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

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

generating at least two bit loading profiles for use in a dynamic schedule for a set of a plurality of available resources on the upstream channel to serve the data transmission requests during a profile management interval, comprising:

a first bit loading profile specifying a first assignment of a plurality of bit loadings for each resource of a plurality of resources within the profile management interval; and

a second bit loading profile specifying a second assignment of the plurality of bit loadings for each resource of the plurality of resources within the profile management interval, wherein the first assignment of bit loadings is different than the second assignment of bit loadings;

transmitting the first and second bit loading profiles to the downstream device;

determining, based on testing the set of the plurality of available resources during a performance measurement interval, performance data for each resource of the plurality of resources, wherein the performance measurement interval occurs within the profile management interval; and

determining, based on the performance data, the dynamic schedule for each resource of the plurality of resources, wherein the dynamic schedule indicates whether to use the first bit loading profile or the second bit loading profile for each resource of the plurality of resources to serve the data transmission requests during at least a portion of the profile management interval.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the dynamic schedule indicates whether to use the first bit loading profile or the second bit loading profile for each resource of the plurality of resources to serve the data transmission requests during a first portion of the profile management interval and determining the dynamic schedule for each resource of the plurality of resources in the profile management interval further comprises:

determining, based on testing the set of the plurality of available resources, second performance data for each resource of the plurality of resources during a subsequent portion of the profile management interval; and

determining, based on the second performance data, a second dynamic schedule indicating whether to use the first bit loading profile or the second bit loading profile for each resource of the plurality of resources to serve the data transmission requests during the subsequent portion of the profile management interval, wherein the subsequent portion is different than the first portion.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein:

the first bit loading profile comprises a high bit loading profile;

the second bit loading profile comprises a low bit loading profile; and

the dynamic schedule further comprises a third bit loading profile, wherein the third bit loading profile comprises a null assignment of the plurality of bit loadings for each resource of the plurality of resources.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein:

the upstream channel comprises a set of frames, each frame comprising an associated set of bursts that includes a first burst, a 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.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein:

the set of the plurality of available resources comprises a 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.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the testing the set of the plurality of available resources 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 upstream channel that is different than frames used for other subsets of minislots.

7. The method of claim 6 , 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.

8. An apparatus configured to schedule individual orthogonal frequency-division multiple access (OFDMA) resources on an upstream channel to serve data transmission requests 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 dynamic schedule for a set of a plurality of available resources on the upstream channel to serve the data transmission requests during a profile management interval, comprising generating:

a first bit loading profile specifying a first assignment of a plurality of bit loadings for each resource of a plurality of resources within the profile management interval; and

a second bit loading profile specifying a second assignment of the plurality of the plurality of bit loadings for each resource of the plurality of resources within the profile management interval, wherein the first assignment of bit loadings is different than the second assignment of bit loadings;

transmit the first and second bit loading profiles to the downstream device;

determine, based on testing the set of the plurality of available resources during a performance measurement interval, performance data for each resource of the plurality of resources, wherein the performance measurement interval occurs within the profile management interval; and

determine, based on the performance data, the dynamic schedule for each resource of the plurality of resources, wherein the dynamic schedule indicates whether to use the first bit loading profile or the second bit loading profile for each resource of the plurality of available resources to serve the data transmission requests during at least a portion of the profile management interval.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the dynamic schedule indicates whether to use the first bit loading profile or the second bit loading profile for each resource of the plurality of resources to serve the data transmission requests during a first portion of the profile management interval and determining the dynamic schedule for each resource of the plurality of resources in the profile management interval further comprises:

determining, based on testing the set of the plurality of available resources, second performance data for each resource of the plurality of resources during a subsequent portion of the profile management interval; and

determining, based on the second performance data, a second dynamic schedule indicating whether to use the first bit loading profile or the second bit loading profile for each resource of the plurality of resources to serve the data transmission requests during the subsequent portion of the profile management interval, wherein the subsequent portion is different than the first portion.

10. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein:

the first bit loading profile comprises a high bit loading profile;

the second bit loading profile comprises a low bit loading profile; and

the dynamic schedule further comprises a third bit loading profile, wherein the third bit loading profile comprises a null assignment of the plurality of bit loadings for each resource of the plurality of resources.

11. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein:

the upstream channel comprises a set of frames, each frame comprising an associated set of bursts that includes a first burst, a 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.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein:

the set of the plurality of available resources comprises a 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.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the testing the set of the plurality of available resources 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 upstream channel that is different than frames used for other subsets of minislots.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 , 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.

15. 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 dynamic schedule for a set of a plurality of available resources on an upstream channel to serve data transmission requests from a downstream device during a profile management interval, comprising generating:

a first bit loading profile specifying a first assignment of a plurality of bit loadings for each resource of a set of the plurality of resources within the profile management interval; and

a second bit loading profile specifying a second assignment of the plurality of the plurality of bit loadings for each resource of the plurality of resources within the profile management interval, wherein the first assignment of bit loadings is different than the second assignment of bit loadings;

transmit the first and second bit loading profiles to the downstream device;

determine, based on testing the set of the plurality of available resources during a performance measurement interval, performance data for each of the plurality of resources, wherein the performance measurement interval occurs within the profile management interval; and

determine, based on the performance data, the dynamic schedule for each resource of the plurality of resources, wherein the dynamic schedule indicates whether to use the first bit loading profile or the second bit loading profile for each resource of the plurality of resources to serve the data transmission requests during at least a portion of the profile management interval.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 15 , wherein the dynamic schedule indicates whether to use the first bit loading profile or the second bit loading profile for each resource of the plurality of resources to serve the data transmission requests during a first portion of the profile management interval and determining the dynamic schedule for each resource of the plurality of resources in the profile management interval further comprises:

determining, based on testing the set of the plurality of available resources, second performance data for each resource of the plurality of resources during a subsequent portion of the profile management interval; and

determining, based on the second performance data, a second dynamic schedule indicating whether to use the first bit loading profile or the second bit loading profile for each resource of the plurality of resources to serve the data transmission requests during the subsequent portion of the profile management interval, wherein the subsequent portion is different than the first portion.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 15 :

the first bit loading profile comprises a high bit loading profile;

the second bit loading profile comprises a low bit loading profile; and

the dynamic schedule further comprises a third bit loading profile, wherein the third bit loading profile comprises a null assignment of the plurality of bit loadings for each resource.

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

the upstream 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.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 18 , wherein:

the set of the plurality of available resources comprises a 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.