Patent ID: 8139518
Filing Date: 2012-03-20
Classification: H04B,H04W

Abstract:
1. A method for measuring a rise-over-thermal characteristic in a communication network, the method being implemented by a base station, the method comprising: transmitting power increase and power decrease commands to at least one transmitting station during a first time interval in order to control the at least one transmitting station to maintain its average transmit power at a first substantially constant level for the first time interval; measuring a first power level received during the first time interval; transmitting, after the first time interval and before a second time interval, power control commands to cause the at least one transmitting station to adjust their respective transmit power levels by a known amount; transmitting power increase and power decrease commands to the at least one transmitting station during the second time interval in order to control the at least one transmitting station to maintain its average transmit power at a second substantially constant level for the second time interval, wherein the second substantially constant level is different than the first substantially constant level, and wherein transmissions from the at least one transmitting station are not suspended during the first time interval or the second time interval; measuring a second power level received during the second time interval; and processing the first and second received power levels to determine the rise-over-thermal characteristic.