System and method for closed loop uplink power control

A node for optimizing uplink closed loop power control in a Radio Access Network (RAN) in which one or more base stations each service a plurality of mobile stations, the node configured to:

• at each base station, for each mobile station connected to the base station, determine a transmit power level for the mobile station's uplink transmissions, wherein the node is configured to determine the transmit power level by being configured to measure a current achieved signal to interference plus noise ratio (SINR) for each mobile station, and wherein each mobile station has a desired target SINR;
• update the desired target SINR for at least one of the plurality of mobile stations based on the current achieved SINR and prior SINR measurements to obtain a current desired target SINR;
• and
• for the at least one mobile station, adjust the transmit power level by sending a transmission power control (TPC) command to the mobile station based on a difference between the current desired target SINR and the current achieved SINR,
• wherein the node is further configured to:
• adaptively adjust the desired target SINR over time to ultimately approach a target SINR that is feasible, and
• reset the desired target SINR to a higher value, and transmit a TPC command to the at least one mobile station to cause its power level to increase, if determined interference levels are determined to have been reduced beyond a threshold level

A node for optimizing uplink closed loop power control in a Radio Access Network (RAN) in which one or more base stations each service a plurality of mobile stations, the node configured to:

• at each base station, for each mobile station connected to the base station, determine a transmit power level for the mobile station's uplink transmissions, wherein the node is configured to determine the transmit power level by being configured to measure a current achieved signal to interference plus noise ratio (SINR) for each mobile station, and wherein each mobile station has a desired target SINR;
• update the desired target SINR for at least one of the plurality of mobile stations based on the current achieved SINR and prior SINR measurements to obtain a current desired target SINR;
• and
• for the at least one mobile station, adjust the transmit power level by sending a transmission power control (TPC) command to the mobile station based on a difference between the current desired target SINR and the current achieved SINR,
• wherein the node is further configured to:
• adaptively adjust the desired target SINR over time to ultimately approach a target SINR that is feasible, and
• periodically reset the desired target SINR to a value exceeding the current achieved SINR by a differential amount, whereby problems associated with increasing the desired target SINR based on a decrease in measured interference are at least substantially avoided.