Method for transmitting a signal from a transmitter to a receiver in a power line communication network, transmitter, receiver, power line communication modem and power line communication system

A transmitter for transmitting signals over a wired network to a receiver, the wired network including at least phase, neutral and protective earth wires so that the network establishes multiple wired transmission paths, the transmitter comprising:

• adaptive mapping means for mapping bits to a plurality of sub-carriers in accordance with constellation information for the respective sub-carriers;
• eigenbeamforming means for eigenbeamforming an output of the adaptive mapping circuit using eigenbeamforming information;
• orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM) modulation means for OFDM modulating an output of the eigenbeamforming means;
• and
• receiving means for receiving feedback information descriptive of the constellation information and the eigenbeamforming information from the receiver via the wired network, wherein the feedback information depends on channel conditions of at least two wired transmission paths established by the wired network, wherein
• the adaptive mapping means includes first and second quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM) modulating means,
• the first QAM modulating means maps bits to a plurality of sub-carriers in accordance with first constellation information for the respective sub-carriers, the first constellation information depending on channel conditions of a first one of the at least two wired transmission paths, and
• the second QAM modulating means maps bits to a plurality of sub-carriers in accordance with second constellation information for the respective sub-carriers, the second constellation information depending on channel conditions of a second one of the at least two wired transmission paths.

A method for transmitting signals over a wired network between a transmitter and a receiver, the wired network including at least phase, neutral and protective earth wires so that the network establishes multiple wired transmission paths, the method comprising:

• adaptively mapping bits to a plurality of sub-carriers in accordance with constellation information for the respective sub-carriers;
• eigenbeamforming an output of the adaptive mapping circuit using eigenbeamforming information;
• orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM) modulating an output of the eigenbeamforming;
• and
• receiving feedback information descriptive of the constellation information and the eigenbeamforming information from the receiver via the wired network, wherein the feedback information depends on channel conditions of at least two wired transmission paths established by the wired network, wherein
• the adaptively mapping includes first and second quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM) modulating,
• the first QAM modulating includes mapping bits to a plurality of sub-carriers in accordance with first constellation information for the respective sub-carriers, the first constellation information depending on channel conditions of a first one of the at least two wired transmission paths, and
• the second QAM modulating includes mapping bits to a plurality of sub-carriers in accordance with second constellation information for the respective sub-carriers, the second constellation information depending on channel conditions of a second one of the at least two wired transmission paths.