Patent ID: 8867397
Filing Date: 2014-10-21
Classification: H04W

Abstract:
1. A method for setting a maximum uplink transmit power of a user equipment in an Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access communication system, the method comprising: monitoring downlink signals from a serving eNodeB and one or more neighbor eNodeBs, wherein the serving eNodeB is a boundary eNodeB and wherein a boundary eNodeB is an eNodeB that supports a maximum uplink transmit power level that is between a maximum uplink transmit power level supported by a high power eNodeB and a maximum uplink transmit power level supported by a low power eNodeB; determining a signal quality metric for each monitored signal to produce a signal quality metric associated with each of the serving eNodeB and the one or more neighbor eNodeBs; determining a maximum uplink transmit power level for each of the serving eNodeB and the one or more neighbor eNodeBs; for each of the serving eNodeB and the one or more neighbor eNodeBs, storing the maximum uplink transmit power level determined for the eNodeB in association with an identifier associated with the eNodeB; based on the determined signal quality metrics and maximum uplink transmit power levels, determining whether a neighbor eNodeB of the one or more neighbor eNodeBs with a best signal quality metric is a high power eNodeB; in response to determining that the neighbor eNodeB of the one or more neighbor eNodeBs with a best signal quality metric is a high power eNodeB, determining a difference between the signal quality metric associated with the high power eNodeB and the signal quality metric associated with the boundary eNodeB; and setting a maximum uplink transmit power level for the user equipment based on the difference determination.