Ul control channel consideration for heterogeneous networks

A network node, comprising:

• one or more processors configured to:
• provide to a user equipment a dedicated physical control channel (DPCCH), the DPCCH having an associated first fractional dedicated physical channel (F-DPCH) for conveying transmit power control commands to the user equipment for power controlling the DPCCH;
• provide to the user equipment a secondary dedicated physical control channel (S-DPCCH) (502), the S-DPCCH comprising an uplink control channel for communicating transmit power control commands, the S-DPCCH having an associated second F-DPCH for conveying transmit power control commands to the user equipment for power controlling the S-DPCCH;
• receive, from the user equipment, a downlink transmit power control command, the downlink transmit power control command carried on the S-DPCCH and determined based at least in part on a quality of the second F-DPCH independent of a quality of a third F-DPCH associated with a second network node;
• and
• control a transmit power of the first F-DPCH associated with the DPCCH and the second F-DPCH associated with the S-DPCCH based on the downlink transmit power control command carried on the S-DPCCH.

A method in a user equipment, comprising:

• receiving provisioning by a network node of a dedicated physical control channel (DPCCH), the DPCCH having an associated first fractional dedicated physical channel (F-DPCH) for conveying transmit power control commands to the user equipment for power controlling the DPCCH;
• receiving provisioning by the network node of a secondary dedicated physical control channel (S-DPCCH), the S-DPCCH comprising an uplink control channel for communicating transmit power control commands, the S-DPCCH having an associated second F-DPCH for conveying transmit power control commands to the user equipment for power controlling the S-DPCCH;
• determining a first downlink transmit power control command for power controlling the first F-DPCH and the second F-DPCH based at least in part on the second F-DPCH associated with S-DPCCH;
• determining a second downlink transmit power control command for power controlling a third F-DPCH associated with the DPCCH and transmitted by a second network node;
• communicating, to the network node, the first downlink transmit power control command, the first downlink transmit power control command carried on the S-DPCCH;
• and
• communicating, to the second network node, the second downlink transmit power control command, the second downlink transmit power control command carried on the DPCCH.

A user equipment, comprising:

• one or more processors configured to:
• receive provisioning by a network node of a dedicated physical control channel (DPCCH), the DPCCH having an associated first fractional dedicated physical channel (F-DPCH) for conveying transmit power control commands to the user equipment for power controlling the DPCCH;
• receive provisioning by the network node of a secondary dedicated physical control channel (S-DPCCH), the S-DPCCH comprising an uplink control channel for communicating transmit power control commands, the S-DPCCH having an associated second F-DPCH for conveying transmit power control commands to the user equipment for power controlling the S-DPCCH;
• determine a first downlink transmit power control command for power controlling the first F-DPCH and the second F-DPCH based at least in part on the second F-DPCH associated with S-DPCCH;
• determine a second downlink transmit power control command for power controlling a third F-DPCH associated with the DPCCH and transmitted by a second network node;
• communicate, to the network node, the first downlink transmit power control command, the first downlink transmit power control command carried on the S-DPCCH;
• and
• communicate, to the second network node, the second downlink transmit power control command, the second downlink transmit power control command carried on the DPCCH.