Method and apparatus for radio power allocation to a channel during channel assignment based on current system conditions

• US 6,334,058 B1
• Filed: 08/27/1998
• Issued: 12/25/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 08/28/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Nyström, Martin, Klasson, Kjell
• Primary Examiner(s): Hunter, Daniel
• Assistant Examiner(s): Corsaro, Nick
• Application Number:
  US09/141,774
• Time in Patent Office: 1,216 Days
• Field of Search: 330/135, 455/436, 455/450, 455/452, 455/453, 455/522, 455/561, 455/127, 455/341
• US Class Current: 455/453
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/06 Hybrid resource partitioning, e.g. channel borrowing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/06 Reselecting a communication resource in the serving access point

Abstract

In a method and apparatus for power allocation used by a BTS in a mobile telephone system, an available radio power is distributed between a plurality of carriers, a request for a channel for communication (201a,201b,201c) is received. A required amount of power is requested from a power bank (202), and a check if the required amount of power is available (203) is performed. If the power is available it is allocated (204, 205), and the connection is established (206).

Claims

1. A method of power allocation among carriers within a Multiple Carrier Power Amplifier (MCPA), the method comprising the steps of:

receiving channel requests for establishing channels over a plurality of carriers in a mobile telephone system;

requesting from a power bank a respective amount of power for establishing each of the channels, the power bank representing a maximum amount of power available in the MCPA on a time slot basis;

determining for each channel request if the respective amount of power is available in the power bank by

determining if the respective amount of power is available in any of a number of time slots and, if not;

determining if it is possible to perform at least one handover of at least one established channel between said time slots for making available said respective amount of power in a time slot, and if so;

performing said at least one handover between the time slots, wherein corresponding power release and allocation in the power bank for the time slots are performed;

allocating the respective amount of power from the power bank to each of the channels, and

establishing the channels using the respectively allocated channel powers, wherein the mobile system uses time division multiple access (TDMA) technology and the power bank is maintained on a time slot basis.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

receiving requests for releasing channels;

releasing the channels; and

releasing the respectively allocated channel powers for the released channels to the power bank.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

receiving measurement reports including power measurements for established channels;

determining if additional power is needed for the channels and, if so;

determining if the additional power is available for the channels in the power bank and, if so;

allocating a respective amount of additional power to each of the channels; and

increasing the power for the channels by the respectively allocated additional channel powers.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the step of determining if additional power is available in the power bank comprises the steps of:

determining if the additional power is available in at least one time slot used by the respective established channels and, if not;

determining if it is possible to perform at least one handover of at least one of the established channels between time slots for making available said additional power in the at least one time slot used by the respective established channels, and if so;

performing said at least one handover between time slots, wherein corresponding power release and allocation in the power bank for the time slots are performed.

5. The method according to claim 3, wherein if said additional power is not available for the channel in the power bank, a handover to another cell is performed.

6. A radio frequency Multiple Carrier Power Amplifier (MCPA) apparatus comprising:

means for receiving a plurality of channel requests;

defining

means for requesting from a power bank a respective amount of power for establishing channels over a plurality of carriers in a mobile telephone system for each of the plurality of channel requests, the power bank representing a maximum amount of power available in the MCPA on a time slot basis;

means for determining for each of the plurality of channel requests if the respective amount of power Is available in the power bank to establish the channels, including

means for determining if the required amount of power is available in any of a number of time slots;

means for determining if it is possible to perform at least one handover of at least one established channel between said time slots for making available said required amount of power in a time slot when it is determined that the required amount of power is not available in any of the number of time slots; and

means for performing said at least one handover between the time slots when it is determined that it is possible to perform at least one handover to make available said required amount of power, wherein corresponding power release and allocation to and from the power bank for the time slots are performed;

means for allocating the respective amount of power from the power bank to each of the channels; and

means for establishing the channels using the respectively allocated channel powers.

7. The apparatus according to claim 6, further comprising a control system for controlling the operation of said MCPA.

8. The apparatus according to claim 7, further comprising:

means for receiving requests for releasing channels;

means for releasing the channels; and

means for releasing the respectively allocated channel powers for the released channels to the power bank.

9. The apparatus according to claim 7, further comprising:

means for receiving measurement reports including power measurements for established channels;

means for determining if additional power is needed for the channels;

means for determining if the additional power is available for the channel in the power bank;

means for allocating a respective amount of additional power to each of the channels; and

means for increasing the power for the channels by the respectively allocated additional channel powers.

10. The apparatus according to claim 9, further comprising:

means for determining if the additional power is available in at least one time slot used by the respective established channels;

means for determining if it is possible to perform at least one handover of at least one of the established channels between time slots for making available said additional power in the at least one time slot used by the respective established channels; and

means for performing said at least one handover between time slots, wherein corresponding power release and allocation in the power bank for the time slots are performed.

11. The apparatus according to claim 10, further comprising means for performing handover to a cell other than a cell associated with said time slots when additional power is not available in the power bank.