Nodes and Method for Power Control

• US 20140036857A1
• Filed: 04/26/2011
• Published: 02/06/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/26/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonktiebolaget L.M. Ericsson
• Inventors: Zhang, Zhang, Blomgren, Mats, Kazmi, Muhammad
• Granted Patent: US 9,769,763 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/329
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/08 Closed loop power control
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/24 using SIR [Signal to Interference Ratio] or other wireless path parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/241 taking into account channel quality metrics, e.g. SIR, SNR, CIR, Eb/lo
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/245 taking into account received signal strength
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/26 using transmission rate or quality of service QoS [Quality of Service]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/386 centralized, e.g. when the radio network controller or equivalent takes part in the power control
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/40 during macro-diversity or soft handoff
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 Access point devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/12 Access point controller devices

Abstract

A controlling node (210) for UEs (115) in a cell in a communications system (200), arranged to generate (255) and transmit (230, 235) control commands to the UEs regarding their output power level, and to generate those control commands using either at least a first or a second power control scheme. In embodiments, the first power control scheme is a signal quality based power control scheme and the second power control scheme is a signal strength based power control scheme. In embodiments, the controlling node (210) is arranged to receive (230, 240) from a network controlling node (205) information regarding the capabilities of at least one other controlling node (220) in the cellular communications system (200) with respect to which power control scheme or schemes that the other controlling node (220) is arranged to use.

Claims

1-13. -13. (canceled)

14. A controlling node for User Equipments (UEs) in a cell in a cellular communications system, wherein:

the controlling node is arranged to generate and transmit control commands to the UEs in said cell to control their output power levels;

the controlling node is arranged to generate said control commands using at least one of a first or a second power control scheme, where the first power control scheme is a signal quality based power control scheme and the second power control scheme is a signal strength based power control scheme;

the controlling node is arranged to receive, from a network controlling node, information regarding the capabilities of at least one other controlling node in the cellular communications system with respect to which power control scheme or schemes that the other controlling node is arranged to use, and

the controlling node is arranged to use said information regarding the capabilities of the least one other controlling node to select at least one of the first and second power control schemes.

15. The controlling node of claim 14, wherein the controlling node is further arranged to transmit, to said network controlling node, information regarding which power control schemes that the controlling node is arranged to use.

16. The controlling node of claim 14, wherein the controlling node is further arranged to receive a command from the network controlling node, the command regarding which of said power control schemes the controlling node should use in generating said control commands to a particular UE.

17. The controlling node of claim 16, wherein the controlling node is further arranged to transmit information to said network controlling node for use in the network controlling node'"'"'s selection of which of said power control schemes should be used by the controlling node for a particular UE, the information including one or more of:

a target received signal level in the cell of the UE

assigned resources in the cell of the UE; and

characteristics of the radio environment for the UE in question.

18. The controlling node of claim 14, wherein the controlling node is further arranged to decide which of said power control schemes to use for a particular UE, and to transmit information on its decision to the network controlling node.

19. The controlling node of claim 14, wherein the controlling node is further arranged to base its decision of power control scheme for a certain UE in said cell on one or more of the following parameters for the UE in question:

a call or session state;

a QoS;

an RoT variation in the cell of the UE;

a target received signal level in the cell of the UE;

assigned resources in the cell of the UE;

a packet or data block or file size;

an uplink receiver type; and

radio environment characteristics.

20. The controlling node of claim 19, wherein the controlling node is further arranged to receive a recommendation from the network controlling node for a number of power control scheme to use, and to use said recommendation in combination with said parameters to select which of said recommended power control schemes to use for a particular UE.

21. The controlling node of claim 14, wherein the controlling node is a NodeB for use in a WCDMA system or an eNodeB for use in an LTE system.

22. A method for use in a controlling node for User Equipments (UEs) in a cell in a cellular communications system, the method comprising:

generating and transmitting control commands to the UEs in said cell regarding their output power level, wherein said control commands are generated according to either at least a first or a second power control scheme, wherein the first power control command scheme is a signal quality based power control scheme and the second power control scheme is a signal strength based power control scheme;

receiving, from a network controlling node, information regarding the capabilities of at least one other controlling node in the cellular communications system with respect to which power control scheme or schemes that the other controlling node is arranged to use; and

using said information regarding the capabilities of the least one other controlling node in the selection of power control scheme for a particular UE.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising transmitting, to a network controlling node, information regarding which power control schemes that the controlling node is arranged to use.

24. The method of claim 23, further comprising receiving a command in the controlling node from the network controlling node, the command regarding which of said power control schemes should be used in generating said control commands to a particular UE.

25. The method of claim 24, comprising transmitting information from the controlling node to said network controlling node for use in the network controlling node'"'"'s selection of which of said at least two different power control schemes should be used by the controlling node for a certain UE, said information including one or more of:

a target received signal level in the cell of the UE;

assigned resources in the cell of the UE; and

radio environment characteristics for the UE.

26. The method of claim 22, further comprising deciding, in the controlling node, which of said power control schemes to use for a particular UE, and transmitting information on this decision to the network controlling node.