Patent ID: 7009944

Claim:
A method of power control in a communication system capable of transmitting, from a transmitter to a receiver, a frame having a plurality of time intervals, wherein power control is effected on the individual time intervals based upon information passed from the receiver to the transmitter, and the receiver seeks to maintain an average signal to noise ratio across the frame; said method comprising: i. for a first time interval of a frame, setting an initial transmission power level; and ii. for each subsequent time interval of the frame, measuring a received signal to noise ratio over subsequent time intervals; determining a cumulative signal to noise ratio value over a received time interval of the frame; determining the number of time intervals remaining in the frame; and, adjusting the transmission power level in response to signalling from the receiver in respect of a further subsequent time interval, based upon said cumulative signal to noise ratio value and the number of time intervals remaining in the frame, such that a target average signal to noise ratio is substantially achieved.