System, method, and apparatus for bidirectional transport of digital data between a digital network and a plurality of devices

Claim 3

The system of claim 1, wherein each frame interval has a width that is a multiple of 125 microseconds.

Claim 4

The system of claim 1, wherein said multiple is 1.

Claim 5

The system of claim 1, wherein each cell slot contains an ATM cell.

Claim 6

The system of claim 1, wherein each request slot contains an indicator of a request for allocation of a cell slot.

Claim 7

The system of claim 1, wherein each request slot contains periodic data.

Claim 8

The system of claim 6, wherein said periodic data is Time Division Multiplex data.

Claim 9

The system of claim 1, wherein each request slot contains: an indicator of a request for allocation of a cell slot; and periodic data.

Claim 10

The system of claim 8, wherein said periodic data is Time Division Multiplex data.

Claim 11

The system of claim 1, wherein said means for determining whether to grant the request operates on a first set of ordered records and a second set of ordered records.

Claim 12

In a bidirectional data transport system having a broadband digital terminal connected to a broadband digital network unit via a fiber optic connection, network interface devices and a shared media, wherein said network interface devices are connected to said broadband digital network unit via said shared media, and downstream and upstream frame intervals on said shared media containing at least one cell slot, wherein said downstream and upstream frame intervals have a fixed temporal relationship, a method for granting access to upstream cell slots within said upstream frame intervals comprising: transmitting a request for upstream data transport from one of said network interface devices over said shared media in a pre-allocated time slot in an upstream frame interval; receiving said request for upstream data transport at said broadband digital network unit; issuing a flow of grants in said downstream frame intervals wherein each of said grants controls use of an upstream cell slot by one of said network interface devices in a subsequent frame interval; and transferring data to said broadband digital network unit in response to said grants.

Claim 13

In a bidirectional data transport system having a broadband digital terminal connected to a broadband digital network unit via a fiber optic connection, network interface devices and a shared media, wherein said network interface devices are connected to said broadband digital network unit via said shared media, and downstream and upstream frame intervals on said shared media containing at least one cell slot, wherein said downstream and upstream frame intervals have a fixed temporal relationship, a method for granting access to upstream cell slots within said upstream frame intervals comprising: transmitting a request for upstream data transport from one of said network interface devices over said shared media in a pre-allocated time slot in an upstream frame interval; receiving said request for upstream data transport at said broadband digital network unit; issuing a flow of grants in said downstream frame intervals wherein each of said grants controls use of an upstream cell slot by one of said network interface devices in a subsequent frame interval; and transferring data to said broadband digital network unit in response to said grants.

Claim 14

The method of claim 11, wherein said method for granting access to upstream cell slots within said upstream frame intervals further comprises: encoding grants for transmission access to said upstream cell slots, wherein said grants represent the type of access to said upstream cell slots; and wherein each grant corresponds to a predetermined upstream cell slot in a subsequent upstream frame interval.

Claim 15

The method of claim 12, wherein said encoding comprises the use of a grant field which contains a device identifier.

Claim 16

The method of claim 12, wherein said grant field is a 4 bit grant field.

Claim 17

The method of claim 12, wherein said encoding comprises the use of 4 bit grant field such that, when said 4 bit grant field is equal to said device identifier, access to said predetermined upstream cell is granted to said device corresponding to said device identifier.

Claim 18

The method of claim 12, wherein said encoding comprises the use of a 4 bit grant field such that, when said 4 bit grant field is equal to a special-purpose device identifier which does not correspond to a device, access to said predetermined upstream cell is denied.

Claim 19

The method of claim 12, wherein said encoding comprises the use of a M-bit field which contains at least one bit indicating if said grant allows access to said predetermined upstream cell.

Claim 20

The method of claim 17, wherein said encoding comprises the use of a M-bit field which contains two bits and a value of `11` in said M-bit field indicates access to said predetermined upstream cell is being issued.

Claim 21

The method of claim 17, wherein said encoding includes a M-bit field which contains two bits and a value of `01` in said M-bit field indicates that access to said predetermined upstream cell is being issued to any device requiring low priority contention access.

