Selective control of uplink transmission power based on roaming status

• US 9,451,554 B1
• Filed: 01/29/2015
• Issued: 09/20/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 01/29/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sprint Spectrum LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: Sprint Spectrum LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Singh, Jasinder P., Narava, Eshwar, Oroskar, Siddharth S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Jiang, Charles C
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lin, Will
• Application Number:
  US14/608,295
• Time in Patent Office: 600 Days
• Field of Search: 455/522, 455/450, 455/509, 370/329, 370/318
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/354 Adjacent channel leakage power
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/146 Uplink power control
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/30 Resource management for broadcast services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/56 based on priority criteria
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/02 Processing of mobility data, e.g. registration information at HLR [Home Location Register] or VLR [Visitor Location Register]; Transfer of mobility data, e.g. between HLR, VLR or external networks

Abstract

Disclosed is a method and system for allocating uplink air interface resources in a manner that allows particular user equipment devices (UEs) to apply less attenuation than may be specified more generally for UEs served by a base station of a wireless service provider. The base station may operate on a carrier band, serving UEs that are subscribers of the wireless service provider as well as UEs roaming in the base station'"'"'s coverage area from another service provider. To avoid uplink transmission power leakage across the edges of the carrier band, the base station may broadcast a message to all the UEs notifying them to attenuate their respective transmission levels. The base station may allocate uplink air interface resources to subscribing UEs from a particular portion of the carrier band that allows them to transmit using less attenuation than roaming UEs and still avoid power leakage across the band edges.

Claims

1. A method operable in a base station of a wireless communication network of a first service provider, wherein the base station is configured for providing wireless services to user equipment devices (UEs) using air interface resources that span a wireless carrier band, the method comprising:

the base station broadcasting to UEs in a coverage area of the base station a message instructing the UEs to attenuate their respective uplink transmission powers by a respective amount to be determined by each respective UE of the UEs based on which of multiple portions of the wireless carrier band is allocated, at least in part, to the respective UE by the base station for uplink transmissions;

making a determination, by the base station, that the wireless communication network of the first service provider is a home network of a first subset of the UEs, and that a second subset of the UEs are roaming in the wireless communication network of the first service provider from a wireless communication network of at least one different service provider; and

in response to at least the determination, the base station (i) allocating to the first subset of the UEs uplink air interface resources from a first portion of the wireless carrier band for which attenuation of uplink transmission power is specified by a first amount, and (ii) allocating to the second subset of the UEs uplink air interface resources from a second portion of the wireless carrier band for which attenuation of uplink transmission power is specified by a second amount, wherein the first amount is smaller than the second amount.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the base station broadcasting to the UEs in the coverage area of the base station the message instructing the UEs to attenuate their respective uplink transmission powers comprises the base station broadcasting the message in response to the base station allowing inbound roaming of at least one UE that the base station cannot verify to be compliant with one or more rules governing uplink transmission power levels.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the wireless carrier band is configured between a minimum frequency and a maximum frequency,

wherein there exists at least one of (i) a lower wireless carrier band adjacent to and below the minimum frequency or (ii) a higher wireless carrier band adjacent to and above the maximum frequency,

and wherein the base station broadcasting to the UEs in the coverage area of the base station the message instructing the UEs to attenuate their respective uplink transmission powers comprises the base station directing the UEs to use respective uplink power levels configured to prevent uplink transmissions from leaking more than a threshold amount of power into at least one of the lower wireless carrier band or the higher wireless carrier band.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the wireless carrier band is configured between a minimum frequency and a maximum frequency,

wherein there exists at least one of (i) a lower wireless carrier band adjacent to and below the minimum frequency or (ii) a higher wireless carrier band adjacent to and above the maximum frequency,

wherein the second portion of the wireless carrier band includes two segments that flank the first portion of the wireless carrier band such that the first portion of the wireless carrier band is separated from both the minimum frequency and the maximum frequency by at least the two segments,

and wherein the base station (i) allocating to the first subset of the UEs uplink air interface resources from the first portion of the wireless carrier band, and (ii) allocating to the second subset of the UEs uplink air interface resources from the second portion of the wireless carrier band comprises:

allocating to the first subset of the UEs uplink air interface resources that are more widely separated in frequency from both the minimum frequency and the maximum frequency than the uplink air interface resources allocated to the second subset of UEs.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein allocating to the first subset of the UEs uplink air interface resources that are more widely separated in frequency from both the minimum frequency and the maximum frequency than the uplink air interface resources allocated to the second subset of UEs comprises:

