Patent ID: 7903599

Claim:
A method for a low-cost Internet base station (LCIB) to reduce interference with communications between mobile stations and macro-network base stations, each macro-network base station providing service on at least one carrier, the method comprising: providing an LCIB that transmits a pilot beacon on each carrier in a set of one or more carriers, the pilot beacon having a power level that is adjustable on a per-carrier basis; the LCIB determining that it does not have any mobile stations registered thereon, and responsively (a) setting the power level to a first low-power setting on each carrier in the set and (b) monitoring a reverse-noise rise (RNR) on each carrier in the set; while monitoring the RNR on a first carrier in the set, the LCIB detecting that the RNR on the first carrier exceeds a first RNR threshold, and responsively carrying out a sub-process a first number of times on the first carrier, the sub-process comprising: (a) gradually increasing the power level while continuing to monitor the RNR, (b) while gradually increasing the power level, detecting a decrease in the RNR that exceeds an RNR-decrease threshold, and responsively setting the power level to a second low-power setting while continuing to monitor the RNR, and (c) after setting the power level to the second low-power setting, detecting an increase in the RNR that exceeds an RNR-increase threshold; and after carrying out the sub-process the first number of times on the first carrier, the LCIB waiting for the RNR on the first carrier to fall below a second RNR threshold before increasing the power level on the first carrier above the second low-power setting.