Program for controlling DMT based modem using sub-channel selection to achieve scaleable data rate based on available signal processing resources
First Claim
1. An applications program which includes program routines executable by a host processing device for permitting a user to control a high speed communications device that can be coupled to a remote transceiver capable of transmitting at a data rate Z, said applications program comprising:
- a detection routine for detecting the communications device and a host processor within said host processing device;
a calibration routine for determining recommended performance characteristics of such communications device, including a maximum data rate X achievable by such device and for storing information relating to such communications device performance characteristics including such data rate X, and for determining recommended performance characteristics of such host processor, including a proposed maximum data rate Y achievable by such processor under conditions in which such host processing device is loaded with an operating system and other user application programs and for storing information relating to such processor performance characteristics including such data rate Y; and
wherein the information pertaining to data rates X and Y can be used to cause said remote transceiver to use a data rate no greater than the lesser of X and Y when such transceiver is coupled through a data link in a channel to said communications device.
14 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An applications program is provided for permitting a user of a host processing system to dynamically control a modem having forward compatible and expandable functionality. In a preferred embodiment, the applications program is designed to run on a personal computer running the Windows® shell, and the modem is compatible with ADSL promulgated standards. As part of such program, initialization and detection routines determine the capabilities of an ADSL modem, including whether the same has been upgraded to have enhanced data throughput. A calibration routine measures the computing power available to the host processor, and based on this information and other relevant parameters determines nominal setup parameters for the modem. These parameters are stored in a Device Parameter Table so that they can be accessed by various application programs that may make use of such modem. A user of such program can at that time or thereafter alter the characteristics of the ADSL modem (including a target data rate) subject to availability of sufficiently powerful analog front end sampling circuitry and processing power.
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Citations
71 Claims
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1. An applications program which includes program routines executable by a host processing device for permitting a user to control a high speed communications device that can be coupled to a remote transceiver capable of transmitting at a data rate Z, said applications program comprising:
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a detection routine for detecting the communications device and a host processor within said host processing device; a calibration routine for determining recommended performance characteristics of such communications device, including a maximum data rate X achievable by such device and for storing information relating to such communications device performance characteristics including such data rate X, and for determining recommended performance characteristics of such host processor, including a proposed maximum data rate Y achievable by such processor under conditions in which such host processing device is loaded with an operating system and other user application programs and for storing information relating to such processor performance characteristics including such data rate Y; and wherein the information pertaining to data rates X and Y can be used to cause said remote transceiver to use a data rate no greater than the lesser of X and Y when such transceiver is coupled through a data link in a channel to said communications device. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. An applications program configured to run on a host processing device for controlling a high speed ADSL modem, which ADSL modem can communicate through a channel with a remote transceiver capable of communicating at a data rate Z by intentionally limiting a downstream data transmission to use only a selected set of N sub-channels from a set of M available sub-channels, the program including:
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a calibration routine for determining recommended performance characteristics of said modem, including a proposed maximum data rate Y to be used by said modem, where Y<
=Z/2, and which data rate is based in part on data carrying capacities of the selected N sub-channels, in part on channel transmission conditions and in part on the computing power available in said host processing device;a configuration routine for configuring said ADSL modem to use said data rate Y, and data transmission protocols compatible with T1.413 requirements for downstream and upstream data transmissions; wherein said ADSL modem operates as a fully compatible T1.413 ADSL transceiver using an intentionally reduced data rate. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13)
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14. An applications program configured to run on a host processing device for controlling a high speed ADSL modem, which ADSL modem can communicate through a channel with a remote transciever by intentionally limiting a downstream data transmission to use only a selected set of N sub-channels from an available set of M sub-channels, the program including:
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a calibration routine, which routine selects which k of the set of N sub-channels can be used for data transmission, based on channel transmission conditions, performance characteristics of said sub-channels and the processing power available in said host processing device for extracting data from said selected set of N sub-channels; a configuration routine for configuring said ADSL modem to use said k sub-channels, and data transmission protocols compatible with T1.413 requirements for downstream and upstream data transmissions; wherein said ADSL modem operates as a fully compatible T1.413 ADSL transceiver using an intentionally reduced data rate. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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29. A method of configuring a data receive rate for a host processing device coupled to an ADSL modem, for communicating through a channel with a remote transciever by intentionally limiting a downstream data transmission to use only a selected set of N sub-channels from a set of M available sub-channels, the method including the steps of:
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(a) determining a potential maximum data rate Y achievable by said modem based on channel transmission conditions and performance characteristics of said N sub-channels; (b) determining a potential maximum data rate X achievable by the host processing device, which data rate is based on the computing power available in said host processing device for extracting data from said N-sub-channels under conditions in which such host processing device is loaded with an operating system and other user application programs; (c) configuring said data receive data at the lower of rates X and Y. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36)
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37. An applications program which includes routines executable by a host processing device for permitting a user to control a high speed communications device that can be coupled to a remote transceiver capable of transmitting a data signal at frame rate T, at a data rate Y, said applications program comprising:
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a detection routine for determining properties of said communications device and a host processor within said host processing device; and a calibration routine for determining a data rate X achievable by said communications device, said data rate being based on said frame rate T, and an evaluation of signal processing capabilities of the host processor when a specified portion of such host processor'"'"'s computing resources are made available for processing the data signal, said specified portion being configurable by the user; and wherein the program can be used to cause said upstream transceiver to use a data rate no greater than X when said transceiver is coupled through a data link in a channel to said communications device. - View Dependent Claims (38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44)
