Patent ID: 7634290

Claim:
A method for adjusting transmit power of a wireless communication device, the method comprises: determining requirements of a wireless communication between the wireless communication device and a receiving wireless communication device; determining whether a current transmit power level of the wireless communication can be lowered without adjusting the requirements of the wireless communication, the determination being made prior to adjusting the current transmit power level; when the current transmit power level of the wireless communication can be lowered without adjusting the requirements of the wireless communication, adjusting the current transmit power level to a second transmit power level, wherein the second transmit power level is less than the current transmit power level; when the current transmit power level of the wireless communication cannot be lowered without adjusting the requirements of the wireless communication, determining whether at least one of the requirements of the wireless communication can be adjusted to produce adjustable requirements of the wireless communication; when the at least one of the requirements of the wireless communication can be adjusted, determining whether the current transmit power level of the wireless communication can be lowered based on the adjustable requirements of the wireless communication; and when the current transmit power level of the wireless communication can be lowered based on the adjustable requirements of the wireless communication: adjusting the current transmit power level to a third transmit power level, wherein the third transmit power level is less than the current transmit power level; and adjusting the at least one of the requirements of the wireless communication to produce adjusted requirements of the wireless communication.