Power control method

Abstract

Methods for downlink power control in wireless communication systems are provided. In response to a transmitter power change request from a mobile terminal ( 110 ) over a wireless connection, a base station ( 122 ) determines a power control parameter based on its current total transmitter power P DL . The power control parameter preferably relates to a maximum connection-specific transmitter power, a power step size and/or a power increase probability, and is used by the base station to distribute transmitter power p i to the connection.

1 . A method for power control in a communication system ( 100 ) including a transceiver node ( 122 ) capable of communicating with multiple mobile terminals ( 110 ), comprising the steps of: 
 receiving, at the transceiver node, a transmitter power change request from one of the mobile terminals over a wireless connection;    determining, at the transceiver node, at least one power control parameter for the connection based on a current total transmitter power of the transceiver node; and    distributing transmitter power to the connection in accordance with the determined power control parameter.    
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the current total transmitter power represents substantially all downlink power resources, common and connection-specific, used at the transceiver node ( 122 ) at a particular point of time.  
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising the step of measuring the current total transmitter power at the transceiver node ( 122 ).  
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the determining step is further based on a current connection-specific transmitter power for the connection.  
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the total transmitter power is a downlink carrier power and the connection-specific transmitter power is a downlink code power.  
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the determining step is further based on connection-specific information indicating the degree of priority associated with the connection.  
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the connection-specific information comprises information selected from the group of: mobile type, mobile class, subscription class, connection time, transmitted data amount, data amount in buffer, packet length, packet type, time since last packet, block error statistics, and block retransmission statistics.  
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the power control parameter is related to a maximum value of the connection-specific transmitter power.  
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the power control parameter is directly or indirectly related to a power change rate of the connection-specific transmitter power.  
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the power control parameter is related to a probability of grant.  
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the power control parameter is related to a power change step size.  
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 1 , comprising the steps of 
 combining, at the transceiver node ( 122 ), at least two power control parameters based on different input parameters into an aggregate power control parameter; and    using the aggregate power control parameter for distributing the connection-specific transmitter power in the distributing step.    
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the determining step involves executing a predetermined power control function presenting a smooth transitional behavior as the current total transmitter power of the transceiver node ( 122 ) approaches a maximum total transmitter power value.  
   
   
       14 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the determining step involves deciding. the power control parameter based on a predetermined threshold value for the total transmitter power.  
   
   
       15 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the determining step is based on current and previous values of the total transmitter power.  
   
   
       16 . A transceiver node ( 122 ) capable of communicating with multiple mobile terminals ( 110 ) in a communication system ( 100 ) with means for power control, comprising 
 means for receiving a transmitter power change request from one of the mobile terminals over a wireless connection;    means for determining at least one power control parameter for the connection based on a current total transmitter power of the transceiver node; and    means for distributing transmitter power to the connection in accordance with the determined power control parameter.    
   
   
       17 . The transceiver node of  claim 16 , wherein the current total transmitter power represents substantially all downlink power resources, common and connection-specific, used at the transceiver node ( 122 ) at a particular point of time.  
   
   
       18 . The transceiver node of  claim 16 , further comprising means for determining the power control parameter based on a current connection-specific transmitter power for the connection.  
   
   
       19 . The transceiver node of  claim 18 , further comprising means for measuring the total transmitter power and the connection-specific transmitter power.  
   
   
       20 . The transceiver node of  claim 16 , farther comprising means for determining the power control parameter based on connection-specific information indicating the degree of priority associated with the connection.  
   
   
       21 . The transceiver node of  claim 16 , wherein the power control parameter is related to an item selected from the group of a maximum value of the connection-specific transmitter power, a probability of grant, and a power change step size.  
   
   
       22 . The transceiver node of claim  1 . 6 , comprising 
 means for combining at least two power control parameters based on different input parameters into an aggregate power control parameter; and    means for using the aggregate power control parameter for adjustments of connection-specific transmitter power.    
   
   
       23 . The transceiver node of  claim 16 , wherein the means for determining involves means for executing a predetermined power distribution function presenting a smooth transitional behavior as the current total transmitter power of the transceiver node ( 122 ) approaches a maximum total transmitter power value.  
   
   
       24 . The transceiver node of  claim 16 , wherein the means for determining involves means for deciding the power control parameter based on a predetermined threshold value for the total transmitter power.  
   
   
       25 . The transceiver node of  claim 16 , comprising a base station unit.  
   
   
       26 . A communication system ( 100 ) provided with means for power control and including a transceiver node ( 122 ) capable of communicating with multiple mobile terminals ( 110 ), comprising 
 means for receiving, at the transceiver node, a transmitter power change request from one of the mobile terminals over a wireless connection;    means for determining at least one power control parameter for the connection based on a current total transmitter power of the transceiver node; and    means for distributing transmitter power to the connection in accordance with the determined power control parameter.    
   
   
       27 . The communication system of  claim 26 , wherein the current total transmitter power represents substantially all downlink power resources, common and connection-specific, used at the transceiver node ( 122 ) at a particular point of time.  
   
   
       28 . The communication system of  claim 26 , further comprising means for determining the power control parameter based on a current connection-specific transmitter power for the connection.  
   
   
       29 . The communication system of  claim 26 , further comprising means for determining the power control parameter based on connection-specific information indicating the degree of priority associated with the connection.  
   
   
       30 . The communication system of  claim 29 , further comprising means for transmitting the connection-specific information from a network-based control unit ( 124 ) of the communication system to the transceiver node ( 122 ).  
   
   
       31 . The communication system of  claim 26 , wherein the power control parameter is related to an item selected from the group of a maximum value of the connection-specific transmitter power, a probability of grant, and a power change step size.  
   
   
       32 . The communication system of  claim 26 , being selected from the group of: a Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) system, a Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA) system, an Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) system, and a system using Multi Carrier Power Amplifiers (MCPA).