Processing digital samples in a wireless receiver

A receiver for use in a wireless communications system, the receiver comprising:

• an antenna configured to receive a signal transmitted from a transmitter via a wireless transmission channel;
• a memory configured to hold a plurality of processing routines of differing sensitivities;
• and
• a processor configured to:
• compare a reference target signal quality value with an estimated received signal quality value for blocks of the received signal;
• provide the result of the comparing to the transmitter whereby the transmitter can adjust transmit power based on the comparing;
• detect if the estimated received signal quality value exceeds the reference target signal quality value for a period, to thereby detect an excess signal quality;
• and
• select one of the plurality of processing routines of different sensitivities for processing received digital samples, wherein when the excess signal quality is detected, a processing routine with a sensitivity less than a sensitivity of a processing routine currently being utilized to process the digital samples is selected.

A mobile terminal for use in a wireless communications system comprising:

• a wireless interface configured to receive and provide digital samples;
• and
• a receiver configured to process the digital samples, the receiver including:
• an antenna configured to receive a signal transmitted from a transmitter via a wireless transmission channel,
• a memory configured to hold a plurality of processing routines of differing sensitivities;
• and
• a processor configured to:
• compare a reference target signal quality value with an estimated received signal quality value for the blocks of the received signal,
• provide the result of the comparing to the transmitter whereby the transmitter can adjust transmit power based on the comparing,
• detect if the estimated received signal quality value exceeds the reference target signal quality value for a period, to thereby detect an excess signal quality, and
• select one of the plurality of processing routines of different sensitivities for processing received digital samples, wherein when the excess signal quality is detected, wherein when the excess signal quality is detected, a processing routine with a sensitivity less than a sensitivity of a processing routine currently being utilized to process the digital samples is selected.

A computer program product comprising:

• program code stored on a non-transitory computer readable medium which, when executed by a processor, carry out the steps of a method of processing digital samples from a signal received from a transmitter via a wireless transmission channel in a wireless communications system, the method including:
• comparing a reference target signal quality value with an estimated received signal quality value;
• providing the result of the comparing step to the transmitter to adjust transmit power for the signal based on the comparing step;
• detecting if the estimated received signal quality value exceeds the reference target signal quality value for a period, to thereby detect an excess signal quality;
• and selecting one of a plurality of processing routines of differing sensitivities for processing the digital samples based on the detecting step, wherein when the excess signal quality is detected, a processing routine with a sensitivity less than a sensitivity of a processing routine currently being utilized to process the digital samples is selected.

A wireless communications system, comprising:

• a receiver including:
• an antenna configured to receive a signal transmitted from a transmitter via a wireless transmission channel,
• a memory configured to hold a plurality of processing routines of differing sensitivities;
• and
• a processor configured to:
• compare a reference target signal quality value with an estimated received signal quality value for blocks of the received signal,
• provide the result of the comparing to the transmitter whereby the transmitter can adjust transmit power based on the comparing,
• detect if the estimated received signal quality value exceeds the reference target signal quality value for a period, to thereby detect an excess signal quality, and
• select one of the plurality of processing routines of different sensitivities for processing received digital samples, a processing routine with a sensitivity less than a sensitivity of a processing routine currently being utilized to process the digital samples is selected;
• and
• a transmitter, wherein the transmitter is operable to adjust transmit power based on the results of the comparing.