Transmission rate changes in communications networks
First Claim
1. A communications network comprising first and second stations, said first station comprising a transmitter and the said station comprising a receiver, the network further comprising:
- a transition control unit configured, prior to a change in a transmission rate of a preselected signal from said first station to said second station, to cause transitional signals to be transmitted from said first station to said second station over the course of a transitional period expiring before said change is effected, the power levels of said transitional signals being varied over the course of said period in accordance with a transition profile including a plurality of incremental steps that define one of linear and non-linear transition over a transmission power change required by said change in transmission rate of that signal, anda condition measuring unit for measuring one or more predetermined characteristics of the prevailing network conditions, wherein said transition control unit is configured to set the said power levels in dependence upon the said measured characteristics, wherein said power levels of said transitional signals are chosen so as to limit a rate of change of the said power levels to below a preselected maximum value.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A communications network including first and second stations, the first station comprising a transmitter and the second station comprising a receiver. The network further including a transition control portion which is operable, prior to a change in a transmission rate of a preselected signal from the first station to the second station, to cause transitional signals to be transmitted from the first station to the second station over the course of a transitional period expiring before the change is effected. The power levels of the transitional signals are varied over the course of the period in such a way as to reduce a level of instability in the network. In another embodiment probing signals are transmitted prior to making such a rate change to probe a likely relationship between the transmission rate and transmission power after the change is effected.
92 Citations
21 Claims
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1. A communications network comprising first and second stations, said first station comprising a transmitter and the said station comprising a receiver, the network further comprising:
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a transition control unit configured, prior to a change in a transmission rate of a preselected signal from said first station to said second station, to cause transitional signals to be transmitted from said first station to said second station over the course of a transitional period expiring before said change is effected, the power levels of said transitional signals being varied over the course of said period in accordance with a transition profile including a plurality of incremental steps that define one of linear and non-linear transition over a transmission power change required by said change in transmission rate of that signal, and a condition measuring unit for measuring one or more predetermined characteristics of the prevailing network conditions, wherein said transition control unit is configured to set the said power levels in dependence upon the said measured characteristics, wherein said power levels of said transitional signals are chosen so as to limit a rate of change of the said power levels to below a preselected maximum value. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A communications network comprising first and second stations, said first station comprising a transmitter and said second station comprising a receiver, the network further comprising:
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a transition control unit configured, prior to a change in a transmission rate of a preselected signal from said first station to said second station, to cause transitional signals to be transmitted from said first station to said second station over the course of a transitional period expiring before said change is effected, the power levels of said transitional signals being varied over the course of said period in such a way as to reduce a level of instability in the network that would otherwise result from a transmission power change required by said change in transmission rate of that signal, wherein said change in transmission rate of said preselected signal is an increase in transmission rate, and wherein said power levels of said transitional signals are increased one after the next in a first phase of the transitional period to reach a maximum value and are then decreased one after the next in a second phase of the transitional period following the first phase.
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11. A communications network comprising first and second stations, said first station comprising a transmitter and said second station comprising a receiver, the network further comprising:
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a transition control unit configured, prior to a change in a transmission rate of a preselected signal from said first station to said second station, to cause transitional signals to be transmitted from said first station to said second station over the course of a transitional period expiring before said change is effected, the power levels of said transitional signals being varied over the course of said period in such a way as to reduce a level of instability in the network that would otherwise result from a transmission power change required by said change in transmission rate of that signal, wherein at least one of said transitional-signal power levels is set in dependence upon an estimate of the power level at which said preselected signal is required to be transmitted when said change is effected. - View Dependent Claims (12)
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13. A mobile communications network comprising first and second stations, said first station comprising a transmitter and said second station comprising a receiver, the network further comprising:
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a transition control unit configured, prior to a change in a transmission rate of a preselected signal from said first station to said second station, to cause transitional signals to be transmitted from said first station to said second station over the course of a transitional period expiring before said change is effected, the power levels of said transitional signals being varied over the course of said period in such a way as to reduce a level of instability in the network that would otherwise result from a transmission power change required by said change in transmission rate of that signal, being a mobile communication network, one of the first and second stations being a base station of the mobile communications network and the other of the first and second station being a mobile station of the mobile communications network, and wherein said first station is a base station of the network, said second station is one user equipment of the network, said first channel is a dedicated channel allocated individually to said one user equipment, and said second channel is a shared channel available for use on shared basis by said one user equipment and by at least one further user equipment of the network. - View Dependent Claims (14)
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15. A base station, for use in a mobile communications network, comprising:
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a transition control unit configured, prior to a change in a transmission rate of a preselected signal from the base station to a user equipment of the network, to cause transitional signals to be transmitted from the base station to said user equipment over the course of a transitional period expiring before said change is effected, the power levels of said transitional signals being varied over the course of said period in accordance with a transition profile including a plurality of incremental steps that define one of linear and non-linear transition over a transmission power change required by said change in transmission rate of that signal, and a condition measuring unit for measuring one or more predetermined characteristics of the prevailing network conditions, wherein said transition control unit is configured to set the said power levels in dependence upon the said measured characteristics, wherein said power levels of said transitional signals are chosen so as to limit a rate of change of the said power levels to below a preselected maximum value.
