Method for switching between predefined transmit power classes on a mobile telecommunications device

Abstract

In a method of controlling power level of transmit signals from a wireless communication device that is communicating with a plurality of wireless ad-hoc network nodes as part of an ad-hoc network, a value of a usage parameter of a communication between the wireless device and a first wireless ad-hoc network node of the plurality of nodes is detected. A power level of a transmit signal from the wireless device to the first wireless ad-hoc network node is set to a level corresponding to the value of the usage parameter. A device for adjusting a power level in a wireless device includes a parameter detection circuit, that detects a parameter indicative of a relationship between the wireless device and a wireless ad-hoc network node, and a power selection circuit that sets a transmit signal power level from the wireless device to a level corresponding to the parameter detected by the parameter detection circuit.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for controlling power levels of a wireless device, comprising:
 determining a first power level for transmitting messages from a first wireless device to a second wireless device in a plurality of wireless communication devices;   determining a second power level for transmitting messages from the first wireless device to a third wireless device in the plurality of wireless communication devices; and   setting a power level of the first wireless device to the second power level, different from the first power level, while maintaining an active communication connection with the second wireless device at the first power level.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first power level is determined based on a first usage parameter that indicates a distance of the first wireless device to the second wireless device. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the distance of the first wireless device to the second wireless device is determined based on a signal received from the second wireless device. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising:
 determining that the distance of the first wireless device to the second wireless device has changed to a second distance; and   in response to determining that the distance of the first wireless device to the second wireless device has changed to the second distance, changing the first power level to a third power level based on the second distance.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein changing the first power level to the third power level comprises switching from a first RF path associated with the first power level to a second RF path associated with the third power level. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first power level is a lowest possible power level to maintain the active communication connection with the second wireless device from a group of possible power levels. 
     
     
         7 . A system for controlling power levels of a wireless device, the system comprising:
 a hardware processor that is programmed to:
 determine a first power level for transmitting messages from a first wireless device to a second wireless device in a plurality of wireless communication devices; 
 determine a second power level for transmitting messages from the first wireless device to a third wireless device in the plurality of wireless communication devices; and 
 set a power level of the first wireless device to the second power level, different from the first power level, while maintaining an active communication connection with the second wireless device at the first power level. 
   
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 7 , wherein the first power level is determined based on a first usage parameter that indicates a distance of the first wireless device to the second wireless device. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the distance of the first wireless device to the second wireless device is determined based on a signal received from the second wireless device. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the hardware processor is further programmed to:
 determine that the distance of the first wireless device to the second wireless device has changed to a second distance; and   in response to determining that the distance of the first wireless device to the second wireless device has changed to the second distance, change the first power level to a third power level based on the second distance.   
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein changing the first power level to the third power level comprises switching from a first RF path associated with the first power level to a second RF path associated with the third power level. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 7 , wherein the first power level is a lowest possible power level to maintain the active communication connection with the second wireless device from a group of possible power levels. 
     
     
         13 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium containing computer executable instructions that, when executed by a processor cause the process to perform a method for controlling power levels of a wireless device, the method comprising:
 determining a first power level for transmitting messages from a first wireless device to a second wireless device in a plurality of wireless communication devices;   determining a second power level for transmitting messages from the first wireless device to a third wireless device in the plurality of wireless communication devices; and   setting a power level of the first wireless device to the second power level, different from the first power level, while maintaining an active communication connection with the second wireless device at the first power level.   
     
     
         14 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 13 , wherein the first power level is determined based on a first usage parameter that indicates a distance of the first wireless device to the second wireless device. 
     
     
         15 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 14 , wherein the distance of the first wireless device to the second wireless device is determined based on a signal received from the second wireless device. 
     
     
         16 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 14 , wherein the method further comprises:
 determining that the distance of the first wireless device to the second wireless device has changed to a second distance; and   in response to determining that the distance of the first wireless device to the second wireless device has changed to the second distance, changing the first power level to a third power level based on the second distance.   
     
     
         17 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 16 , wherein changing the first power level to the third power level comprises switching from a first RF path associated with the first power level to a second RF path associated with the third power level. 
     
     
         18 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 13 , wherein the first power level is a lowest possible power level to maintain the active communication connection with the second wireless device from a group of possible power levels.