Patent ID: 7379724

Claim:
An apparatus for classifying interference in a mobile communications terminal comprising: an electronic circuit configured to receive a wireless communications signal carrying signal channels with transmitted information, the electronic circuit comprising signal processing units adapted to provide at least one of: a signal representing gain from an automatic gain control (AGC signal), a transmission power control command signal (TPC command signal), and a signal representing strength of the wireless communications signal; and an interference classifier adapted to classify a type of interference affecting communications quality by evaluating time-domain behavior of at least one of the AGC signal, the TPC command signal, and the signal representing the strength of the wireless communications signal; and wherein the type of interference is classified in one of at least two predetermined classes of interference, wherein a first class of interference includes inter-cell interference, and a second class of interference includes intra-cell interference, and the interference classifier is adapted to identify and discriminate between inter-cell interference and intra-cell interference.