Method and device in a communication network

1. A method of operating a base station, the method comprising:

determining whether there are any mobile devices that are not associated with the base station that require protection from interference caused by downlink transmissions of the base station; and

setting a maximum permitted transmission power for the base station based on the result of the step of determining such that in the event that it is determined that there is at least one mobile device that is not associated with the base station that requires protection from interference caused by downlink transmissions of the base station, then the maximum permitted transmission power is set to an intermediate value that is higher than a relatively low value or a lower limit for the maximum permitted transmission power, the intermediate value being set in accordance with an extent to which the at least one mobile device requires protection from the interference.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the step of setting comprises setting the maximum permitted transmission power to a relatively high value or an upper limit for the maximum permitted transmission power in the event that it is determined that there are no mobile devices that require protection from interference caused by downlink transmissions of the base station.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the step of determining includes identifying whether there are any mobile devices that are receiving downlink transmissions from a another base station than the base station.

4. The method as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the step of identifying comprises detecting signals in an uplink from mobile devices that are not associated with the base station to the another base station.

5. The method as claimed in claim 4 , wherein, in the event that a signal is detected in the said step of identifying, the step of determining further includes estimating a quality of the detected signal.

6. The method as claimed in claim 5 , wherein the step of setting a maximum permitted transmission power for the base station comprises setting the maximum permitted transmission power based on the estimated quality of the detected signal.

7. The method as claimed in claim 6 , wherein the step of determining comprises comparing the estimated quality of the detected signal to a threshold, and the step of setting comprises setting the maximum permitted transmission power based on the result of the comparison.

8. The method as claimed in claim 7 , wherein if the estimated quality is above the threshold, the step of setting comprises setting the maximum permitted transmission power to a relatively low value or a lower limit for the maximum permitted transmission power.

9. The method as claimed in claim 7 wherein if the estimated quality is below the threshold, the step of setting includes setting the maximum permitted transmission power to an intermediate value between upper and lower limits for the maximum permitted transmission power for the base station.

10. The method as claimed in claim 9 , wherein the intermediate value is set based on the difference between the estimated quality and the threshold.

11. The method of claim 5 , wherein the quality of the detected signal is a measure of uplink interference.

12. The method of claim 5 , wherein the quality of the detected signal is a measure of interference generated by mobile devices that are not associated with the base station.

13. The method of claim 5 , wherein the quality of the detected signal is a measure of interference generated by signals in an uplink from mobile devices that are not associated with the base station to the another base station.

14. The method as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the step of identifying includes estimating a quality of a signal in an uplink from mobile devices that are not associated with the base station to the another base station.

15. The method as claimed in claim 14 , wherein the step of identifying comprises estimating a quality of a reference signal in the uplink.

16. The method as claimed in claim 15 , wherein the reference signal is a Zadoff-Chu based reference signal.

17. The method of claim 14 , wherein the quality is a measure of uplink interference.

18. The method as claimed in any of claim 3 , wherein, in the event that no mobile devices are identified in the step of identifying, the step of setting comprises setting the maximum permitted transmission power to a relatively high value or an upper limit for the maximum permitted transmission power.

19. The method as claimed in claim 18 , wherein the step of setting further includes periodically or intermittently setting the maximum permitted transmission power to a relatively low value or a lower limit for the maximum permitted transmission power.

20. The method as claimed in claim 18 , wherein the step of setting further includes setting the maximum permitted transmission power to a relatively low value or a lower limit for the maximum permitted transmission power for downlink transmissions from the base station that coincide with downlink control channel transmissions from the another base station than the base station.

21. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said base station is a femtocell base station.

22. A base station for use in a communication network, the base station being configured to perform the method as claimed in claim 1 .

23. The base station as claimed in claim 22 , wherein the base station is a femtocell base station.

24. A method of operating a base station, the method comprising:

determining whether there are any mobile devices that are not associated with the base station that require protection from interference caused by downlink transmissions of the base station by estimating a quality of the detected signal and comparing the estimated quality of the detected signal to a threshold; and

setting a maximum permitted transmission power for the base station based on the result of the step of determining which includes the comparing of the estimated quality of the detected signal to the threshold;

wherein the step of determining comprises identifying whether there are any mobile devices that are receiving downlink transmissions from a other base station other than the base station by detecting signals in an uplink from mobile devices that are not associated with the base station to the other base station; and, in the event that a signal is detected in the step of identifying.

25. The method of claim 24 , wherein the quality of the detected signal is a measure of uplink interference.

26. The method of claim 24 , wherein the quality of the detected signal is a measure of interference generated by mobile devices that are not associated with the base station.

