Patent ID: 7324431

Claim:
A method of allocating a communication signal to multiple carrier frequencies in a multi carrier communication scheme, such as an OFDM scheme, the method comprising the steps of: a) providing a plurality of carrier frequencies each establishing a communication channel, b) defining an individual quality of service requirement for transmitting the communication signal, c) defining ( 74 ) a plurality of spreading factors, each spreading factor defining a set of associated carrier frequencies separated from one another by a spreading factor distance, d) for each spreading factor, defining a pattern of pilot symbols distributed across the plurality of carrier frequencies, each pilot symbol defining a cluster of carrier frequencies, e) for each spreading factor, estimating which carrier frequencies are appropriate to fulfill the quality of service requirement defined, and f) allocating a set of carrier frequencies for multi carrier communication of the communication signal, wherein the step of allocating involves a first substep of selecting a first desired carrier frequency from the carrier frequencies estimated as appropriate in step e), and a second substep of selecting further carrier frequencies in the remaining clusters, said further desired carrier frequencies being separated from the first carrier frequency by the spreading factor distance associated with the selection made in the first substep.