Smart window allocation

An apparatus comprising:

• a memory;
• and
• at least one processor configured to:
• (a) sort an incoming stream of a plurality of channel frequencies to be allocated to one or more modulators in a predefined order, wherein each channel frequency has a corresponding channel width;
• (b) group the plurality of channel frequencies into one or more channel groups, wherein each channel group comprises one or more channel frequencies such that:
• the one or more channel frequencies in each group have a common channel width, and
• the one or more channel frequencies in each group have the same phase with respect to the common channel width;
• (c) prioritize the one or more channel groups from highest priority to lowest priority ranked by the number of channels remaining in each respective one or more channel groups;
• (d) allocate sequential ones of the one or more channel frequencies of the highest priority channel group to a selected available modulator for the highest priority channel group, so long as allocating a next sequential channel frequency will result in a difference between a last channel frequency and a first channel frequency allocated to the selected modulator falling within a frequency span limit of the selected modulator;
• and
• (e) repeat (c) and (d) until the maximum number of channel frequencies are allocated to the one or more modulators.

A non-transitory computer readable media storing one or more instructions executable by at least one processor, the one or more instructions comprising:

• (a) one or more instructions for sorting an incoming stream of a plurality of channel frequencies to be allocated to one or more modulators in a predefined order, wherein each channel frequency has a corresponding channel width;
• (b) one or more instructions for grouping the plurality of channel frequencies into one or more channel groups, wherein each channel group comprises one or more channel frequencies such that:
• the one or more channel frequencies in each group have a common channel width, and
• the one or more channel frequencies in each group have the same phase with respect to the common channel width;
• (c) one or more instructions for prioritizing the one or more channel groups from highest priority to lowest priority ranked by the number of channels remaining in each respective one or more channel groups;
• (d) one or more instructions for allocating sequential ones of the one or more channel frequencies of the highest priority channel group to a selected available modulator for the highest priority channel group, so long as allocating a next sequential channel frequency will result in a difference between a last channel frequency and a first channel frequency allocated to the selected modulator falling within a frequency span limit of the selected modulator;
• and
• (e) one or more instructions for repeating (c) and (d) until the maximum number of channel frequencies are allocated to the one or more modulators.

A method comprising:

• (a) sorting an incoming stream of a plurality of channel frequencies to be allocated to one or more modulators, each one or more modulator having a plurality of remaining available slots;
• (b) grouping the plurality of channel frequencies into one or more channel groups each comprising a plurality of channel frequencies;
• (c) ranking the one or more channel groups from highest priority to lowest priority ranked by the number of channels remaining in each respective one or more channel groups and not yet allocated to a modulator;
• (d) allocating a subset of the highest priority channel group to a selected available modulator until the selected modulator has no remaining available slots;
• (e) repeating (c) and (d) until the maximum number of channel frequencies are allocated to the one or more modulators.