System and Method for Improving Uplink Control Channels for Weak Communication Links

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016249298-A1
Application number	US-201514438407-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Feb 20, 2015
Priority date	Mar 21, 2014
Publication date	Aug 25, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A method in a network node ( 115 A-C, 120, 130 ) comprises providing ( 704 ) to a user equipment (UE) ( 110 A-C) a dedicated physical control channel (DPCCH), the DPCCH having an associated first fractional dedicated physical channel (F-DPCH) for conveying transmit power control (TPC) commands to the UE for power controlling the DPCCH, the first F-DPCH having a first allocated slot format; providing ( 708 ) to the UE a dedicated physical control channel 2 (DPCCH 2 ) ( 502 ), the DPCCH 2 comprising an uplink control channel power controlled by the network node for communicating TPC commands to the network node, the DPCCH 2 having an associated second F-DPCH for conveying transmit power control commands to the UE for power controlling the DPCCH 2 , the second F-DPCH having a second allocated slot format different from the first allocated slot format; and communicating ( 712 ) to the UE an uplink TPC command on the second F-DPCH having the second allocated slot format.

First claim

1 . A method for controlling uplink transmit power in a network node, comprising:
providing to a user equipment a dedicated physical control channel, the dedicated physical control channel having an associated first fractional dedicated physical channel for conveying transmit power control commands to the user equipment for power controlling the dedicated physical control channel, the first fractional dedicated physical channel having a first allocated slot format; providing to the user equipment a dedicated physical control channel 2 (DPCCH 2 ), the DPCCH 2 comprising an uplink control channel power controlled by the network node for communicating transmit power control commands to the network node, the DPCCH 2 having an associated second fractional dedicated physical channel for conveying transmit power control commands to the user equipment for power controlling the DPCCH 2 , the second fractional dedicated physical channel having a second allocated slot format different from the first allocated slot format; and communicating to the user equipment an uplink transmit power control command on the second fractional dedicated physical channel having the second allocated slot format.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the first fractional dedicated physical channel has an associated first spreading code; and the second fractional dedicated physical channel has an associated second spreading code.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the dedicated physical control channel has a first power level and the method further comprises:
setting an initial power level for the DPCCH 2 .

4 . (canceled)

5 . (canceled)

6 . (canceled)

7 . The method of claim 3 , wherein setting the initial power level for the DPCCH 2 comprises:
determining the extra margin of the second power level based at least in part on a comparison of a number of transmit power control uplink requests and a number of transmit power control downlink requests from a serving cell.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein operation of the DPCCH 2 is controlled by a discontinuous transmission pattern of the dedicated physical control channel, and the DPCCH 2 is only transmitted when the dedicated physical control channel is transmitted.

9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the DPCCH 2 is configured only on a primary uplink carrier.

10 . A network node, comprising:
one or more processors configured to: provide to a user equipment a dedicated physical control channel, the dedicated physical control channel having an associated first fractional dedicated physical channel for conveying transmit power control commands to the user equipment for power controlling the dedicated physical control channel, the first fractional dedicated physical channel having a first allocated slot format; provide to the user equipment a dedicated physical control channel 2 (DPCCH 2 ), the DPCCH 2 comprising an uplink control channel power controlled by the network node for communicating transmit power control commands to the network node, the DPCCH 2 having an associated second fractional dedicated physical channel for conveying transmit power control commands to the user equipment for power controlling the DPCCH 2 , the second fractional dedicated physical channel having a second allocated slot format different from the first allocated slot format; and communicate to the user equipment an uplink transmit power control command on the second fractional dedicated physical channel having the second allocated slot format.

11 . The network node of claim 10 , wherein:
the first fractional dedicated physical channel has an associated first spreading code; and the second fractional dedicated physical channel has an associated second spreading code.

12 . The network node of claim 10 , wherein the dedicated physical control channel has a first power level and the one or more processors are further configured to set an initial power level for the DPCCH 2 .

13 . (canceled)

14 . (canceled)

15 . (canceled)

16 . The network node of claim 12 , wherein the one or more processors configured to set the initial power level for the DPCCH 2 comprises one or more processors configured to determine the extra margin of the second power level based at least in part on a comparison of a number of transmit power control uplink requests and a number of transmit power control downlink requests from a serving cell.

17 . The network node of claim 10 , wherein operation of the DPCCH 2 is controlled by a discontinuous transmission pattern of the dedicated physical control channel, and the DPCCH 2 is only transmitted when the dedicated physical control channel is transmitted.

18 . The network node of claim 10 , wherein the DPCCH 2 is configured only on a primary uplink carrier.

19 . A method for controlling uplink transmit power in a user equipment, comprising:
receiving provisioning by a network node of a dedicated physical control channel, the dedicated physical control channel having an associated first fractional dedicated physical channel for conveying transmit power control commands to the user equipment for power controlling the dedicated physical control channel, the first fractional dedicated physical channel having a first allocated slot format; receiving provisioning by the network node of a dedicated physical control channel 2 (DPCCH 2 ), the DPCCH 2 comprising an uplink control channel power controlled by the network node for communicating transmit power control commands to the network node, the DPCCH 2 having an associated second fractional dedicated physical channel for conveying transmit power control commands to the user equipment for power controlling the DPCCH 2 , the second fractional dedicated physical channel having a second allocated slot format different from the first allocated slot format; and receiving, from the network node, an uplink transmit power control command on the second fractional dedicated physical channel having the second allocated slot format.

20 . The method of claim 19 , wherein:
the first fractional dedicated physical channel has an associated first spreading code; and the second fractional dedicated physical channel has an associated second spreading code.

21 . The method of claim 19 , wherein the dedicated physical control channel has a first power level and the DPCCH 2 has an initial power level.

22 . (canceled)

23 . (canceled)

24 . The method of claim 22 , wherein the initial power level for the DPCCH 2 is set upon initiating transmission of the DPCCH 2 .

25 . The method of claim 21 , wherein the initial power level for the DPCCH 2 is based at least in part on a comparison of a number of transmit power control uplink requests and a number of transmit power control downlink requests from a serving cell.

26 . The method of claim 19 , wherein operation of the DPCCH 2 is controlled by a discontinuous transmission pattern of the dedicated physical control channel, and the DPCCH 2 is only transmitted when the dedicated physical control channel is transmitted.

27 . The method of claim 19 , wherein the DPCCH 2 is configured only on a primary uplink carrier.

28 . A user equipment comprising:
one or more processors configured to: receive provisioning by a network node of a dedicated physical control channel, the dedicated physical control channel having an as

Assignees

• Ericsson Telefon Ab L M

Inventors

• Larsson Erik
• Hogan Billy
• Karlsson Patrik
• Lamm Anders
• Ovesjö Fredrik
• Von Wrycza Peter
• Wang Yi-Pin Eric

Classifications

• H04W72/0446

  Resources in time domain, e.g. slots or frames · CPC title

• H04W52/146 Primary

  Uplink power control · CPC title

• H04W76/048

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H04W52/40

  during macro-diversity or soft handoff · CPC title

• H04W52/325

  Power control of control or pilot channels · CPC title