Abstract: A bit-interleaved encoder for a CATV upstream channel is provided having a convolutional encoder for receiving data values, a bit-interleaver interconnected with said encoder, and a symbol mapper interconnected with said bit-interleaver.

Abstract: A home networking transmitter (100), receiver (200), station (300), network manager (404), network (400) and method adapted to network devices (344/336/338/346) over phone lines (406) in a home. A bandwidth other than the 4 to 10 MHz band defined in the HomePNA 2.0× specification and a Baud rate higher than 4M baud may be used for communications between a plurality of devices (334/336/338/346). PHY and MAC layers are improved to increase the performance of home phone line networks. Advantages in the PHY layer include numerous higher symbol rates, higher constellations, variable power level, error correcting codes, byte interleaving, ISI-free pulse shape and pre-equalization. Advantages in the MAC layer include managed bandwidth resources allocation, guaranteed quality of service for latency sensitive applications, solicited grants, support to devices with low power consumption and support to device with low processing power.

Abstract: A method is disclosed for providing data for automatically estimating channel performance if different parameters of a Reed-Solomon (RS) code are used in a communication system while transmission is occurring in the communication system without changing the current Reed-Solomon (RS) code parameters comprising the steps of: receiving an input signal from the channel; processing the input signal in a receiver in the communication system, the receiver having a Reed Solomon decoder having an output of RS symbols; choosing a virtual RS block code size; determining a RS number of errors data by determining how many RS symbols in a sequence of RS symbols the size of the virtual RS block code size are erred RS symbols; determining a RS sequence of errors data by determining how many occurrences there are of erred RS symbols that occur sequentially in the sample and the number of sequential erred RS symbols in each occurrence; and outputting the RS number of errors data and RS sequence of errors data.

Abstract: A system is provided to automatically estimate performance of a receiver for receiving input signals, the input signals having a carrier frequency and a baud rate, from a channel in a communication system and the effect of highly correlated noise cancellation on performance of the receiver, while no active transmission is occurring on the channel, comprising: a digital front end in the receiver for receiving samples of the input signals; a predictor coupled to the digital front end for predicting highly correlated noise in a second sample of the input signal; and a subtraction unit coupled to the predictor for subtracting the predictor output from the second sample to determine residual noise in the second sample. Other systems and methods are disclosed.

Abstract: A method is provided to provide data to automatically estimate channel performance in a communication system if a different order constellation is used comprising the steps of: receiving an input signal from the channel; passing the input signal to a slicer having an output signal; determining signal noise by taking the difference between the input signal and output signal; identifying a beginning of a noise event when the signal noise is greater than a predefined first threshold; identifying an end of a noise event when the signal noise is less than a predefined second threshold; and providing for output the beginning of the noise event and the end of the noise event. Other systems and methods are disclosed.

Abstract: A method is provided to automatically identify noise events in a channel of a communication system comprising the steps of: receiving an input signal from the channel; determining the mean energy of the input signal; determining the recent energy of the input signal; identifying a beginning of the noise event when the recent energy is greater than the product of the mean energy and a predefined first threshold; identifying an end of a noise event when the recent energy is less that the product of the mean energy and a predefined second threshold; and providing for output the beginning of the noise event and the end of the noise event. Other systems and methods are disclosed.

Abstract: A method is provided for automatically optimizing parameter selection in a communication system having one or more channels for transmitting and receiving signals comprising the steps of: receiving a signal from a channel; characterizing impairments in the channel while gathering statistics using the received signal; analyzing the impairments to obtain recommendations for parameter modifications for improved performance; and modifying the parameters based on the recommendations. Other systems and methods are disclosed.

Abstract: A method is provided for automatically improving throughput of an active channel in a communication system comprising: receiving input from one or more modules that identify and characterize impairments in the active channel; monitoring the input to track changes in the impairments; and changing channel parameters to improve throughput on the channel based on the changes in the impairments. Other systems and methods are disclosed.

Abstract: A method, device and system are provided for a physical layer for a CATV upstream channel. A group of features is provided to address increased capacity and robustness to noise, while at the same time keeping cost and complexity to a minimum. Other methods and systems are also provided.

Abstract: The present invention comprises aggregating a plurality of physical channels to a single logical channel, a scalable virtual channel (SVC). This may be implemented in a point to multipoint communications system. The present invention enables a variety of receivers, some receivers being able to receive only one physical channel, and other receivers being able to receive a plurality of physical channels as a SVC, with at least one same channel being used for both types of receivers.

Abstract: A data communication method and system are provided for communications over a channel that consists of multiple sub-channels. A data communication system is provided with a transmission channel having transmission sub-channels for transmitting and receiving data, the system comprising: a first terminal for transmission of data on one or more of a first plurality of sub-channels; a second terminal for transmission of data on one or more of a second plurality of sub-channels wherein the first plurality of sub-channels and the second plurality of sub-channels are partially overlapping such that at least one sub-channel is shared by the first terminal and the second terminal and at least one sub-channel is not shared by the first terminal and the second terminal; and a control mechanism for allocating data transmission between the sub-channels. A method of data transmission in a communication system is also provided. Other methods and systems are also provided.

Abstract: A home networking transmitter (100), receiver (200), station (300), network manager(404), network (400) and method adapted to network devices (344/336/338/346) over phone lines (406) in a home. A bandwidth other than the 4 to 10 MHz band defined in the HomePNA 2.0× specification and a Baud rate higher than 4M baud may be used for communications between a plurality of devices (334/336/338/346). PHY and MAC layers are improved to increase the performance of home phone line networks. Advantages in the PHY layer include numerous higher symbol rates, higher constellations, variable power level, error correcting codes, byte interleaving, ISI-free pulse shape and pre-equalization. Advantages in the MAC layer include managed bandwidth resources allocation, guaranteed quality of service for latency sensitive applications, solicited grants, support to devices with low power consumption and support to device with low processing power.

Abstract: A method for efficient interleaving of variable-length packets is provided. In packet networks, block interleaving of variable-length packets can be inefficient when the interleaver block size is fixed and smaller than the packet size. For certain packet lengths, the remaining number of elements for the last block (i.e., bytes or symbols) can be very low. The present invention provides a way to calculate the optimal interleaver block sizes for a preselected packet length and a preselected interleaver width.