Methods and apparatus for generating and using dynamic profiles for cable transmission systems

1. A computerized method for scheduling individual orthogonal frequency-division multiple access (OFDMA) resources on an upstream channel to serve a data transmission request from a downstream device, the method comprising:

generating a schedule for a set of available resources on the upstream channel to serve the data transmission request, based on a dynamic bit loading profile, comprising generating:

data indicative of a first bit loading profile for a first set of resources from the set of available resources for a first burst; and

data indicative of a second bit loading profile for a second set of resources from the set of available resources for a second burst;

transmitting the schedule to a downstream device, such that the downstream device is configured to encode the first burst by encoding the first set of resources using the first bit loading profile and the second burst by encoding the second set of resources using the second bit loading profile;

individually testing a set of minislots of the channel, using single-minislot grants for each minislot in the set of minislots, to generate performance data for each minislot of the set of minislots, wherein testing the set of minislots comprises:

grouping downstream devices into a plurality of groups of devices; and

collecting performance data for the set of minislots for each group of devices of the plurality of groups of devices, comprising:

determining a plurality of subsets of minislots of the set of minislots; and

collecting performance data for each subset of minislots using a frame of the channel that is different than frames used for other subsets of minislots; and

generating the dynamic bit loading profile based on the performance data.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein:

the channel comprises a set of frames, each frame comprising an associated set of bursts that includes the first burst, the second burst, and one or more additional bursts; and

generating the schedule comprises generating data indicative of a bit loading profile for each burst for each frame from the set of frames.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein:

the set of available resources comprises the set of minislots; and

generating the schedule comprises generating:

data indicative of the first bit loading profile for a first set of one or more minislots from the set of minislots for the first burst; and

data indicative of the second bit loading profile for a second set of one or more minislots from the set of minislots for the second burst.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising scheduling a non-data transmission request based on the performance data for each minislot of the set of minislots to avoid scheduling the non-data transmission request in one or more of the minislots of the set of minislots with associated performance data indicative of an impairment of the minislot.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the non-data transmission request comprises a ranging request.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein scheduling the ranging request comprises:

determining, based on the performance data for each minislot of the set of minislots, that an existing ranging zone is associated with the one or more minislots with the performance data indicative of an impairment; and

determining a new ranging zone based on the performance data.

7. An apparatus configured to schedule individual orthogonal frequency-division multiple access (OFDMA) resources on an upstream channel to serve a data transmission request from a downstream device, the apparatus comprising a processor in communication with memory, the processor being configured to execute instructions stored in the memory that cause the processor to:

generate a schedule for a set of available resources on the upstream channel to serve the data transmission request, based on a dynamic bit loading profile, comprising generating:

data indicative of a first bit loading profile for a first set of resources from the set of available resources for a first burst; and

data indicative of a second bit loading profile for a second set of resources from the set of available resources for a second burst;

transmit the schedule to a downstream device, such that the downstream device is configured to encode the first burst by encoding the first set of resources using the first bit loading profile and the second burst by encoding the second set of resources using the second bit loading profile;

individually test a set of minislots of the channel, using single-minislot grants for each minislot in the set of minislots, to generate performance data for each minislot of the set of minislots, wherein testing the set of minislots comprises:

grouping downstream devices into a plurality of groups of devices; and

collecting performance data for the set of minislots for each group of devices of the plurality of groups of devices, comprising:

determining a plurality of subsets of minislots of the set of minislots; and

collecting performance data for each subset of minislots using a frame of the channel that is different than frames used for other subsets of minislots; and

generate the dynamic bit loading profile based on the performance data.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein:

the channel comprises a set of frames, each frame comprising an associated set of bursts that includes the first burst, the second burst, and one or more additional bursts; and

generating the schedule comprises generating data indicative of a bit loading profile for each burst for each frame from the set of frames.

9. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein:

the set of available resources comprises the set of minislots; and

generating the schedule comprises generating:

data indicative of the first bit loading profile for a first set of one or more minislots from the set of minislots for the first burst; and

data indicative of the second bit loading profile for a second set of one or more minislots from the set of minislots for the second burst.

10. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the instructions are further configured to cause the processor to schedule a non-data transmission request based on the performance data for each minislot of the set of minislots to avoid scheduling the non-data transmission request in one or more of the minislots of the set of minislots with associated performance data indicative of an impairment of the minislot.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the non-data transmission request comprises a ranging request.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein scheduling the ranging request comprises:

determining, based on the performance data for each minislot of the set of minislots, that an existing ranging zone is associated with the one or more minislots with the performance data indicative of an impairment; and

determining a new ranging zone based on the performance data.

