Patent ID: 7856033

Claim:
A method for transitioning from an initial data rate to a new data rate in a multi-carrier communication system, comprising: determining whether a first communication parameter has priority over a second communication parameter or whether the second communication parameter has priority over the first communication parameter; using an initial bit loading parameter Lp and an initial interleaver depth Dp to transmit a series of symbols at the initial data rate from a transmitter to a receiver; determining that the new data rate is desired between the transmitter and receiver; if the first communication parameter has priority over the second communication parameter, then calculating a modified bit loading parameter Lp′ according to a first function; if the second communication parameter has priority over the first communication parameter, then calculating the modified bit loading parameter Lp′ according to a second function that differs from the first function; and using the modified bit loading parameter to transmit data from the transmitter to the receiver at the new data rate; wherein the modified bit loading parameter Lp′ is calculated based on the initial bit loading parameter Lp.