System and method for reducing reverse noise rise in wireless communications
First Claim
1. A method carried out at an access network, the method comprising:
- at the access network, during a given monitoring period, monitoring an activity level of reverse-link communications occurring between the access network and one or more access terminals;
at the access network, making a determination of whether the monitored activity level of reverse-link communications exceeds a threshold;
if the determination is that the monitored activity level of reverse-link communications does not exceed the threshold, then, during a given adjustment period that occurs after the given monitoring period, responsively operating the access network in a first state, wherein operating the access network in the first state includes the access network (i) measuring a noise floor, and (ii) not receiving any communications from the one or more access terminals; and
if the determination is that the monitored activity level of reverse-link communications exceeds the threshold, then, during the given adjustment period, responsively operating the access network in a second state, wherein operating the access network in the second state includes the access network (i) receiving communications from at least one of the one or more access terminals, and (ii) not measuring the noise floor.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method and system for increasing throughput of a wireless communications network and for reducing a reverse noise rise experienced by the wireless network are described. An access network and/or one or more access terminals monitor an activity level of reverse-link communications occurring between the access network and the access terminal(s). The access network and/or the access terminal(s) make a determination of whether an activity level of the reverse-link communications exceeds a threshold. If the threshold is exceeded, the access network and the access terminal(s) each operate in states such that the access network does not measure a noise floor and the access terminal(s) transmit communications to the access network. If the threshold is not exceeded, the access network and the access terminal(s) each operate in states such that the access network measures the noise floor and the access terminal(s) do not transmit communications to the access network.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method carried out at an access network, the method comprising:
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at the access network, during a given monitoring period, monitoring an activity level of reverse-link communications occurring between the access network and one or more access terminals; at the access network, making a determination of whether the monitored activity level of reverse-link communications exceeds a threshold; if the determination is that the monitored activity level of reverse-link communications does not exceed the threshold, then, during a given adjustment period that occurs after the given monitoring period, responsively operating the access network in a first state, wherein operating the access network in the first state includes the access network (i) measuring a noise floor, and (ii) not receiving any communications from the one or more access terminals; and if the determination is that the monitored activity level of reverse-link communications exceeds the threshold, then, during the given adjustment period, responsively operating the access network in a second state, wherein operating the access network in the second state includes the access network (i) receiving communications from at least one of the one or more access terminals, and (ii) not measuring the noise floor. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A system comprising:
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a communications interface operable to transmit forward-link communications to a given set of one or more access terminals and to receive reverse-link communications from the given set of one or more access terminals; a processor; and data storage device storing computer-readable program instructions executable by the processor, wherein the program instructions include instructions that cause the processor to (i) during a given monitoring period, monitor an activity level of reverse-link communications occurring between the communications interface and the given set of one or more access terminals, (ii) make a determination of whether the monitored activity level of reverse-link communications exceeds a threshold, (iii) if the determination is that the monitored activity level of reverse-link communications does not exceed the threshold, then, during a given adjustment period that occurs after the given monitoring period, responsively operate in a first state, wherein while the processor operates in the first state, the processor measures a noise floor, and (iv) if the determination is that the monitored activity level of reverse-link communications exceeds the threshold, then, during the given adjustment period, responsively operate in a second state, wherein while the processor operates in the second state, the processor does not measure the noise floor, wherein, while the processor operates in the first state, the communications interface does not receive any reverse-link communications from the given set of one or more access terminals, and wherein, while the processor operates in the second state and during at least a portion of the given adjustment period, the communications interface receives reverse-link communications from the given set of one or more access terminals. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A method carried out at a given access terminal, the method comprising:
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at the given access terminal, during a first monitoring period, monitoring a first activity level of reverse-link communications occurring between an access network and one or more access terminals, the one or more access terminals including the given access terminal; at the given access terminal, making a first determination of whether the first activity level of reverse-link communications exceeds a threshold; if the first determination is that the first activity level of reverse-link communications does not exceed the threshold, then, during a first adjustment period that occurs after the first monitoring period, responsively operating the given access terminal in a first state, wherein, while the given access terminal operates in the first state, the given access terminal does not transmit communications to the access network and the access network measures a noise floor; and if the first determination is that the first activity level of reverse-link communications exceeds the threshold, then, during the first adjustment period, responsively operating the given access terminal in a second state, wherein, while the given access terminal operates in the second state, the given access terminal transmits communications to the access network and the access network does not measure the noise floor. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. An apparatus comprising:
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a communications interface operable to receive forward-link communications from an access network and to transmit reverse-link communications to the access network; a processor; and a computer-readable data storage device storing computer-readable program instructions executable by the processor, wherein the program instructions include instructions that (i) cause the processor to, during a given monitoring period, monitor an activity level of reverse-link communications occurring between one or more access terminals and the access network, (ii) cause the processor to make a determination of whether the monitored activity level of reverse-link communications exceeds a threshold, (iii) if the determination is that the monitored activity level of reverse-link communications does not exceed the threshold, then, during a given adjustment period that occurs after the given monitoring period, responsively operate in a first state, wherein while the processor operates in the first state, the communication interface does not transmit reverse-link communications to the access network, and (iv) if the determination is that the monitored activity level of reverse-link communications exceeds the threshold, then, during the given adjustment period, responsively operate in a second state, wherein while the processor operates in the second state, the communications interface transmits reverse-link communications to the access network, wherein, while the processor operates in the first state and during at least a portion of the given adjustment period, the access network measures a noise floor, and wherein, while the processor operates in the second state and during the given adjustment period, the access network does not measure the noise floor.
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Specification