TRANSMISSION RATE CHANGES IN COMMUNICATIONS NETWORKS

摘要

A communications network includes first and second stations (10, 20), the first station (10) comprising a transmitter (18) and the second station (20) comprising a receiver (22). The network comprises a receiver (22). The network comprises a transition control portion (14) which is operable, prior to a change in a transmission rate of a preselected signal from the first station (10) to the second station (20), to cause transitional signals to be transmitted from the first station (10) to the second station (20) over the course of a transitional period expiring before the change is effected. The power levels of the transitional signals are varied over the course of the period in such a way as to reduce a level of instability in the network that would otherwise result from a transmisson power change required by the change in transmission rate of that signal. In another embodiment (Fig. 9) probing signals are transmitted prior to making such a rate change to probe a likely relationship between the transmission rate and transmission power after the change is effected.