Selective Forward Link Power Control in Wireless Networks
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Solution Overview
Problem
In wireless communication networks, existing power control methods often inefficiently adjust forward link transmission power across all wireless coverage areas in a device's active set, wasting capacity and failing to effectively meet signal strength requirements, as adjustments in areas with weaker signals have minimal impact on the receiving device.
Innovation Solution
The method involves a wireless communication device measuring signal strengths from multiple coverage areas, requesting power adjustments, and the RAN selectively increasing or decreasing power in a subset of the strongest or weakest areas to maintain optimal signal quality, conserving capacity by adjusting power in a minimal number of areas necessary to meet the device's requirements.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the RAN adjusts forward link transmission power in all wireless coverage areas in a WCD's active set, then the WCD receives sufficient signal strength, but air interface capacity is wasted and fewer devices can be served
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the WCD's active set into multiple subsets based on signal strength measurements. The RAN identifies the strongest coverage area and creates a first subset containing only that coverage area, while other coverage areas form additional subsets. This segmentation allows selective power adjustment in only the necessary subset, avoiding waste of air interface capacity on coverage areas that don't need power adjustments.
2Productivity
If the RAN adjusts power in a subset of coverage areas rather than all, then air interface capacity is conserved, but signal strength requirements may not be met
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism where the WCD continuously measures forward link signal strengths from all coverage areas in its active set and reports these measurements to the RAN. The RAN uses this feedback information to identify which coverage area has the strongest signal and to determine whether power adjustment is needed. This feedback loop ensures that selective power adjustment in subsets maintains signal strength requirements while conserving capacity.
3Reliability
If the RAN increases power in coverage areas with weak signals, then signal strength requirements are met, but the adjustment has minimal impact since these areas are not the strongest
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by making different coverage areas have different treatment based on their signal strength characteristics. Instead of uniformly adjusting power across all coverage areas, the RAN identifies the specific coverage area with the strongest signal and applies power adjustment only to that local area. This localized approach ensures that power adjustments are applied where they have maximum impact on meeting signal strength requirements, avoiding waste of energy on coverage areas where adjustments would be ineffective.
Data Source
AI summary
In methods and systems for adjusting forward link transmit power of wireless coverage areas, forward link signal strength is observed to obtain a signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and/or an observed frame error rate (FER) for the received signal. A determination is made whether to request a forward link power adjustment. If the determination is that a forward link power adjustment is required, a request may be made into a radio access network (RAN) to adjust power. The RAN may select a subset of wireless coverage areas in which to adjust power. If further power adjustment is required, a further request may be made into the RAN, and the RAN may select a different subset of wireless coverage areas in which to adjust power.