Wireless communication apparatus and transmission power control method thereof

• US 7,039,373 B2
• Filed: 02/05/2001
• Issued: 05/02/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/07/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Ichikawa, Yasufumi
• Primary Examiner(s): Maung, Nay
• Assistant Examiner(s): SOBUTKA, PHILIP
• Application Number:
  US09/777,044
• Publication Number:
  US 20010012766A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,912 Days
• Field of Search: 455/522, 455/68, 455/69, 455/126, 455/120, 455/134, 455/135, 4551271-1274, 370/316, 370/318, 370/320, 370/321, 375/138, 375/295, 375/316
• US Class Current: 455/127.3
• CPC Class Codes: H03G 3/3042 in modulators, frequency-changers, transmitters or power amplifiers transmission power control in bidirectional transmission systems H04W52/04
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/08 Closed loop power control
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/20 using error rate
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/265 taking into account the quality of service QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/267 taking into account the information rate
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/36 with a discrete range or set of values, e.g. step size, ramping or offsets
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/367 Power values between minimum and maximum limits, e.g. dynamic range
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/60 using different transmission rates for TPC commands

Abstract

A wireless communication apparatus includes a variable power amplifier (19) and a power amplifier (20). A variable power amplifier control unit (24) controls the gain of the variable power amplifier (19) for controlling transmission power of the own apparatus. At this time, a condition change detecting unit (28) detects changes in conditions of the own station and a counter station. Based upon the detected condition changes, a transmission power control bit controlling unit (26) and a transmission power control period controlling unit (27) change a control period of a transmission power control bit and a transmission power control range. This transmission power control bit is inserted into a transmission signal, then, the transmission signal is transmitted to the counter station. The condition changes are detected based upon reception power, transmission power, the transmission power control bit, a change amount of control conditions, and a change speed of the control conditions.

Claims

1. A wireless communication apparatus having a transmission power control function used to control said transmission power, comprising:

a first power amplifier and a second power amplifier which amplify transmission power transmitted from the apparatus to the communication counter station;

a power amplification control unit which controls a gain of said first power amplifier;

a matching unit which performs a matching operation of a characteristic of said second power amplifier on an input to said second power amplifier; and

a matching control unit which controls said matching unit.

2. A wireless communication apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the characteristic of the second power amplifier is at least one of a gain, a current consumption, a noise characteristic, and a distortion of the second power amplifier.

3. A wireless communication apparatus as claimed in claim 1 further comprising:

a transmission power detecting unit which detects transmission power of the apparatus;

a transmission power correcting unit which corrects the detected transmission power in response to a communication condition of the apparatus;

and an error calculating unit which calculates an error between the corrected transmission power and target transmission power,

wherein both said power amplification control unit and said matching control unit execute the control operations thereof based upon the calculated error.

4. A wireless communication apparatus as claimed in claim 3 further comprising:

a correction amount calculating unit which calculates a correction amount based upon the error; and

a correction amount limiting unit which limits the calculated correction amount, wherein

both said power amplification control unit and said matching control unit execute the control operations based upon the limiting correction amount.

5. A wireless communication apparatus as claimed in claim 3 further comprising an error selecting unit which selects an error occurred in an effective control section from the plurality of errors which are calculated over a plurality of control sections, wherein both said power amplification control unit and said matching control unit execute the control operations based upon the selected error.

6. A wireless communication apparatus as claimed in claim 5 further comprising an error averaging unit which averages the selected error, wherein both said power amplification control unit and said matching control unit executes the control operations based upon the averaged error.

7. A transmission power control method in which transmission power transmitted from a communication apparatus to a counter communication station is controlled by way of a first power amplifier and a second power amplifier, comprising steps of:

controlling a gain of the first power amplifier;

matching a characteristic of the second power amplifier by way of a matching circuit on an input to said second power amplifier; and

controlling the matching circuit using a matching control unit.

8. A transmission power control method as claimed in claim 7, wherein the characteristic of the second power amplifier is at least one of a gain, a current consumption, a noise characteristic, and a distortion of the second power amplifier.

9. A transmission power control method in which transmission power transmitted from a communication apparatus to a counter communication station is controlled by way of a first power amplifier and a second power amplifier, comprising steps of:

controlling a gain of the first power amplifier;

matching a characteristic of the second power amplifier by way of a matching circuit on an input to said second power amplifier;

controlling the matching circuit;

detecting transmission power of the apparatus;

correcting the detected transmission power in response to a communication condition of the apparatus; and

calculating an error between said corrected transmission power and target transmission power,

wherein the first amplifier and the matching circuit are controlled based upon the calculated error.

10. A transmission power control method as claimed in claim 9 further comprising steps of:

calculating a correction amount based upon the error; and

limiting said calculated correction amount, wherein

the first amplifier and the matching circuit are controlled based upon the limited correction amount.

11. A transmission power control method as claimed in claim 9 further comprising a step of selecting an error occurred in an effective control section from the plurality of errors which are calculated over a plurality of control sections, wherein the first amplifier and the matching circuit are controlled based upon the selected error.

12. A transmission power control method as claimed in claim 11 further comprising a step of averaging the selected error, wherein the first amplifier and the matching circuit are controlled based upon said averaged error.