Methods of power overload control in communication systems

• US 8,145,233 B2
• Filed: 10/31/2007
• Issued: 03/27/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: WSOU Investments, LLC (WSOU Holdings, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Alcatel-Lucent SA (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Charriere, Patrick, Mueckenheim, Jens, Brueck, Stefan
• Primary Examiner(s): Bhattacharya, Sam
• Application Number:
  US11/980,421
• Publication Number:
  US 20080096576A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,609 Days
• Field of Search: 455/423, 455/446, 455/452.2, 455/453, 370/230, 370/332, 370/335
• US Class Current: 455/453
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/12 Outer and inner loops
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/34 TPC management, i.e. sharing limited amount of power among users or channels or data types, e.g. cell loading
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/343 taking into account loading or congestion level

Abstract

Methods of providing power overload control in a communication system having a least one base station serving one or more users of at least one cell are described which may avoid an overload condition in the system. In one aspect, a target signal-to-interference ratio (SIR_target) may be controlled for inner loop power control implemented by the base station, so as to maintain the loading of the communication system below an overload condition. In another aspect, a target block error rate (BLER_target) may be controlled for outer loop power control implemented by the base station, so as to maintain the loading of communication system below an overload condition.

Claims

1. A method of performing power overload control in a communication system, comprising:

estimating a loading of a given cell in the system;

dividing the estimated load into one or more load areas, each load area associated with a given target block error rate (BLER_target);

providing an adjustment to BLER_target based on a given evaluated load area to control transmit power of users in the cell so as to prevent a power overload condition in the system.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein dividing includes dividing the estimated load into a first load area with an associated first BLER_target value and a second load area with an associated second BLER_target value.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein

the first load area represents an area of relatively high loading and the second load area represents an area of relatively low loading, and

the first BLER_target value is greater than the second BLER_target value.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein

the first load area represents an area of relatively low loading and the second load area represents an area of relatively high loading, and

the first BLER_target value is less than the second BLER_target value.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein providing includes providing an adjusted BLER_target based on the given evaluated load area to outer loop power control implemented by a base station serving users of the at least one cell, the outer loop power control controlling quality of a link between the base station and cell so as to avoid a power overload condition.

6. A method of providing power overload control in a communication system having a least one base station serving one or more users of at least one cell, comprising:

estimating a load of a cell in the communication system;

dividing the estimated load into a plurality of load areas;

assigning a first target block error rate (BLER_target) to each load area determined as a low load area based on the divided estimated load associated with a respective load area;

assigning a second BLER_target to each load area determined as a high load area based on the divided estimated load associated with a respective load area, the first BLER_target having a value lower than that of the second BLER_target;

controlling a target BLER_target for outer loop power control implemented by the base station based on the assigned first BLER_target and assigned second BLER_target so as to maintain the loading of the communication system below an overload condition.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein controlling further includes adjusting BLER_target based on estimated loading of the cell so as to control power at which users transmit information to the base station.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein said controlling is implemented at the base station in addition to existing call admission control and congestion control functionalities to prevent the communication system from reaching an overload condition.