Dynamic digital communication system control

A method of controlling a digital communication system having a plurality of data-carrying communication lines wherein a line's available total power for use in the system is limited by a power constraint, the method comprising:

• assigning the total power constraint for each line an initial value;
• determining a competitively optimal data rate for each line by performing the steps of:
• determining a power allocation within the total power constraint of each line by iteratively allowing each line to optimize its power allocation, and
• determining the competitively optimal data rate for each line based on the determined power allocation for the line;
• creating a model of the line, signal and the actual interference characteristics of the communication lines;
• and
• processing signals using the model to remove interference from signals including evaluating the competitively optimal data rate for each line, by performing the steps of:
• comparing the competitively optimal data rate of a line with a target rate for the line;
• increasing the power constraint for a line if the competitively optimal data rate of the line is less than the target rate for the line;
• decreasing the power constraint for the line if the competitively optimal data rate of the line exceeds the target rate for the line by at least a prescribed variance;
• maintaining the power constraint for the line if the competitively optimal data rate of the line is equal to the target rate for the line;
• and
• maintaining the power constraint for the line if the competitively optimal data rate of the line exceeds the target rate for the line by less than the prescribed variance.

An arrangement for controlling a digital communication system having a plurality of data-carrying communication lines, wherein a line's available total power for use in the system is limited by a power constraint, the arrangement being adapted and programmed to perform the following steps:

• assigning the total power constraint for each line an initial value;
• determining a competitively optimal data rate for each line by performing the following steps:
• determining a power allocation within the total power constraint of each line by iteratively allowing each line to optimize its power allocation, and
• determining the competitively optimal data rate for each line based on the determined power allocation for the line;
• creating a model of the line, signal and the actual interference characteristics of the communication lines;
• and
• processing signals using the model to remove interference from signals including evaluating the competitively optimal data rate for each user, by performing the steps of:
• comparing the competitively optimal data rate of a line with a target rate for the line;
• increasing the power constraint for a line if the competitively optimal data rate of the line is less than the target rate for the line;
• decreasing the power constraint for the line if the competitively optimal data rate of the line exceeds the target rate for the line by at least a prescribed variance;
• maintaining the power constraint for the line if the competitively optimal data rate of the line is equal to the target rate for the line;
• and
• maintaining the power constraint for the line if the competitively optimal data rate of the line exceeds the target rate for the line by less than the prescribed variance.