POWER CONTROL

• US 20150141068A1
• Filed: 05/13/2013
• Published: 05/21/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/14/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Broadcom Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Immonen, Antti Oskari, Kaukovuori, Jouni Kristian
• Granted Patent: US 9,408,157 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/522
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 15/04 the interference being caused by substantially sinusoidal oscillations, e.g. in a receiver or in a tape-recorder
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/001 the frequencies being arranged in component carriers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0098 Signalling of the activation or deactivation of component carriers, subcarriers or frequency bands
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/08 Closed loop power control
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/146 Uplink power control
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/16 Deriving transmission power values from another channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/243 taking into account interferences

Abstract

Measures for enabling per-carrier power control for inter-band multi-carrier capable devices, such as for example inter-band carrier aggregation capable devices. Such measures may for example comprise calculating a desired cumulative output power value for a combination of at least two uplink carriers of a terminal device, said two uplink carriers operating on different bands, setting an output power value for each of the at least two uplink carriers of the terminal device based on the calculated desired cumulative output power value, and providing, for the terminal device, a power control instruction for the at least two uplink carriers at the terminal device in accordance with the output power values set for the at least two uplink carriers.

Claims

1. A method for enabling per-carrier power control on a network side of a cellular system, the method comprising:

calculating a desired cumulative output power value for a combination of at least two uplink carriers of a terminal device, said two uplink carriers operating on different bands, the calculation being based on an intermodulation power equation for the intermodulation power of a specific order intermodulation distortion of the at least two uplink carriers;

setting an output power value for each of the at least two uplink carriers of the terminal device based on the calculated desired cumulative output power value; and

providing, for the terminal device, a power control instruction for the at least two uplink carriers at the terminal device in accordance with the output power values set for the at least two uplink carriers.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the calculating is based on:

an allowable intermodulation power parameter,

an effective intermodulation power parameter, and

one or more device-specific intermodulation performance parameters of the terminal device.

3. A method according to claim 2, wherein:

the allowable intermodulation power parameter is determined in accordance with a target downlink performance at the terminal device, and/or

the intermodulation power equation and/or one or more of the parameters are fixed in accordance with pre-stored information or adjusted in accordance with at least one of parameter information received from the terminal device, which is indicative of values and/or combined values of one or more of the parameters, and feedback information received from the terminal device, which is indicative of downlink performance at the terminal device.

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein the setting of the output power values is based on an output power-related prioritization of the at least two uplink carriers such that each uplink carrier is assigned an output power value in accordance with its prioritization level.

5. A method according to claim 4, wherein the prioritization level of an uplink carrier is based on at least one of:

downlink performance on a downlink carrier, on which intermodulation distortion is caused by the output power of said uplink carrier, and the influence of the output power of said uplink carrier on the intermodulation distortion on said downlink carrier,

uplink capacity increase capability on said uplink carrier based on associated downlink performance deterioration on a downlink carrier, on which intermodulation distortion is caused by the output power of said uplink carrier,

a relationship between a frequency range of the band of said uplink carrier and a frequency range of intermodulation power of a specific order intermodulation distortion of the at least two uplink carriers,

a relationship between frequency ranges of the bands of the at least two uplink carriers,

channel allocations on the at least two uplink carriers, and

uplink data amount on said uplink carrier.

6. A method according to claim 4, wherein the prioritization level of an uplink carrier is based on uplink link quality on said uplink carrier with respect to a desired link quality for said uplink carrier, which corresponds to a desired coverage range.

7. A method according to claim 6, wherein, when the setting of the output power values based on an output power-related prioritization on the basis of the uplink link qualities of the at least two uplink carriers yields insufficient output power values for the at least two uplink carriers with respect to the desired link qualities for said uplink carriers, the instruction comprises a power control instruction for:

deactivation of one of the at least two uplink carriers by continuous setting of the output power value of one of the at least two uplink carriers to zero, or

discontinuous transmission of the at least two uplink carriers by alternate setting of the output power value of one of the at least two uplink carriers to zero.

