Patent ID: 8862134

Claim:
A system for autonomous power adaptation for a first small area cellular device in a heterogeneous cellular environment, comprising: a processor configured to: collect received signal strength information for one or more neighboring large area cellular devices and one or more neighboring small area cellular devices; and determine a maximum transmit power for the first small area cellular device that minimizes interference with the one or more neighboring large area cellular devices and the one or more small area cellular devices, wherein determining the maximum transmit power for the first small area cellular device that minimizes interference with the one or more neighboring large area cellular devices and the one or more small area cellular devices includes prioritizing the one or more neighboring large area cellular devices over the one or more neighboring small area cellular devices and further includes the following: determining whether a first measured signal quality strength for a neighboring macrocell exceeds a first predefined threshold, wherein the first measured signal quality strength for the neighboring macrocell is based on a pilot signal transmitted from the neighboring macrocell; if the first measured signal quality strength for the neighboring macrocell is determined to not exceed the first predefined threshold, then determining whether a second measured signal quality strength for a neighboring femtocell or a neighboring picocell exceeds a second predefined threshold, wherein the second measured signal quality strength for the neighboring femtocell or the neighboring picocell is based on a pilot signal transmitted from the neighboring femtocell or the neighboring picocell; and if the second measured signal quality strength for the neighboring femtocell or the neighboring picocell is determined to exceed the second predefined threshold, then determining the maximum transmit power for the first small cellular device such that the second measured signal quality strength at the first small cellular device cell boundary exceeds the second predefined threshold; and a memory coupled to the processor and configured to provide the processor with instructions.