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16. A user equipment, for use in a mobile communications network, comprising:
a transition control unit configured, prior to a change in a transmission rate of a preselected signal from the user equipment to a receiving station of the network, to cause transitional signals to be transmitted from the user equipment to said receiving station over the course of a transitional period expiring before said change is effected, the power levels of said transitional signals being varied over the course of said period in accordance with a transition profile including a plurality of incremental steps that define one of linear and non-linear transition over a transmission power change required by said change in transmission rate of that signal, and a condition measuring unit for measuring one or more predetermined characteristics of the prevailing network conditions, wherein said transition control unit is configured to set the said power levels in dependence upon the said measured characteristics, wherein said power levels of said transitional signals are chosen so as to limit a rate of change of the said power levels to below a preselected maximum value.
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17. A communications method for use in a communications network comprising first and second stations, said first station comprising a transmitter and the second station comprising a receiver, wherein:
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prior to a change in a transmission rate of a preselected signal from said first station to said second station, transitional signals are caused to be transmitted from said first station to said second station over the course of a transitional period expiring before said change is effected, the power levels of said transitional signals being varied over the course of said period in accordance with a transition profile including a plurality of incremental steps that define one of linear and non-linear transition over a transmission power change required by said change in transmission rate of that signal, and a condition measuring unit for measuring one or more predetermined characteristics of the prevailing network conditions, wherein said transition control unit is configured to set the said power levels in dependence upon the said measured characteristics, wherein said power levels of said transitional signals are chosen so as to limit a rate of change of the said power levels to below a preselected maximum value.
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18. A communications network comprising first and second stations, said first station comprising a transmitter and said second station comprising a receiver, the network further comprising:
transition control means configured, prior to a change in a transmission rate of a preselected signal from said first station to said second station, to cause transitional signals to be transmitted from said first station to said second station over the course of a transitional period expiring before said change is effected, the power levels of said transitional signals being varied over the course of said period in accordance with a transition profile including a plurality of incremental steps that define one of linear and non-linear transition over a transmission power change required by said change in transmission rate of that signal, and a condition measuring unit for measuring one or more predetermined characteristics of the prevailing network conditions, wherein said transition control unit is configured to set the said power levels in dependence upon the said measured characteristics, wherein said power levels of said transitional signals are chosen so as to limit a rate of change of the said power levels to below a preselected maximum value.
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19. A base station, for use in a mobile communications network, comprising:
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transition control means configured, prior to a change in a transmission rate of a preselected signal from the base station to a user equipment of the network, to cause transitional signals to be transmitted from the base station to said user equipment over the course of a transitional period expiring before said change is effected, means for varying the power levels of said transitional signals being varied over the course of said signal in accordance with a transition profile including a plurality of incremental steps that define one of linear and non-linear transition over a transmission power change required by said change in transmission rate of that signal, and a condition measuring unit for measuring one or more predetermined characteristics of the prevailing network conditions, wherein said transition control unit is configured to set the said power levels in dependence upon the said measured characteristics, wherein said power levels of said transitional signals are chosen so as to limit a rate of change of the said power levels to below a preselected maximum value.
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20. A user equipment, for use in a mobile communications network, comprising:
transition control means configured, prior to a change in a transmission rate of a preselected signal from the user equipment to a receiving station of the network, to cause transitional signals to be transmitted from the user equipment to said receiving station over the course of a transitional period expiring before said change is effected, means for varying the power levels of said transitional signals being varied over the course of said signal in accordance with a transition profile including a plurality of incremental steps that define one of linear and non-linear transition over a transmission power change required by said change in transmission rate of that signal, and a condition measuring unit for measuring one or more predetermined characteristics of the prevailing network conditions, wherein said transition control unit is configured to set the said power levels in dependence upon the said measured characteristics, wherein said power levels of said transitional signals are chosen so as to limit a rate of change of the said power levels to below a preselected maximum value.
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21. A communications method for use in a communications network comprising first and second stations, said first station comprising a transmitter and the second station comprising a receiver, said method including the steps of:
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causing prior to a change in a transmission rate of a preselected signal from said first station to said second station, transitional signals to be transmitted from said first station to said second station over the course of a transitional period expiring before said change is effected, varying the power levels of said transitional signals over the course of said period in accordance with a transition profile including a plurality of incremental steps that define one of linear and non-linear transition over a transmission power change required by said change in transmission rate of that signal, and a condition measuring unit for measuring one or more predetermined characteristics of the prevailing network conditions, wherein said transition control unit is configured to set the said power levels in dependence upon the said measured characteristics, wherein said power levels of said transitional signals are chosen so as to limit a rate of change of the said power levels to below a preselected maximum value.
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Specification