Power control method and arrangement for handover in a mobile communication system

Abstract

For providing power control for a mobile station in a mobile communication, in connection with accomplishing a handover of the mobile station from a presently serving cell to a target cell, each cell is assigned a maximum transmitting power level at which mobile stations are allowed to transmit in the cell. The receive level of the downlink signal of the handover target cell is measured at the mobile station prior to the handover, and the transmitting power level of the measured receive level of the downlink signal of the target cell. The mobile station is commanded to use the determined transmitting power level as its initial output power level in the target cell following the handover. The transmitting power level of the mobile station following the handover is lower than the maximum transmitting power level of the target cell by an amount equal to the difference between the optimum level of the uplink signal of the target cell and the measured receive level of the downlink signal of the target cell as measured prior to the handover, if the measured receive level of the target cell is higher than the optimum level of the uplink signal of the target cell.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.