Radiation power level control system and method for a wireless communication device based on a tracked radiation history

• US 9,054,780 B2
• Filed: 05/15/2014
• Issued: 06/09/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/20/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Wilson, Kelce Steven, Ali, Shirook M., Periyalwar, Shalini Suresh, Womack, James Earl
• Primary Examiner(s): LE, THANH C
• Application Number:
  US14/278,051
• Publication Number:
  US 20140248892A1
• Time in Patent Office: 390 Days
• Field of Search: 455/69, 455/422.1, 455/423, 455/424, 455/522, 455/523, 455/550.1, 455/575.1, 455/127.1
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/04 Circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3838 Arrangements for reducing RF exposure to the user, e.g. by changing the shape of the transceiver while in use
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/146 Uplink power control
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/225 Calculation of statistics, e.g. average, variance
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/228 using past power values or information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/246 where the output power of a terminal is based on a path parameter calculated in said terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/367 Power values between minimum and maximum limits, e.g. dynamic range
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/02 Selection of wireless resources by user or terminal

Abstract

A radiation power level control scheme for a wireless user equipment (UE) device. In one embodiment, a method comprises determining that a current transmission event involving the wireless UE device is commenced outside a time duration from a last transmission event. If so, responsive to the determining, the method involves disregarding or resetting a power data history associated with the wireless UE device in computing a Specific Absorption Rate (SAR) value for the wireless UE device during the current transmission event. Otherwise, at least a portion of the power data history may be used in computing the SAR values.

Claims

1. A radiation power level control method for a wireless user equipment (UE) device, the method comprising:

determining that a current transmission event involving the wireless UE device is commenced outside a time duration from a last transmission event; and

responsive to the determining, disregarding a power data history associated with the wireless UE device in computing a Specific Absorption Rate (SAR) value for the wireless UE device during the current transmission event.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

if the SAR value exceeds a SAR threshold, effectuating at least one of the following;

(i) providing a notification to a user of the wireless UE device, (ii) reducing a transmission power level of the wireless UE device during the current transmission event, (iii) changing a modulation and coding scheme (MCS) used in respect of the current transmission event, (iv) terminating the current transmission event, and (v) delaying the current transmission event.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein reducing a transmission power level comprises reducing a number of transmission time slots used by the wireless UE device.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein reducing a transmission power level comprises retaining, within each of the reduced number of transmission time slots, a time slot transmission power level that is consistent with a time slot transmission power level used by the wireless UE device prior to the reducing.

5. The method of claim 2 wherein reducing a transmission power level comprises reducing a frame-average transmission power level, the frame-average transmission power level being averaged over a single transmission frame comprising multiple time slots.

6. The method of claim 2 wherein the current transmission event comprises one or more communication processes.

7. The method of claim 6 further comprising:

in conjunction with reducing the transmission power level, retaining a first communication process and suspending a second communication process.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the first communication process comprises a voice call and the second communication process comprises a data session.

9. A non-transitory computer-readable medium containing instructions stored thereon which, when executed by one or more processors of a wireless user equipment (UE) device disposed in a network environment, facilitate radiation power level control of the wireless UE device, the nonvolatile storage computer-readable medium comprising:

program instructions for determining that a current transmission event involving the wireless UE device is commenced outside a time duration from a last transmission event; and

program instructions, responsive to the determining, for disregarding a power data history associated with the wireless UE device in computing a Specific Absorption Rate (SAR) value for the wireless UE device during the current transmission event.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable medium as recited in claim 9, further comprising program instructions for effectuating at least one of the following if the SAR value exceeds a SAR threshold:

(i) providing a notification to a user of the wireless UE device, (ii) reducing a transmission power level of the wireless UE device during the current transmission event, (iii) changing a modulation and coding scheme (MCS) used in respect of the current transmission event, (iv) terminating the current transmission event, and (v) delaying the current transmission event.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable medium as recited in claim 10 wherein reducing a transmission power level comprises reducing a number of transmission time slots used by the wireless UE device.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium as recited in claim 11 wherein reducing a transmission power level comprises retaining, within each of the reduced number of transmission time slots, a time slot transmission power level that is consistent with a time slot transmission power level used by the wireless UE device prior to the reducing.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium as recited in claim 10 wherein reducing a transmission power level comprises reducing a frame-average transmission power level, the frame-average transmission power level being averaged over a single transmission frame comprising multiple time slots.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium as recited in claim 10 wherein the current transmission event comprises one or more communication processes.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium as recited in claim 14 further comprising:

program instructions, operative in conjunction with reducing the transmission power level, for retaining a first communication process and suspending a second communication process.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium as recited in claim 15 wherein the first communication process comprises a voice call and the second communication process comprises a data session.

17. A network node comprising:

a component for tracking and maintaining a history of power data for a wireless UE device served by the network node, wherein the power data comprises data tracked over a time window relative to one or more variables on a per transmission event basis for the wireless UE device;

a Specific Absorption Rate (SAR) determining module for determining a SAR value for the wireless UE device during a current transmission event involving the wireless UE device, wherein the SAR determining module is configured to disregard the history of power data if the current transmission event occurred outside a time duration from a last transmission event involving the wireless UE device; and

an adjustment and notification module configured to facilitate at least one of the following if the SAR value exceeds a SAR threshold of the wireless UE device;

(i) providing a notification to a user of the wireless UE device, (ii) reducing a transmission power level of the wireless UE device during the current transmission event, (iii) changing a modulation and coding scheme (MCS) used in respect of the current transmission event, (iv) terminating the current transmission event, and (v) delaying the current transmission event.

18. The network node as recited in claim 17 wherein the adjustment and notification module is further operative to reduce a transmission power level by reducing a number of transmission time slots used by the wireless UE device.

19. The network node as recited in claim 17 wherein the adjustment and notification module is further operative to reduce a transmission power level by reducing a frame-average transmission power level of the wireless UE device, the frame-average transmission power level being averaged over a single transmission frame comprising multiple time slots.

20. The network node as recited in claim 17 wherein the adjustment and notification module is further operative to change a modulation and coding scheme (MCS) from a first MCS to a second MCS, the second MCS providing a lower expected bit-error-rate (BER) than a BER for the first MCS.