Method and apparatus for performing fast power control in a mobile communication system

• US 7,831,272 B2
• Filed: 04/01/2005
• Issued: 11/09/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Tiedemann, Edward G. Jr., Wheatley, Charles E. III, Odenwalder, Joseph P., Padovani, Roberto
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran; Pablo N
• Application Number:
  US11/097,510
• Publication Number:
  US 20050181817A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,048 Days
• Field of Search: 455/522, 455115-117, 455/38.3, 455/54.1, 455/67.1, 455/33.1, 455/53.1, 455/56.1, 455 68- 70, 455126-127, 455/574, 455/343, 455/63.1, 455/67.11, 455/67.13, 4552261-2264, 455/127.1, 455/423, 455/506, 455/504, 370/44, 370/58, 370 98- 99, 370/107, 370/311, 370331-335, 375296-297
• US Class Current: 455/522
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/08 Closed loop power control
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/20 using error rate
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/228 using past power values or information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/247 where the output power of a terminal is based on a path parameter sent by another terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/28 using user profile, e.g. mobile speed, priority or network state, e.g. standby, idle or non transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/282 taking into account the speed of the mobile
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/283 Power depending on the position of the mobile
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/362 Aspects of the step size
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/367 Power values between minimum and maximum limits, e.g. dynamic range
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/50 at the moment of starting communication in a multiple access environment
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/60 using different transmission rates for TPC commands

Abstract

A method and apparatus for controlling transmission power levels in a mobile communication system. The method provides for a closed-loop power control method. A mobile station provides information on the quality of the signal received from the base station, and the base station responds by adjusting the power allocated to that user in a shared base station signal. The transmission power is adjusted initially by a large increment and then ramped down at an increasingly decreasing rate. The mobile station also provides information to the base station as to its relative velocity and the base station adjusts its transmission power in accordance with this velocity information.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

setting a transmit power of a second station in response to a power adjustment request by a first station;

determining a velocity of a first station at a second station;

using the velocity of the first station at the second station to determine a power adjustment to the transmit power;

making the power adjustment at the second station prior to receiving a subsequent power adjustment request signal from the first station; and

varying an incremental change in an amount of the power adjustment based on the determined velocity.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said determining the velocity of the first station is performed by a motion sensor at the second station.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said determining is based on determining the velocity of the first station by a sensor at the second station that detects a shift in an incoming traffic signal from the first station.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said determining is based on determining the velocity of the first station by a sensor at the second station that detects selected changes in an incoming traffic signal received from the first station.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein said determining the velocity of the first station is based on determining changes in relative velocity of the first and second stations by measuring a Doppler shift in a pilot signal.

6. An apparatus comprising:

means for setting a transmit power of a second station in response to a power adjustment request by a first station;

means for determining a velocity of a first station at a second station;

means for using the velocity of the first station at the second station to determine a power adjustment to the transmit power,

means for making the power adjustment at the second station prior to receiving a subsequent power adjustment request signal from the first station; and

means for varying an incremental change in an amount of the power adjustment based on the determined velocity.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the means for determining the velocity of the first station is a motion sensing means.

8. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the means for determining the velocity determines the velocity by determining any shift in an incoming traffic signal from the first station.

9. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the means for determining the velocity determines the velocity by determining selected changes in the incoming traffic signal received from the first station.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the means for determining the velocity determines velocity by measuring the Doppler shift ma pilot signal.

11. An apparatus comprising:

a control processor for setting a transmit power of a base station in response to a power adjustment request by a mobile station, determining a power adjustment to the transmit power of the base station based upon a velocity of the mobile station as determined by the base station and generating a signal that is indicative of the power adjustment prior to receiving a subsequent power adjustment request, the control processor further for varying an incremental change in an amount of power adjustment based on the velocity; and

a transmitter for receiving the signal that is indicative of the power adjustment and to modify the transmit power of the base station.