Patent ID: 7532868

Claim:
A method for managing power for a plurality of communications channels based on performance in a frequency hopping communications system that includes at least a master participant and a slave participant, the method comprising the computer-implemented steps of: (a) the master participant receiving from the slave participant a first communication over a communications channel of the plurality of communications channels; (b) processing the first communication using an equalizer that is associated with the master participant; (c) based on processing the first communication using the equalizer, determining an estimated signal to noise ratio; (d) based on a comparison of the estimated signal to noise ratio to a specified signal to noise ratio, determining a power to be used to transmit from the slave participant to the master participant over the communications channel; (e) the master participant sending a second communication to the slave participant, wherein the second communication specifies the power to be used to transmit form the slave participant to the master participant over the communications channel; (f) the master participant receiving from the slave participant a third communication over the communications channel, wherein the third communication is based on the power specified in the second communication; (g) repeating steps (a) through (f) for at least a second communications channel of the plurality of communications channels, wherein the second communications channel is between the master participant and the slave participant.