enabling the first subset of UEs to attenuate their respective uplink transmission power levels less than those of the second subset, without transmissions of the first subset of UEs leaking more than a threshold amount of power into at least one of the lower wireless carrier band or the higher wireless carrier band.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein allocating to the first subset of the UEs uplink air interface resources that are more widely separated in frequency from both the minimum frequency and the maximum frequency than the uplink air interface resources allocated to the second subset of UEs comprises:

causing each of the second subset of UEs to respectively determine that it is required to apply the second amount of attenuation to its uplink transmission power level, the requirement serving to prevent leaking more than a threshold amount of power into at least one of the lower wireless carrier band or the higher wireless carrier band.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein making the determination by the base station comprises:

receiving from each respective UE of the UEs a transmission including information indicative of a home network of the respective UE;

determining from the transmissions that the wireless communication network of the first service provider is the home network for each of the first subset of UEs identified; and

determining from the transmissions that the wireless communication network of the first service provider is not the home network for any of the second subset of UEs identified.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the information indicative of a home network of the respective UE identifies the respective UE as a subscriber of the first service provider.

9. A base station operable in a wireless communication network of a first service provider, wherein the base station is configured for providing wireless services to user equipment devices (UEs) using air interface resources that span a wireless carrier band, the base station comprising:

a communicative link with at transceiver;

one or more processors; and

memory accessible to the one or more processors, and storing machine language instructions that, upon execution by the one or more processors, cause the base station to carry out operations including;

broadcasting to UEs in a coverage area of the base station a message instructing the UEs to attenuate their respective uplink transmission powers by a respective amount to be determined by each respective UE of the UEs based on which of multiple portions of the wireless carrier band is allocated, at least in part, to the respective UE by the base station for uplink transmissions,

making a determination that the wireless communication network of the first service provider is a home network of a first subset of the UEs, and that a second subset of the UEs are roaming in the wireless communication network of the first service provider from a wireless communication network of at least one different service provider, and

in response to at least the determination, (i) allocating to the first subset of the UEs uplink air interface resources from a first portion of the wireless carrier band for which attenuation of uplink transmission power is specified by a first amount, and (ii) allocating to the second subset of the UEs uplink air interface resources from a second portion of the wireless carrier band for which attenuation of uplink transmission power is specified by a second amount, wherein the first amount is smaller than the second amount.

10. The base station of claim 9, wherein broadcasting to the UEs in the coverage area of the base station the message instructing the UEs to attenuate their respective uplink transmission powers comprises broadcasting the message in response to the base station allowing inbound roaming of at least one UE that the base station cannot verify to be compliant with one or more rules governing uplink transmission power levels.

11. The base station of claim 9, wherein the wireless carrier band is configured between a minimum frequency and a maximum frequency,

wherein there exists at least one of (i) a lower wireless carrier band adjacent to and below the minimum frequency or (ii) a higher wireless carrier band adjacent to and above the maximum frequency,

and wherein broadcasting to the UEs in the coverage area of the base station the message instructing the UEs to attenuate their respective uplink transmission powers comprises directing the UEs to use respective uplink power levels configured to prevent uplink transmissions from leaking more than a threshold amount of power into at least one of the lower wireless carrier band or the higher wireless carrier band.

12. The base station of claim 9, wherein the wireless carrier band is configured between a minimum frequency and a maximum frequency,

wherein there exists at least one of (i) a lower wireless carrier band adjacent to and below the minimum frequency or (ii) a higher wireless carrier band adjacent to and above the maximum frequency,

wherein the second portion of the wireless carrier band includes two segments that flank the first portion of the wireless carrier band such that the first portion of the wireless carrier band is separated from both the minimum frequency and the maximum frequency by at least the two segments,

and wherein the base station (i) allocating to the first subset of the UEs uplink air interface resources from the first portion of the wireless carrier band, and (ii) allocating to the second subset of the UEs uplink air interface resources from the second portion of the wireless carrier band comprises:

allocating to the first subset of the UEs uplink air interface resources that are more widely separated in frequency from both the minimum frequency and the maximum frequency than the uplink air interface resources allocated to the second subset of UEs.

13. The base station of claim 12, wherein allocating to the first subset of the UEs uplink air interface resources that are more widely separated in frequency from both the minimum frequency and the maximum frequency than the uplink air interface resources allocated to the second subset of UEs comprises:

enabling the first subset of UEs to attenuate their respective uplink transmission power levels less than those of the second subset, without transmissions of the first subset of UEs leaking more than a threshold amount of power into at least one of the lower wireless carrier band or the higher wireless carrier band; and

causing each of the second subset of UEs to respectively determine that it is required to apply the second amount of attenuation to its uplink transmission power level, wherein the requirement serves to prevent leaking more than a threshold amount of power into at least one of the lower wireless carrier band or the higher wireless carrier band.

