Patent ID: 8107392

Claim:
A method of aggregating packets in a power line communication (PLC) network comprising: by performing a PLC channel estimation, determining whether or not a channel condition is good, at a channel condition determination unit; if the channel condition is good, determining whether or not data desired to be transmitted is suitable for packet aggregation according to the type of data, at a data type determination unit; and if the channel condition is good and the data desired to be transmitted is suitable for the packet aggregation, aggregating packets of the data desired to be transmitted, at a packet aggregation unit, wherein the determining of whether or not the channel condition is good comprises: calculating the available bandwidth of the channel by using a predetermined formula according to whether or not an apparatus performing the PLC channel estimation uses a channel; and if the available bandwidth of the channel is equal to or greater than a reference bandwidth, determining that the channel condition is good.