Patent ID: 7437173

Claim:
A method for a receiving terminal to transmit power control information for a transmitting terminal to detect a power control rate change using power control bits itself, the method comprising: (a) transmitting the power control bits having an initial power control bit pattern according to a predetermined power control rate, which is initially set to an initial power control rate; and (b) transmitting a bit pattern changed power control bits having a power control bit pattern gating-off at least one power control bit of the initial power control bit pattern when the power control rate is changed, without transmitting a prior notice indicating the power control rate change, wherein the bit pattern changed power control bits is used by the transmitting terminal for detecting the power control rate change, wherein the initial power control rate is 800 Hz, and when the power control rate is changed to 400 Hz, step (b) comprises gating-off a power control bit in any one of every two consecutive power control groups (PCGs) of a set of PCGs forming a transmission frame of a common power control channel (CPCCH); and when the power control rate is changed to 200 Hz, step (b) comprises gating-off three consecutive power control bits in every four consecutive power control groups (PCGs) of the set of PCGs.