Methods, Apparatuses, and Computer Program Products for Prioritizing Uplink Carriers

• US 20120093011A1
• Filed: 02/08/2010
• Published: 04/19/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Solutions and Networks US LLC (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Ranta-Aho, Karri Markus, Hakola, Sami-Jukka, Chapman, Thomas
• Granted Patent: US 8,699,447 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/252
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0007 the frequencies being orthogonal, e.g. OFDM(A), DMT
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0042 intra-user or intra-terminal allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0044 allocation of payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0048 Allocation of pilot signals, i.e. of signals known to the receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0053 Allocation of signaling, i.e. of overhead other than pilot signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0064 Rate requirement of the data, e.g. scalable bandwidth, data priority
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/34 TPC management, i.e. sharing limited amount of power among users or channels or data types, e.g. cell loading

Abstract

A method, apparatus, and computer program product are provided for prioritizing uplink carriers. A method may include determining a first pilot channel transmission power level for a first uplink carrier. The method may further include determining a second pilot channel transmission power level for a second uplink carrier. The method may additionally include prioritizing the first and second uplink carriers based at least in part upon the first and second pilot channel transmission power levels. Corresponding computer program products and apparatuses are also provided.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

determining a first pilot channel transmission power level for a first uplink carrier;

determining a second pilot channel transmission power level for a second uplink carrier; and

prioritizing, with a carrier management unit, the first and second uplink carriers based at least in part upon the first and second pilot channel transmission power levels.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein prioritizing the first and second uplink carriers comprises assigning a higher priority to the one of the first and second uplink carriers having a lower pilot channel transmission power level than the other uplink carrier.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein:

determining a first and second pilot channel transmission power level comprises determining a first and second dedicated physical control channel power level; and

prioritizing the first and second uplink carriers comprises prioritizing the first and second uplink carriers based at least in part upon the first and second dedicated physical control channel power levels.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising reducing power for a channel on the one of the first and second uplink carriers having a lower priority than the other uplink carrier when a total transmission power over the first and second uplink carriers reaches a predefined threshold value.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein reducing power for a channel comprises scaling down an enhanced dedicated physical data channel gain factor.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein scaling down the enhanced dedicated physical data channel gain factor comprises scaling down the enhanced dedicated physical data channel gain factor β

_ed,k to a value β

_ed,k,reduced.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising allocating data rates to the first and second uplink carriers, wherein preferential data rates are allocated to the one of the first and second uplink carriers having a higher priority than the other uplink carrier.

8. A computer program product comprising at least one computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable program instructions stored therein, the computer-readable program instructions comprising:

a program instruction for determining a first pilot channel transmission power level for a first uplink carrier;

a program instruction for determining a second pilot channel transmission power level for a second uplink carrier; and

a program instruction for prioritizing the first and second uplink carriers based at least in part upon the first and second pilot channel transmission power levels.

9. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the program instruction for prioritizing the first and second uplink carriers comprises instructions for assigning a higher priority to the one of the first and second uplink carriers having a lower pilot channel transmission power level than the other uplink carrier.

10. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein:

the program instruction for determining a first and second pilot channel transmission power level comprises instructions for determining a first and second dedicated physical control channel power level; and

the program instruction for prioritizing the first and second uplink carriers comprises instructions for prioritizing the first and second uplink carriers based at least in part upon the first and second dedicated physical control channel power levels.

11. The computer program product of claim 8, further comprising a program instruction for reducing power for a channel on the one of the first and second uplink carriers having a lower priority than the other uplink carrier when a total transmission power over the first and second uplink carriers reaches a predefined threshold value.

12. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the program instruction for reducing power for a channel comprises instructions for scaling down an enhanced dedicated physical data channel gain factor.

13. The computer program product of claim 12, wherein the instructions for scaling down the enhanced dedicated physical data channel gain factor comprises instructions for scaling down the enhanced dedicated physical data channel gain factor β

_ed,k to a value β

_ed,k,reduced.

14. The computer program product of claim 8, further comprising a program instruction for allocating data rates to the first and second uplink carriers, wherein preferential data rates are allocated to the one of the first and second uplink carriers having a higher priority than the other uplink carrier.

15. An apparatus comprising a processor and a memory storing executable instructions that when executed by the processor cause the apparatus to at least:

determine a first pilot channel transmission power level for a first uplink carrier;

determine a second pilot channel transmission power level for a second uplink carrier; and

prioritize the first and second uplink carriers based at least in part upon the first and second pilot channel transmission power levels.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the executable instructions when executed cause the apparatus to prioritize the first and second uplink carriers by assigning a higher priority to the one of the first and second uplink carriers having a lower pilot channel transmission power level than the other uplink carrier.

17. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the executable instructions when executed cause the apparatus to:

determine a first and second pilot channel transmission power level by determining a first and second dedicated physical control channel power level; and

prioritize the first and second uplink carriers by prioritizing the first and second uplink carriers based at least in part upon the first and second dedicated physical control channel power levels.

18. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the executable instructions when executed further cause the apparatus to reduce power for a channel on the one of the first and second uplink carriers having a lower priority than the other uplink carrier when a total transmission power over the first and second uplink carriers reaches a predefined threshold value.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the executable instructions when executed cause the apparatus to reduce power for a channel by scaling down an enhanced dedicated physical data channel gain factor.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the executable instructions when executed cause the apparatus to scale down the enhanced dedicated physical data channel gain factor by scaling down the enhanced dedicated physical data channel gain factor β

_ed,k to a value β

_ed,k,reduced.

21. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the executable instructions when executed further cause the apparatus to allocate data rates to the first and second uplink carriers, wherein preferential data rates are allocated to the one of the first and second uplink carriers having a higher priority than the other uplink carrier.

22. An apparatus comprising:

means for determining a first pilot channel transmission power level for a first uplink carrier;

means for determining a second pilot channel transmission power level for a second uplink carrier; and

means for prioritizing the first and second uplink carriers based at least in part upon the first and second pilot channel transmission power levels.

23. A method comprising:

determining at least one of a type of data transmitted on a first uplink carrier or a type of physical channel transmitted on the first uplink carrier;

determining at least one of a type of data transmitted on a second uplink carrier or a type of physical channel transmitted on the second uplink carrier; and

prioritizing the first and second uplink carriers based at least in part upon one or more of the determined data types or determined physical channel types.

24. The method of claim 23, further comprising reducing power for a channel on the one of the first and second uplink carriers having a lower priority than the other uplink carrier when a total transmission power over the first and second uplink carriers reaches a predefined threshold value.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein reducing power for a channel comprises scaling down an enhanced dedicated physical data channel gain factor.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein scaling down the enhanced dedicated physical data channel gain factor comprises scaling down the enhanced dedicated physical data channel gain factor β

_ed,k to a value β

_ed,k,reduced.

27. The method of claim 23, further comprising allocating data rates to the first and second uplink carriers, wherein preferential data rates are allocated to the one of the first and second uplink carriers having a higher priority than the other uplink carrier.

28. A computer program product comprising at least one computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable program instructions stored therein, the computer-readable program instructions comprising:

a program instruction for determining at least one of a type of data transmitted on a first uplink carrier or a type of physical channel transmitted on the first uplink carrier;

a program instruction for determining at least one of a type of data transmitted on a second uplink carrier or a type of physical channel transmitted on the second uplink carrier; and

a program instruction for prioritizing the first and second uplink carriers based at least in part upon one or more of the determined data types or determined physical channel types.

29. The computer program product of claim 28, further comprising a program instruction for reducing power for a channel on the one of the first and second uplink carriers having a lower priority than the other uplink carrier when a total transmission power over the first and second uplink carriers reaches a predefined threshold value.

30. The computer program product of claim 29, wherein the program instruction for reducing power for a channel comprises instructions for scaling down an enhanced dedicated physical data channel gain factor.

31. The computer program product of claim 30, wherein the instructions for scaling down the enhanced dedicated physical data channel gain factor comprises instructions for scaling down the enhanced dedicated physical data channel gain factor β

_ed,k to a value β

_ed,k,reduced.

32. The computer program product of claim 28, further comprising a program instruction for allocating data rates to the first and second uplink carriers, wherein preferential data rates are allocated to the one of the first and second uplink carriers having a higher priority than the other uplink carrier.

33. An apparatus comprising a processor and a memory storing executable instructions that when executed by the processor cause the apparatus to at least:

determine at least one of a type of data transmitted on a first uplink carrier or a type of physical channel transmitted on the first uplink carrier;

determine at least one of a type of data transmitted on a second uplink carrier or a type of physical channel transmitted on the second uplink carrier; and

prioritize the first and second uplink carriers based at least in part upon one or more of the determined data types or determined physical channel types.

34. The apparatus of claim 33, wherein the executable instructions when executed further cause the apparatus to reduce power for a channel on the one of the first and second uplink carriers having a lower priority than the other uplink carrier when a total transmission power over the first and second uplink carriers reaches a predefined threshold value.

35. The apparatus of claim 34, wherein the executable instructions when executed cause the apparatus to reduce power for a channel by scaling down an enhanced dedicated physical data channel gain factor.

36. The apparatus of claim 35, wherein the executable instructions when executed cause the apparatus to scale down the enhanced dedicated physical data channel gain factor by scaling down the enhanced dedicated physical data channel gain factor β

_ed,k to a value β

_ed,k,reduced.

37. The apparatus of claim 33, wherein the executable instructions when executed further cause the apparatus to allocate data rates to the first and second uplink carriers, wherein preferential data rates are allocated to the one of the first and second uplink carriers having a higher priority than the other uplink carrier.

38. An apparatus comprising:

means for determining at least one of a type of data transmitted on a first uplink carrier or a type of physical channel transmitted on the first uplink carrier;

means for determining at least one of a type of data transmitted on a second uplink carrier or a type of physical channel transmitted on the second uplink carrier; and

means for prioritizing the first and second uplink carriers based at least in part upon one or more of the determined data types or determined physical channel types.