Patent ID: 8213399

Claim:
A bidirectional communication system, the system comprising: a first remote unit for communicating with a host unit using orthogonal frequency division multiplexing, the host unit communicatively coupled to a plurality of remote units in a multipoint-to-point configuration; wherein the first remote unit is configured to transmit up to a plurality of tones, the up to a plurality of tones modulated with upstream information using orthogonal frequency division multiplexing; the first remote unit including a modulator for modulating the up to a plurality of tones with upstream information using orthogonal frequency division multiplexing, wherein the modulator is configured to adjust a carrier frequency and timing of the plurality of tones such that when waveforms are transmitted from the first remote unit and at least one other remote unit of the plurality of remote units, the orthogonality of a unified orthogonal frequency division multiplexing waveform when received at the host unit is improved; and wherein both control data and payload data are transmitted on a first tone of the plurality of tones.