Systems and methods for reducing the power used to transmit channel quality information (CQI) during persistent scheduling

1. A method for instructing a mobile node to reduce the power used to transmit channel quality information, comprising:

determining a scheduling mode of the mobile node;

allocating an uplink control channel in a first format to the mobile node when the mobile node is in a first scheduling mode, wherein the uplink control channel is a Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUCCH), and wherein the uplink control channel in the first format carries two bits of information;

providing a number of bits to use to insert channel quality information (CQI) on the uplink control channel; and

instructing the mobile node to reduce the power used to transmit the CQI by a power reduction amount when the mobile node is in the first scheduling mode.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the CQI comprises two bits.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the number of bits is provided by a radio resource control (RRC) message via RRC signaling.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the mobile node is instructed to reduce the power used to transmit the CQI by an RRC message via RRC signaling.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first scheduling mode is a persistent scheduling mode.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising instructing the mobile node to discontinue the reduction of power when the scheduling mode changes.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the power reduction amount is a fixed amount.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the method is implemented by a base station.

9. A method for reducing the power to transmit channel quality information, comprising:

receiving resource allocations for an uplink control channel in a first format, wherein the uplink control channel is a Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUCCH), and wherein the uplink control channel in the first format carries two bits of information;

inserting channel quality information (CQI) into the uplink control channel using a certain number of bits in accordance with the first format;

reducing the power used to transmit the CQI by a power reduction amount on the uplink control channel; and

transmitting the CQI on the uplink control channel using power that has been reduced by the power reduction amount.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the CQI comprises two bits.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein the power reduction amount is a fixed amount.

12. The method of claim 9 , wherein the method is implemented by a mobile node.

13. The method of claim 9 , further comprising suspending the reduction of transmission power for the CQI when there is data or other control signaling to be transmitted in the same subframe.

14. A base station that is configured to instruct a mobile node to reduce the power used to transmit channel quality information, the base station comprising:

a processor;

a memory in electronic communication with the processor;

instructions stored in the memory, the instructions being executable to:

determine a scheduling mode of the mobile node;

allocate an uplink control channel in a first format to the mobile node when the mobile node is in a first scheduling mode, wherein the uplink control channel is a Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUCCH), and wherein the uplink control channel in the first format carries two bits of information;

provide a number of bits to use to insert channel quality information (CQI) on the uplink control channel; and

instruct the mobile node to reduce the power used to transmit the CQI by a power reduction amount when the mobile node is in the first scheduling mode.

15. The base station of claim 14 , wherein the CQI comprises two bits.

16. The base station of claim 14 , wherein the number of bits is provided by a radio resource control (RRC) message via RRC signaling.

17. The base station of claim 14 , wherein the mobile node is instructed to reduce the power used to transmit the CQI by an RRC message via RRC signaling.

18. The base station of claim 14 , wherein the first scheduling mode is a persistent scheduling mode.

19. The base station of claim 14 , wherein the power reduction amount is a fixed amount.

20. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising executable instructions for:

determining a scheduling mode of a mobile node;

allocating an uplink control channel in a first format to the mobile node when the mobile node is in a first scheduling mode, wherein the uplink control channel is a Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUCCH), and wherein the uplink control channel in the first format carries two bits of information;

providing a number of bits to use to insert channel quality information (CQI) on the uplink control channel; and

instructing the mobile node to reduce the power used to transmit the CQI by a power reduction amount when the mobile node is in the first scheduling mode.

21. A communications device that is configured to reduce the power to transmit channel quality information, the communications device comprising:

a processor;

a memory in electronic communication with the processor;

instructions stored in the memory, the instructions being executable to:

receive resource allocations for an uplink control channel in a first format, wherein the uplink control channel is a Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUCCH), and wherein the uplink control channel in the first format carries two bits of information;

insert channel quality information (CQI) into the uplink control channel using a certain number of bits in accordance with the first format;

reduce the power used to transmit the CQI by a power reduction amount on the uplink control channel; and

transmit the CQI on the uplink control channel using power that has been reduced by the power reduction amount.