Outer loop/weighted open loop power control in a time division duplex communication system

A spread spectrum time division duplex communication system having a first and second communication station, the system using frames with time slots for communication, the system comprising:

• the first station comprising:
• means for receiving communications from a second communication station and determining an error rate of the received communications;
• means for producing target adjustments as needed based on in part the error rate;
• means for transmitting a first communication having a transmission power level in a first time slot and the target adjustments;
• the second station comprising:
• means for receiving the target adjustments and the first communication and measuring a power level of the first communication as received;
• means for determining a path loss estimate based on in part the measured received first communication power level;
• and
• means for setting a transmission power level for a second communication in a second time slot from the second station to the first station based on in part combining the path loss estimate weighted by a first factor, a long term pathloss estimate weighted by a second factor and a target level adjusted by the target adjustments, wherein the first and second factors are a function of a time separation of the first and second time slots;
• and
• the second station further comprises means for determining a quality, α, of the pathloss estimate based on in part a number of time slots, D, between the first and second time slot;
• and
• the first factor is α and the second factor is 1−α.