System and method for adaptive EIRP density control and throughput maximization in wireless communication systems

1 . An uplink power control system for a gateway of a satellite communication system, the uplink power control system comprising:

a processor; and

a memory in communication with the processor, the memory comprising executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the uplink power control system to perform functions of:

receiving a maximum transmit power adjustment parameter from a user terminal (UT), the maximum transmit power adjustment parameter being indicative of a current maximum transmit power for an antenna of the UT;

calculating a power spectral density per resource block and a maximum number of resource blocks to allocate based on the current maximum transmit power; and

transmitting an allocation instruction message to the UT indicating the maximum number of resource blocks to allocate,

wherein:

each of the resource blocks is a block of frequencies and/or time durations that are available to the UT to transmit wireless signals over an uplink channel between the UT and the gateway;

the UT includes a plurality of carriers; and

the allocation instruction message indicates a maximum number of resource blocks to allocate to each of the plurality of carriers.

2 . The uplink power control system of claim 1 , wherein the current maximum transmit power corresponds to a maximum Equivalent Isotropically Radiated Power (EIRP) for the antenna.

3 . The uplink power control system of claim 2 , wherein the maximum EIRP is defined by a regulatory limit set for EIRP.

4 . The uplink power control system of claim 3 , wherein the functions further comprise:

periodically reporting a current scan angle of the antenna to the UT; and

determining the current maximum transmit power based on the current scan angle.

5 . The uplink power control system of claim 4 , wherein the current maximum transmit power for the current scan angle is determined using a lookup table.

6 . The uplink power control system of claim 4 , wherein the functions further comprise:

adjusting a power spectral density (PSD) limit for the antenna based on the current maximum transmit power; and

using the PSD limit as a power limit mask to maintain a transmit power of the antenna below the regulatory limit.

7 . The uplink power control system of claim 1 , wherein the current maximum transmit power is transmitted to the gateway in a power headroom report from the UT, the power headroom report indicating a power headroom for at least one of the UT and a carrier of the UT.

8 . The uplink power control system of claim 1 , wherein each resource block is assignable to each of the carriers.

9 . The uplink power control system of claim 1 , wherein the UT is one of a plurality of UTs, and

wherein the functions further comprise:

transmitting a nominal transmit power parameter to each of a plurality of UTs that shares a physical uplink channel, the nominal transmit power parameter setting an initial power level of each of the UTs to a nominal transmit power level indicated by the nominal transmit power parameter; and

transmitting a transmit power offset parameter to each of the UTs, the transmit power offset parameter offsetting the nominal transmit power by a predetermined offset, the predetermined offset being different for each of the UTs.

10 . The uplink power control system of claim 9 , wherein the predetermined offset is dependent on a UT type of each of the UTs.

11 . A method of performing uplink power control for at least one user terminal communicatively coupled to a gateway via an uplink channel, the method comprising:

receiving a maximum transmit power adjustment parameter from a user terminal (UT), the UT being one of a plurality of UTs sharing the uplink channel, the maximum transmit power adjustment parameter being indicative of a current maximum transmit power for an antenna of the UT;

calculating a power spectral density per resource block and a maximum number of resource blocks to allocate based on the current maximum transmit power; and

transmitting an allocation instruction message to the UT indicating the maximum number of resource blocks to allocate,

wherein:

each of the resource blocks is a block of frequencies and/or time durations that are available to the UT to transmit wireless signals over an uplink channel between the UT and the gateway;

the UT includes a plurality of carriers; and

the allocation instruction message indicates a maximum number of resource blocks to allocate to each of the plurality of carriers.

12 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising:

transmitting a nominal transmit power parameter to each of the UTs in the plurality of UTs, the nominal transmit power parameter indicating a nominal transmit power for the UTs, and

transmitting a transmit power offset parameter to each of UTs in the plurality of UTs, the transmit power offset parameter offsetting the nominal transmit power by a predetermined offset, the predetermined offset being different for each of the UTs in the plurality of UTs.

13 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the predetermined offset is dependent on a UT type of each of the plurality of UTs.

14 . The method of claim 11 , wherein each of the resource blocks is assignable to each of the plurality of carriers.

15 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising:

periodically reporting a current scan angle of the antenna to the UT; and

determining the current maximum transmit power based on the current scan angle.

16 . The method of claim 15 , further comprising:

adjusting a power spectral density (PSD) limit for the antenna based on the current scan angle; and

using the PSD limit as a power limit mask to maintain a transmit power of the antenna below a regulatory limit.

17 . A gateway for a satellite communication system, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory in communication with the processor, the memory comprising executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the gateway to perform functions of:

periodically receiving a current scan angle of an antenna for a user terminal;

determining a current maximum transmit power for the antenna based on the current scan angle, the current maximum transmit power being dependent upon a regulatory limit defined for the antenna;

calculating a power spectral density per resource block and a maximum number of resource blocks to allocate to the user terminal based on the current maximum transmit power;

adjusting a power spectral density (PSD) limit for the antenna based on the current maximum transmit power;

using the PSD limit as a power limit mask to maintain a PSD level of the antenna below the regulatory limit; and

transmitting an allocation instruction message to the user terminal indicating the maximum number of resource blocks to allocate,

wherein:

each of the resource blocks is a block of frequencies and/or time durations that are available to the user terminal to transmit wireless signals over an uplink channel between the user terminal and the gateway;

the user terminal includes a plurality of carriers; and

the allocation instruction message indicates a maximum number of resource blocks to allocate to each of the plurality of carriers.

18 . The gateway of claim 17 , wherein the current scan angle is received in a power headroom report from the user terminal.