Patent ID: 8798662

Claim:
A method for transmitting data from a portable communication device to a station via a radio frequency signal, wherein data is transmitted using a protocol that has recurring frames, each having a plurality of transmission slots, different numbers of which can be used to transmit the data, the method comprising: defining a relationship between variation of a power level for the radio frequency signal and the number of the transmission slots in a frame that can be used by the portable communication device to transmit the data without the radio frequency signal resulting in a specific absorption rate (SAR) limit being exceeded; the portable communication device determining whether an increase in power level for the data transmission is needed; when determining that an increase in power level is needed, the portable communication device selecting a desired power level for the radio frequency signal and using the desired power level and the relationship to select a maximum number of transmission slots for which the data transmission does not result in a SAR exceeding the SAR limit; and when determining that an increase in power level is not needed, the portable communication device determining that an improvement in data rate is needed, determining a number of transmission slots required for providing the needed data rate, and calculating a power level based on the number of required transmission slots for which the data transmission does not result in a SAR exceeding the SAR limit.