Abstract: The invention presents a novel method to channel estimation in OFDM systems. The embodiment of this invention is a block of new logic and modifications performed to other components of the system, added to any existing OFDM receiver, which utilizes information available from other blocks as found in the receiver. This logic would improve the units' error rate because of the improved channel quality estimations it makes available. This improvement is made possible because both channel noise data and channel signal data are used in the estimation process. This data goes through a learning process over time and multiple data blocks for further improvements in the quality of the estimate. This improvement is possible without any direct communications with other remote units, but it could be used in a multi-node environment to improve the performance of the system as the whole.

Abstract: Data throughput rate in a power line communications (“PLC”) system is controlled by generating PLC carrier signals in accordance with a PLC signal frame structure containing payload symbols where the payload symbol length is selected based on at least one of a PLC system channel quality and node configuration data. The selected payload symbol length determines the processing operations that a source PLC transceiver performs for generating PLC signals or that a destination PLC transceiver performs for extracting information content from received PLC signals. The payload symbol lengths can be selected to maximize the data throughput rate while maintaining compatibility with prior art PLC system protocols and standards that require a PLC signal frame structure and its payload portion to have fixed, predetermined lengths.

Abstract: A method for selecting a communication path between two nodes of a powerline network using a link quality assessment algorithm which selects a communication path based on an analysis of historical data regarding the effective throughput of data transmitted between different nodes of the network. The algorithm is also used to select an appropriate gear for such communication based on an analysis of historical data regarding the unit error rates of data transmitted between the two nodes.