Abstract: A method for estimating a path loss value for a femto cell. The method comprises, at the femto access point of the femto cell, receiving at least one indication of signal strength for at least one neighbor cell from at least one wireless communication unit, analyzing the received at least one indication of signal strength for the at least one neighbo cell to determine at least one location characteristic, and estimating a path loss value for the femto cell based at least partly on the determined at least one location characteristic.

Abstract: An access point for supporting communication in a femto cell of a cellular communication network. The access point comprises transceiver circuitry arranged to enable communication with at least one cell subscribed wireless communication unit located within the femto cell, and signal processing logic module. The signal processing logic is arranged to configure a transmit power level of a Common Pilot CHannel (CPICH) for transmission based at least on cell subscribed wireless communication unit information.

Abstract: A method for estimating a path loss value for a femto cell.

Abstract: A network element (230) for communicating with a wireless communication unit (214) in a communication cell (200) of a communication system (200) comprises a receiver arranged to perform a frequency sweep across a plurality of operational frequencies. Signal processing logic (255), operably coupled to the receiver, processes the received signals from the frequency sweep and providing an estimate of a level of interference at a number of frequency carriers of the swept frequencies. The signal processing logic (255) is capable of determining whether a transmit power level at a frequency selected from the processed frequency sweep satisfies at least one predetermined quality criterion of the communication system (200). A transmitter (270) is arranged, upon initial activation of the network element (230), to transmit to a wireless communication unit at the determined transmit power level.

Abstract: An access point for supporting communication in a femto cell of a cellular communication network. The access point comprises transceiver circuitry arranged to enable communication with at least one cell subscribed wireless communication unit located within the femto cell, and signal processing logic module. The signal processing logic is arranged to configure a transmit power level of a Common Pilot CHannel (CPICH) for transmission based at least on cell subscribed wireless communication unit information.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus operative in a wireless communications system divide a communications resource available for performing information transmission and retransmission operations into a plurality of communication resource units. Channel quality information is used to rank each of the communication resource units in terms of channel quality. The communication resource units are divided into a first group having better channel quality and a second group having worse channel quality. The first group of communication resource units having better channel quality is used to transmit new information to a first group of receiving communication devices. The second group of communication resource units having worse channel quality is used to retransmit information to a second group of receiving communication devices. In such a manner simultaneous scheduling of information transmission and retransmission may be accommodated in a 3GPP LTE OFDM based wireless communications system.

Abstract: A network element (230) for communicating with a wireless communication unit (214) in a communication cell (200) of a communication system (200) comprises a receiver arranged to perform a frequency sweep across a plurality of operational frequencies. Signal processing logic (255), operably coupled to the receiver, processes the received signals from the frequency sweep and providing an estimate of a level of interference at a number of frequency carriers of the swept frequencies. The signal processing logic (255) is capable of determining whether a transmit power level at a frequency selected from the processed frequency sweep satisfies at least one predetermined quality criterion of the communication system (200). A transmitter (270) is arranged, upon initial activation of the network element (230), to transmit to a wireless communication unit at the determined transmit power level.

Abstract: Methods, apparatus and computer program products implement frequency domain packet scheduling in a fractional load situation by detecting a fractional load situation in a wireless communications network; receiving information indicative of signal conditions in a cell; using the information indicative of signal conditions in the cell to determine physical resource blocks in use in a nearby cell; determining how many physical resource blocks are need to perform packet transmission operations in dependence on packet traffic in the cell; selecting particular physical resource blocks to be used to perform initial packet transmission operations in the cell downlink so as to avoid those physical resource blocks in use in the nearby cell; and when selecting physical resource blocks to perform future packet transmission operations in the cell downlink, favoring those physical resource blocks used to perform initial packet transmission operations.

Abstract: A wireless communication device, method and system adapted so that, in response to a repeat request indicating a communication signal (because of an error in transmission of the communication signal), the communication signal is wirelessly retransmitted using a remapping of bits into at least partially different frequencies in the retransmission compared to the original transmission.

Abstract: A wireless communication device adapted so that, in response to a repeat request indicating a communication signal, the device wirelessly retransmits the communication signal using a remapping of bits into at least partially different frequencies in the retransmission compared to the original transmission.