Adaptive communication systems and methods

1. A method comprising:

monitoring data transfer errors occurring on a communication channel;

determining whether any of the data transfer errors are packetized errors;

determining whether any packetized errors are corrected or uncorrected; and

selectively adjusting impulse noise protection based on the determining whether any packetized errors are corrected or uncorrected.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein selectively adjusting the impulse noise protection comprises:

selectively increasing the impulse noise protection if there are uncorrected packetized errors during a relevant observation time that is less than a threshold time value;

selectively decreasing the impulse noise protection if there are no uncorrected packetized errors and if a number of corrected packetized errors is less than a threshold value; and

leaving the impulse noise protection unchanged if there are no uncorrected packetized errors and if the number of corrected packetized errors is greater than or equal to the threshold value.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein selectively increasing the impulse noise protection comprises at least one of increasing interleaving, increasing redundancy, and decreasing codeword size.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein selectively increasing the impulse noise protection comprises:

selectively increasing interleaving if possible within interleaving limits;

if increasing interleaving is not possible, selectively increasing a number of redundancy bytes if possible within redundancy limits; and

if increasing interleaving or redundancy is not possible, selectively decreasing codeword size if possible within codeword size limits.

5. The method of claim 2 , wherein selectively decreasing the impulse noise protection comprises at least one of increasing codeword size, decreasing redundancy, and decreasing interleaving.

6. The method of claim 2 , wherein selectively decreasing the impulse noise protection comprises:

selectively increasing codeword size if possible within codeword size limits;

if increasing codeword size is not possible, decreasing a number of redundancy bytes if possible within redundancy limits; and

if increasing codeword size is not possible and if decreasing the number of redundancy bytes is not possible, selectively decreasing interleaving if possible within interleaving limits.

7. The method of claim 2 , further comprising:

monitoring continuous noise on the communication channel during a communication service; and

selectively adjusting continuous noise protection according to the continuous noise, wherein the continuous noise protection and the impulse noise protection are adjusted in a coordinated fashion to minimize redundancy.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein selectively adjusting the impulse noise protection comprises:

selectively increasing the impulse noise protection if there are uncorrected packetized errors on the communication channel during a relevant observation time that is less than a threshold time value;

selectively decreasing the impulse noise protection if there are no uncorrected packetized errors on the communication channel and if a number of corrected packetized errors on the communication channel is less than a threshold value; and

leaving the impulse noise protection unchanged if there are no uncorrected packetized errors on the communication channel and if the number of corrected packetized errors on the communication channel is greater than or equal to the threshold value.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein selectively increasing the impulse noise protection comprises at least one of increasing interleaving, increasing redundancy, and decreasing codeword size.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein selectively increasing the impulse noise protection comprises:

selectively increasing interleaving if possible within interleaving limits;

if increasing interleaving is not possible, selectively increasing a number of redundancy bytes if possible within redundancy limits; and

if increasing interleaving or redundancy is not possible, selectively decreasing codeword size if possible within codeword size limits.

11. The method of claim 8 , wherein selectively decreasing the impulse noise protection comprises at least one of increasing codeword size, decreasing redundancy, and decreasing interleaving.

12. The method of claim 8 , wherein selectively decreasing the impulse noise protection comprises:

selectively increasing codeword size if possible within codeword size limits;

if increasing codeword size is not possible, decreasing a number of redundancy bytes if possible within redundancy limits; and

if increasing codeword size is not possible and if decreasing the number of redundancy bytes is not possible, selectively decreasing interleaving if possible within interleaving limits.

13. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

monitoring continuous noise on the communication channel during a communication service; and

selectively adjusting continuous noise protection according to the continuous noise, wherein the continuous noise protection and the impulse noise protection are adjusted in a coordinated fashion to minimize redundancy.

14. A method comprising:

monitoring data transfer errors occurring on a communication channel;

determining whether any of the data transfer errors are packetized errors;

determining whether any packetized errors are corrected or uncorrected;

monitoring continuous noise on the communication channel during communication service; and

selectively adjusting impulse noise protection and continuous noise protection parameters in the system based on the determining whether any packetized errors are corrected or uncorrected and the continuous noise.

