System and method for uplink rate selection

• US 7,493,132 B2
• Filed: 02/14/2003
• Issued: 02/17/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/14/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Malladi, Durga Prasad, Zhang, Xiaoxia, Willenegger, Serge
• Primary Examiner(s): Urban; Edward
• Assistant Examiner(s): Dean; Raymond S
• Application Number:
  US10/367,498
• Publication Number:
  US 20060105796A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,195 Days
• Field of Search: 455/522, 455/127.1, 455/69, 455/127.5, 455/13.4, 455/70, 455/450, 455/509, 455436-442, 370/318
• US Class Current: 455/522
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0002 by adapting the transmission rate
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0034 where the transmitter decides based on inferences, e.g. use of implicit signalling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1809 Selective-repeat protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1816 with retransmission of the same, encoded, message
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/203 Details of error rate determination, e.g. BER, FER or WER
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/22 Negotiating communication rate
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/146 Uplink power control
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/26 using transmission rate or quality of service QoS [Quality of Service]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/40 during macro-diversity or soft handoff

Abstract

Techniques are provided herein to mitigate the effects of link imbalance for the uplink between a terminal (or UE) and multiple base stations (or Node Bs). An uplink transmission rate is selected based on an adjusted nominal uplink transmission rate and the difference between power control commands from different nodes.

Claims

1. A method of selecting an uplink transmission rate in a wireless communications system, comprising:

receiving a nominal uplink transmission rate;

determining a difference value based on a first set of power control commands from a first station and a second set of power control commands from a second station; and

selecting an uplink transmission rate based on the nominal uplink transmission rate and the difference value.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the length of the first set of power control commands and the length of the second set of power control commands are n.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first set of power control commands is from a serving node and a second set of power control commands is from a node having a best uplink transmission signal-to-noise-and-interference ratio (SNR).

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the difference value is determined by:

assigning a power control value to each power control command in the first set of power control commands and assigning a power control value to each power control command in the second set of power control commands;

summing the power control values of the first set of power control values, creating a first sum;

summing the power control values of the second set of power control values, creating a second sum; and

calculating the difference between the first sum and the second sum.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising translating the difference between the first sum and the second sum into a difference gain value.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first and second stations is a base station.

6. A terminal in a wireless communications system, comprising:

an antenna;

a receiver receiving a nominal uplink transmission rate via the antenna;

a processing unit determining a difference value based on a first set of power control commands from a first station and a second set of power control commands from a second station; and

a processing unit selecting an uplink transmission rate based on the nominal uplink transmission rate and the difference value.

7. The terminal of claim 6, further comprising a receiver receiving the first set of power control commands from a serving node and receiving the second set of power control commands from a node having a best uplink transmission SNR.

20. The terminal of claim 6, wherein at least one of the first and second stations is a base station.

8. A computer-readable medium storing codes thereon for selecting an uplink transmission rate in a wireless communications system, the codes being executable to:

determine a difference value based on a first set of power control commands from a first station and a second set of power control commands from a second station; and

select an uplink transmission rate based on the nominal uplink transmission rate and the difference value.

21. The computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein at least one of the first and second stations is a base station.

9. An apparatus in a wireless communications system, comprising:

a receiver capable of receiving a nominal uplink transmission rate;

a processing unit capable of determining a difference value based on a first set of power control commands from a first station and a second set of power control commands from a second station; and

a processing unit capable of selecting an uplink transmission rate based on the nominal uplink transmission rate and the difference value.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the length of the first set of power control commands and the length of the second set of power control commands are n.

11. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the first set of power control commands is from a serving node and a second set of power control commands is from a node having a best uplink transmission signal-to-noise-and-interference ratio (SNR).

12. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the processing unit capable of determining a difference value is further capable of:

assigning a power control value to each power control command in the first set of power control commands and assigning a power control value to each power control command in the second set of power control commands;

summing the power control values of the first set of power control values, creating a first sum;

summing the power control values of the second set of power control values, creating a second sum; and

calculating the difference between the first sum and the second sum.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, further comprising a processing unit capable of translating the difference between the first sum and the second sum into a difference gain value.

22. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein at least one of the first and second stations is a base station.

14. An apparatus in a wireless communications system, comprising:

means for receiving a nominal uplink transmission rate;

means for determining a difference value based on a first set of power control commands from a first station and a second set of power control commands from a second station; and

means for selecting an uplink transmission rate based on the nominal uplink transmission rate and the difference value.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the length of the first set of power control commands and the length of the second set of power control commands are n.

16. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the first set of power control commands is from a serving node and a second set of power control commands is from a node having a best uplink transmission signal-to-noise-and-interference ratio (SNR).

17. The apparatus of claim 14, further comprising:

means for assigning a power control value to each power control command in the first set of power control commands and assigning a power control value to each power control command in the second set of power control commands;

means for summing the power control values of the first set of power control values, creating a first sum;

means for summing the power control values of the second set of power control values, creating a second sum; and

means for calculating the difference between the first sum and the second sum.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, further comprising means for translating the difference between the first sum and the second sum into a difference gain value.

23. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein at least one of the first and second stations is a base station.