Centralized forward link power control

• US 5,893,035 A
• Filed: 09/16/1996
• Issued: 04/06/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 09/16/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Chen, Tao
• Primary Examiner(s): Eisenzopf, Reinhard J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kincaid, Lester G.
• Application Number:
  US08/710,335
• Time in Patent Office: 932 Days
• Field of Search: 455/69, 455/522, 455/442, 455/70, 455/92, 455/63, 455/127, 455/67.1, 455/517, 455/524, 455/507, 455/561
• US Class Current: 455/522
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/08 Closed loop power control
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/40 during macro-diversity or soft handoff

Abstract

In a mobile communication system comprising at least two base stations coupled to a common base station controller, each base station with which a particular mobile station is communicating sends its received frame quality message to the common base station controller. The base station controller combines the received messages to provide an improved estimate of the correct message and thus a correct power level for the forward link signal. Each base station preferably responds independently to error messages it receives from the mobile station and also sends the error message to the base station controller. After receiving power control commands from the base station controller, the base station then determines whether it responded properly at the time when it received the error message from the mobile station.

Claims

1. In a communication system having at least a first base station, a base station controller, and at least one user station, wherein a system user of said user station transmits communication signals to and receives communication signals from said first base station, a method for controlling transmission signal power of transmitted communication signals for each base station, the method comprising the steps of:

at said first base station, receiving a signal quality message from said user station, said signal quality message indicating a quality of a communication signal received by said user station from said first base station;

at said first base station, transmitting a first signal quality signal to said base station controller, said first signal quality signal being based on said received signal quality message;

at said base station controller, calculating a first power level command based on said first signal quality signal;

at said base station controller, transmitting said first power level command to said first base station; and

at said first base station, transmitting a subsequent communication signal at a first power level based on said first power level command;

wherein the step of transmitting said first power level command includes transmitting a transmission power value and a timer value, said transmission power value providing an indication of said first power level for said communication signal transmitted by said first base station, and wherein the step of calculating a first power level command includes the steps of;

if said timer value is inactive and said first signal quality signal indicates an error, calculating said power level command based on an increase factor;

if said timer value is inactive and said first signal quality signal indicates no error, calculating said power level command based on a small attenuation factor;

if said timer value is active and said first signal quality signal indicates no error, calculating said power level command based on a large attenuation factor relative to said small attenuation factor; and

if said timer value is active and said first signal quality signal indicates an error, setting said power level command to a previous power level command.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said timer value indicates a period during which said first base station is prohibited from increasing said first power level.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said communication system includes a second base station, and wherein the method further includes the steps of:

at said second base station, receiving said signal quality message from said user station;

at said second base station, transmitting a second signal quality signal to said base station controller, said second signal quality signal being based on said received signal quality message;

at said base station controller, calculating a second power level command based on said first and second signal quality signals;

at said base station controller, transmitting said second power level command to said second base station; and

at said second base station, transmitting communication signal at a second power level based on said second power level command.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of transmitting said communication signal includes transmitting a code division multiple access (CDMA) spread spectrum signal.

5. The method of claim 1, further including the steps of:

at said first base station, determining a local power level based on said signal quality message from said user station;

at said first base station, comparing said local power level to said first power level command based on a predetermined operational relationship; and

adjusting said local power level if said comparison of said local power level to said first power level command corresponds to said predetermined operational relationship.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein said timer value indicates a period during which said first base station is prohibited from increasing said first power level, wherein said period is a period of delay occurring between the steps of receiving said signal quality message and transmitting said communication signal.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of receiving a signal quality message from said user station includes receiving an erasure indicator bit that indicates that a previous frame in said communication signal contains erasures, and indicating that said first base station should increase a current power level of said communication signal, and wherein said step of transmitting a first signal quality signal includes transmitting said signal quality message received by said first base station.

8. In a communication system having a base station controller and at least one user station, wherein said user station transmits and receives communication signals and transmits a signal quality message indicating a quality of said received communication signals, a base station comprising:

a transmitter that transmits said communication signals to said user station at a power level;

a receiver that receives said signal quality message from said user station, said signal quality message at times providing an indication to change said power level;

a power command receiver configured to receive from said base station controller a transmission power value and a timer value; and

a power control processor coupled to said transmitter, receiver and power command receiver that alters said power level for said communication signals transmitted by said transmitter based on one of said transmission power value and said signal quality message, and prohibits said power level from increasing direction during a period based on said timer value despite said indication by said signal quality message to change said power level;

wherein said power control processor alters said power level based on an increase factor if said timer value is inactive and said signal quality message indicates an error, alters said power level based on a small attenuation factor if said timer value is inactive and said signal quality message indicates no error, alters said power level based on a large attenuation factor relative to said small attenuation factor if said timer value is active and said signal quality message indicates no error, and sets said power level to a previous power level if said timer value is active and said signal quality message indicates an error.