8. A method according to claim 1, wherein:

the method is operable at or by a base station or access node of a cellular system, and/or

the method is operable in at least one of a LTE and a LTE-A cellular system, and/or

the combination of the at least two uplink carriers of the terminal device, for which the desired cumulative output power value is calculated, constitutes an inter-band carrier aggregation.

25. Computer software adapted to perform a method for enabling per-carrier power control according to claim 1.

27. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer readable instructions stored thereon, the computer readable instructions being executable by a computerized device to cause the computerized device to perform a method for enabling per-carrier power control according to claim 1.

9. A method for enabling per-carrier power control on a terminal side of a cellular system, the method comprising:

obtaining an instruction for power control for at least two uplink carriers of a terminal device, the instruction comprising a setting of output power values of the at least two uplink carriers, said two uplink carriers operating on different bands, the setting being based on a desired cumulative output power value for a combination of the at least two uplink carriers of the terminal device, which is based on an intermodulation power equation for the intermodulation power of a specific order intermodulation distortion of the at least two uplink carriers; and

performing power control for the at least two uplink carriers in accordance with the obtained power control instruction at the terminal device.

10. A method according to claim 9, further comprising at least one of:

providing parameter information from the terminal device in an uplink direction, which is indicative of values and/or combined values of one or more of an allowable intermodulation power parameter, an effective intermodulation power parameter and one or more device-specific intermodulation performance parameters of the terminal device;

providing feedback information from the terminal device in an uplink direction, which is indicative of downlink performance at the terminal device; and

providing link quality information from the terminal device in an uplink direction, which is indicative of uplink link quality on the at least two uplink carriers.

11. A method according to claim 9 or 10, wherein the power control comprises:

deactivation of one of the at least two uplink carriers in accordance with continuous setting of the output power value of one of the at least two uplink carriers to zero in the obtained power control instruction, or

discontinuous transmission of the at least two uplink carriers in accordance with alternate setting of the output power value of one of the at least two uplink carriers to zero in the obtained power control instruction.

12. A method according to claim 9, wherein:

the method is operable at or by a terminal, user equipment, mobile station or modem, and/or

the method is operable in at least one of a LTE and a LTE-A cellular system, and/or

a combination of the at least two uplink carriers of the terminal device, for which the setting of the output power values is made, constitutes an inter-band carrier aggregation.

26. Computer software adapted to perform a method for enabling per-carrier power control according to claim 9.

28. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer readable instructions stored thereon, the computer readable instructions being executable by a computerized device to cause the computerized device to perform a method for enabling per-carrier power control according to claim 9.

13. Apparatus for use in enabling per-carrier power control on a network side of a cellular system, the apparatus comprising a processing system adapted to cause the apparatus to:

calculate a desired cumulative output power value for a combination of at least two uplink carriers of a terminal device, said two uplink carriers operating on different bands, the calculation being based on an intermodulation power equation for the intermodulation power of a specific order intermodulation distortion of the at least two uplink carriers;

set an output power value for each of the at least two uplink carriers of the terminal device based on the calculated desired cumulative output power value; and

provide, for the terminal device, a power control instruction for the at least two uplink carriers at the terminal device in accordance with the output power values set for the at least two uplink carriers.

14. Apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the calculating is based on:

an allowable intermodulation power parameter,

an effective intermodulation power parameter, and

one or more device-specific intermodulation performance parameters of the terminal device.

15. Apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the processing system is adapted to cause the apparatus to:

determine the allowable intermodulation power parameter in accordance with a target downlink performance at the terminal device, and/or

fix the intermodulation power equation and/or one or more of the parameters in accordance with pre-stored information or adjust the intermodulation power equation and/or one or more of the parameters in accordance with at least one of parameter information received from the terminal device, which is indicative of values and/or combined values of one or more of the parameters, and feedback information received from the terminal device, which is indicative of downlink performance at the terminal device.

16. Apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the processing system is adapted to cause the apparatus to set the output power values based on an output power-related prioritization of the at least two uplink carriers such that each uplink carrier is assigned an output power value in accordance with its prioritization level.

17. Apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the prioritization level of an uplink carrier is based on at least one of:

downlink performance on a downlink carrier, on which intermodulation distortion is caused by the output power of said uplink carrier, and the influence of the output power of said uplink carrier on the intermodulation distortion on said downlink carrier,

uplink capacity increase capability on said uplink carrier based on associated downlink performance deterioration on a downlink carrier, on which intermodulation distortion is caused by the output power of said uplink carrier,

a relationship between a frequency range of the band of said uplink carrier and a frequency range of intermodulation power of a specific order intermodulation distortion of the at least two uplink carriers,

a relationship between frequency ranges of the bands of the at least two uplink carriers,

channel allocations on the at least two uplink carriers, and

uplink data amount on said uplink carrier.

18. Apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the prioritization level of an uplink carrier is based on uplink link quality on said uplink carrier with respect to a desired link quality for said uplink carrier, which corresponds to a desired coverage range.

19. Apparatus according to claim 18, wherein, when the setting of the output power values based on an output power-related prioritization on the basis of the uplink link qualities of the at least two uplink carriers yields insufficient output power values for the at least two uplink carriers with respect to the desired link qualities for said uplink carriers, the processing system is adapted to cause the apparatus to provide a power control instruction for:

deactivation of one of the at least two uplink carriers by continuous setting of the output power value of one of the at least two uplink carriers to zero, or

discontinuous transmission of the at least two uplink carriers by alternate setting of the output power value of one of the at least two uplink carriers to zero.

20. Apparatus according to claim 13, wherein:

the apparatus is operable as or at a base station or access node of a cellular system, and/or

the apparatus is operable in at least one of a LTE and a LTE-A cellular system, and/or

the combination of the at least two uplink carriers of the terminal device, for which the desired cumulative output power value is calculated, constitutes an inter-band carrier aggregation.

21. Apparatus for use in enabling per-carrier power control on a terminal side of a cellular system, the apparatus comprising a processing system adapted to cause the apparatus to:

obtain a power control instruction for at least two uplink carriers of a terminal device, the instruction comprising a setting of output power values of the at least two uplink carriers, said two uplink carriers operating on different bands, the setting being based on a desired cumulative output power value for a combination of the at least two uplink carriers of the terminal device, which is based on an intermodulation power equation for the intermodulation power of a specific order intermodulation distortion of the at least two uplink carriers; and

perform power control for the at least two uplink carriers in accordance with the obtained power control instruction at the terminal device.

22. Apparatus according to claim 21, wherein the processing system is adapted to cause the apparatus to perform at least one of:

provide parameter information from the terminal device in an uplink direction, which is indicative of values and/or combined values of one or more of an allowable intermodulation power parameter, an effective intermodulation power parameter and one or more device-specific intermodulation performance parameters of the terminal device,

provide feedback information from the terminal device in an uplink direction, which is indicative of downlink performance at the terminal device, and

provide link quality information from the terminal device in an uplink direction, which is indicative of uplink link quality on the at least two uplink carriers.

23. Apparatus according to claim 21 or 22, wherein the processing system is adapted to cause the apparatus to perform in the power control:

deactivation of one of the at least two uplink carriers in accordance with continuous setting of the output power value of one of the at least two uplink carriers to zero in the obtained power control instruction, or

discontinuous transmission of the at least two uplink carriers in accordance with alternate setting of the output power value of one of the at least two uplink carriers to zero in the obtained power control instruction.

24. Apparatus according to claim 21, wherein:

the apparatus is operable as or at a terminal, user equipment, mobile station or modem, and/or

the apparatus is operable in at least one of a LTE and a LTE-A cellular system, and/or

a combination of the at least two uplink carriers of the terminal device, for which the setting of the output power values is made, constitutes an inter-band carrier aggregation.