Power and/or data rate control based on pilot channel information

• US 8,081,997 B2
• Filed: 01/21/2008
• Issued: 12/20/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/22/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Sambhwani, Sharad Deepak, Lundby, Stein Arne
• Primary Examiner(s): Sobutka, Philip
• Application Number:
  US12/017,287
• Publication Number:
  US 20080214196A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,429 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 455/522
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/146 Uplink power control
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/267 taking into account the information rate

Abstract

Systems and methodologies are described that facilitate pilot channel optimization schemes for high data rate communications transmissions. In various illustrative implementations, pilot channel operations can be monitored and controlled by an exemplary base station for one or more cooperating wireless terminals (e.g., user equipment) such that one or more power features of the one or more cooperating wireless terminals can be illustratively changed in response to one or more selected pilot channel operational conditions. In an illustrative operation, an exemplary base station can engage one or more selected pilot channel control operations as part of pilot channel optimization comprising a jump detection technique, operating power control on another channel other than the DPCCH, engaging in delayed power control, engaging in a soft-handoff power control in the instance of a boosted pilot channel, and resolving ambiguity in grant messages resulting from a pilot boost.

Claims

1. A method for pilot improvement in a wireless communication system, the method comprising:

determining uplink pilot channel information in a base station;

transmitting the uplink pilot channel information to one or more wireless terminals to facilitate pilot improvement by engaging in one or more selected pilot channel control operations; and

monitoring and directing power operations performed on the one or more cooperating wireless terminals according to the selected one or more pilot channel operations,

wherein the power operations performed on the one or more wireless terminals relate to the data rate and/or the pilot channel state of the one or more wireless terminals.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising autonomously increasing the level of the power of one or more control channels.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising autonomously increasing the level of the power of one or more control channels to a selected power level above a threshold power level as a function of the data rate of the data channel.

4. The method as recited claim 3, further comprising decreasing the power level of the one or more control channels to the threshold level.

5. The method as recited claim 1, further comprising increasing the power level of one or more enhanced control channels to a selected power level above a threshold power level.

6. The method as recited in claim 5, further comprising decoding the one or more enhanced control channels and flipping the modulation signals to transform the one or more enhanced control channels into a pilot reference.

7. The method as recited in claim 6, further comprising combining the pilot reference with one or more control channels to provide a phase and/or amplitude reference for demodulating other one or more control channels.

8. A method for pilot improvement in a wireless communication system, the method comprising:

receiving uplink pilot channel information from a base station;

processing received pilot channel information according to a predetermined function of the uplink pilot channel information to control one or more power operations at one or more cooperating wireless terminals; and

transmitting pilot feedback data to the base station representative of pilot channel operational state.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the power control operations executed on the one or more wireless terminals is function of the transmission data rate between the one or more cooperating wireless terminals and the base station.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising increasing the power of the pilot channel when transmitting above a threshold data rate.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising decreasing the power of the pilot channel when transmitting below the threshold rate.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising ignoring pilot commands from non-serving cells.

13. A communications apparatus, comprising:

a memory that retains instructions which determine uplink pilot channel information in a base station, transmit uplink pilot channel information, transmit an improved pilot signal for power control operations, and monitor the transmitted improved pilot signal according to a predetermined function of the uplink pilot channel information; and

a processor that is configured to execute the instructions within the memory.

14. The communications apparatus of claim 13, wherein the apparatus increases the power level of one or more enhanced control channels to a selected power level above a threshold power level.

15. The communications apparatus of claim 14, wherein the apparatus decodes the one or more enhanced control channels and flipping the modulation signals to transform the one or more enhanced control channels into a pilot reference.

16. The communications apparatus of claim 15, wherein the apparatus combines the pilot reference with one or more control channels to provide a phase and/or amplitude reference for demodulating other one or more control channels.

17. A communications apparatus, comprising:

a memory that retains instructions which receive uplink pilot channel information from a base station, process the uplink pilot channel information, perform one or more power control operations according to the received pilot channel information, and transmit pilot operation and state data; and

a processor that is configured to execute the instructions within the memory.

18. The communications apparatus of claim 17, wherein the one or more power control operations is a function of the transmission data rate.

19. The communications apparatus of claim 17, wherein the apparatus increases the power of the pilot channel when transmitting above a threshold data rate.

20. The communications apparatus of claim 17, wherein the apparatus decreases the power of the pilot channel when transmitting below the threshold rate.

