IP Library Granted Patent US 12,732,923
Granted Patent B2
US 12,732,923 · App. 18/469,364 · Granted Sep 8, 2026

LTE NR power control for EN-DC

Inventors: Haitong Sun (Irvine, CA); Johnson O. Sebeni (Fremont, CA); Zhu Ji (San Jose, CA); Dawei Zhang (Saratoga, CA); Wei Zhang (Santa Clara, CA); Yuchul Kim (Santa Clara, CA); Tianyan Pu (Cupertino, CA); Pengkai Zhao (San Jose, CA); Wei Zeng (San Diego, CA); Jia Tang (San Jose, CA); Ping Wang (San Jose, CA); Wanping Zhang (San Jose, CA); Yang Li (Plano, TX)
Assignee: Apple Inc.
H04W52/367H04W52/146H04W52/52H04W72/0473H04W72/21
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,732,923
App. No.
18/469,364
Granted
Sep 8, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

Apparatuses, systems, and methods for providing maximum transmit power control when utilizing multiple radio access technologies. For example, a wireless communication device comprising two cellular radios may intend to transmit on the first radio, while concurrently transmitting on the second radio. To ensure compliance with a maximum transmit power limitation, the device may determine an allowed transmit power level of the first radio, representing a difference between the maximum transmit power limitation and the current transmit power level being transmitted by the second radio. The device may also determine a threshold power level for a communication by the first radio. If the allowed transmit power level meets the threshold power level, then the device may transmit the first communication having a power level between the threshold power level and the allowed transmit power level. Otherwise, the device may forego transmission of the first communication.

Claims (59)

1 . A method comprising:

receiving from a base station a first transmit power level for a first communication for transmission by a wireless communication device according to a first radio access technology (RAT);

determining a first threshold reduction level for the first communication;

determining an allowed transmit power level, based on a maximum transmit power limitation of the wireless communication device and a current transmit power level of an ongoing communication being transmitted by the wireless communication device according to a second RAT; and

in response to determining that the allowed transmit power level meets the first transmit power level reduced by the first threshold reduction level, transmitting the first communication having a power level not greater than the allowed transmit power level; or

in response to determining that the allowed transmit power level does not meet the first transmit power level reduced by the first threshold reduction level, forego transmission of the first communication.

2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

identifying a preferred transmit power level of the first communication, wherein the first threshold reduction level is determined as a function of the preferred transmit power level of the first communication.

3 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

in response to determining that a transmission according to the second RAT has ended after the determining that the allowed transmit power level does not meet the first transmit power level reduced by the first threshold reduction level:

determining an updated allowed transmit power level; and

transmitting the first communication in response to determining that the updated allowed transmit power level meets the first transmit power level reduced by the first threshold reduction level.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first communication comprises a first physical layer (PHY) channel, the method further comprising:

determining a second threshold reduction level for a second communication for transmission according to the first RAT, the second communication comprising a second PHY channel, the second threshold reduction level being lower than the first threshold reduction level;

in response to determining that the allowed transmit power level meets the first transmit power level reduced by the second threshold reduction level, transmit the second communication according to the first RAT, the second communication having a power level not greater than the allowed transmit power level, and not less than the first transmit power level reduced by the second threshold reduction level.

5 . A non-transitory computer-readable memory medium storing instructions that, when executed by a processor of a wireless communication device, cause the wireless communication device to:

receive from a base station a first transmit power level for a first communication according to a first radio access technology (RAT);

determine a first threshold reduction level for the first communication;

determine an allowed transmit power level, based on a maximum transmit power limitation and a current transmit power level being transmitted according to a second RAT;

in response to determining that the allowed transmit power level meets the first transmit power level reduced by the first threshold reduction level, transmit the first communication having a power level not greater than the allowed transmit power level; and

in response to determining that the allowed transmit power level does not meet the first transmit power level reduced by the first threshold reduction level, forego transmission of the first communication.

6 . The non-transitory computer-readable memory medium of claim 5 , wherein the instructions further cause the wireless communication device to:

identify a preferred transmit power level of the first communication, wherein determining the allowed transmit power level is in response to determining that a sum of the preferred transmit power level of the first communication and the current transmit power level being transmitted according to the second RAT exceeds the maximum transmit power limitation.

7 . The non-transitory computer-readable memory medium of claim 5 , wherein the instructions further cause the wireless communication device to:

identify a preferred transmit power level of the first communication, wherein the first threshold reduction level is determined as a function of the preferred transmit power level of the first communication.