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45. A method for permitting a user to control a high speed communications device that can be coupled to a remote transceiver capable of transmitting a data signal at a frame rate T and a data rate Y, said method comprising the steps of:
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determining properties of said communications device and an associated signal processor; and determining a data rate X achievable by said communications device based on channel transmission conditions, said frame rate T, and an evaluation of signal processing capabilities of the associated signal processor under conditions in which a varying portion of such signal processor'"'"'s computing resources are available for processing the data signal; wherein said remote transceiver can be constrained to use a data rate no greater than X when such transceiver is coupled through a data link in a channel to said communications device. - View Dependent Claims (46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51)
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52. An applications program for controlling a high speed ADSL modem, which ADSL modem can communicate through a channel with a remote transceiver using a variable number N of DMT modulated sub-channels, where N<
- =M/2 and M is a maximum number of sub-channels supportable in such channel, the program including;
a configuration routine which is adapted for; (i) permitting a user of such program to identify a target data rate R to be used by the ADSL modem, where R'"'"'/10<
=R<
=R'"'"', where R'"'"' represents a data rate that would otherwise be achievable by a full rate T1.413 ADSL compatible transceiver using the channel to communicate with the remote transceiver;(ii) permitting a user of such program to select which of the M sub-channels should be included in the variable number N of DMT modulated sub-channels to achieve said target data rate R; and (iii) constraining the remote transceiver to use only said variable number N of DMT modulated sub-channels and said target data rate R during a data transmission, even if such channel can support a higher data rate and/or all of the M sub-channels during said transmission. - View Dependent Claims (53, 54, 55, 58)
- =M/2 and M is a maximum number of sub-channels supportable in such channel, the program including;
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56. An applications program for configuring a high speed modem, which modem can communicate through a channel with a remote transceiver using a variable number N of modulated sub-channels, where M is a maximum number of sub-channels supportable in such channel, the program including:
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(a) a calibration routine for determining which and how many of the N modulated sub-channels can be supported by the modem, wherein said calibration routine calculates such modem'"'"'s ability to process modulated data within a specified time period; and (b) a configuration routine for permitting a user of such program to modify such selection of sub-channels by said calibration routine, and/or an amount of computing resources available to such modem for processing modulated data; and (c) a verification routine for analyzing whether any modifications made by such user are supportable by the modem and/or said computing resources; and wherein said modem operates using a scaled data rate, said scaled data rate being a function of the number N of modulated sub-channels. - View Dependent Claims (57, 59)
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60. An applications program for configuring a high speed ADSL modem, which ADSL modem can communicate through a channel with a remote transceiver supporting a full data rate achievable by an ANSI T1.413 compatible modem in such channel, the program including:
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(a) a calibration routine for determining a modem data rate supported by the ADSL modem, wherein said calibration routine calculates such ADSL modem'"'"'s ability to process DMT modulated data within a specified time period; and (b) a configuration routine for permitting a user of such program to modify such modem data rate determined by said calibration routine, and/or an amount of computing resources available to such ADSL modem for processing DMT modulated data; and (c) a verification routine for analyzing whether any modifications made by such user are still supportable by the ADSL modem and/or said computing resources; and wherein said modem data rate can be configured to vary from a full data rate achievable by the ANSI T1.413 compatible ADSL transceiver connected in such data channel to a fractional portion of such full data rate. - View Dependent Claims (61, 62, 63, 66, 67)
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64. A method of controlling a high speed ADSL modem, which ADSL modem can communicate through a channel with a remote transceiver using a variable number N of DMT modulated sub-channels, where N<
- =M, and M represents a maximum number of independent modulated sub-channels supportable in such channel using a T1.413 data transmission protocol, the method comprising the steps of;
(a) specifying a target data rate R to be used by the ADSL modem during a data transmission, where R is less than or equal to a data rate that would otherwise be achievable by a full rate T1.413 ADSL compatible transceiver using the channel to communicate with the remote transceiver; (b) determining a maximum value for the variable number N of DMT modulated sub-channels that can be supported by the ADSL modem by analyzing available computing resources for processing said variable number N of DMT modulated subchannels; (c) selecting which ones of the M sub-channels should be included in the variable number N of DMT modulated sub-channels to achieve said target data rate R; and (d) configuring the ADSL modem to use said target data rate R and the variable number N of DMT modulated sub-channels; and (e) constraining the remote transceiver to use only said variable number N of DMT modulated sub-channels and said target data rate R during a data transmission, even if such channel can support a higher data rate and/or all of the M sub-channels during said transmission. - View Dependent Claims (65)
- =M, and M represents a maximum number of independent modulated sub-channels supportable in such channel using a T1.413 data transmission protocol, the method comprising the steps of;
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68. A method of controlling a high speed modem, which modem can communicate through a channel with a remote transceiver using a variable number of subchannels N, where N<
- =M, and M represents a maximum number of independent modulated sub-channels supportable in such channel, the method comprising the steps of;
(a) determining a maximum modem data rate and a maximum value for the variable number of subchannels N supported by the modem by calculating such modem'"'"'s ability to demodulate data within a specified time period when such modem is allocated a predetermined amount of signal processing resources; and (b) configuring the modem to utilize said maximum modem data rate and said maximum value for the variable number of subchannels N; (c) when a different maximum modem data rate is desired, determining whether a different amount of signal processing resources can be allocated to such modem for supporting said different maximum modem data rate. wherein the modem is operated with a variable maximum modem data rate that is based on signal processing resources that have been allocated to such modem, such that when channel conditions are acceptable and signal processing resources are available, the modem can process up to the maximum number of M of modulated subchannels in the channel. - View Dependent Claims (69, 70, 71)
- =M, and M represents a maximum number of independent modulated sub-channels supportable in such channel, the method comprising the steps of;
Specification