METHODS AND DEVICES FOR CONTROLLING UPLINK TRANSMIT POWER AT AN ACCESS TERMINAL

• US 20140003341A1
• Filed: 02/08/2013
• Published: 01/02/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Hu, Jun, Attar, Rashid Ahmed Akbar
• Granted Patent: US 9,215,663 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/328
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/146 Uplink power control
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/367 Power values between minimum and maximum limits, e.g. dynamic range

Abstract

Apparatus and methods are provided to enable a ratcheting of uplink transmit power at an access terminal in a wireless communication network, such that the transmit power is maintained between an upper threshold and a lower threshold. Here, the decision whether to ratchet the power may be based on one or both of the open-loop transmit power and/or the closed-loop transmit power. Moreover, the decision whether to ratchet the transmit power may be based on the power per carrier in a multi-carrier wireless communication network. Other aspects, embodiments, and features are also claimed and described.

Claims

1. An access terminal, comprising:

a communications interface configured for communicating with an access network over a plurality of carriers;

a storage medium;

a processing circuit coupled to the communications interface and the storage medium, the processing circuit configured to;

receive an instruction to reduce a transmit power; and

if a selected power is less than or equal to a lower threshold, ratchet to hold a portion of the transmit power corresponding to a carrier in the plurality of carriers.

2. The access terminal of claim 1, wherein the selected power is one of a uplink pilot power for the carrier, a total transmit power for the carrier, an open loop transmit power for the carrier, a closed loop transmit power for the carrier, a sum of uplink pilot powers for the plurality of carriers, a sum of open loop transmit powers for the plurality of carriers, a sum of closed loop transmit powers for the plurality of carriers, or a sum of total transmit powers for the plurality of carriers.

3. The access terminal of claim 2, wherein the portion of the transmit power is at least one of a closed loop transmit power, an open loop transmit power, or an uplink pilot power.

4. The access terminal of claim 3, wherein the uplink pilot power for the carrier is a component of the total transmit power for the carrier.

5. The access terminal of claim 3, wherein the uplink pilot power for the carrier is a sum of the open loop transmit power and the closed loop transmit power.

6. An access terminal, comprising:

a communications interface configured for communicating with an access network over a plurality of carriers;

a storage medium;

a processing circuit coupled to the communications interface and the storage medium, the processing circuit configured to;

receive an instruction to increase a transmit power; and

if a selected power is greater than or equal to an upper threshold, ratchet to hold a portion of the transmit power corresponding to a carrier in the plurality of carriers.

7. The access terminal of claim 6, wherein the selected power is one of a uplink pilot power for the carrier, a total transmit power for the carrier, an open loop transmit power for the carrier, a closed loop transmit power for the carrier, a sum of uplink pilot powers for the plurality of carriers, a sum of open loop transmit powers for the plurality of carriers, a sum of closed loop transmit powers for the plurality of carriers, or a sum of total transmit powers for the plurality of carriers.

8. The access terminal of claim 6, wherein the portion of the transmit power is at least one of a closed loop transmit power, an open loop transmit power, or an uplink pilot power.

9. The access terminal of claim 7, wherein the portion of the transmit power corresponds to the carrier in the plurality of carriers.

10. The access terminal of claim 7, wherein the total uplink power is a sum of a carrier total uplink power for each of the plurality of carriers.

11. An access terminal, comprising:

means for communicating with an access network over a plurality of carriers;

means for receiving receive an instruction to reduce a transmit power; and

if a selected power is less than or equal to a lower threshold, means for ratcheting to hold a portion of the transmit power corresponding to a carrier in the plurality of carriers.

12. The access terminal of claim 11, wherein the selected power is one of a uplink pilot power for the carrier, a total transmit power for the carrier, an open loop transmit power for the carrier, a closed loop transmit power for the carrier, a sum of uplink pilot powers for the plurality of carriers, a sum of open loop transmit powers for the plurality of carriers, a sum of closed loop transmit powers for the plurality of carriers, or a sum of total transmit powers for the plurality of carriers.

13. The access terminal of claim 12, wherein the portion of the transmit power is at least one of a closed loop transmit power, an open loop transmit power, or an uplink pilot power.

14. The access terminal of claim 13, wherein the uplink pilot power for the carrier is a component of the total transmit power for the carrier.

15. The access terminal of claim 13, wherein the uplink pilot power for the carrier is a sum of the open loop transmit power and the closed loop transmit power.

16. An access terminal, comprising:

means for communicating with an access network over a plurality of carriers;

means for receiving an instruction to increase a transmit power; and

if a selected power is greater than or equal to an upper threshold, means for ratcheting to hold a portion of the transmit power corresponding to a carrier in the plurality of carriers.

17. The access terminal of claim 16, wherein the selected power is one of a uplink pilot power for the carrier, a total transmit power for the carrier, an open loop transmit power for the carrier, a closed loop transmit power for the carrier, a sum of uplink pilot powers for the plurality of carriers, a sum of open loop transmit powers for the plurality of carriers, a sum of closed loop transmit powers for the plurality of carriers, or a sum of total transmit powers for the plurality of carriers.