8 . The non-transitory computer-readable memory medium of claim 7 , wherein the function varies based on a type of a physical layer (PHY) channel included in the first communication.

9 . The non-transitory computer-readable memory medium of claim 5 , wherein the instructions further cause the wireless communication device to:

in response to determining that a transmission according to the second RAT has ended after the determining that the allowed transmit power level does not meet the first transmit power level reduced by the first threshold reduction level:

determine an updated allowed transmit power level; and

transmit the first communication in response to determining that the updated allowed transmit power level meets the first transmit power level reduced by the first threshold reduction level.

10 . The non-transitory computer-readable memory medium of claim 5 , wherein the first communication consists of a first physical layer (PHY) channel, and wherein transmitting the first communication comprises transmitting a signal comprising a plurality of PHY channels including the first PHY channel.

11 . The non-transitory computer-readable memory medium of claim 5 , wherein the first communication comprises a first physical layer (PHY) channel, wherein the instructions further cause the wireless communication device to:

determine a second threshold reduction level for a second communication according to the first RAT, the second communication comprising a second PHY channel, the second threshold reduction level being lower than the first threshold reduction level;

in response to determining that the allowed transmit power level meets the first transmit power level reduced by the second threshold reduction level, transmit the second communication according to the first RAT, the second communication having a power level not greater than the allowed transmit power level; and

in response to determining that the allowed transmit power level does not meet the first transmit power level reduced by the second threshold reduction level, forego transmission of the second communication.

12 . The non-transitory computer-readable memory medium of claim 5 , wherein the maximum transmit power limitation indicates a maximum power that may be transmitted without activating a currently inactive power amplifier (PA) stage of the wireless communication device.

13 . An apparatus comprising:

a memory storing software instructions; and

at least one processor configured to execute the software instructions to:

receive a first transmit power level for a first communication for transmission by a wireless communication device according to a first radio access technology (RAT);

determine a first threshold reduction level for the first communication;

determine an allowed transmit power level, based on a maximum transmit power limitation of the wireless communication device and a current transmit power level of an ongoing communication being transmitted by the wireless communication device according to a second RAT;

in response to determining that the allowed transmit power level meets the first transmit power level reduced by the first threshold reduction level, cause the wireless communication device to transmit the first communication, the first communication having a power level not greater than the allowed transmit power level; and

in response to determining that the allowed transmit power level does not meet the first transmit power level reduced by the first threshold reduction level, forego transmission of the first communication.

14 . The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to execute the software instructions to:

identify a preferred transmit power level of the first communication, wherein determining the allowed transmit power level is in response to determining that a sum of the preferred transmit power level of the first communication and the current transmit power level of the ongoing communication being transmitted according to the second RAT exceeds the maximum transmit power limitation.

15 . The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to execute the software instructions to:

identify a preferred transmit power level of the first communication, wherein the first threshold reduction level is determined as a function of the preferred transmit power level of the first communication.

16 . The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the function varies based on a type of a physical layer (PHY) channel included in the first communication.

17 . The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to execute the software instructions to:

in response to determining that a transmission according to the second RAT has ended after the determining that the allowed transmit power level does not meet the first transmit power level reduced by the first threshold reduction level:

determine an updated allowed transmit power level; and

cause the first communication to be transmitted in response to determining that the updated allowed transmit power level meets the first transmit power level reduced by the first threshold reduction level.

18 . The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the first communication consists of a first physical layer (PHY) channel, and wherein causing the first communication to be transmitted comprises causing a signal to be transmitted, the signal comprising a plurality of PHY channels including the first PHY channel.

19 . The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the first communication comprises a first physical layer (PHY) channel, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to execute the software instructions to:

determine a second threshold reduction level for a second communication for transmission according to the first RAT, the second communication comprising a second PHY channel, the second threshold reduction level being lower than the first threshold reduction level;

in response to determining that the allowed transmit power level meets the first transmit power level reduced by the second threshold reduction level, cause the second communication to be transmitted according to the first RAT, the second communication having a power level not greater than the allowed transmit power level; and

in response to determining that the allowed transmit power level does not meet the first transmit power level reduced by the threshold reduction level, forego transmission of the second communication.

20 . The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the maximum transmit power limitation indicates a maximum power that may be transmitted without activating a currently inactive power amplifier (PA) stage of the wireless communication device.

Continuity (3)
Continuation 16579544 · Sep 23, 2019
Provisional Application 62738616 · Sep 28, 2018
Related Publication 20240080780A1 · Mar 7, 2024
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