Open loop power offset update

• US 7,957,757 B2
• Filed: 07/05/2007
• Issued: 06/07/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/05/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Stanski, Charles, Celebi, Samel, Rangan, Sundeep
• Primary Examiner(s): FERGUSON, KEITH
• Application Number:
  US11/773,939
• Publication Number:
  US 20090011785A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,433 Days
• Field of Search: 455/522, 455/69, 455/127.1, 455/500, 455/517, 455/67.11, 455/466, 455/422.1, 455/403, 455/426.1, 455/426.2, 4554141-4144, 455/550.1, 370/310, 370/312, 370/313, 370/328, 370/329, 370/338, 370/343
• US Class Current: 455/522
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/10 Open loop power control
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/146 Uplink power control
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/50 at the moment of starting communication in a multiple access environment

Abstract

Provided is an feedback mechanism to correct power control information in a broadcast signal that is determined to be incorrect by one or more devices that receive and rely on the broadcast information. A device that receives the incorrect broadcast information can determine a correction and to the information and provide a recommendation to the source of the broadcast information. The source can selectively determine whether to modify the broadcast information based on the recommendation from one or more devices. If the broadcast information is modified, subsequent devices that receive the broadcast information are provided with the modified information. If further changes are needed, the subsequent devices can provide further recommended changes.

Claims

1. A method that facilitates selective adjustment of power control information sent in a broadcast signal, comprising:

receiving a broadcast signal from an access point, the broadcast signal including power control information;

ascertaining if a correction is recommended for the broadcast power control information;

conveying, when the correction is recommended, a recommended correction to the access point; and

notifying the access point if the power control information received in the broadcast signal does not need modification.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the recommended correction to the access point is provided as a feedback signal.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the recommended correction is a power offset value.

4. A method that facilitates selective adjustment of power control information sent in a broadcast signal, comprising:

receiving a broadcast signal from an access point, the broadcast signal including power control information;

ascertaining if a correction is recommended for the broadcast power control information, said ascertaining including comparing a difference between an access point transmit power and a device receive power and assigning the difference as a power loss; and

conveying, when the correction is recommended, a recommended correction to the access point.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising sending the power loss information to the access point as a recommendation to include the power loss information in a subsequent broadcast signal.

6. A method that facilitates selective adjustment of power control information sent in a broadcast signal, comprising:

receiving a broadcast signal from an access point, the broadcast signal including power control information;

ascertaining if a correction is recommended for the broadcast power control information;

conveying, when the correction is recommended, a recommended correction to the access point; and

responding to a request included in the broadcast signal wherein the request includes verifying whether at least a portion of the power control information included in the broadcast signal is correct.

7. A wireless communications apparatus, comprising:

a memory that retains instructions related to evaluating power control information included in a broadcast signal, determining if there is at least one error in the information, notifying an access point of the at least one error in a feedback signal, and notifying the access point if the power control information contained in the broadcast signal is correct; and

a processor, coupled to the memory, configured to execute the instructions retained in the memory.

8. The wireless communications apparatus of claim 7, wherein the memory further retains instructions for determining a power offset value by comparing an access point transmit power with a device receive power and setting a transmit power to a sum of the offset value and an access point receive power target.

9. The wireless communications apparatus of claim 7, wherein the memory further retains instructions for recommending that the access point correct the error in a next broadcast signal.

10. The wireless communications apparatus of claim 7, wherein the error is a power offset value.

11. The wireless communications apparatus of claim 7, wherein the memory further retains instructions for reviewing a next broadcast signal and providing information relating to an accuracy of the next broadcast signal.

12. A wireless communications apparatus that enables selective modification of broadcast information within a wireless communications environment, comprising:

means for identifying incorrect information included in a signal from an access point;

means for determining a recommended modification for the identified incorrect information;

means for sending the recommended modification in a feedback signal to the access point;

means for receiving a request from the access point to verify at least a portion of the information included in the signal; and

means for providing a result of the verification to the access point.

13. The wireless communications apparatus of claim 12, further comprising:

means for evaluating a next signal from the access point; and

means for notifying the access point if the next signal is correct or includes incorrect information.

14. The wireless communications apparatus of claim 12, further comprising:

means for determining a power offset value based in part on information included in the signal; and

means for communicating the power offset value to the access point.

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

evaluating a correctness of a signal from an access point;

determining if at least one modification is recommended for the signal; and

notifying the access point if the signal does not need modification.

16. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 15, futher comprising machine-executable instructions for:

receiving a receive power target for the access point;

measuring a power at which the signal was received;

determining a difference between the access point receive power target and the power at which the signal was received; and

identifying the determined difference point as a power offset value.

17. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 16, further comprising machine-executable instructions for recommending that the power offset value be included in a next signal from the access point.

18. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 15, further comprising machine-executable instructions for:

verifying the information included in the signal is correct; and

sending a notification to the access point indicating that the information is correct.

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

a processor configured to control said apparatus to;

receive a broadcast signal from an access point, the broadcast signal including power control information;

ascertain if a correction is recommended for the broadcast power control information;

convey, when the correction is recommended, a recommended correction to the access point; and

respond to a request included in the broadcast signal, said request being a request for verifying whether at least a portion of the power control information included in the broadcast signal is correct.

