EP0730382A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Configurable hybrid medium access control for cable metropolitan area networks
Assignee: Arris Technology Inc
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Filing: 1996-02-28
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2016-02-28
Abstract
Abstract The hybrid medium access control (MAC) system is configurable to the type of communication required to support a desired application or service. The MAC system analyzes services requested from a settop terminal, or a network controller client, and determines the best MAC component for transmitting signals upstream based on the resources required by the service and the available network resources. A portion of the upstream channel spectrum is allocated to each of the MAC components: 1) POP; 2) assigned static TDMA; 3) assigned dynamic multi-rate TDMA; and 4) random slot reservation - dynamic slot allocation TDMA. Depending upon the communication requirements of the service desired, the configurable MAC system will select the MAC component best suited to support the service. A frequency agile transmitter is then tuned to the channel which has been preallocated for the selected MAC component(s). As communication traffic varies over time, the system reallocates portions of the upstream channel spectrum among the different MAC components and may also reconfigure a specific MAC component.
Inventors
- 👤 Reem Safadi
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-24 15:32
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04N; H04N21/00; H04N21/60; H04N21/61; H04N21/6106; H04N21/6118; H04J; H04J3/00; H04J3/16; H04J3/1694; H04L; H04L12/00; H04L12/28; H04L12/2801; H04L67/00; H04L67/34; H04N21/20; H04N21/21; H04N21/222; H04N21/2221; H04N21/23; H04N21/238; H04N21/2381; H04N21/25; H04N21/266; H04N21/2665; H04N21/40; H04N21/43; H04N21/438; H04N21/4381; H04N21/6156; H04N21/6168; H04N21/63; H04N21/643; H04N21/64307; H04N7/00; H04N7/16; H04N7/173; H04N7/17309; H04N7/22; H04Q; H04Q11/00; H04Q11/04; H04Q11/0428; H04Q11/0478; H04L12/54; H04L12/56; H04L12/5601; H04L2012/5603; H04L2012/5604; H04L2012/5605; H04L2012/5606; H04L2012/5609; H04L2012/561; H04L2012/5638; H04L2012/564; H04L2012/5642; H04L2012/5665; H04L2012/5667
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 23
Claim 1
Independent Claim
185 words
A system for controlling access to a bi-directional cable television hybrid fiber-coax network having a plurality of upstream and downstream communication channels, each upstream channel supporting a different communicating mode, the system comprising a headend unit and at least one subscriber unit: said subscriber unit having: means for receiving a request for transmitting over said network; means for determining the type of communication to be transmitted; means for selecting a communicating mode, based upon said determination, for transmitting said communication; means for transmitting a connection request over one of said upstream channels; means for receiving a connection acknowledgment over one of said downstream channels, wherein said acknowledgment includes an authorized communication channel assignment; and means for transmitting communications over said authorized channel; and said headend unit having: means for receiving said connection request from said subscriber unit; means for monitoring communication traffic over an upstream channel associated with said requested communicating mode; means for configuring selected parameters of said communicating mode, said configuring means being responsive to said monitoring means; and means for transmitting a connection acknowledgment over said downstream channel to said subscriber unit.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
41 words
The system of claim 1 wherein said channels are further divided into repeating frames, each frame having a plurality of time slots and said headend unit further includes means for notifying said subscriber unit when time slots are available for communicating.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
29 words
The system of claim 2 wherein said communicating modes include plain old polling; assigned static TDMA; assigned dynamic multi-rate TDMA; and random slot reservation - dynamic slot allocation TDMA.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
28 words
The system of claim 3 wherein said selected parameters include time slot size, frame size, number of time slots and spacing between time slots within said communicating mode.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
34 words
The system of claim 2 wherein each of said communicating modes is supported by a plurality of channels, and said headend unit further includes means for dynamically allocating said channels among said communicating modes.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
15 words
The system of claim 5 wherein said allocating means is responsive to said monitoring means.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
21 words
The system of claim 2 wherein said headend is responsive to connection requests from communicating entities located upstream of said headend.
