# US 10,321,416 B2 · Transmission power control > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,321,416 B2 - Document ID: US10321416B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/544,759 - Filed: 2015-01-28 - Published: 2018-01-04 - Granted: 2019-06-11 - Earliest claimed: 2015-01-28 - Assignees: Nokia Solutions and Networks Oy - Applicants: Nokia Solutions and Networks Oy - Inventors: Esa Tapani Tiirola; Timo Erkki Lunttila; Kari Juhani Hooli; Klaus Hugl - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10321416B2 ## CPC - H04W 52/367: {Power values between minimum and maximum limits, e.g. dynamic range} - H04W 52/146: {Uplink power control} - H04W 52/241: {taking into account channel quality metrics, e.g. SIR, SNR, CIR or Eb/lo} - H04W 52/244: {Interferences in heterogeneous networks, e.g. among macro and femto or pico cells or other sector / system interference [OSI]} - H04W 52/262: {taking into account adaptive modulation and coding [AMC] scheme} - H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72) ## Abstract Apparatuses and methods for transmission power control are disclosed. A given transmission resource and a first transmission power are determined (202, 204) for transmission. Prior to transmitting on the given transmission resource it is determined (206) whether the resource is occupied or unoccupied. Upon detecting that the resource is occupied, a second, reduced transmission power is determined (210) such that a transmission using the second, reduced transmission power would not render the resource as occupied. The determination of the second transmission power is based at least partially on a predetermined maximum transmission power reduction value. Transmission (212) is done utilizing the given transmission resource using the second transmission power according to the determination. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An apparatus comprising: at least one processor; and at least one non-transitory memory including computer program code, the at least one non-transitory memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to: determine a given transmission resource for transmission; determine a first transmission power level; determine prior to transmitting on the given transmission resource whether the resource is occupied or unoccupied based on a first clear channel assessment procedure having a first clear channel assessment threshold level at least partially defined by the first transmission power level; upon detecting that the resource is occupied, determine a second reduced transmission power by applying a transmission power reduction such that a transmission using the second reduced transmission power would not render the resource as occupied based on a second clear channel assessment procedure having a second clear channel assessment threshold level at least partially defined by the second reduced transmission power, wherein the determination of the second reduced transmission power is based at least partially on a predetermined maximum transmission power reduction value and on a difference between the first clear channel assessment threshold level of the first clear channel assessment procedure and energy detected during the first clear channel assessment procedure; and transmit utilising the given transmission resource using the second reduced transmission power according to the determination. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the determination of the second reduced transmission power comprises: determining the transmission power reduction representing the difference between the first transmission power level and the second reduced transmission power; comparing the determined transmission power reduction to the predetermined maximum transmission power reduction value; and the at least one non-transitory memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, further cause the apparatus at least to: upon detecting that the determined transmission power reduction is within a limit set by the predetermined maximum transmission power reduction value, perform the transmission; and otherwise omit the transmission. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the determination of the second reduced transmission power is further based on a predetermined minimum transmission power value. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the determination of the second reduced transmission power further comprises comparing the second reduced transmission power to a predetermined minimum transmission power value; and the at least one non-transitory memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, further cause the apparatus at least to: transmit utilising the given transmission resource using the second reduced transmission power level if the determined second reduced transmission power level is larger than or equal to the predetermined minimum transmission power value; and otherwise omit the transmission. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one non-transitory memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus further to: adjust at least one of the following transmission parameters if transmission uses the second reduced transmission power: modulation order, coding rate, transmission bandwidth, number of transmission blocks to be transmitted. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one non-transitory memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus further to: signal, to a network, information on the power level of the transmission and/or on a use of power reduction on the given transmission resource. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one non-transitory memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus further to: determine the second reduced transmission power prior to determining whether the given transmission resource is occupied or unoccupied; and check the channel occupancy by assuming transmission with the second reduced transmission power instead of the first transmission power level. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, the at least one non-transitory memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus, further to: select the transmission power reduction from a set of predetermined transmission power reduction values. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one non-transitory memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus, further to: determine more than one given transmission resource for the transmission; and determine the second reduced transmission power separately for each given transmission resource. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is configured to perform carrier aggregation such that the apparatus is configured to transmit user data on a carrier applying clear channel assessment procedure, and is configured to transmit user data and control data on a carrier not applying the clear channel assessment procedure. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one non-transitory memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus further to: receive the predetermined maximum transmission power reduction value from a network. ### Claim 12 (depends on 3) The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the at least one non-transitory memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus further to: receive the predetermined minimum transmission power value from the network. ### Claim 13 A method comprising: determining a given transmission resource for transmission; determining a first transmission power level; determining prior to transmitting on the given transmission resource whether the resource is occupied or unoccupied based on a first clear channel assessment procedure having a first clear channel assessment threshold level at least partially defined by the first transmission power level; upon detecting that the resource is occupied, determining a second reduced transmission power by applying a transmission power reduction such that a transmission using the second reduced transmission power would not render the resource as occupied based on a second clear channel assessment procedure having a second clear channel assessment threshold level at least partially defined by the second reduced transmission power, wherein the determination of the second reduced transmission power is based at least partially on a predetermined maximum transmission power reduction value and on a difference between the first clear channel assessment threshold level of the first clear channel assessment procedure and energy detected during the first clear channel assessment procedure; and transmitting utilising the given transmission resource using the second reduced transmission power according to the determination. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein the determination of the second reduced transmission power is further based on a predetermined minimum transmission power value. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, wherein the determination of the second reduced transmission power further comprises comparing the second reduced transmission power to a predetermined minimum transmission power value; and the method further comprises: transmitting utilising the given transmission resource using the second reduced transmission power if the determined second reduced transmission power is higher than or equal to the predetermined minimum transmission power value; and otherwise omitting the transmission. ### Claim 16 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein the determination of the second reduced transmission power comprises: determining the transmission power reduction representing the difference between the first transmission power level and the second reduced transmission power; comparing the determined transmission power reduction to the predetermined maximum transmission power reduction value; and the method further comprises: upon detecting that the determined transmission power reduction is within a limit set by the predetermined maximum transmission power reduction value, performing the transmission; and otherwise omitting the transmission. ### Claim 17 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, further comprising: selecting the transmission power reduction from a set of predetermined transmission power reduction values.