Method and apparatus for performing fast power control in a mobile communication system

• US 20060094460A1
• Filed: 12/06/2005
• Published: 05/04/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/1995
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Charles E. Wheatley III, Edward G. Tiedemann Jr, Joseph P. Odenwalder, Roberto Padovani
• Original Assignee: Charles E. Wheatley III, Edward G. Tiedemann Jr, Joseph P. Odenwalder, Roberto Padovani
• Inventors: Tiedemann, Edward G. Jr., Wheatley, Charles E. III, Odenwalder, Joseph P., Padovani, Roberto
• Application Number:
  US11/295,987
• Publication Number:
  US 20060094460A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/522
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/08 Closed loop power control
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/20 using error rate
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/228 using past power values or information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/247 where the output power of a terminal is based on a path parameter sent by another terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/28 using user profile, e.g. mobile speed, priority or network state, e.g. standby, idle or non transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/282 taking into account the speed of the mobile
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/283 Power depending on the position of the mobile
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/362 Aspects of the step size
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/367 Power values between minimum and maximum limits, e.g. dynamic range
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/50 at the moment of starting communication in a multiple access environment
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/60 using different transmission rates for TPC commands

Abstract

A method and apparatus for controlling transmission power levels in a mobile communication system. The method provides for a closed-loop power control method. A mobile station provides information on the quality of the signal received from the base station, and the base station responds by adjusting the power allocated to that user in a shared base station signal. The transmission power is adjusted initially by a large increment and then ramped down at an increasingly decreasing rate. The mobile station also provides information to the base station as to its relative velocity and the base station adjusts its transmission power in accordance with this velocity information.

Claims

1. A method for reducing delay associated with generating and processing a signal indicative of a characteristic of a propagation path between a communication station and a second communication station, comprising:

transmitting the signal indicative of the characteristic to the communication station along with power adjustment requests from the second communication station;

receiving the signal and the power adjustment requests at the communication station;

setting a transmission power level at the communication station in accordance with the received signal for a predetermined time period;

modifying the adjusted transmission power level in accordance with the power adjustment requests.

2. A system for reducing delay associated with generating and processing a signal indicative of a characteristic of a propagation path between a communication station and a second communication station, comprising:

means for transmitting the signal indicative of the characteristic to the communication station along with power adjustment requests from the second communication station;

means for receiving the signal and the power adjustment requests at the communications station; and

means for setting a transmission power level at the communications station in accordance with the received signal for a predetermined time period and then modifying the adjusted transmission power level in accordance with the power adjustment requests.

3. A method at a communication station for controlling transmission energy, comprising:

determining a characteristic of a propagation path between said communication station and a second communication station;

adjusting said transmission energy of said communication station in accordance with a power control step size corresponding to said characteristic of the propagation path;

receiving closed loop power control commands at said communication station; and

subsequently modifying said adjusted transmission energy of said communication station in accordance with said closed loop power control commands.

4. An apparatus for controlling transmission energy of a communication station, comprising:

a receiver configured to receive closed loop power control commands from a second communication station; and

a processor configured to distinguish a characteristic of a propagation path based upon an arrival pattern of received closed loop power control commands, to adjust the transmission energy of said communication station in accordance with a step size corresponding to said characteristic, and to subsequently modify the adjusted transmission energy in accordance with newly arrived closed loop power control commands.

5. A method, comprising:

determining a characteristic of a propagation path between a first communication station and a second communication station;

adjusting a transmission power level of said first communication station in accordance with a power control step size corresponding to said characteristic of the propagation path;

receiving power control commands at said first communication station from said second communication station; and

modifying said adjusted transmission power level of said first communication station in accordance with said power control commands.

6. A method for controlling a transmission energy of a communication station, comprising:

increasing the transmission energy of the communication station by a first amount;

decreasing the transmission energy from the first amount at a first predetermined rate for a period of time; and

decreasing the transmission energy at a second predetermined rate after said period of time.