Method and apparatus to improve the robustness of a wireless communication link

A method for improving robustness of a wireless communication link between a mobile device and a base station, the method comprising:

• monitoring a quality metric value at the mobile device;
• setting a transmit power level of a first portion of an uplink communication signal to a first transmit power level value when the monitored quality metric value is within a first range of quality metric values;
• setting the transmit power level of the first portion of the uplink communication signal to a second transmit power level value when the monitored quality metric value is within a second range of quality metric values, the second transmit power level value being greater than the first transmit power level value, thereby improving a robustness of the wireless communication link;
• setting a transmit power level of a second portion of the uplink communication signal to the first power level value when the monitored quality metric value is in the first range of quality values, and
• setting the transmit power level of the second portion of the uplink communication signal to a third power level value when the monitored quality metric value is in the second range of quality values;
• wherein the third power level value is less than the first power level value.

A mobile device, comprising:

• a wireless interface, the wireless interface configured to communicate with a base station over a wireless link, the wireless link comprising an uplink communication signal transmitted from the mobile device to the base station;
• a processor;
• and
• a computer readable apparatus having a non-transitory storage medium with at least one computer program stored thereon, the at least one computer program configured to, when executed on the processor, cause the mobile device to:
• monitor a quality metric value;
• set a transmit power level of a first portion of an uplink communication signal to a first transmit power level value when the monitored quality metric value is within a first range of quality metric values;
• and
• set the transmit power level of the first portion of the uplink communication signal to a second transmit power level value when the monitored quality metric value is within a second range of quality metric values;
• wherein the second transmit power level value is greater than the first transmit power level value;
• and
• wherein the monitored quality metric value comprises a timing advance set by the base station.

A mobile device configured to improve a robustness of a wireless communication link with a base station, the mobile device comprising:

• a processor;
• a radio transceiver in signal communication with the processor;
• and
• computerized logic in communication with the radio transceiver, the computerized logic configured to cause the mobile device to:
• set a transmit power level of a first portion of an uplink communication signal transmitted to a first transmit power level value when the monitored quality metric value is within a first range of quality metric value;
• set the transmit power level of the first portion of the uplink communication signal to a second transmit power level value when the monitored quality metric value is within a second range of quality metric values, where the second transmit power level value is greater than the first transmit power level value;
• set a transmit power level of a second portion of the uplink communication signal to the first power level value when the monitored quality metric value is in the first range of quality values, and
• set the transmit power level of the second portion of the uplink communication signal to a third power level value when the monitored quality metric value is in the second range of quality values, where the third power level value is less than the first power level value.

A method for improving robustness of a wireless communication link between a mobile device and a base station, the method comprising:

• monitoring a quality metric value and a power storage metric value at the mobile device;
• setting a transmit power level of a first portion of an uplink communication signal to a first transmit power level value when the monitored quality metric value is within a first range of quality metric values;
• and
• setting the transmit power level of the first portion of the uplink communication signal to a second transmit power level value when the monitored quality metric value is within a second range of quality metric values;
• setting the second transmit power level based on the monitored power storage metric value;
• wherein the second transmit power level value is greater than the first transmit power level value, thereby improving a robustness of the wireless communication link.

A mobile device configured to improve a robustness of a wireless communication link, the mobile device comprising:

• a processor;
• a radio transceiver in signal communication with the processor;
• and
• computerized logic in communication with the transceiver, the computerized logic configured to:
• monitor a quality metric value, the quality metric value comprising a timing advance value set by the base station;
• and
• increase a transmit power level of a first portion of an uplink communication signal transmitted on the wireless communication link from the mobile device to the base station based on the monitored quality metric value.