UL CONTROL CHANNEL CONSIDERATION FOR HETEROGENEOUS NETWORKS

摘要

A method in a network node (115A-C, 120, 130) comprises providing (604) to a user equipment (110A-C) a dedicated physical control channel (DPCCH), the DPCCH having an associated first fractional dedicated physical channel (F-DPCH) for conveying transmit power control commands to the user equipment for power controlling the DPCCH, and providing (608) to the user equipment a secondary dedicated physical control channel (S- DPCCH) (502), the S-DPCCH comprising an uplink control channel for communicating transmit power control commands, the S-DPCCH having an associated second F-DPCH for conveying transmit power control commands to the user equipment for power controlling the S-DPCCH. The method comprises receiving (612), from the user equipment, a downlink transmit power control command, the downlink transmit power control command carried on the S-DPCCH; and controlling (616) a transmit power of the second F-DPCH associated with the S-DPCCH based on the downlink transmit power control command carried on the S- DPCCH.