Claim 22

The method of claim 17, wherein said encoding includes a M-bit field which contains two bits wherein a value of `10` in said M-bit field indicates that access to said predetermined upstream cell is being issued to any device requiring high priority contention access.

Claim 23

The method of claim 17, wherein said encoding includes a M-bit field which contains two bits wherein a value of `00` in said M-bit field indicates that access to said predetermined upstream cell is not being issued.

Claim 24

The method of claim 11, wherein said method for granting access to upstream cell slots within said upstream frame intervals comprises: encoding grants for transmission access to said upstream cell slot wherein said grants represent the type of access to said upstream cell slots; issuing grants in said downstream frame intervals wherein each grant corresponds to a predetermined upstream cell slot in a subsequent upstream frame interval; transmitting information from one of said devices in said predetermined upstream cell slot; receiving said information transmitted in said upstream cell slot; and acknowledging successful reception of said information transmitted in said upstream cell slot in an acknowledgment field contained within a subsequent grant.

Claim 25

The method of claim 22, wherein said acknowledgment field is a one bit field.

Claim 26

The method of claim 23, wherein said acknowledgment field is a one bit field wherein a value of `1` in said acknowledgment field represents successful reception and a value of `0` in said acknowledgment field represents unsuccessful reception.

Claim 27

The method of claim 23, wherein said acknowledgment field is a one bit field wherein a value of `0` in said acknowledgment field represents successful reception and a value of `1` in said acknowledgment field represents unsuccessful-reception.

Claim 28

The method of claim 11, wherein each grant corresponds to a predetermined upstream cell slot in a subsequent upstream frame interval.

Claim 29

The method of claim 26, wherein said request comprises the use of a priority field which indicates a priority level and the number of said upstream cell slots being requested at said priority level.

Claim 30

The method of claim 27, wherein said request has four priority fields, and each of said priority fields represents a distinct priority level and indicates the number of said upstream cell slots being requested at said distinct priority level.

Claim 31

The method of claim 28, wherein each of said priority fields are two bits.

Claim 32

A bidirectional fiber-to-the-curb transport system for the transport of digital data comprising: a broadband digital terminal connected to a broadband digital network unit via a fiber optic connection; a shared media; network interface devices connected to said broadband digital network unit via said shared media; downstream and upstream frame intervals on said shared media containing at least one cell slot, wherein said downstream and upstream frame intervals have a fixed temporal relationship; means for transmitting a request for upstream data transport from one of said network interface devices over said shared media in a pre-allocated time slot in an upstream frame interval; means for receiving said request for upstream data transport at said broadband digital network unit; means for granting access to upstream cell slots within said upstream frame intervals by issuing grants in said downstream frame intervals, wherein each of said grants controls use of an upstream cell slot by one of said network interface devices in a subsequent upstream frame interval.

Claim 33

A bidirectional fiber-to-the-curb transport system for the transport of digital data comprising: a broadband digital terminal connected to a broadband digital network unit via a fiber optic connection; a shared media; network interface devices connected to said broadband digital network unit via said shared media; downstream and upstream frame intervals on said shared media containing at least one cell slot, wherein said downstream and upstream frame intervals have a fixed temporal relationship; means for transmitting a request for upstream data transport from one of said network interface devices over said shared media in a pre-allocated time slot in an upstream frame interval; means for receiving said request for upstream data transport at said broadband digital network unit; means for granting access to upstream cell slots within said upstream frame intervals by issuing grants in said downstream frame intervals, wherein each of said grants controls use of an upstream cell slot by one of said network interface devices in a subsequent upstream frame interval.

Claim 34

The system of claim 30, wherein said system for the transport of digital data further comprises: means for encoding grants for transmission access to said upstream cell slots wherein said grants represent the type of access to said upstream cell slots; and wherein each grant corresponds to a predetermined upstream cell slot in a subsequent upstream frame interval.

Claim 35

The system of claim 31, wherein said encoding comprises the use of a grant field which contains a device identifier.

Claim 36

The system of claim 31, wherein said grant field is a 4 bit grant field.

Claim 37

The system of claim 31, wherein said encoding comprises the use of 4 bit grant field such that, when said 4 bit grant field is equal to said device identifier, access to said predetermined upstream cell is granted to said device corresponding to said device identifier.

