Adaptive filtering applied to an uplink load estimate in WCDMA

In the uplink of a WCDMA system, a natural choice of resource quantity is the uplink noise rise, i.e., total received power over noise power. Unfortunately this quantity is hard to measure and estimates are often noisy. This paper focuses on relative load which is closely related to the noise rise. Model-based signal processing with change detection techniques is herein used to suppress noise and minor oscillations while being alert on fast load changes. The time varying model identified in the process can also be used for prediction of future values, something which resource management algorithms can benefit from.