15. A communication system, comprising:

a communication channel;

a first modem coupled with a communication channel, the first modem comprising

a monitor system that monitors data transfer errors occurring on the communication channel; and

an analyzer system coupled with the monitor system, the analyzer system being adapted to determine whether any of the data transfer errors are packetized errors, and to determine whether any packetized errors are corrected or uncorrected;

and

a second modem coupled with the communication channel;

wherein the first and second modems are adapted to cooperatively adjust impulse noise protection based on the determining whether any packetized errors are corrected or uncorrected.

16. The communication system of claim 15 , wherein the first modem is further adapted to monitor continuous noise on the communication channel during communication service, and wherein the first and second modems are adapted to cooperatively adjust impulse noise protection and continuous noise protection in the system based on the determining whether any packetized errors are corrected or uncorrected and the continuous noise.

17. The communication system of claim 16 , wherein the first and second modems are adapted to cooperatively adjust the impulse noise protection and the continuous noise protection in a coordinated fashion to minimize redundancy.

18. The communication system of claim 15 , wherein the first and second modems are adapted to selectively increase the impulse noise protection if there are uncorrected packetized errors during a relevant observation time that is less than a threshold time value, to selectively decrease the impulse noise protection if there are no uncorrected packetized errors and if a number of corrected packetized errors is less than a threshold value, and to leave the impulse noise protection unchanged if there are no uncorrected packetized errors and if the number of corrected packetized errors is greater than or equal to the threshold value.

19. The communication system of claim 15 , wherein the first and second modems are adapted to selectively increase the impulse noise protection if there are uncorrected packetized errors on the communication channel during a relevant observation time that is less than a threshold time value, to selectively decrease the impulse noise protection if there are no uncorrected packetized errors on the communication channel and if a number of corrected packetized errors is less than a threshold value, and to leave the impulse noise protection unchanged if there are no uncorrected packetized errors on the communication channel and if the number of corrected packetized errors is greater than or equal to the threshold value.

20. A modem, comprising:

a transceiver that is coupleable to a communication channel, the transceiver being adapted to support communication service with a second modem on the communication channel;

a monitor system coupled with the transceiver, the monitor system being adapted to monitor data transfer errors occurring on the communication channel during communication service; and

an analyzer system coupled with the monitor system, the analyzer system being adapted to determine whether any of the data transfer errors are packetized errors, and to determine whether any packetized errors are corrected or uncorrected;

wherein the analyzer is further adapted to propose impulse noise protection adjustments to the second modem based on the determining whether any packetized errors are corrected or uncorrected and to cooperatively adjust impulse noise protection based on the determining whether any packetized errors are corrected or uncorrected.

21. An adjustment system comprising:

means for monitoring data transfer errors occurring on a communication channel;

means for determining whether any of the data transfer errors are packetized errors, and for determining whether any packetized errors are corrected or uncorrected; and

means for selectively adjusting impulse noise protection based on the determining whether any packetized errors are corrected or uncorrected.

22. The adjustment system of claim 21 , wherein the means for selectively adjusting the impulse noise protection comprises:

means for selectively increasing the impulse noise protection if there are uncorrected packetized errors on the communication channel during a relevant observation time that is less than a threshold time value;

means for selectively decreasing the impulse noise protection if there are no uncorrected packetized errors on the communication channel and if a number of corrected packetized errors on the communication channel is less than a threshold value.

23. The adjustment system of claim 22 , wherein the means for selectively increasing the impulse noise protection is adapted to selectively increase interleaving if possible within interleaving limits, or if increasing interleaving is not possible, to selectively increase a number of redundancy bytes if possible within redundancy limits, or if increasing interleaving or redundancy is not possible, to selectively decrease codeword size if possible within codeword size limits.

24. The adjustment system of claim 23 , wherein the means for selectively decreasing the impulse noise protection is adapted to selectively increase codeword size if possible within codeword size limits, or if increasing codeword size is not possible, to decrease a number of redundancy bytes if possible within redundancy limits, or if increasing codeword size is not possible and if decreasing the number of redundancy bytes is not possible, to selectively decrease interleaving if possible within interleaving limits.

25. The adjustment system of claim 24 , further comprising:

means for monitoring continuous noise on the communication channel during the communication service; and

means for selectively adjusting continuous noise protection according to the continuous noise, wherein the continuous noise protection and the impulse noise protection are adjusted in a coordinated fashion to minimize redundancy.