Other

Louise Min Chuin Hoo

John Matthew Cioffi

Peter P Chow

James Thomas Carlo

Carlos Aldana

Atul Salvekar

Methods and devices for adaptively changing a parameter (such as sub-carrier bit allocation and/or gain) in a multi-carrier communication signal are described. In a method aspect, a unit that determines a need for a change sends an express change request to a second unit. The change request identifies one or more specific sub-carrier carrier to be altered and a desired value for the parameter to be changed for each identified sub-carrier. The requesting unit then monitors the communication signal it receives to determine whether the requested change has been implemented. The determination of whether the requested change has been implemented is based at least in part upon an analysis of a portion of the received communication signal that was intended to be changed. In another aspect of the invention, the change request command includes a header, a control field, at least one sub-carrier identifier, at least one desired parameter value indicator, and an error field. The header identifies the command as a change request command. The control field includes a tone count that indicates the number of tones to be altered. Each sub-carrier identifier identifies a specific sub-carrier to be altered and each desired parameter value indicator identifies a desired parameter value for its associated sub-carrier. The error field permits the unit receiving the change request to detect whether there is an error in its interpretation of the change request command.

Growing community of inventors

Stanford, CA, United States of America

Louise Min Chuin Hoo