Apparatus, and associated method, for effectuating power control of a communication device

DETAILED DESCRIPTION The present invention, accordingly, advantageously provides power-control apparatus, and an associated method, for effectuating power control in a communication system in which communication signals are transmitted upon non-ideal communication channels.
Power levels of communication signals transmitted upon a communication channel are increased only subsequent to a determination that an increase would result in a communication quality improvement.
If a determination is made that a power level increase would not significantly improve communication quality, the power levels of the communication signal are selected to be not increased, or even decreased.
Thereby, power level increases are effectuated only if such increase would result in communication quality level improvement.
Determination of a communication quality channel quality indicia is made.
Responsive to the determination, selection is made whether to increase power levels of the signal.
If the channel quality indicia indicates that an increase in power levels would benefit communication quality, the power levels are increased.
If, conversely, the channel quality indicia indicates that an increase in power levels would not benefit communication quality the power levels are not increased.
In one aspect of the present invention, power control is effectuated in a cellular radio telephone operable in a CDMA cellular communication system, such as that proposed to be constructed pursuant to the IS-95 3G system.
Proposals for the IS-95 3G standard set forth requirements for fast power control on a forward link extending between a base station and a mobile station.
More particularly, proposals have been set forth for the mobile station to request either an increase, or decrease, of power levels at which signals shall be transmitted upon its traffic channel.
Requests are to be made every 1.
25 ms, i.
e.
, at a 800 Hz refresh rate.
The fast power control, forming, a closed loop between a base station and mobile station, acts to limit gain variation, e