Claim 8
Independent Claim
158 words
A system for controlling access to a bi-directional information transport medium between at least one subscriber unit and a headend unit, the transport medium having a plurality of communication channels, each channel supporting a different communicating mode, the system comprising: said subscriber unit having: means for receiving a request for transmitting over said transport medium; means for determining the type of communication to be transmitted; means for selecting a communicating mode, based upon said determination, for transmitting said communication; means for transmitting communications over a selected channel associated with said communicating mode; and means for receiving communications over a second channel; and said headend unit having: means for receiving said communications over said selected channel from said subscriber unit; means for monitoring communication traffic over said channel; means for configuring selected parameters of said communicating mode, said configuring means being responsive to said monitoring means; and means for transmitting communications to said subscriber unit over said second channel.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
29 words
The system of claim 8 wherein said communicating modes include plain old polling; assigned static TDMA; assigned dynamic multi-rate TDMA; and random slot reservation - dynamic slot allocation TDMA.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
31 words
The system of claim 9 wherein said selected parameters include time slot size, frame size, number of time slots and spacing between time slots within said dynamic multi-rate TDMA communicating mode.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
34 words
The system of claim 8 wherein said selected parameters include time slot size, frame size, number of time slots and spacing between time slots within said random slot reservation - dynamic slot allocation TDMA.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
26 words
The system of claim 9 wherein said headend further includes means for notifying said subscriber unit when a time slot within a channel has been released.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
22 words
The system of claim 8 further including a plurality of subscriber units, wherein said subscriber units are divided into spatially diverse groups.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
35 words
The system of claim 8 wherein said subscriber unit further includes means for tuning a transmitter for transmitting over said selected communication channel, and means for tuning a receiver for receiving over said second channel.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
34 words
The system of claim 9 wherein each of said communicating modes is supported by a plurality of channels, and said headend unit further includes means for dynamically allocating said channels among said communicating modes.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
15 words
The system of claim 8 wherein said allocating means is responsive to said monitoring means.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
21 words
The system of claim 8 wherein said headend is responsive to connection requests from communicating entities located upstream of said headend.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
14 words
The system of claim 8 wherein said medium comprises a hybrid fiber-coaxial transmission system.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
14 words
The system of claim 9 wherein said medium comprises a fiber optic transmission system.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
13 words
The system of claim 8 wherein said medium comprises a coaxial transmission system.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
89 words
A subscriber unit for controlling access to a bi-directional information transport medium, the transport medium having a plurality of communication channels, each channel supporting a different communicating mode, said subscriber unit comprising: means for receiving a request for transmitting over said transport medium; means for determining the type of communication to be transmitted; means for selecting a communicating mode, based upon said determination, for transmitting said communication; means for transmitting communications over a selected channel associated with said communicating mode; and means for receiving communications over a second channel.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
114 words
A headend unit for controlling access to a bi-directional information transport medium by a plurality of subscriber units, the transport medium having a plurality of communication channels, each channel supporting a different communicating mode, said headend unit comprising: means for receiving connection requests over one of said channels from a plurality of subscriber units; means for monitoring communication traffic over said channels; means for allocating said plurality of channels among said communicating modes, said allocating means being responsive to said monitoring means; means for configuring selected parameters of said communicating modes, said configuring means being responsive to said monitoring means; and means for transmitting connection authorizations to said subscriber units over a second channel.
Claim 23
Independent Claim
86 words
A method for controlling access to an information transport medium, the transport medium having a plurality of communication channels, each channel supporting a different communicating mode, the method comprising: receiving a request for transmitting over said transport medium; determining the type of communication to be transmitted; selecting a communicating mode, based upon said determination, for transmitting said communication; transmitting a connection request for communicating over said selected communicating mode; receiving a connection acknowledgment, comprising an authorized communication channel; and transmitting said communication over said authorized channel.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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