Power Headroom Reporting Method

• US 20100173665A1
• Filed: 06/23/2008
• Published: 07/08/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/20/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Solutions and Networks US LLC (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Michel, Juergen, Pedersen, Klaus Ingemann, Rosa, Claudio
• Granted Patent: US 8,457,676 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/522
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/146 Uplink power control
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/365 Power headroom reporting

Abstract

A method, user equipment, network device, and software product enable a user equipment to determine that at least one of several triggering criterion have been met, in which case the user equipment provides a power control headroom report on an uplink from the user equipment. The triggering criterion includes a threshold having been reached, and the threshold is adjustable via a signal to the user equipment from a base station (such as an eNodeB).

Claims

1. A method comprising:

determining that a set of at least one triggering criterion is met; and

providing a power control headroom report on an uplink from user equipment, in response to determining that the set is met, wherein said at least one triggering criterion include a threshold having been reached.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said threshold is adjustable via a signal to the user equipment.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the set comprises a criterion such that an absolute difference between current and most recent path-loss measurements has reached a threshold of difference.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said set of at least one triggering criterion include any one of a plurality of criteria that each entail Teaching a respective threshold.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the plurality of criteria comprise a first criterion, a second criterion, and a third criterion.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the set comprises a criterion such that a number of received closed loop power corrections has reached a threshold of corrections.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the set comprises a criterion such that an amount of transmission time intervals, following an open loop power control modification, has reached a threshold of intervals since modification.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the set comprises a criterion such that an amount of transmission time intervals, following a previous power control headroom report, has reached a threshold of intervals since reporting.

9. The method of claim 5, wherein the first criterion is such that a number of received closed loop power corrections has reached a threshold of corrections, and wherein the second criterion is such that an amount of transmission time intervals, following an open loop power control modification, has reached a threshold of intervals since modification.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the third criterion is such that an amount of transmission time intervals, following a previous power control headroom report, has reached a threshold of intervals since reporting.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the third criterion is such that an absolute difference between current and most recent path-loss measurements has reached a threshold of difference.

12. An apparatus comprising:

means for determining that a set of at least one triggering criterion is met; and

means for providing a power control headroom report on an uplink from user equipment, in response to the set having been met, wherein said at least one triggering criterion include a threshold having been reached.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein said threshold is adjustable via a signal to the user equipment.

14. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the set comprises a criterion such that an absolute difference between current and most recent path-loss measurements has reached a threshold of difference.

15. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein said set of at least one triggering criterion include any one of a plurality of criteria that each entail reaching a respective threshold.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the plurality of criteria comprise a first criterion, a second criterion, and a third criterion.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the first criterion is such that a number of received closed loop power corrections has reached a threshold of corrections, and wherein the second criterion is such that an amount of transmission time intervals, following an open loop power control modification, has reached a threshold of intervals since modification.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the third criterion is such that an amount of transmission time intervals, following a previous power control headroom report, has reached a threshold of intervals since reporting.

19. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the third criterion is such that an absolute difference between current and most recent path-loss measurements has reached a threshold of difference.

20. Apparatus comprising:

a triggering module configured to determine that a set of at least one triggering criterion is met; and

a transceiver configured to provide a power control headroom report on an uplink from said user equipment, in response to the set having been met, wherein said at least one triggering criterion include a threshold having been reached.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein said threshold is adjustable via a signal to the apparatus.

22. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the set comprises a criterion such that an absolute difference between current and most recent path-loss measurements has reached a threshold of difference.

23. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein said set of at least one triggering criterion include any one of a plurality of criteria that each entail reaching a respective threshold.

24. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the plurality of criteria comprise a first criterion, a second criterion, and a third criterion.

25. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein the first criterion is such that a number of received closed loop power corrections has reached a threshold of corrections, and wherein the second criterion is such that an amount of transmission time intervals, following an open loop power control modification, has reached a threshold of intervals since modification.

26. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein the third criterion is such that an amount of transmission time intervals, following a previous power control headroom report, has reached a threshold of intervals since reporting.

27. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein the third criterion is such that an absolute difference between current and most recent path-loss measurements has reached a threshold of difference.

28. A computer program product comprising a computer readable medium having executable code stored therein;

the code, when executed by a processor, adapted to carry out the functions of;

determining that a set of at least one triggering criterion is met; and

providing a power control headroom report on an uplink from user equipment, in response to the set having been met, wherein said at least one triggering criterion include a threshold having been reached.

29. The computer program product of claim 28, wherein said threshold is adjustable via a signal to the user equipment.

30. The computer program product of claim 28, wherein the set comprises a criterion such that an absolute difference between current and most recent path-loss measurements has reached a threshold of difference.

31. The computer program product of claim 28, wherein said set of at least one triggering criterion include any one of a plurality of criteria that each entail reaching a respective threshold.

32. The computer program product of claim 31, wherein the plurality of criteria comprise a first criterion, a second criterion, and a third criterion.

33. The computer program product of claim 32, wherein the first criterion is such that a number of received closed loop power corrections has reached a threshold of corrections, and wherein the second criterion is such that an amount of transmission time intervals, following an open loop power control modification, has reached a threshold of intervals since modification.

34. A network element comprising:

a report receiving module configured to receive a power control headroom report on an uplink from user equipment, in response to the user equipment determining that a set of at least one triggering criterion is met because a threshold has been reached, and a threshold adjustment module, configured to provide a threshold adjustment signal to the user equipment in order to adjust the threshold.

35. The network element of claim 34, wherein the set comprises a criterion such that an absolute difference between current and most recent path-loss measurements has reached a threshold of difference.

36. The network element of claim 34, further comprising a correction module configured to provide a closed loop power control correction command signal to the user equipment at least partly in response to said power control headroom report.

37. A system comprising:

user equipment having a triggering module configured to determine that a set of at least one triggering criterion is met, and having a transceiver configured to provide a power control headroom report on an uplink from said user equipment, in response to the set having been met, wherein said at least one triggering criterion include a threshold having been reached; and

a network element having a report receiving module configured to receive a power control headroom report on an uplink from user equipment, in response to the user equipment determining that a set of at least one triggering criterion is met because said threshold has been reached, and having a threshold adjustment module configured to provide a threshold adjustment signal to the user equipment in order to adjust the threshold.

38. The system of claim 37, wherein the set comprises a criterion such that an absolute difference between current and most recent path-loss measurements has reached a threshold of difference.

39. The system of claim 37, wherein the set comprises a first criterion, a second criterion, and a third criterion, wherein the first criterion is such that a number of received closed loop power corrections has reached a threshold of corrections, and wherein the second criterion is such that an amount of transmission time intervals, following an open loop power control modification, has reached a threshold of intervals since modification.