US 7,353,039 B2 · Power control of plural packet data control channels

Abstract

A method and apparatus for enabling more efficient use of plural packet data control channels (PDCCHs) that are associated with a common block of one or more packet data channels in a cellular communication system capable of high-speed data communications. Mobile stations (MSs) within a coverage area of a base station (BS) are categorized in accordance with an expected ability to receive signal transmissions, by determining position, transmission path length, reported channel quality, required reverse transmit power, or otherwise. The plural PDCCHs are preferentially associated with different categories of MSs, and are transmitted at different levels of robustness. The most robust PDCCH reaches all served MSs, and another PDCCH is transmitted at a lower robustness for more efficient utilization. Power may be reduced, and/or data density increased, on a less robust PDCCH.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A method of controlling power in a cellular telecommunications system that provides high-speed packet data to a multiplicity of mobile stations (MSs) from a serving base station (BS), the method comprising:

a) evaluating an expected reception quality for a multiplicity of MSs served by a serving BS;
b) categorizing the MSs served by the serving BS into a plurality of reception categories that reflect results of the expected reception quality evaluation;
c) assigning a first one of a plurality of packet data control channels (PDCCHs) preferentially to MSs in a first reception category;
d) transmitting information on the first PDCCH with a first robustness to MSs in the first reception category;
and
e) transmitting information on a different second PDCCH at a second robustness lower than the first robustness to MSs of a second reception category, such that more transmit power is attributable to the first PDCCH than to the second PDCCH.

3 more elements

Cellular communication system base station (BS) apparatus for transmitting high-speed data to a multiplicity of users, the apparatus comprising:

a) packet data channel transmission facilities configured to share a packet data channel between a plurality of user transceivers by transmitting different packet data to each of a plurality of distinct user transceivers on the packet data channel during a common packet transmission period;
b) a plurality of distinct packet control channel (PCC) signal processing paths, including a first PCC and a second PCC;
c) a user transceiver receive evaluation block configured to estimate ability to receive signals for each of a multiplicity of user transceivers assigned to share the packet data channel, and to categorize the user transceivers in a plurality of receive ability categories according to such estimated ability to receive;
d) processing facilities configured to prepare first and second information messages regarding the packet data channel for concurrent transmission on the first and second PCCs, respectively, to a corresponding plurality of user transceivers selected based in part according to receive ability categories of the user transceivers;
and
e) robustness control facilities for controlling a second PCC message transmission robustness distinctly from a robustness of a concurrent first PCC message transmission.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Power control of plural packet data control channels

Life of this patent

Power control of plural packet data control channels

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20