Method and system for bit-rate adaptation to improve coverage

• US 6,760,596 B1
• Filed: 11/22/2000
• Issued: 07/06/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/03/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Karlsson, Magnus, Fiorini, Andrea, Vignali, Luca
• Primary Examiner(s): Maung, Nay
• Assistant Examiner(s): Gantt, Alan T.
• Application Number:
  US09/718,566
• Time in Patent Office: 1,322 Days
• Field of Search: 455/522, 455/453, 455/67.11, 455/69, 455/67.13, 370/232, 370/468, 370/310.2, 370/311, 370/312, 370/327, 370/337, 375/297, 375/295
• US Class Current: 455/522
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/18 Negotiating wireless communication parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/267 taking into account the information rate

Abstract

A mobile station decreases its transmit bit rate in response to a determination that its transmit power has exceeded an alarm-power threshold. The mobile station increases its bit rate in response to a determination that its transmit power is below a lower-power threshold. Lower-power threshold and alarm-power threshold delays can be employed to prevent ping-pong effects and avoid unnecessary throughput degradation. A dynamic lower-power threshold can be employed in which the mobile station estimates or predicts its transmit power if it were to increase its transmit bit rate and increases its transmit bit rate only if this can be performed without exceeding the alarm-power threshold.

Claims

1. A method of transmitting at various bit rates to improve coverage area of a cell, comprising the steps of:

transmitting by a mobile station at a first bit rate;

transmitting by the mobile station at a second bit rate responsive to a determination that a transmit power of the mobile station exceeds an alarm-power threshold; and

transmitting by the mobile station at a third bit rate responsive to a determination that the transmit power of the mobile station has not exceeded a lower-power threshold for a predetermined time period wherein the first bit rate and the second bit rate belong to the same transport format combination set.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the first bit rate exceeds the second bit rate.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the third bit rate exceeds the second bit rate.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the first bit rate and the third bit rate are identical.

5. A method of transmitting at various bit rates to improve coverage area of a cell, comprising the steps of:

transmitting by a mobile station at a first bit rate;

transmitting by the mobile station at a second bit rate responsive to a determination that a transmit power of the mobile station exceeds an alarm-power threshold; and

transmitting by the mobile station at a third bit rate responsive to a determination that the transmit power of the mobile station has not exceeded a lower-power threshold for a predetermined time period wherein the second bit rate and the third bit rate belong to the same transport format combination set.

6. A method of transmitting at various bit rates to improve coverage area of a cell, comprising the steps of:

transmitting by a mobile station at a first bit rate;

transmitting by the mobile station at a second bit rate responsive to a determination that a transmit power of the mobile station exceeds an alarm-power threshold; and

transmitting by the mobile station at a third bit rate responsive to a determination that the transmit power of the mobile station has not exceeded a lower-power threshold for a predetermined time period wherein the lower-power threshold is configured by a network serving the mobile station.

7. A method of transmitting at various bit rates to improve coverage area of a cell, comprising the steps of:

transmitting by a mobile station at a first bit rate;

transmitting by the mobile station at a second bit rate responsive to a determination that a transmit power of the mobile station exceeds an alarm-power threshold; and

transmitting by the mobile station at a third bit rate responsive to a determination that the transmit power of the mobile station has not exceeded a lower-power threshold for a predetermined time period further comprising the step of setting the lower-power threshold at a same value within a given transport format combination set.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising the step of setting the lower-power threshold of the mobile station based on the second bit rate and the third bit rate.

9. The method of claim 7 further comprising the step of setting the lower-power threshold so that the step of transmitting by the mobile station at the third bit rate does not cause the transmit power of the mobile station to exceed the alarm-power threshold.

10. A bit-rate adaptation system comprising:

a mobile station transmitting at a first bit rate until a transmit power of the mobile station exceeds an alarm-power threshold, transmitting at a second bit rate responsive to the transmit power exceeding the alarm-power threshold, and transmitting at a third bit rate responsive to the transmit power being less than a lower-power threshold for a predetermined time period; and

a network serving the mobile station wherein the first bit rate and the second bit rate belong to the same transport format combination set.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising the step of setting the lower-power threshold at a same value within a given transport format combination set.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the lower-power threshold of the mobile station is set based on the second bit rate and the third bit rate.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein the lower-power threshold set by the mobile station at the third bit rate does not cause the transmit power of the mobile station to exceed the alarm-power threshold.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the mobile station predicts the transmit power of the mobile station if the mobile station were to transmit at the third bit rate.

15. A bit-rate adaptation system comprising;

a mobile station transmitting at a first bit rate until a transmit power of the mobile station exceeds an alarm-power threshold, transmitting at a second bit rate responsive to the transmit power exceeding the alarm-power threshold, and transmitting at a third bit rate responsive to the transmit power being less than a lower-power threshold for a predetermined time period; and

a network serving the mobile station wherein the second bit rate and the third bit rate belong to the same transport format combination set.

16. A bit-rate adaptation system comprising:

a mobile station transmitting at a first bit rate until a transmit power of the mobile station exceeds an alarm-power threshold, transmitting at a second bit rate responsive to the transmit power exceeding the alarm-power threshold, and transmitting at a third bit rate responsive to the transmit power being less than a lower-power threshold for a predetermined time period; and

a network serving the mobile station wherein the lower-power threshold is configured by a network serving the mobile station.

17. A bit-rate adaptation system comprising:

a mobile station transmitting at a first bit rate until a transmit power of the mobile station exceeds an alarm-power threshold, transmitting at a second bit rate responsive to the transmit power exceeding the alarm-power threshold, and transmitting at a third bit rate responsive to the transmit power being less than a lower-power threshold for a predetermined time period; and

a network serving the mobile station wherein the first bit rate exceeds the second bit rate.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the third bit rate exceeds the second bit rate.

19. The method of claim 17 wherein the first bit rate and the third bit rate are identical.

20. A method of transmitting at various bit rates to improve coverage area of a cell, comprising the steps of:

transmitting by a mobile station at a first bit rate;

transmitting by the mobile station at a second bit rate responsive to a determination that a transmit power of the mobile station has exceeded an alarm-power threshold for a pre-determined time period;

estimating a transmit power corresponding to transmission by the mobile station at a third bit rate; and

transmitting by the mobile station at the third bit rate responsive to a determination that the estimated transmit power would not exceed the alarm-power threshold.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein the first bit rate exceeds the second bit rate.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein the third bit rate exceeds the second bit rate.

23. The method of claim 22 wherein the first bit rate and the third bit rate are identical.

24. The method of claim 20 wherein the first bit rate and the second bit rate belong to the same transport format combination set.

25. The method of claim 20 wherein the second bit rate and the third bit rate belong to the same transport format combination set.

26. A bit-rate adaptation system comprising:

a mobile station transmitting at a first bit rate until a transmit power of the mobile station exceeds an alarm-power threshold for a pre-determined time period, transmitting at a second bit rate responsive to the transmit power exceeding the alarm-power threshold for the pre-determined time period, and transmitting at a third bit rate responsive to a determination by the mobile station that a transmit power corresponding to the third bit rate would not exceed the alarm-power threshold; and

a network serving the mobile station.

27. The method of claim 26 wherein the first bit rate exceeds the second bit rate.

28. The method of claim 27 wherein the third bit rate exceeds the second bit rate.

29. The method of claim 27 wherein the first bit rate and the third bit rate are identical.

30. The method of claim 26 wherein the first bit rate and the second bit rate belong to the same transport format combination set.

31. The method of claim 26 wherein the second bit rate and the third bit rate belong to the same transport format combination set.