9. The base station of claim 8 wherein said transmitter transmits said communication signal as a wireless code division multiple access (CDMA) spread spectrum signal.

10. The base station of claim 8 wherein said power control processor is configured to determine a local power level based on said signal quality message, compare said local power level to said transmission power value based on a predetermined operational relationship, and adjust said local power level if said comparison of said local power level to said transmission power value corresponds to said predetermined operational relationship.

11. The base station of claim 8 wherein said period is a period of delay occurring between transmission of said communication signals to said user station, and receipt of said signal quality message from said user station.

12. In a communication system having at least a first base station, a base station controller, and at least one user station, wherein a system user of said user station transmits to and receives from said first base station communication signals, a method for controlling transmission signal power of transmitted communication signals at each of said base stations, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving a signal quality message from said user station, said signal quality message indicating a quality of a communication signal received by said user station from said first base station;

transmitting said signal quality message to said base station controller;

receiving a first power level command from said base station controller, said first power level command being based on said signal quality message; and

transmitting said communication signal at a first power level based on said first power level command;

wherein said step of receiving said first power level command includes receiving a transmission power value and a timer value, said transmission power value providing an indication of said first power level for said communication signal transmitted by said first base station, and wherein the step of transmitting said communication signal includes the steps of;

if said timer value is inactive and said first signal quality message indicates an error, transmitting said communication signal based on an increase factor;

if said timer value is inactive and said first signal quality message indicates no error, transmitting said communication signal based on a small attenuation factor;

if said timer value is active and said first signal quality message indicates no error, transmitting said communication signal based on a large attenuation factor relative to said small attenuation factor; and

if said timer value is active and said first signal quality message indicates an error, transmitting said communication signal at said power level based on a previous power level.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein said timer value indicates a period during which said first base station is prohibited from increasing said first power level.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein said communication system includes a second base station, and wherein the method further includes the steps of:

at said second base station, receiving said signal quality message from said user station;

at said second base station, transmitting another signal quality message to said base station controller, said another signal quality message being based on said received signal quality message;

at said second base station, receiving a second power level command from said base station controller, said second power level command being based on said signal quality message and said another signal quality message; and

at said second base station, transmitting said communication signal at a second power level based on said second power level command.

15. The method of claim 12 wherein the step of transmitting said communication signal includes transmitting a code division multiple access (CDMA) spread spectrum signal.

16. The method of claim 12, further comprising the steps of:

determining a local power level based on said signal quality message from said user station;

comparing said local power level to said first power level command based on a predetermined operational relationship; and

adjusting said local power level if said comparison of said local power level to said first power level command corresponds to said predetermined operational relationship.

17. The method of claim 12 wherein said timer value indicates a period during which said first base station is prohibited from increasing said first power level, wherein said period is a period of delay occurring between the steps of receiving said signal quality message and transmitting said communication signal.

18. The method of claim 12 wherein the step of receiving a signal quality message from said user station includes receiving an erasure indicator bit that indicates that a previous frame in said communication signal contains erasures, and indicating that said first base station should increase a current power level of said communication signal.

19. In a communication system having a base station controller and at least one user station, wherein said user station transmits and receives communication signals and transmits a signal quality message indicating a quality of said received communication signals, a base station comprising:

a transmitter that transmits said communication signals to said user station at a power level;

a receiver that receives said signal quality message from said user station, said signal quality message at times providing an indication to change said power level, said base station transmitting an error message signal to the base station controller in response to said signal quality message received at the base station;

a power command receiver configured to receive from said base station controller a transmission power value and a timer value, said transmission power value and said timer value based on said error message signal; and

a power control processor coupled to said transmitter, receiver and power command receiver that alters said power level for said communication signals transmitted by said transmitter based on one of said transmission power value received from said base station controller and said signal quality message received from said user station, and prohibits said power level from increasing direction during a period based on said timer value despite said indication by said signal quality message received from said user station to change said power level;

wherein said base station and said base station controller each respond independently to said signal quality message and said error message signal, respectively, and wherein the response of the base station to said transmission power value received from said base station controller overrides the response of the base station to said signal quality message received from said user station during the period.

20. The base station of claim 19 wherein said transmission power value and said timer value are based on said signal quality message transmitted by said base station.

21. The base station of claim 19 wherein said transmission power value and said timer value are based on said signal quality message transmitted by said base station and another base station.