Power Control to Compensate Interference Level Changes

1 . A method for operating a user equipment, the method comprising:

determining a first transmission power for a control channel using closed loop power control with a wireless network;

determining a second transmission power for the control channel;

selecting the second transmission power for the user equipment to transmit the control channel in transmission time intervals in which the user equipment is also transmitting data on a data channel; and

selecting the first transmission power for the user equipment to transmit the control channel in transmission time intervals in which the user equipment is not also transmitting data on the data channel.

2 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the second transmission power is determined by the user equipment autonomously applying a step adjustment to the first transmission power, where the step adjustment is outside the closed loop power control.

3 . The method according to claim 2 , wherein:

the first transmission power is P tx,DPCCH =P tx,DPCCH — old Δ PC , where P tx,DPCCH — old is the user equipment's transmission power for the control channel in a previous slot and Apc is a power control step received from the wireless network;

the second transmission power is P tx,DPCCH =P tx,DPCCH — old +Δ PC +Δ TDM , where the step adjustment is Δ TDM and a sign of the step adjustment Δ TDM is given by sign(P prev-grant −P current-grant ) in which P prev-grant and P current-grant are transmission powers granted to the user equipment for the data channel in a previous and in a current slot respectively;

a magnitude of the step adjustment Δ TDM is predefined in a radio standard or in wireless signaling received from the wireless network; and

applying the step adjustment is contingent on |P prev-grant −P current-grant | being greater than a predefined threshold α.

4 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein:

the first transmission power is P tx,DPCCH,own — transmission =P tx,DPCCH — old,own — transmission +Δ PC,own — transmission ; and

the second transmission power is P tx,DPCCH,others — transmission P tx,DPCCH — old,others — transmission +Δ PC,others — transmission ;

wherein:

P tx,DPCCH,own — transmission and P tx,DPCCH,other — transmission are transmission powers of the control channel for a current slot where the user equipment is and is not also transmitting data on the data channel, respectively;

P tx,DPCCH — old,own — transmission is transmission power of the control channel in a previous slot belonging to a transmission time interval in which the user equipment was also transmitting data on the data channel;

P tx,DPCCH — old,others — transmission is transmission power of the control channel in a previous slot belonging to a transmission time interval in which the user equipment was not also transmitting data on the data channel;

Δ PC,own — transmission and Δ PC,others — transmission are power control steps received from the wireless network corresponding to slots where the user equipment is and is not also transmitting data on the data channel, respectively.

5 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the second transmission power for the control channel is determined by applying a delta value to the first transmission power.

6 . The method according to claim 5 , wherein:

the first transmission power is P tx,DPCCH,others — transmission =P tx,DPCCH — old,others — transmission +Δ PC , and

the second transmission power is P tx,DPCCH,own — transmission =P tx,DPCCH — old,others — transmission −Δ own — transmission +Δ PC ,

where

P tx,DPCCH,own — transmission and P tx,DPCCH,other — transmission are transmission powers of the control channel for a current slot,

P tx,DPCCH — old,others — transmission is transmission power of the control channel in a previous slot belonging to a transmission time interval in which the user equipment was not also transmitting data on the data channel, and

Δ own — transmission is the delta value.

7 . The method according to claim 5 , wherein the delta value is determined by the user equipment using transmission power control commands that are received from the network as part of the closed loop power control for transmission time intervals in which the user equipment is also transmitting data on the data channel.

8 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the method is contingent upon the user equipment receiving an explicit indication from the wireless network that time division multiplexing is currently in use for scheduling the user equipment.

9 . An apparatus for operating a user equipment, the apparatus comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory storing a computer program;

wherein the at least one processor is configured with the at least one memory and the computer program to cause the user equipment to at least:

determine a first transmission power for a control channel using closed loop power control with a wireless network;

determine a second transmission power for the control channel;

select the second transmission power for the user equipment to transmit the control channel in transmission time intervals in which the user equipment is also transmitting data on a data channel; and

select the first transmission power for the user equipment to transmit the control channel in transmission time intervals in which the user equipment is not also transmitting data on the data channel.

10 . The apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the second transmission power is determined by the user equipment autonomously applying a step adjustment to the first transmission power, where the step adjustment is outside the closed loop power control.

11 . The apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein:

the first transmission power is P tx,DPCCH =P tx,DPCCH — old +Δ PC , where P tx,DPCCH — old is the user equipment's transmission power for the control channel in a previous slot and Apc is a power control step received from the wireless network;

the second transmission power is P tx,DPCCH =P tx,DPCCH — old +Δ PC +Δ TDM , where the step adjustment is Δ TDM and a sign of the step adjustment Δ TDM is given by sign(P prev-grant −P current-grant ) in which P prev-grant and P current-grant are transmission powers granted to the user equipment for the data channel in a previous and in a current slot respectively;

a magnitude of the step adjustment Δ TDM is predefined in a radio standard or in wireless signaling received from the wireless network; and

applying the step adjustment is contingent on |P prev-grant −P current-grant | being greater than a predefined threshold α.

