EP0774848A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Method for providing integrated packet services over a shared-media network
Assignee: TELESIS TECHNOLOGIES LABORATORY
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Filing: 1996-11-14
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2016-11-14
Abstract
Abstract A method in accordance with the invention allocates bandwidth, fairly and dynamically, in a shared-media packet switched network (300) to accommodate both elastic and inelastic applications. The method, executed by or in a head-end controller forming part of a band allocation unit (305), allocates bandwidth transmission slots for a plurality of network access units (315) connected to the band allocation unit (305) via a physical communications network (310), converting requests for bandwidth into virtual scheduling times for granting access to the shared media. The method can use a weighted fair queuing algorithm or a virtual clock algorithm to generate a sequence of upstream slot/transmission assignment grants. The method supports multiple quality of service (QoS) classes via mechanisms which give highest priority to the service class with the most stringent QoS requirements.
Inventors
- 👤 Joseph B. Lyles
- 👤 Mark E. Laubach
- 👤 Scott M. Quinn
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-24 14:23
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04L; H04L12/00; H04L12/54; H04L12/56; H04L12/5601; H04L12/5602; H04L12/28; H04L12/2801; H04L47/00; H04L47/10; H04Q; H04Q11/00; H04Q11/04; H04Q11/0428; H04Q11/0478; H04L2012/5603; H04L2012/5604; H04L2012/5605; H04L2012/5606; H04L2012/5614; H04L2012/5615; H04L2012/5629; H04L2012/5631; H04L2012/5632; H04L2012/5636; H04L2012/5638; H04L2012/5678; H04L2012/5679; H04Q2213/00; H04Q2213/13056; H04Q2213/13103; H04Q2213/13166; H04Q2213/13251; H04Q2213/13322; H04Q2213/13349
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 16
Claim 1
Independent Claim
197 words
A method for selectively authorizing transmission of packet-based communications signals in a hybrid fiber-coax network (100; 300) having a centralized bandwidth allocation unit (305) and a plurality of terminal equipment units (210; 315), wherein each one of said plurality of terminal equipment units (210; 315) are operatively coupled to a head-end controller (105) co-located with the bandwidth allocation unit (305), the method, executed by the bandwidth allocation unit (305), comprising: (a) receiving a transmission authorization request signal from an identified terminal equipment which is associated with a requested transmission; (b) generating a virtual scheduling time for the requested transmission, based on (1) the time of arrival of said transmission authorization request signal, (2) a class of service associated with the requested transmission, and (3) a virtual scheduling time of a previous transmission authorization request made on behalf of the identified terminal equipment; (c) adding to a transmission scheduling list an entry corresponding to the requested transmission; (d) sorting the transmission scheduling list in accordance with a lexicographic sort; and (e) sending a transmission authorization signal to the identified terminal equipment (210; 315) in accordance with the position of said virtual scheduling time in the transmission scheduling list.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
35 words
A method according to claim 1, wherein: each entry in the transmission scheduling list has a class-of-service indicator; and said entries are sorted first by class of service indicators and second by virtual scheduling times.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
101 words
A method according to claim 2, wherein: said transmission authorization request signal is one of a series of transmission authorization request signals generated by the identified terminal equipment (210; 315) for authorization to transmit packets of a fixed size; said head-end controller (105) maintains a representation of a queue for each traffic class for said terminal equipment (210; 315) in the form of a counter of the aggregate number of requests received but not yet granted for the identified terminal equipment (210; 315); and only one virtual scheduling time per terminal equipment (210; 315) is kept in said transmission scheduling list.
Claim 4
Independent Claim
32 words
A method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the transmission authorization request signal is generated by the head-end controller (105) as a result of previous negotiation or provisioning.
Claim 5
Independent Claim
23 words
A method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein said virtual scheduling time is generated by a rate-based queuing process.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
17 words
A method according to claim 5, wherein the rate-based queuing process is a weighted fair queuing process.
Claim 7
Independent Claim
31 words
A method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein said virtual scheduling time is associated with a reserve traffic class and is generated by a virtual clock algorithm.
