COMMUNICATION OF AN INTERFERENCE CONDITION IN WIRELESS COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEMS

• US 20100273473A1
• Filed: 04/22/2010
• Published: 10/28/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/23/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Chande, Vinay, Yavuz, Mehmet, Meshkati, Farhad
• Granted Patent: US 8,761,753 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/423
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3827 Portable transceivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/16 for PBS [Private Base Station] arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/32 Hierarchical cell structures
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/143 Downlink power control
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/18 TPC being performed according to specific parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/225 Calculation of statistics, e.g. average, variance
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/242 taking into account path loss
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/244 Interferences in heterogeneous networks, e.g. among macro and femto or pico cells or other sector / system interference [OSI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/245 taking into account received signal strength
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/325 Power control of control or pilot channels
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/045 using private Base Stations, e.g. femto Base Stations, home Node B
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 Access point devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/20 between access points

Abstract

Systems, devices, and methods for adjusting a transmission power at a femto node are described herein. According to the systems, devices, and methods herein, a measurement of a signal transmitted from a transmitting node may be communicated to the femto node, for example from a user equipment or a neighboring femto node, for use in adjusting the power. The transmitting node may comprise the femto node, a macro node, or a neighboring femto node. In addition, statistics regarding such measurements may be communicated to the femto node for use in adjusting the power. The femto node may also adjust the power based on unsuccessful registration attempts or interference communications received at the femto node.

Claims

1. An apparatus for wireless communication, the apparatus comprising:

a receiver configured to wirelessly receive a signal transmitted from a transmitting device, the transmitting device being associated with at least one user device, wherein only user devices that are associated with the transmitting device are permitted to communicate with other user devices via the transmitting device;

an interference unit configured to identify an interference condition based at least in part on the received signal;

a determination unit configured to determine whether the apparatus is associated with the transmitting device; and

a transmitter configured to wirelessly transmit an interference communication to the transmitting device in response to identifying the interference condition if the apparatus is not associated with the transmitting device.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the interference condition is identified when path loss of the signal is greater than a predetermined threshold.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the transmitter is configured to transmit information indicative of a measurement to the transmitting device, the measurement being based at least in part on the received signal.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the measurement comprises an E_c/I_o measurement of the received signal.

5. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the measurement comprises a received signal code power (RSCP) of the received signal.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the transmitter is configured to wirelessly transmit the interference communication in an over-the-air (OTA) message addressed to the transmitting device.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the transmitter is configured to wirelessly transmit the interference communication using a random access channel (RACH) procedure.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the transmitting device comprises a femto node.

9. A method of wireless communication, the method comprising:

wirelessly receiving at an apparatus a signal transmitted from a transmitting device, the transmitting device being associated with at least one user device, wherein only user devices that are associated with the transmitting device are permitted to communicate with other user devices via the transmitting device;

identifying an interference condition based at least in part on the received signal;

determining whether the apparatus is associated with the transmitting device; and

wirelessly transmitting an interference communication to the transmitting device in response to identifying the interference condition if the apparatus is not associated with the transmitting device.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the interference condition is identified when path loss of the signal is greater than a predetermined threshold.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the identifying comprises determining a measurement based at least in part on the received signal, and wherein the method further comprises transmitting information indicative of the measurement to the transmitting device.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the measurement comprises an E_c/I_o measurement of the received signal.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the measurement comprises a received signal code power (RSCP) of the received signal.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein the transmitting comprises wirelessly transmitting the interference communication in an over-the-air (OTA) message addressed to the transmitting device.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein the transmitting comprises wirelessly transmitting the interference communication using a random access channel (RACH) procedure.

16. The method of claim 9, wherein the transmitting device comprises a femto node.

17. An apparatus for wireless communication, the apparatus comprising:

means for wirelessly receiving at an apparatus a signal transmitted from a transmitting device, the transmitting device being associated with at least one user device, wherein only user devices that are associated with the transmitting device are permitted to communicate with other user devices via the transmitting device;

means for identifying an interference condition based at least in part on the received signal;

means for determining whether the apparatus is associated with the transmitting device; and

means for wirelessly transmitting an interference communication to the transmitting device in response to identifying the interference condition if the apparatus is not associated with the transmitting device.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the interference condition is identified when path loss of the signal is greater than a predetermined threshold.

19. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the identifying means comprises means for determining a measurement based at least in part on the received signal, and wherein the apparatus further comprises means for transmitting information indicative of the measurement to the transmitting device.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the measurement comprises an E_c/I_o measurement of the received signal.

21. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the measurement comprises a received signal code power (RSCP) of the received signal.

22. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the transmitting means comprises means for wirelessly transmitting the interference communication in an over-the-air (OTA) message addressed to the transmitting device.

23. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the transmitting means comprises means for wirelessly transmitting the interference communication using a random access channel (RACH) procedure.

24. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the transmitting device comprises a femto node.

25. A computer program product, comprising:

a computer-readable medium comprising;

code for causing a computer to wirelessly receive a signal transmitted from a transmitting device, the transmitting device being associated with at least one user device, wherein only user devices that are associated with the transmitting device are permitted to communicate with other user devices via the transmitting device;

code for causing a computer to identify an interference condition based at least in part on the received signal;

code for causing a computer to determine whether a device of the computer which received the signal is associated with the transmitting device; and

code for causing a computer to wirelessly transmitting an interference communication to the transmitting device in response to identifying the interference condition if the device of the computer is not associated with the transmitting device.

26. The computer program product of claim 25, wherein the interference condition is identified when path loss of the signal is greater than a predetermined threshold.

27. The computer program product of claim 25, wherein the code for causing a computer to identify comprises code for causing a computer to determine a measurement based at least in part on the received signal, and wherein the computer program product further comprises code for causing a computer to transmit information indicative of the measurement to the transmitting device.

28. The computer program product of claim 27, wherein the measurement comprises an E_c/I_o measurement of the received signal.

29. The computer program product of claim 27, wherein the measurement comprises a received signal code power (RSCP) of the received signal.

30. The computer program product of claim 25, wherein the code for causing a computer to wirelessly transmit comprises code for causing a computer to wirelessly transmit the interference communication in an over-the-air (OTA) message addressed to the transmitting device.

31. The computer program product of claim 25, wherein the code for causing a computer to wirelessly transmit comprises code for causing a computer to wirelessly transmit the interference communication using a random access channel (RACH) procedure.

32. The computer program product of claim 25, wherein the transmitting device comprises a femto node.