Patent ID: 8381047

Claim:
A method of handling information for use with a first network device in communication with a second network device over a communication channel, the first network device comprising a decoder operable to correct a number of data transmission errors per block of information received, comprising acts, performed by the first network device, of: (A) predicting a degradation below a particular threshold of an ability to accurately convey information on the communication channel based at least in part on data transmission error information corresponding to a plurality of blocks of the information received on the communication channel over a period of time, the plurality of blocks comprising a first block, the predicting comprising: comparing a number of data transmission errors within the first block against a threshold number of data transmission errors, the threshold number of data transmission errors being less than the number of data transmission errors per block of information received that the decoder is operable to correct, and comparing a data transmission error rate occurring over the period of time against a threshold data transmission error rate; and (B) in response to predicting the degradation below the particular threshold, issuing an instruction to the second network device to modify an error encoding scheme used by the second network device to transmit information to the first network device on the communication channel.