Method and apparatus for controlling a gain of an amplifier of a cable modem

1. A cable modem, comprising:

an amplifier configured to amplify a received signal;

a power meter configured to measure a power of the received signal on a plurality of channels; and

a control unit configured to estimate a maximum expected power to receive on the plurality of channels based on the measured power and set a gain of the amplifier based on the maximum expected power,

wherein the cable modem is configured to operate in a full duplex mode,

wherein the channels include one or more of a full duplex upstream channel, a full duplex downstream channel, and a legacy downstream channel, and the maximum expected power includes an interference power caused by an upstream transmission from another cable modem on the full duplex upstream channel and a received downstream power from a cable modem termination system on the full duplex downstream channel and the legacy downstream channel,

wherein the maximum expected power is estimated via a sounding procedure, wherein at least one cable modem connected to a cable network transmits an upstream transmission on the full duplex upstream channel while at least one other cable modem is instructed to measure a received power on the full duplex upstream channel, wherein the control unit is configured to select a cable modem that generates an interference for at least one full duplex upstream channel.

2. The cable modem of claim 1 , wherein the upstream transmission is transmitted over either an entire set of sub-carriers of the full duplex upstream channel or a sub-set of sub-carriers of the full duplex upstream channel.

3. The cable modem of claim 1 , wherein the control unit is configured to determine the gain by dividing an analog-to-digital converter full scale power by the maximum expected power.

4. The cable modem of claim 1 , wherein the control unit is configured to measure a power spectral density and estimate the maximum expected power from the power spectral density.

5. The cable modem of claim 1 , wherein regular upstream data transmissions from other cable modems are used to estimate the maximum expected power.

6. A method for adaptive control of a gain of an amplifier in a receiver of a cable modem connected to a cable network, the method comprising:

receiving a signal;

measuring a power of the received signal on a plurality of channels;

estimating a maximum expected power to receive on the plurality of channels based on the measured power; and

setting a gain of the amplifier based on the maximum expected power,

wherein the cable modem is configured to operate in a full duplex mode,

wherein the channels include one or more of a full duplex upstream channel, a full duplex downstream channel, and a legacy downstream channel, and the maximum expected power includes an interference power caused by an upstream transmission from another cable modem on the full duplex upstream channel and a received downstream power from a cable modem termination system on the full duplex downstream channel and the legacy downstream channel,

wherein the maximum expected power is estimated via a sounding procedure, wherein at least one cable modem connected to a cable network transmits an upstream transmission on the full duplex upstream channel while at least one other cable modem is instructed to measure a received power on the full duplex upstream channel, wherein the control unit is configured to select a cable modem that generates an interference for at least one full duplex upstream channel.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the upstream transmission is transmitted over either an entire set of sub-carriers of the full duplex upstream channel or a sub-set of sub-carriers of the full duplex upstream channel.

8. The method of claim 6 , wherein the gain is determined by dividing an analog-to-digital converter full scale power by the maximum expected power.

9. The method of claim 6 , wherein a power spectral density is measured and the maximum expected power is derived from the power spectral density.

10. The method of claim 6 , wherein regular upstream data transmissions from other cable modems are used to estimate the maximum expected power.

11. A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium including machine readable instructions, when executed, to implement a method of claim 6 .

12. An apparatus in a cable network, comprising:

a means for receiving a signal;

a means for measuring a power of the received signal on a plurality of channels;

a means for estimating a maximum expected power to receive on the plurality of channels based on the measured power; and

a means for setting a gain of an amplifier for amplifying the received signal based on the maximum expected power,

wherein the cable modem is configured to operate in a full duplex mode,

wherein the channels include one or more of a full duplex upstream channel, a full duplex downstream channel, and a legacy downstream channel, and the maximum expected power includes an interference power caused by an upstream transmission from another cable modem on the full duplex upstream channel and a received downstream power from a cable modem termination system on the full duplex downstream channel and the legacy downstream channel,

wherein the maximum expected power is estimated via a sounding procedure, wherein at least one cable modem connected to a cable network transmits an upstream transmission on the full duplex upstream channel while at least one other cable modem is instructed to measure a received power on the full duplex upstream channel, wherein the control unit is configured to select a cable modem that generates an interference for at least one full duplex upstream channel.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the upstream transmission is transmitted over either an entire set of sub-carriers of the full duplex upstream channel or a sub-set of sub-carriers of the full duplex upstream channel.

14. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the gain is determined by dividing an analog-to-digital converter full scale power by the maximum expected power.

15. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein a power spectral density is measured and the maximum expected power is derived from the power spectral density.

16. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein regular upstream data transmissions from other cable modems are used to estimate the maximum expected power.