20. A method that facilitates selective adjustment of information included in a broadcast signal, comprising:

broadcasting a signal that includes power control information, the signal is broadcast to at least one device within a geographic area, said broadcast signal including a request for at least one modification to the power control information if at least a portion of the power control information is incorrect;

receiving a reply signal from the at least one device, the reply signal includes at least one modification to the power control information included in the broadcast signal; and

selectively applying the at least one modification to the power control information included in the broadcast signal.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the reply signal includes power offset information.

22. The method of claim 20, further comprising receiving feedback from the at least one device periodically.

23. The method of claim 20, further comprising receiving feedback from the at least one device continuously.

24. The method of claim 20, wherein the broadcast information relates to at least one of an access point transmit power, an access point receive power target, a path loss, or a power offset, or combinations thereof.

25. The method of claim 20, further comprising broadcasting a modified signal that includes the at least one modification.

26. The method of claim 20, wherein selectively applying the at least one modification to the information included in the broadcast signal further comprises requesting corroboration of the at least one modification from at least a second device.

27. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

receiving at least a second reply signal from a second device, the at least a second reply signal includes a modification similar to the at least one modification; and

applying an average of the modifications to the information included in the broadcast signal.

28. The method of claim 20, wherein selectively applying the at least one modification to the information included in the broadcast signal further comprises waiting until a confidence level is reached before applying the at least one modification.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein the confidence level is derived in part on a reliability of the device based on historical information.

30. A method that facilitates selective adjustment of information included in a broadcast signal, comprising:

broadcasting a signal that includes power control information, the signal is broadcast to at least one device within a geographic area, said broadcast signal including a request for a confirmation to determine if the information included in the broadcast signal is correct;

receiving a reply signal from the at least one device, the reply signal includes at least one modification to the power control information included in the broadcast signal; and

selectively applying the at least one modification to the power control information included in the broadcast signal.

31. A wireless communications apparatus, comprising:

a memory that retains instructions related to;

determining information to include in a broadcast signal, receiving a device recommendation to update information included in the broadcast signal, requesting corroboration of the recommendation to update information from at least a second device, and selectively modifying the broadcast signal information based in part on the received device recommendation; and

a processor, coupled to the memory, configured to execute the instructions retained in the memory.

32. The wireless communications apparatus of claim 31, wherein the information included in the broadcast signal relates to at least one of an access point transmit power, an access point receive power target, a path loss, or a power offset, or combinations thereof.

33. The wireless communications apparatus of claim 31, wherein the memory further retains instructions for determining a confidence level associated with the device that provided the recommendation.

34. The wireless communications apparatus of claim 31, wherein the memory further retains instructions for requesting confirmation of the information included in the broadcast signal.

35. The wireless communications apparatus of claim 31, wherein the memory further retains instructions for averaging values received from a plurality of devices before selectively modifying the information in the broadcast signal.

36. The wireless communications apparatus of claim 31, wherein the memory further retains instructions for receiving feedback after modifying the broadcast signal information from a device that provided the recommendation to verify appropriate modifications were made.

37. A wireless communications apparatus that mitigates a length of an initial access phase in a wireless environment, comprising:

means for identifying information to include in a broadcast signal sent to a plurality of devices;

means for receiving at least one reply signal from at least one of the plurality of devices in response to the broadcast signal;

means for analyzing a confidence level associated with the at least one of the plurality of devices; and

means for changing at least a subset of the information included in the broadcast signal based in part on the at least one reply signal.

38. The wireless communications apparatus of claim 37, further comprising means for requesting that the at least one of the plurality of devices verify an accuracy of the information included in the broadcast signal.

39. The wireless communications apparatus of claim 37, further comprising means for analyzing characteristics associated with the at least one of the plurality of devices that that provided the reply signal.

40. The wireless communications apparatus of claim 37, further comprising means for aggregating a plurality of reply signals.

41. The wireless communications apparatus of claim 37, further comprising means for requesting verification of an accuracy of a modified broadcast signal.

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

transmitting a signal that at least one device relies upon to gain access to a communications network;

evaluating feedback from the at least one device to identify incorrect information included in the transmitted signal;

analyzing a confidence level associated with the feedback or the at least one device; and

adapting the transmitted signal based upon the feedback evaluation, after analyzing the confidence level associated with the feedback or the at least one device from which said feedback was received.

43. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 42, further comprising machine-executable instructions for identifying at least one of an access point transmit power, an access point receive power target, a path loss, or a power offset, or combinations thereof, to include in the broadcast signal.

44. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 42, further comprising machine-executable instructions for aggregating feedback from at least a second device with the feedback from the at least one device before adapting the transmitted signal.

45. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 42, further comprising machine-executable instructions for requesting verification of the feedback from at least a second device.

46. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 42, further comprising machine-executable instructions for transmitting the adapted signal to a plurality of devices.

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

a processor configured to;

identify information to include in a broadcast signal sent to a plurality of devices;

receive at least one reply signal from at least one of the plurality of devices in response to the broadcast signal;

analyze a confidence level associated with the at least one of the plurality of devices; and

change at least a subset of the information included in the broadcast signal based in part on the at least one reply signal.