Method and apparatus for transmitting messages in a wireless communication system

In a wireless communication system, a method for transmitting a message from a first entity to a second entity, comprising:

• identifying a codeword associated with the message, wherein the identified codeword is one of a plurality of codewords defined for an alphabet, and wherein at least two codewords in the alphabet have unequal distances to their nearest codewords;
• determining a transmit power level for the identified codeword, based at least in part on a distance of the identified codeword to its nearest codeword in the alphabet;
• and
• transmitting the identified codeword from the first entity to the second entity at the determined transmit power level, wherein the message to be transmitted is one of a plurality of possible messages, wherein the plurality of codewords in the alphabet are assigned to the plurality of possible messages in accordance with a particular assignment scheme, and wherein the plurality of codewords in the alphabet are assigned to the plurality of possible messages such that messages to be transmitted at higher transmit power levels are assigned with codewords having larger distances to their nearest codewords.

In a wireless communication system, a method for transmitting a message from a first entity to a second entity, comprising:

• identifying a codeword associated with the message, wherein the identified codeword is one of a plurality of codewords defined for an alphabet, and wherein at least two codewords in the alphabet have unequal distances to their nearest codewords;
• determining a transmit power level for the identified codeword, based at least in part on a distance of the identified codeword to its nearest codeword in the alphabet;
• and
• transmitting the identified codeword from the first entity to the second entity at the determined transmit power level, wherein the message to be transmitted is one of a plurality of possible messages, wherein the plurality of codewords in the alphabet are assigned to the plurality of possible messages in accordance with a particular assignment scheme, and wherein the plurality of codewords in the alphabet are assigned to the plurality of possible messages such that messages to be transmitted frequently are assigned with codewords having larger distances to their nearest codewords.

An access terminal in a wireless communication system, comprising:

• a receiver configured to receive a signal from an access network and determine at least one characteristic of a communication link through which the signal is received;
• a data processor configured to form a message indicative of a state of the communication link and assign a codeword to the message, the codeword being selected from an alphabet of a plurality of codewords, a minimum distance of the codeword to its nearest codeword in the alphabet being associated with the state of the communication link;
• and
• a transmitter unit configured to transmit the message at a particular power level determined based at least in part on the message, wherein the minimum distance of the codeword is based at least in part on how frequently the message is transmitted.

A communication unit in a wireless communication system, comprising:

• a receiver configured to receive a signal from a transmitting source and determine at least one characteristic of a communication link through which the signal is received;
• a data processor configured to form a message indicative of a state of the communication link and assign a codeword to the message, the assigned codeword being selected from an alphabet of a plurality of codewords, a minimum distance of the assigned codeword to its nearest codeword in the alphabet being associated with the state of the communication link;
• and
• a transmitter unit configured to transmit the message at a particular power level determined based at least in part on the message, wherein the minimum distance of the codeword is based at least in part on how frequently the message is transmitted.

An apparatus in a wireless communication system, comprising:

• means for receiving a signal from a transmitting source and determining at least one characteristic of a communication link through which the signal is received;
• means for forming a message indicative of a state of the communication link;
• means for assigning a codeword to the message, the assigned codeword being selected from an alphabet of a plurality of codewords, a minimum distance of the assigned codeword to its nearest codeword in the alphabet being associated with the state of the communication link;
• and
• means for transmitting the message at a particular transmit power determined based at least in part on the message, wherein the minimum distance of the codeword is based at least in part on how frequently the message is transmitted.

An apparatus in a wireless communication system, comprising:

• means for identifying a codeword associated with a message, wherein the identified codeword is one of a plurality of codewords defined for an alphabet, and wherein at least two codewords in the alphabet have unequal distances to their nearest codewords;
• means for determining a transmit power level for the identified codeword, based at least in part on a distance of the identified codeword to its nearest codeword in the alphabet;
• and
• means for transmitting the identified codeword at the determined transmit power levels wherein the plurality of codewords in the alphabet are assigned to the plurality of possible messages such that messages to be transmitted at higher transmit power levels are assigned with codewords having larger distances to their nearest codewords.