13. A non-transitory computer-readable media comprising instructions that, when executed by one or more processors on a computing device, are operable to cause the one or more processors to:

generate a schedule for a set of available resources on an upstream channel to serve a data transmission request from a downstream device, based on a dynamic bit loading profile, comprising generating:

data indicative of a first bit loading profile for a first set of resources from the set of available resources for a first burst; and

data indicative of a second bit loading profile for a second set of resources from the set of available resources for a second burst;

transmit the schedule to a downstream device, such that the downstream device is configured to encode the first burst by encoding the first set of resources using the first bit loading profile and the second burst by encoding the second set of resources using the second bit loading profile;

individually test a set of minislots of the channel, using single-minislot grants for each minislot in the set of minislots, to generate performance data for each minislot of the set of minislots, wherein testing the set of minislots comprises:

grouping downstream devices into a plurality of groups of devices; and

collecting performance data for the set of minislots for each group of devices of the plurality of groups of devices, comprising:

determining a plurality of subsets of minislots of the set of minislots; and

collecting performance data for each subset of minislots using a frame of the channel that is different than frames used for other subsets of minislots; and

generate the dynamic bit loading profile based on the performance data.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 13 , wherein:

the channel comprises a set of frames, each frame comprising an associated set of bursts that includes the first burst, the second burst, and one or more additional bursts; and

generating the schedule comprises generating data indicative of a bit loading profile for each burst for each frame from the set of frames.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 13 , wherein:

the set of available resources comprises the set of minislots; and

generating the schedule comprises generating:

data indicative of the first bit loading profile for a first set of one or more minislots from the set of minislots for the first burst; and

data indicative of the second bit loading profile for a second set of one or more minislots from the set of minislots for the second burst.

16. A computerized method for scheduling individual orthogonal frequency-division multiple access (OFDMA) resources on an upstream channel to serve a data transmission request from a downstream device, the method comprising:

generating a schedule for a set of available resources on the upstream channel to serve the data transmission request, based on a dynamic bit loading profile, comprising generating:

data indicative of a first bit loading profile for a first set of resources from the set of available resources for a first burst; and

data indicative of a second bit loading profile for a second set of resources from the set of available resources for a second burst;

transmitting the schedule to a downstream device, such that the downstream device is configured to encode the first burst by encoding the first set of resources using the first bit loading profile and the second burst by encoding the second set of resources using the second bit loading profile;

individually testing a set of minislots of the channel, using single-minislot grants for each minislot in the set of minislots, to generate performance data for each minislot of the set of minislots;

generating the dynamic bit loading profile based on the performance data; and

scheduling a non-data transmission request based on the performance data for each minislot of the set of minislots to avoid scheduling the non-data transmission request in one or more of the minislots of the set of minislots with associated performance data indicative of an impairment of the minislot.

17. A computerized method for scheduling individual orthogonal frequency-division multiple access (OFDMA) resources on an upstream channel to serve a data transmission request from a downstream device, the method comprising:

generating a schedule for a set of available resources on the upstream channel to serve the data transmission request, based on a dynamic bit loading profile, comprising generating:

data indicative of a first bit loading profile for a first set of resources from the set of available resources for a first burst; and

data indicative of a second bit loading profile for a second set of resources from the set of available resources for a second burst;

transmitting the schedule to a downstream device, such that the downstream device is configured to encode the first burst by encoding the first set of resources using the first bit loading profile and the second burst by encoding the second set of resources using the second bit loading profile;

individually testing a set of minislots of the channel, using single-minislot grants for each minislot in the set of minislots, to generate performance data for each minislot of the set of minislots;

generating the dynamic bit loading profile based on the performance data; and

scheduling a non-data transmission request based on the performance data for each minislot of the set of minislots to avoid scheduling the non-data transmission request in one or more of the minislots of the set of minislots with associated performance data indicative of an impairment of the minislot, wherein the non-data transmission request comprises a ranging request.

18. A computerized method for scheduling individual orthogonal frequency-division multiple access (OFDMA) resources on an upstream channel to serve a data transmission request from a downstream device, the method comprising:

generating a schedule for a set of available resources on the upstream channel to serve the data transmission request, based on a dynamic bit loading profile, comprising generating:

data indicative of a first bit loading profile for a first set of resources from the set of available resources for a first burst; and

data indicative of a second bit loading profile for a second set of resources from the set of available resources for a second burst;

transmitting the schedule to a downstream device, such that the downstream device is configured to encode the first burst by encoding the first set of resources using the first bit loading profile and the second burst by encoding the second set of resources using the second bit loading profile;

individually testing a set of minislots of the channel, using single-minislot grants for each minislot in the set of minislots, to generate performance data for each minislot of the set of minislots;

generating the dynamic bit loading profile based on the performance data; and

scheduling a non-data transmission request based on the performance data for each minislot of the set of minislots to avoid scheduling the non-data transmission request in one or more of the minislots of the set of minislots with associated performance data indicative of an impairment of the minislot, wherein the non-data transmission request comprises a ranging request, and wherein scheduling the ranging request comprises:

determining, based on the performance data for each minislot of the set of minislots, that an existing ranging zone is associated with the one or more minislots with the performance data indicative of an impairment; and

determining a new ranging zone based on the performance data.