Uplink Scheduling based on Upper and Lower SNR Targets

A method of controlling radio transmissions in a wireless communication network, the method comprising:

• determining a lower target and an upper target for a signal to noise ratio of uplink radio transmissions from a radio device to the wireless communication network;
• and
• scheduling the uplink radio transmissions by allocating radio resources for the uplink radio transmissions and by controlling a transmit power of the uplink radio transmissions, wherein said scheduling further comprises:
• determining an estimate of the signal-to-noise ratio of the uplink radio transmission based on a bandwidth of radio resources to be allocated for the uplink radio transmission and a current value of the transmit power;
• comparing the estimate of the signal-to-noise ratio to at least one of the lower target and the upper target;
• determining whether the radio device operates at a maximum transmit power;
• in response to the estimate of the signal-to-noise ratio being below the lower target and determining that the radio device operates below the maximum transmit power, controlling the radio device to increase the transmit power, and
• in response to the estimate of the signal-to-noise ratio being between the lower target and the upper target, maintaining the bandwidth and the current value of the transmit power and allocating radio resources for the uplink radio transmission in accordance with the maintained bandwidth.

A node for a wireless communication network, the node comprising:

• an access interface configured to communicate with one or more radio devices;
• and
• one or more processors operably coupled to the access interface, whereby the processors
• are configured to execute program code that causes the node to:
• determine a lower target and an upper target for a signal to noise ratio of uplink radio transmissions from a radio device to the wireless communication network;
• and
• schedule the uplink radio transmissions by allocating radio resources for the uplink radio transmissions and by controlling a transmit power of the uplink radio transmissions, wherein execution of the program code causes the node to schedule the uplink transmissions further by:
• determining an estimate of the signal-to-noise ratio of the uplink radio transmission based on a bandwidth of radio resources to be allocated for the uplink radio transmission and a current value of the transmit power;
• comparing the estimate of the signal-to-noise ratio to at least one of the lower target and the upper target;
• determining whether the radio device operates at a maximum transmit power;
• in response to the estimate of the signal-to-noise ratio being below the lower target and determining that the radio device operates below the maximum transmit power, controlling the radio device to increase the transmit power;
• and
• in response to the estimate of the signal-to-noise ratio being between the lower target and the upper target, maintaining the bandwidth and the current value of the transmit power and allocating radio resources for the uplink radio transmission in accordance with the maintained bandwidth.

A system comprising:

• a radio device;
• and
• a node for a wireless communication network, the node being configured to communicate with the radio device and comprising one or more processors configured to execute program code that causes the node to:
• determine a lower target and an upper target for a signal to noise ratio of uplink radio transmissions from the radio device to the wireless communication network;
• and
• perform scheduling of the uplink radio transmissions by allocating radio resources for the uplink radio transmissions and by performing the following operations:
• depending on a bandwidth of radio resources to be allocated for an uplink radio transmission and a current value of the transmit power, determine an estimate of the signal-to-noise ratio of the uplink radio transmission;
• compare the estimate of the signal-to-noise ratio to at least one of the lower target and the upper target;
• and
• based on a result of the comparison, adapt the bandwidth and allocate radio resources for the uplink radio transmission in accordance with the adapted bandwidth.