12 . The apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein:

the first transmission power is P tx,DPCCH,own — transmission =P tx,DPCCH — old,own — transmission Δ PC,own — transmission ; and

the second transmission power P tx,DPCCH,others — transmission =P tx,DPCCH — old,others — transmission +Δ PC,others — transmission ;

wherein:

P tx,DPCCH,own — transmission and P tx,DPCCH,other — transmission are transmission powers of the control channel for a current slot where the user equipment is and is not also transmitting data on the data channel, respectively;

P tx,DPCCH — old,own — transmission is transmission power of the control channel in a previous slot belonging to a transmission time interval in which the user equipment was also transmitting data on the data channel;

P tx,DPCCH — old,others — transmission is transmission power of the control channel in a previous slot belonging to a transmission time interval in which the user equipment was not also transmitting data on the data channel;

Δ PC,own — transmission and Δ PC,others — transmission are power control steps received from the wireless network corresponding to slots where the user equipment is and is not also transmitting data on the data channel, respectively.

13 . The apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the second transmission power for the control channel is determined by applying a delta value to the first transmission power.

14 . The apparatus according to claim 13 , wherein:

the first transmission power is P tx,DPCCH,others — transmission =P tx,DPCCH — old,others — transmission +Δ pc , and

the second transmission power is P tx,DPCCH,own — transmission =P tx,DPCCH — old,others — transmission −Δ own — transmission +Δ PC ,

where

P tx,DPCCH,own — transmission and P tx,DPCCH,other — transmission are transmission powers of the control channel for a current slot,

P tx,DPCCH — old,others — transmission is transmission power of the control channel in a previous slot belonging to a transmission time interval in which the user equipment was not also transmitting data on the data channel, and

Δ own — transmission is the delta value.

15 . The apparatus according to claim 13 , wherein the delta value is determined by the user equipment using transmission power control commands that are received from the network as part of the closed loop power control for transmission time intervals in which the user equipment is also transmitting data on the data channel.

16 . The apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein execution of the computer program to cause the apparatus to determine and select according to claim 9 is contingent upon the user equipment receiving an explicit indication from the wireless network that time division multiplexing is currently in use for scheduling the user equipment.

17 . A computer readable memory storing a computer program for operating a user equipment, wherein the computer program is executable by at least one processor and comprises:

code for determining a first transmission power for a control channel using closed loop power control with a wireless network;

code for determining a second transmission power for the control channel;

code for selecting the second transmission power for the user equipment to transmit the control channel in transmission time intervals in which the user equipment is also transmitting data on a data channel; and

code for selecting the first transmission power for the user equipment to transmit the control channel in transmission time intervals in which the user equipment is not also transmitting data on the data channel.

18 . The computer readable memory according to claim 17 , wherein:

the first transmission power is P tx,DPCCH =P tx,DPCCH — old +Δ PC , where P tx,DPCCH — old is the user equipment's transmission power for the control channel in a previous slot and Δ PC is a power control step received from the wireless network;

the second transmission power is P tx,DPCCH =P tx,DPCCH — old +Δ PC +Δ TDM , where Δ TDM is a step adjustment autonomously applied by the user equipment and a sign of the step adjustment Δ TDM is given by sign(P prev-grant −P current-grant ) in which P prev-grant and P current-grant are transmission powers granted to the user equipment for the data channel in a previous and in a current slot respectively;

a magnitude of the step adjustment Δ TDM is predefined in a radio standard or in wireless signaling received from the wireless network; and

applying the step adjustment is contingent on |P prev-grant −P current-grant | being greater than a predefined threshold α.

19 . The computer readable memory according to claim 17 , wherein:

the first transmission power is P tx,DPCCH,own — transmission =P tx,DPCCH — old,own — transmission +Δ PC,own — transmission ; and

the second transmission power is P tx,DPCCH,others — transmission =P tx,DPCCH — old,others — transmission +Δ PC,others — transmission ;

wherein:

P tx,DPCCH,own — transmission and P tx,DPCCH,other — transmission are transmission powers of the control channel for a current slot where the user equipment is and is not also transmitting data on the data channel, respectively;

P tx,DPCCH — old,own — transmission is transmission power of the control channel in a previous slot belonging to a transmission time interval in which the user equipment was also transmitting data on the data channel;

P tx,DPCCH — old,others — transmission is transmission power of the control channel in a previous slot belonging to a transmission time interval in which the user equipment was not also transmitting data on the data channel;

Δ PC,own — transmission and Δ PC,others — transmission are power control steps received from the wireless network corresponding to slots where the user equipment is and is not also transmitting data on the data channel, respectively.

20 . The computer readable memory according to claim 17 , wherein:

the first transmission power is P tx,DPCCH,others — transmission =P tx,DPCCH — old,others — transmission +Δ PC , and

the second transmission power is P tx,DPCCH,own — transmission =P tx,DPCCH — old,others — transmission −Δ own — transmission +Δ PC ,

where

P tx,DPCCH,own — transmission and P tx,DPCCH,other — transmission are transmission powers of the control channel for a current slot,

P tx,DPCCH — old,others — transmission is transmission power of the control channel in a previous slot belonging to a transmission time interval in which the user equipment was not also transmitting data on the data channel, and

Δ own — transmission is a delta value.