Claim 8
Independent Claim
45 words
A method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the hybrid fiber-coax network comprises a shared-media packet based network (300) in which at least one of the terminal units comprises a network access unit (315) operatively coupled to the bandwidth allocation unit.
Claim 9
Independent Claim
117 words
A method for selectively authorizing transmission of packet-based communications signals in a shared-media packet based network (300) having a centralized bandwidth allocation unit (305) and a plurality of network access units (315) wherein each of said plurality of network access units (315) are operatively coupled to the bandwidth allocation unit (305), the method, executed by the bandwidth allocation unit, comprising: (a) receiving a transmission authorization request signal which is associated with a requested transmission; (b) adding to a transmission scheduling list an entry corresponding to said requested transmission; (c) transmitting a transmission authorization signal to one of said plurality of network access units (315) in accordance with a round-robin scheduling of entries in said transmission scheduling list.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
20 words
A method according to claim 9, wherein the transmission authorization request signal is generated by a network access unit (315).
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
43 words
A method according to claim 9, wherein the transmission authorization request signal is generated by the bandwidth allocation unit (305) as a result of previous negotiation between the bandwidth allocation unit (305) and said one of said plurality of network access units (315).
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
105 words
A method according to claim 9, wherein: the transmission authorization request signal is one of a plurality of transmission authorization request signals generated by a specified network access unit (315) for authorization to transmit packets of a fixed size; the bandwidth allocation unit (305) maintains a representation of a queue for each traffic class of each of said plurality of network access units (315) in the form of a counter of the aggregate number of requests received but not yet granted for each network access unit (315); and only one virtual scheduling time per network access unit (315) is kept in said transmission scheduling list.
Claim 13
Independent Claim
196 words
A method for selectively authorizing transmission of packet-based communications signals in a cable television network having a bandwidth allocation unit (305) and a plurality of cable modems, wherein each one of said plurality of cable modems is operatively coupled to a head-end controller (105) co-located with the bandwidth allocation unit, the method, executed by the bandwidth allocation unit (305), comprising: (a) receiving a transmission authorization request signal from an identified cable modem, said transmission authorization request signal being associated with a requested transmission; (b) using a weighted fair queuing algorithm to generate a virtual scheduling time for the requested transmission, based on (1) the time of arrival of said transmission authorization request signal, (2) a class of service associated with the requested transmission, and (3) a virtual scheduling time of a previous transmission authorization request made on behalf of the identified cable modem; (c) adding to a transmission scheduling list an entry corresponding to the requested transmission; (d) sorting the transmission scheduling list in accordance with a lexicographic sort; and (e) sending a transmission authorization signal to the identified cable modem in accordance with the position of said virtual scheduling time in the transmission scheduling list.
Claim 14
Independent Claim
196 words
A method for selectively authorizing transmission of packet-based communications signals in a cable television network having a bandwidth allocation unit (305) and a plurality of set-top boxes, wherein each one of said plurality of set-top boxes is operatively coupled to a head-end controller (105) co-located with the bandwidth allocation unit (305), the method, executed by the bandwidth allocation unit, comprising: (a) receiving a transmission authorization request signal from an identified set-top box, said transmission authorization request signal being associated with a requested transmission; (b) using a weighted fair queuing algorithm to generate a virtual scheduling time for the requested transmission, based on (1) the time of arrival of said transmission authorization request signal, (2) a class of service associated with the requested transmission, and (3) a virtual scheduling time of a previous transmission authorization request made on behalf of the identified set-top box; (c) adding to a transmission scheduling list an entry corresponding to the requested transmission; (d) sorting the transmission scheduling list in accordance with a lexicographic sort; and (e) sending a transmission authorization signal to the identified set-top box in accordance with the position of said virtual scheduling time in the transmission scheduling list.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
41 words
A bandwidth allocation unit (305) comprising (a) a processor and (b) a program storage device that is readable by the processor and that encodes a program of instructions for performing the method according to any one of claims 1 to 14.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
33 words
A program storage device readable by a processor in a bandwidth allocation unit (305) and encoding a program of instructions for performing the method according to any one of claims 1 to 14.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US5425027A
Cited
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