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Communications methods and apparatus

  • US 6,178,161 B1
  • Filed: 10/31/1997
  • Issued: 01/23/2001
  • Est. Priority Date: 10/31/1997
  • Status: Expired due to Term
First Claim
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1. A method of transmitting information comprising the steps of:

  • buffering at least some information to be transmitted;

    selecting different ones of a plurality of communication modes depending upon an amount of information buffered in said buffering step; and

    transmitting information using the selected communication mode;

    wherein the information to be transmitted comprises data packets and control or response packets, the data packets are buffered, and the selection of the communication mode is dependent upon a number of buffered data packets to be transmitted;

    wherein the plurality of communication modes comprise different symbol transmission frequencies and/or different modulation methods and/or bits per symbol providing a plurality of different transmitted bit rates; and

    wherein the step of selecting different ones of the plurality of communication modes comprises selecting a communication mode having a relatively low symbol transmission frequency in response to there being no buffered data packets to be transmitted and selecting a determined one of the communication modes when there is at least one buffered data packet to be transmitted.

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