27. The method of claim 24 , wherein the quality of the detected signal is a measure of interference generated by signals in an uplink from mobile devices that are not associated with the base station to the other base station.

28. The method as claimed in claim 24 , wherein the step of identifying comprises estimating a quality of a reference signal in the uplink.

29. A method of operating a base station, the method comprising:

determining whether there are any mobile devices that are not associated with the base station that require protection from interference caused by downlink transmissions of the base station; and

setting a maximum permitted transmission power for the base station based on the result of the step of determining;

wherein the step of determining comprises identifying whether there are any mobile devices that are receiving downlink transmissions from a other base station other than the base station by estimating a quality of a signal in an uplink from mobile devices, that are not associated with the base station, to the other base station.

30. The method of claim 29 , wherein the quality of the detected signal is a measure of uplink interference.

31. The method of claim 29 , wherein the quality of the detected signal is a measure of interference generated by mobile devices that are not associated with the base station.

32. The method of claim 29 , wherein the quality of the detected signal is a measure of interference generated by signals in an uplink from mobile devices that are not associated with the base station to the other base station.

33. The method as claimed in claim 29 , wherein the step of identifying comprises estimating a quality of a reference signal in the uplink.

34. The method as claimed in claim 29 , wherein if the estimated quality is above the threshold, the step of setting comprises setting the maximum permitted transmission power to a relatively low value or a lower limit for the maximum permitted transmission power.

35. The method as claimed in claim 29 wherein if the estimated quality is below the threshold, the step of setting comprises setting the maximum permitted transmission power to an intermediate value between upper and lower limits for the maximum permitted transmission power for the base station.

36. The method as claimed in any of claim 29 , where in the event that no mobile devices are identified in the step of identifying, the step of setting comprises setting the maximum permitted transmission power to a relatively high value or an upper limit for the maximum permitted transmission power.

37. A method of operating a base station, the method comprising:

determining whether there are any mobile devices that are not associated with the base station that require protection from interference caused by downlink transmissions of the base station and identifying whether there are any mobile devices that are receiving downlink transmissions from a other base station than the base station; and

setting a maximum permitted transmission power for the base station based on the result of the step of determining, such that if no mobile devices are identified then setting the maximum permitted transmission power to a relatively high value or an upper limit for the maximum permitted transmission power.

38. The method as claimed in claim 37 , wherein the step of setting further comprises: periodically or intermittently setting the maximum permitted transmission power to a relatively low value or a lower limit for the maximum permitted transmission power.

39. The method as claimed in claim 37 , wherein the step of setting further comprises: setting the maximum permitted transmission power to a relatively low value or a lower limit for the maximum permitted transmission power for downlink transmissions from the base station that coincide with downlink control channel transmissions from the other base station other than the base station.

40. The method as claimed in claim 37 , wherein the base station is a femtocell base station.

41. The method as claimed in claim 37 , wherein the step of identifying comprises estimating a quality of a reference signal in the uplink.

42. The method of claim 41 , wherein the quality of the detected signal is a measure of uplink interference.

43. A method of operating a base station, the method comprising:

determining whether there are any mobile devices that are not associated with the base station that require protection from interference caused by downlink transmissions of the base station by estimating a quality of the detected signal and comparing the estimated quality of the detected signal to a threshold; and

setting a maximum permitted transmission power for the base station based on the result of the step of determining and based on the result of the comparing the estimated quality of the detected signal to the threshold;

wherein the step of determining further includes identifying whether there are any mobile devices that are receiving downlink transmissions from another base station other than the base station by detecting signals, in an uplink from mobile devices that are not associated with the base station, to the another base station.

44. The method as claimed in claim 43 , wherein the step of setting further comprises: periodically or intermittently setting the maximum permitted transmission power to a relatively low value or a lower limit for the maximum permitted transmission power.

45. The method as claimed in claim 43 , wherein the step of setting further comprises: setting the maximum permitted transmission power to a relatively low value or a lower limit for the maximum permitted transmission power for downlink transmissions from the base station that coincide with downlink control channel transmissions from the another base station than the base station.

46. The method as claimed in claim 43 , wherein the base station is a femtocell base station.

47. The method as claimed in claim 43 , wherein the step of identifying comprises estimating a quality of a reference signal in the uplink.

48. The method of claim 43 , wherein the quality of the detected signal is a measure of uplink interference.

49. The method of claim 43 , wherein the quality of the detected signal is a measure of interference generated by mobile devices that are not associated with the base station.