18. The access terminal of claim 16, wherein the portion of the transmit power is at least one of a closed loop transmit power, an open loop transmit power, or an uplink pilot power.

19. The access terminal of claim 17, wherein the portion of the transmit power corresponds to the carrier in the plurality of carriers.

20. The access terminal of claim 17, wherein the total uplink power is a sum of a carrier total uplink power for each of the plurality of carriers.

21. A method of controlling an uplink transmit power operable at an access terminal, comprising:

communicating with an access network over a plurality of carriers;

receiving an instruction to reduce a transmit power; and

if a selected power is less than or equal to a lower threshold, ratcheting to hold a portion of the transmit power corresponding to a carrier in the plurality of carriers.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the selected power is one of a uplink pilot power for the carrier, a total transmit power for the carrier, an open loop transmit power for the carrier, a closed loop transmit power for the carrier, a sum of uplink pilot powers for the plurality of carriers, a sum of open loop transmit powers for the plurality of carriers, a sum of closed loop transmit powers for the plurality of carriers, or a sum of total transmit powers for the plurality of carriers.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the portion of the transmit power is at least one of a closed loop transmit power, an open loop transmit power, or an uplink pilot power.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the uplink pilot power for the carrier is a component of the total transmit power for the carrier.

25. The method of claim 23, wherein the uplink pilot power for the carrier is a sum of the open loop transmit power and the closed loop transmit power.

26. A method of controlling an uplink transmit power operable at an access terminal, comprising:

communicating with an access network over a plurality of carriers;

receiving an instruction to increase a transmit power; and

if a selected power is greater than or equal to an upper threshold, ratcheting to hold a portion of the transmit power corresponding to a carrier in the plurality of carriers.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the selected power is one of a uplink pilot power for the carrier, a total transmit power for the carrier, an open loop transmit power for the carrier, a closed loop transmit power for the carrier, a sum of uplink pilot powers for the plurality of carriers, a sum of open loop transmit powers for the plurality of carriers, a sum of closed loop transmit powers for the plurality of carriers, or a sum of total transmit powers for the plurality of carriers.

28. The method of claim 26, wherein the portion of the transmit power is at least one of a closed loop transmit power, an open loop transmit power, or an uplink pilot power.

29. The method of claim 27, wherein the portion of the transmit power corresponds to the carrier in the plurality of carriers.

30. The method of claim 27, wherein the total uplink power is a sum of a carrier total uplink power for each of the plurality of carriers.

31. A computer readable storage medium containing a program which, when executed by a processing circuit, performs an operation, the operation comprising a method of controlling an uplink transmit power operable at an access terminal, the method comprising:

communicating with an access network over a plurality of carriers;

receiving an instruction to reduce a transmit power; and

if a selected power is less than or equal to a lower threshold, ratcheting to hold a portion of the transmit power corresponding to a carrier in the plurality of carriers.

32. The computer readable storage medium of claim 31, wherein the selected power is one of a uplink pilot power for the carrier, a total transmit power for the carrier, an open loop transmit power for the carrier, a closed loop transmit power for the carrier, a sum of uplink pilot powers for the plurality of carriers, a sum of open loop transmit powers for the plurality of carriers, a sum of closed loop transmit powers for the plurality of carriers, or a sum of total transmit powers for the plurality of carriers.

33. The computer readable storage medium of claim 32, wherein the portion of the transmit power is at least one of a closed loop transmit power, an open loop transmit power, or an uplink pilot power.

34. The computer readable storage medium of claim 33, wherein the uplink pilot power for the carrier is a component of the total transmit power for the carrier.

35. The computer readable storage medium of claim 33, wherein the uplink pilot power for the carrier is a sum of the open loop transmit power and the closed loop transmit power.

36. A computer readable storage medium containing a program which, when executed by a processing circuit, performs an operation, the operation comprising a method of controlling an uplink transmit power operable at an access terminal, the method comprising:

communicating with an access network over a plurality of carriers;

receiving an instruction to increase a transmit power; and

if a selected power is greater than or equal to an upper threshold, ratcheting to hold a portion of the transmit power corresponding to a carrier in the plurality of carriers.

37. The computer readable storage medium of claim 36, wherein the selected power is one of a uplink pilot power for the carrier, a total transmit power for the carrier, an open loop transmit power for the carrier, a closed loop transmit power for the carrier, a sum of uplink pilot powers for the plurality of carriers, a sum of open loop transmit powers for the plurality of carriers, a sum of closed loop transmit powers for the plurality of carriers, or a sum of total transmit powers for the plurality of carriers.

38. The computer readable storage medium of claim 36, wherein the portion of the transmit power is at least one of a closed loop transmit power, an open loop transmit power, or an uplink pilot power.

39. The computer readable storage medium of claim 37, wherein the portion of the transmit power corresponds to the carrier in the plurality of carriers.

40. The computer readable storage medium of claim 37, wherein the total uplink power is a sum of a carrier total uplink power for each of the plurality of carriers.