Method and system for selective power control of wireless coverage areas

• US 8,140,107 B1
• Filed: 01/04/2008
• Issued: 03/20/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/04/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sprint Spectrum LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: Sprint Spectrum LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Rai, Deveshkumar, Shetty, Manoj, Vargantwar, Sachin R., Oroskar, Siddharth S., Sarkar, Debasish
• Primary Examiner(s): Maung, Nay A
• Assistant Examiner(s): Safaipour, Bobbak
• Application Number:
  US11/969,645
• Time in Patent Office: 1,537 Days
• Field of Search: 455/443, 455/513, 455/522, 455/525, 370/278, 370/318, 370/336, 370/347, 370/465, 370/208, 370/329, 370/330, 370/337
• US Class Current: 455/525
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/143 Downlink power control
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/245 taking into account received signal strength
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/248 where transmission power control commands are generated based on a path parameter
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/40 during macro-diversity or soft handoff

Abstract

In methods and systems for adjusting forward link transmit power of wireless coverage areas, forward link signal strength is observed to obtain a signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and/or an observed frame error rate (FER) for the received signal. A determination is made whether to request a forward link power adjustment. If the determination is that a forward link power adjustment is required, a request may be made into a radio access network (RAN) to adjust power. The RAN may select a subset of wireless coverage areas in which to adjust power. If further power adjustment is required, a further request may be made into the RAN, and the RAN may select a different subset of wireless coverage areas in which to adjust power.

Claims

1. A method for controlling transmission power between a wireless communication device (WCD) and a radio access network (RAN), wherein the WCD is served by a plurality of wireless coverage areas defined by the RAN, the method comprising:

receiving into the RAN from the WCD a plurality of power adjustment commands;

for each received power adjustment command, responsively identifying one or more wireless coverage areas in which to adjust transmission power, and adjusting the transmission power in each of the identified one or more wireless coverage areas, wherein identifying the one or more wireless coverage areas comprises;

(a) making a determination of whether the RAN has received a threshold extent of power adjustment commands from the WCD;

(b) if the determination is that the RAN has not received the threshold extent of power adjustment commands from the WCD, identifying as the one or more wireless coverage areas a first subset of the plurality of wireless coverage areas; and

(c) if the determination is that the RAN has received the threshold extent of power adjustment commands from the WCD, identifying as the one or more wireless coverage areas a second subset of the plurality of wireless coverage areas, wherein the second subset is different than the first subset.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the power adjustment commands are power decrease commands.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the power adjustment commands are power increase commands.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the second subset encompasses the first subset.

5. The method of claim 3, further comprising receiving into each wireless coverage area a report of the measured forward link power at the WCD for the wireless coverage area.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein identifying the one or more wireless coverage areas in which to increase transmission power comprises:

ranking the plurality of coverage areas in order of their forward link power measured at the WCD; and

selecting as the one or more wireless coverage areas in which to increase transmission power the wireless coverage areas with the highest measured forward link power.

7. The method of claim 3, wherein transmission power is a forward link transmission power transmitted within a wireless coverage area.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein increasing the transmission power in each of the identified one or more wireless coverage areas comprises increasing the forward link transmission power in each of the identified one or more wireless coverage areas.

9. The method of claim 3, wherein the plurality of wireless coverage areas comprises an active set of wireless coverage areas for the WCD.

10. The method of claim 3, wherein the power adjustment command is a power sense measurement message.

11. A method for controlling transmission power between a wireless communication device (WCD) and a radio access network (RAN), wherein the WCD is served by a plurality of wireless coverage areas defined by the RAN, the method comprising:

receiving into the RAN from the WCD a plurality of power increase commands, including at least a first set of power increase commands and a second set of power increase commands;

responsive to each power increase command of the first set, increasing transmission power in a first subset of the plurality of wireless coverage areas; and

responsive to each power increase command in the second set, increasing transmission power in a second subset of the plurality of wireless coverage areas, wherein the second subset is larger than the first subset and includes the first subset.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the second set of power increase commands follows the first set of power increase commands.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the plurality of power increase commands further includes a third set of power increase commands, the method further comprising:

in response to each power increase command in the third set, increasing transmission power in a third subset of the plurality of wireless coverage areas, wherein the third subset is larger than the second subset and includes the second subset.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the third set of power increase commands follows the second set of power increase commands.

15. A system for controlling power transmission between a wireless communication device (WCD) and a radio access network (RAN), wherein the WCD is served by a plurality of wireless coverage areas defined by the RAN, the RAN comprising:

one or more base transceiver stations (BTS'"'"'s);

one or more base station controllers (BSC'"'"'s);

wherein the one or more BSC'"'"'s control the one or more BTS'"'"'s;

wherein the one or more BTS'"'"'s radiate to define the plurality of wireless coverage areas;

wherein the RAN receives a plurality of power increase commands, including at least a first set of power increase commands and a second set of power increase commands;

wherein in response to each power increase command of the first set, the RAN increases power in a first subset of the plurality of wireless coverage areas; and

wherein in response to each power increase command of the second set, the RAN increases power in a second subset of the plurality of wireless coverage areas, wherein the second subset is larger than the first subset and includes the first subset.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the second set of power increase commands follows the first set of power increase commands.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein each wireless coverage area receives a report of the measured forward link power at the WCD for each wireless coverage area.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the RAN increasing power in the first subset of the plurality of wireless coverage areas further comprises:

ranking the plurality of wireless coverage areas in order of their forward link power measured at the WCD; and

selecting as the first subset of the plurality of wireless coverage areas the wireless coverage areas with the highest forward link power measured at the WCD; and

increasing power in the first subset of the plurality of wireless coverage areas.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the RAN increasing power in the second subset of the plurality of wireless coverage areas further comprises:

ranking the plurality of wireless coverage areas in order of forward link power measured at the WCD;

selecting as the second subset of the plurality of wireless coverage areas the wireless coverage areas with the highest forward link power measured at the WCD; and

increasing power in the selected second subset of the plurality of wireless coverage areas.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein in response to each power increase command, at least one BTS increases transmission power on a forward link.