Patent ID: 8014305

Claim:
A method of optimizing transmission of a plurality of data packets in a channel, which forms part of a wireless communication system, the method comprising: sending a first subset of the plurality of data packets in the channel using a first data rate, wherein the first data rate is a current optimum data rate; sending a second subset of the plurality of data packets in the channel using a second data rate, wherein the second data rate is higher than the first data rate; analyzing feedback signals associated with the first subset and the second subset; and selecting one of the first data rate and the second data rate based on the analyzing, wherein selecting the second data rate changes the current optimum data rate to the second data rate, and wherein selecting the first data rate includes determining whether the first data rate is stale, wherein if the first data rate is stale, then changing the current optimum data rate to a third data rate, wherein the third data rate is lower than the first data rate, and wherein if the first data rate is not stale, then maintaining the first data rate as the current optimum data rate.