. A user equipment device in accordance with claim 30, further comprising:

a transmitting means for transmitting a power limited signal at a maximum power level when the maximum power level is less than the authorized power level; and

the transmitting means for transmitting a non-limited signal at the authorized power level when the authorized power level is less than the maximum power level and before the new power control command is received.

32. A user equipment device in accordance claim 31, wherein transmitting means comprises:

a setting means for setting channel transmission power levels of a plurality of channels to reduce a total transmission power from a total authorized power for the plurality of channels to the maximum power level.

33. A user equipment device in accordance with claim 31, the setting means for setting a total transmission power level to reduce a total authorized transmission power for a first data rate to the maximum power level.

34. A user equipment device in accordance with claim 31, wherein the authorized power level is based on a first data rate of the power limited signal and the non-limited signal has a second data rate less than the first data rate.

35. A user equipment device in accordance with claim 29, wherein the maintaining means comprises:

an adjusting means for adjusting the currently authorized power level based on a change between a first transmission data rate of the first signal and a second transmission data rate of the second signal.

36. A user equipment device in accordance with claim 29, wherein the maintaining means comprises:

an adjusting means for adjusting the currently authorized power level based on a power control command if the authorized power control is less than the maximum power level.