14. The base station of claim 9, wherein making the determination comprises:

receiving from each respective UE of the UEs a transmission including information indicative of a home network of the respective UE;

determining from the transmissions that the wireless communication network of the first service provider is the home network for each of the first subset of UEs identified; and

determining from the transmissions that the wireless communication network of the first service provider is not the home network for any of the second subset of UEs identified.

15. A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon instructions that, upon executing by one or more processors of a base station, cause the base station to carry out operations, wherein the base station is operable in a wireless communication network of a first service provider, and the base station is configured for providing wireless services to user equipment devices (UEs) using air interface resources that span a wireless carrier band, wherein the operations comprise:

broadcasting to UEs in a coverage area of the base station a message instructing the UEs to attenuate their respective uplink transmission powers by a respective amount to be determined by each respective UE of the UEs based on which of multiple portions of the wireless carrier band is allocated, at least in part, to the respective UE by the base station for uplink transmissions;

making a determination that the wireless communication network of the first service provider is a home network of a first subset of the UEs, and that a second subset of the UEs are roaming in the wireless communication network of the first service provider from a wireless communication network of at least one different service provider; and

in response to at least the determination, (i) allocating to the first subset of the UEs uplink air interface resources from a first portion of the wireless carrier band for which attenuation of uplink transmission power is specified by a first amount, and (ii) allocating to the second subset of the UEs uplink of interface resources from a second portion of the wireless carrier band for which attenuation of uplink transmission power is specified by a second amount, wherein the first amount is smaller than the second amount.

16. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein broadcasting to the UEs in the coverage area of the base station the message instructing the UEs to attenuate their respective uplink transmission powers comprises broadcasting the message in response to the base station allowing inbound roaming of at least one UE that the base station cannot verify to be compliant with one or more rules governing uplink transmission power levels.

17. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the wireless carrier band is configured between a minimum frequency and a maximum frequency,

wherein there exists at least one of (i) a lower wireless carrier band adjacent to and below the minimum frequency or (ii) a higher wireless carrier band adjacent to and above the maximum frequency,

and wherein broadcasting to the UEs in the coverage area of the base station the message instructing the UEs to attenuate their respective uplink transmission powers comprises directing the UEs to use respective uplink power levels configured to prevent uplink transmissions from leaking more than a threshold amount of power into at least one of the lower wireless carrier band or the higher wireless carrier band.

18. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the wireless carrier band is configured between a minimum frequency and a maximum frequency,

wherein there exists at least one of (i) a lower wireless carrier band adjacent to and below the minimum frequency or (ii) a higher wireless carrier band adjacent to and above the maximum frequency,

wherein the second portion of the wireless carrier band includes two segments that flank the first portion of the wireless carrier band such that the first portion of the wireless carrier band is separated from both the minimum frequency and the maximum frequency by at least the two segments,

and wherein the base station (i) allocating to the first subset of the UEs uplink air interface resources from the first portion of the wireless carrier band, and (ii) allocating to the second subset of the UEs uplink air interface resources from the second portion of the wireless carrier band comprises:

allocating to the first subset of the UEs uplink air interface resources that are more widely separated in frequency from both the minimum frequency and the maximum frequency than the uplink air interface resources allocated to the second subset of UEs.

19. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 18, wherein allocating to the first subset of the UEs uplink air interface resources that are more widely separated in frequency from both the minimum frequency and the maximum frequency than the uplink air interface resources allocated to the second subset of UEs comprises:

enabling the first subset of UEs to attenuate their respective uplink transmission power levels less than those of the second subset, without transmissions of the first subset of UEs leaking more than a threshold amount of power into at least one of the lower wireless carrier band or the higher wireless carrier band; and

causing each of the second subset of UEs to respectively determine that it is required to apply the second amount of attenuation to its uplink transmission power level, wherein the requirement serves to prevent leaking more than a threshold amount of power into at least one of the lower wireless carrier band or the higher wireless carrier band.

20. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein making the determination comprises:

receiving from each respective UE of the UEs a transmission including information indicative of a home network of the respective UE;

determining from the transmissions that the wireless communication network of the first service provider is the home network for each of the first subset of UEs identified; and

determining from the transmissions that the wireless communication network of the first service provider is not the home network for any of the second subset of UEs identified.