Tracking received power in wireless communications

A wireless communication apparatus operable in a wireless communication system, comprising:

• a receiver that receivers a plurality of signal transmissions over a communication channel, the plurality of signal transmissions being transmitted using a plurality of transmit powers, each transmit power sharing a common transmit power term unknown to the receiver and a plurality of signal-specific power offsets known to the receiver;
• a power measurer that measures received power at the receiver;
• a subtractor that subtracts a corresponding known power offset from the measured received signal power, resulting in a corresponding estimate of the common unknown power term, thereby resulting in a plurality of estimates of the common transmit power term;
• an estimator that estimates a refined common transmit power term from the plurality of estimates of the common transmit power term;
• a refined power calculator that obtains a plurality of refined measured received signal powers by adding the plurality of signal-specific power offsets to the refined common power term;
• and
• an adapter that adapts, based on the refined common transmit power term, a functionality of the wireless communication system.

A computer program product comprising a computer-readable medium having code stored thereupon, the code, when executed by a processor, causing the processor to perform a method implementable in a wireless communication system, comprising:

• receiving, at a receiver, a plurality of signal transmissions over a communication channel, the plurality of signal transmissions being transmitted using a plurality of transmit powers, each transmit power sharing a common transmit power term unknown to the receiver and a plurality of signal-specific power offsets known to the receiver;
• measuring received power at the receiver;
• subtracting a corresponding known power offset from the measured received signal power, resulting in a corresponding estimate of the common unknown power term, thereby resulting in a plurality of estimates of the common transmit power term;
• estimating a refined common transmit power term from the plurality of estimates of the common transmit power term;
• obtaining a plurality of refined measured received signal powers by adding the plurality of signal-specific power offsets to the refined common power term;
• and
• adapting, based on the refined common transmit power term, a functionality of the wireless communication system.

A wireless communication system comprising a transmitter and a receiver, wherein:

• the transmitter is configured to transmit a plurality of wireless transmissions;
• and
• the receiver is configured to:
• receive the plurality of signal transmissions over a communication channel, the plurality of signal transmissions being transmitted using a plurality of transmit powers, each transmit power sharing a common transmit power term unknown to the receiver and a plurality of signal-specific power offsets known to the receiver;
• measure received power at the receiver;
• subtract a corresponding known power offset from the measured received signal power, resulting in a corresponding estimate of the common unknown power term, thereby resulting in a plurality of estimates of the common transmit power term;
• estimate a refined common transmit power term from the plurality of estimates of the common transmit power term;
• obtain a plurality of refined measured received signal powers by adding the plurality of signal-specific power offsets to the refined common power term;
• and
• adapt based on the refined common transmit power term, a functionality of the wireless communication system.