Patent ID: 7181178

Claim:
A method of controlling the gain of a receiver of a radio device suitable for use in a spread spectrum communication system comprising at least two base stations which are operable to cease transmission to create idle periods, and a radio device, the method comprising estimating, prior to an idle period commencing, the extent to which received signal power will decrease at the radio device during a future idle period of a base station when the base station ceases transmission, calculating a gain control signal to increase the gain of the receiver during the future idle period on the basis of the estimation, storing the gain control signal, waiting for an idle period to commence, and using the previously stored gain control signal during the idle period to control the gain of the receiver, wherein the estimating step comprises calculating an interference level from base stations other than the base station serving the receiver, wherein the interference level is calculated as follows: I oc / — I o =1−(est[ CPICH — Ec/I or ]) −1 *CPICH — E c /I o where I o =total received signal power I oc =total received Interference power from base stations other than serving base station, (est[CPICH_Ec/I or ]) is an assumed proportion of serving base station total transmit power that represents the transmitted power of a common channel, CPICH_E c =energy of received common channel from serving base station, CPICH_E c /I o =measured ratio of energy per chip of received common channel from serving base station to total received signal power, I or =Total transmit spectral density of serving base station.