21. A communications apparatus, comprising:

means for determining uplink pilot channel information in a base station;

means for transmitting an improved pilot signal for power control operations; and

means for monitoring the transmitted improved pilot signal according to a predetermined function of the uplink pilot channel information.

22. The communications apparatus of claim 21, wherein the apparatus increases the power level of one or more enhanced control channels to a selected power level above a threshold power level.

23. The communications apparatus of claim 21, wherein the apparatus decodes the one or more enhanced control channels and flipping the modulation signals to transform the one or more enhanced control channels into a pilot reference.

24. The communications apparatus of claim 21, wherein the apparatus combines the pilot reference with one or more control channels to provide a phase and/or amplitude reference for demodulating other one or more control channels.

25. A communications apparatus, comprising:

means for receiving uplink pilot channel information from a base station;

means for processing the uplink pilot channel information;

means for performing one or more power control operations according to the received pilot channel information; and

means for transmitting pilot operation and state data.

26. The communications apparatus of claim 25, wherein the one or more power control operations is a function of a transmission data rate.

27. The communications apparatus of claim 25, wherein the apparatus increases the power of the pilot channel when transmitting above a threshold data rate.

28. The communications apparatus of claim 25, wherein the apparatus decreases the power of the pilot channel when transmitting below the threshold rate.

29. A non-transitory machine-readable medium having computer-executable instructions stored thereon for:

determining uplink pilot channel information in a base station, transmitting the uplink pilot channel information, transmitting an improved pilot signal for power control operations, and monitoring the transmitted improved pilot signal according to a predetermined function of the uplink pilot channel information.

30. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 29 further comprising computer-executable instructions stored thereon for increasing a power level of one or more enhanced control channels to a selected power level above a threshold power level.

31. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 29 further comprising computer-executable instructions stored thereon for decoding the one or more enhanced control channels and flipping the modulation signals to transform the one or more enhanced control channels into a pilot reference.

32. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 30 further comprising computer-executable instructions stored thereon for combining the pilot reference with one or more control channels to provide a phase and/or amplitude reference for demodulating other one or more control channels.

33. A non-transitory machine-readable medium having computer-executable instructions stored thereon for:

receiving uplink pilot channel information from a base station, processing the uplink pilot channel information, performing one or more power control operations according to the received pilot channel information, and transmitting pilot operation and state data.

34. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 33 further comprising computer-executable instructions stored thereon for increasing the power of the pilot channel when transmitting above a threshold data rate.

35. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 33 further comprising computer-executable instructions stored thereon for decreasing the power of the pilot channel when transmitting below the threshold rate.

36. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 33 further comprising computer-executable instructions stored thereon for ignoring pilot commands from non-serving cells.

37. In a wireless communication system, an apparatus comprising:

a processor configured to;

determine uplink pilot channel information in a base station;

transmit the uplink pilot channel information to one or more cooperating wireless terminals to facilitate pilot improvement by engaging in one or more selected pilot channel control operations; and

monitor and directing power operations performed on the one or more cooperating wireless terminals according to the selected one or more pilot channel operations,

wherein the power operations performed on the one or more cooperating wireless terminals relate to the data rate and/or the pilot channel state of the one or more cooperating wireless terminals.

38. The communications apparatus of claim 37, wherein the processor provides a signal to increase the power level of one or more enhanced control channels to a selected power level above a threshold power level.

39. The communications apparatus of claim 37, wherein the processor provides a signal to decode the one or more enhanced control channels and flipping the modulation signals to transform the one or more enhanced control channels into a pilot reference.

40. The communications apparatus of claim 38, wherein the processor provides a signal to combine the pilot reference with one or more control channels to provide a phase and/or amplitude reference for demodulating other one or more control channels.

41. In a wireless communication system, an apparatus comprising:

a processor configured to;

receive uplink pilot channel information from a base station;

process received pilot channel information according to a predetermined function of the uplink pilot channel information to control one or more power operations at one or more cooperating wireless terminals; and

transmit pilot feedback data to the base station representative of pilot channel operational state.

42. The communications apparatus of claim 41, wherein the processor provides a signal to increase the power of the pilot channel when transmitting above a threshold data rate.

43. The communications apparatus of claim 41, wherein the processor provides a signal to decrease the power of the pilot channel when transmitting below the threshold rate.

44. The communications apparatus of claim 41, wherein the processor provides a signal to ignore pilot commands from non-serving cells.