Claim 38

The system of claim 31, wherein said encoding comprises the use of a 4 bit grant field such that, when said 4 bit grant field is equal to a special-purpose device identifier which does not correspond to a device, access to said predetermined upstream cell is denied.

Claim 39

The system of claim 31, wherein said encoding comprises the use of a M-bit field which contains at least one bit indicating if said grant allows access to said predetermined upstream cell.

Claim 40

The system of claim 36, wherein said encoding comprises the use of a M-bit field which contains two bits and a value of `11` in said M-bit field indicates access to said predetermined upstream cell is being issued.

Claim 41

The system of claim 36, wherein said encoding includes a M-bit field which contains two bits and a value of `01` in said M-bit field indicates that access to said predetermined upstream cell is being issued to any device requiring low priority contention access.

Claim 42

The system of claim 36, wherein said encoding includes a M-bit field which contains two bits wherein a value of `10` in said M-bit field indicates that access to said predetermined upstream cell is being issued to any device requiring high priority contention access.

Claim 43

The system of claim 36, wherein said encoding includes a M-bit field which contains two bits wherein a value of `00` in said M-bit field indicates that access to said predetermined upstream cell is not being issued.

Claim 44

In a bidirectional fiber-to-the-curb transport system having a shared media, devices connected to said shared media, downstream and upstream frame intervals containing at least one cell slot, wherein said upstream and downstream frame intervals have a fixed temporal relationship, a system for granting access to upstream cell slots within said upstream frame intervals characterized by issuing grants in said downstream frame intervals wherein each of said grants controls use of a predetermined upstream cell slot by one of said devices in a subsequent upstream frame interval, said system comprising: means for encoding grants for transmission access to said upstream cell slot wherein said grants represent the type of access to said upstream cell slots; means for issuing grants in said downstream frame intervals wherein each grant corresponds to a predetermined upstream cell slot in a subsequent upstream frame interval; means for transmitting information from one of said devices in said predetermined upstream cell slot; means for receiving said information transmitted in said upstream cell slot; and means for acknowledging successful reception of said information transmitted in said upstream cell slot in an acknowledgement field contained within a subsequent grant.

Claim 45

In a bidirectional fiber-to-the-curb transport system having a shared media, devices connected to said shared media, downstream and upstream frame intervals containing at least one cell slot, wherein said upstream and downstream frame intervals have a fixed temporal relationship, a system for granting access to upstream cell slots within said upstream frame intervals characterized by issuing grants in said downstream frame intervals wherein each of said grants controls use of a predetermined upstream cell slot by one of said devices in a subsequent upstream frame interval, said system comprising: means for encoding grants for transmission access to said upstream cell slot wherein said grants represent the type of access to said upstream cell slots; means for issuing grants in said downstream frame intervals wherein each grant corresponds to a predetermined upstream cell slot in a subsequent upstream frame interval; means for transmitting information from one of said devices in said predetermined upstream cell slot; means for receiving said information transmitted in said upstream cell slot; and means for acknowledging successful reception of said information transmitted in said upstream cell slot in an acknowledgement field contained within a subsequent grant.

Claim 46

The system of claim 41, wherein said acknowledgment field is a one bit field.

Claim 47

The system of claim 42, wherein said acknowledgment field is a one bit field wherein a value of `1` in said acknowledgment field represents successful reception and a value of `0` in said acknowledgment field represents unsuccessful reception.

Claim 48

The system of claim 42, wherein said acknowledgment field is a one bit field wherein a value of `0` in said acknowledgment field represents successful reception and a value of `1` in said acknowledgment field represents unsuccessful reception.

Claim 49

The method of claim 30, wherein each grant corresponds to a predetermined upstream cell slot in a subsequent upstream frame interval.

Claim 50

The system of claim 45, wherein said request comprises the use of a priority field which indicates a priority level and the number of said upstream cell slots being requested at said priority level.

Claim 51

The system of claim 46, wherein said request has four priority fields, and each of said priority fields represents a distinct priority level and indicates the number of said upstream cell slots being requested at said distinct priority level.

Claim 52

The system of claim 47, wherein each of said priority fields are two bits.