Facility management platform for a hybrid coaxial/twisted pair local loop network service architecture

• US 10,075,397 B2
• Filed: 09/29/2015
• Issued: 09/11/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property II LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property II LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Gerszberg, Irwin, Martin, Jeffrey S., Oplinger, Thomas, Treventi, Philip A., Walker, Hopeton S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nawaz, Asad
• Assistant Examiner(s): Harley, Jason
• Application Number:
  US14/869,283
• Publication Number:
  US 20160021030A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,078 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2856 Access arrangements, e.g. Internet access asynchronous transfer mode networks H04L12/5601; broadband local area networks H04L12/2801; optical access or distribution networks H04Q11/0067; access to open networks H04L12/5691; digital subscriber line end-user equipment and bit-level processing of data on a PSTN-based network H04M11/00; home network gateways H04L12/2834; wireless access networks H04W
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2872 Termination of subscriber connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2898 Subscriber equipments DSL modems H04M11/062; cable modems H04L12/2801
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/6424 Access arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0213 Standardised network management protocols, e.g. simple network management protocol [SNMP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/6215 Individual queue per QOS, rate or priority
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/76 using dynamic resource allocation, e.g. in-call renegotiation requested by the user or requested by the network in response to changing network conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/30 Peripheral units, e.g. input or output ports
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/40 Support for services or applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 17/004 for digital television systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17309 Transmission or handling of upstream communications

Abstract

The present invention provides a facility management platform to monitor and view the status of a plurality of individually addressable downstream devices including, but not limited to, addressable terminals, IRG'"'"'s, settops, cable modems, taps, nodes, and/or hubs at a network control center. The FMP may display problems at these downstream devices, for example, power loss, and/or may automatically notify the appropriate companies and/or personnel to correct the problem.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a memory that stores instructions;

a processor that executes the instructions to perform operations, the operations comprising;

receiving signaling data over a multiple access link at a network interface;

transmitting the signaling data over a network in response to a called number in the signaling data;

allocating a channel in the multiple access link at the network interface to communicate first user data over the multiple access link, wherein the first user data is associated with the signaling data, and wherein the first user data includes low latency data that has a higher priority than other data in the first user data;

reallocating bandwidth of the channel to second user data after communicating the first user data; and

updating, while the bandwidth of the channel is being reallocated, a header associated with the channel to indicate within the header that the bandwidth of the channel has been reallocated to the second user data and no longer to the first user data.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise reallocating the bandwidth of the channel on a per-frame basis.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise assigning voice data of the second user data a higher priority to the bandwidth of the channel over non-voice data of the second user data.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise connecting a call session at the network interface in response to receiving the signaling data.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise interleaving the first user data to correct an error associated with the first user data.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise multiplexing information received from a station into a digital subscriber line frame utilized for dynamically allocating the bandwidth of the channel.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise separating voice packets of the second user data from non-voice packets.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise generating a virtual phone line from voice packets of the second user data.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise transmitting, via the channel, voice data corresponding to the called number.

10. A method, comprising:

obtaining signaling data over a multiple access link at a network interface;

transmitting the signaling data over a network in response to a called number in the signaling data;

selecting a channel in the multiple access link at the network interface to communicate first user data over the multiple access link, wherein the first user data is associated with the signaling data, and wherein the first user data includes low latency data that has a higher priority than other data in the first user data;

reallocating bandwidth of the channel to second user data after communicating the first user data; and

updating, by utilizing instructions from a memory that are executed by a processor and while the bandwidth of the channel is being reallocated, a header associated with the channel to indicate within the header that the bandwidth of the channel has been reallocated to the second user data and no longer to the first user data.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising separating voice packets of the first user data from data packets of the first user data.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising interleaving the first user data to correct an error associated with the first user data.

13. The method of claim 10, further comprising separating control messages from the first user data.

14. The method of claim 10, further comprising configuring information associated with the first user data into segments for transport across a digital subscriber loop.

15. The method of claim 10, further comprising detecting a failure of a digital data link of the network.

16. The method of claim 10, further comprising generating a virtual phone line from voice packets of the second user data.

17. The method of claim 10, further comprising multiplexing information received from a station into a digital subscriber line frame utilized for dynamically allocating the bandwidth of the channel.

18. The method of claim 10, further comprising connecting a call session at the network interface in response to receiving the signaling data.

19. The method of claim 10, further comprising placing a call at the network interface through a local exchange carrier network that is separate from the network.

20. A method, comprising:

transmitting signaling data over a network in response to a called number in the signaling data;

allocating a channel in a multiple access link at a network interface to communicate first user data over the multiple access link, wherein the first user data is associated with the signaling data, and wherein the first user data includes low latency data that has a higher priority than other data in the first user data;

reallocating bandwidth of the channel to second user data after communicating the first user data; and

updating, by utilizing instructions from a memory that are executed by a processor and while the bandwidth of the channel is being reallocated, a header associated with the channel to indicate within the header that the bandwidth of the channel has been reallocated to the second user data and no longer to the first user data.