Full duplex resource allocation in cable network environment

• US 10,230,519 B2
• Filed: 04/10/2017
• Issued: 03/12/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/10/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Chapman, John T., Jin, Hang, Liu, Tong
• Primary Examiner(s): Chung, Hoon J
• Application Number:
  US15/483,260
• Publication Number:
  US 20180294941A1
• Time in Patent Office: 701 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 3/32 Reducing cross-talk, e.g. by compensating
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 3/487 Testing crosstalk effects
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 3/52 Systems for transmission between fixed stations via waveguides
• 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 47/781 Centralised allocation of resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/003 Arrangements for allocating sub-channels of the transmission path
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0039 Frequency-contiguous, i.e. with no allocation of frequencies for one user or terminal between the frequencies allocated to another
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0053 Allocation of signaling, i.e. of overhead other than pilot signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0062 Avoidance of ingress interference, e.g. ham radio channels
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/14 Two-way operation using the same type of signal, i.e. duplex

Abstract

An example apparatus comprises a processor, a memory element, and a media access control (MAC) scheduler. The MAC scheduler is configured to implement a transmission-reception (T-R) coordination scheme among a plurality of cable modems in a cable network, wherein the cable modems are categorized into interference groups. The MAC scheduler is further configured to assign one or more of the interference groups to at least one transmission group based upon predetermined criteria; and determine an upstream bandwidth constraint and downstream bandwidth constraint for the at least one transmission group, wherein the upstream bandwidth constraint and downstream bandwidth constraint is implemented by proportionally modifying an allocated upstream bandwidth and an allocated downstream bandwidth for the at least one transmission group to require that the sum of the allocated upstream bandwidth and the allocated downstream bandwidth does not exceed a spectrum capacity for the at least one transmission group.

Claims

1. An apparatus in a cable network, comprising:

a processor;

a memory element; and

a media access control (MAC) scheduler, wherein the MAC scheduler is configured to;

implement a transmission-reception (T-R) coordination scheme among a plurality of cable modems in the cable network, wherein according to the T-R coordination scheme, the cable modems are categorized into interference groups, wherein no cable modem of any one interference group transmits upstream in a frequency range simultaneously as another cable modem in the same interference group receives downstream in the frequency range, facilitating full duplex communication in the cable network across the frequency range;

assign one or more of the interference groups to at least one transmission group based upon predetermined criteria; and

determine an upstream bandwidth constraint and downstream bandwidth constraint for the at least one transmission group, wherein the upstream bandwidth constraint and downstream bandwidth constraint is implemented by proportionally modifying an allocated upstream bandwidth and an allocated downstream bandwidth for the at least one transmission group to require that the sum of the allocated upstream bandwidth and allocated downstream bandwidth does not exceed a spectrum capacity for the at least one transmission group, wherein the upstream bandwidth constraint comprises an upstream upper bound that is a function of a total bandwidth capacity of an upstream direction, the allocated downstream bandwidth for the at least one transmission group, and a ratio of a spectrum efficiency of the upstream direction and a spectrum efficiency of a downstream direction and wherein the downstream bandwidth constraint comprises a downstream upper bound that is a function of a total bandwidth capacity of a downstream direction, the allocated upstream bandwidth for the at least one transmission group, and a ratio of the spectrum efficiency of the downstream direction and the spectrum efficiency of the upstream direction.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein MAC scheduler is further configured to map the allocated upstream bandwidth and allocated downstream bandwidth to one or more resource blocks in association with the at least one transmission group.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the mapping of the allocated upstream bandwidth and allocated downstream bandwidth is based upon an interference avoidance rule and a resource bandwidth of the one or more resource blocks.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the interference avoidance rule includes a negation rule such that downstream traffic and upstream traffic from the same transmission group is mapped to mutually exclusive resource blocks.

5. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the MAC scheduler is further configured to map the one or more resource blocks to one or more transmission blocks in association with the at least one transmission group, wherein the one or more transmission blocks includes an indication of the association of the one or more resource blocks with the at least one transmission group.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the MAC scheduler is further configured to send the mapping of the resource blocks to the transmission blocks to at least one of the plurality of cable modems.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the MAC scheduler includes a downstream scheduler interconnected with an upstream scheduler.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus includes a cable modem termination system (CMTS).

9. A method, comprising:

implementing, by a media access control (MAC) scheduler in a cable network, a

transmission-reception (T-R) coordination scheme among a plurality of cable modems in the cable network, wherein according to the T-R coordination scheme, the cable modems are categorized into interference groups, wherein no cable modem of any one interference group transmits upstream in a frequency range simultaneously as another cable modem in the same interference group receives downstream in the frequency range, facilitating full duplex communication in the cable network across the frequency range;

assigning one or more of the interference groups to at least one transmission group based upon predetermined criteria; and

determining an upstream bandwidth constraint and downstream bandwidth constraint for the at least one transmission group, wherein the upstream bandwidth constraint and downstream bandwidth constraint is implemented by proportionally modifying an allocated upstream bandwidth and an allocated downstream bandwidth for the at least one transmission group to require that the sum of the allocated upstream bandwidth and allocated downstream bandwidth does not exceed a spectrum capacity for the at least one transmission group, wherein the upstream bandwidth constraint comprises an upstream upper bound that is a function of a total bandwidth capacity of an upstream direction, the allocated downstream bandwidth for the at least one transmission group, and a ratio of a spectrum efficiency of the upstream direction and a spectrum efficiency of a downstream direction and wherein the downstream bandwidth constraint comprises a downstream upper bound that is a function of a total bandwidth capacity of a downstream direction, the allocated upstream bandwidth for the at least one transmission group, and a ratio of the spectrum efficiency of the downstream direction and the spectrum efficiency of the upstream direction.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising mapping the allocated upstream bandwidth and allocated downstream bandwidth to one or more resource blocks in association with the at least one transmission group.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the mapping of the allocated upstream bandwidth and allocated downstream bandwidth is based upon an interference avoidance rule and a resource bandwidth of the one or more resource blocks.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the interference avoidance rule includes a negation rule such that downstream traffic and upstream traffic from the same transmission group is mapped to mutually exclusive resource blocks.

13. The method of claim 10, further comprising mapping the one or more resource blocks to one or more transmission blocks in association with the at least one transmission group, wherein the one or more transmission blocks includes an indication of the association of the one or more resource blocks with the at least one transmission group.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising sending the mapping of the resource blocks to the transmission blocks to at least one of the plurality of cable modems.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein the MAC scheduler includes a downstream scheduler interconnected with an upstream scheduler.

16. Non-transitory tangible computer-readable media that includes instructions for execution, which when executed by a processor, is operable to perform operations comprising:

implementing, by a media access control (MAC) scheduler in a cable network, a

transmission-reception (T-R) coordination scheme among a plurality of cable modems in the cable network, wherein according to the T-R coordination scheme, the cable modems are categorized into interference groups, wherein no cable modem of any one interference group transmits upstream in a frequency range simultaneously as another cable modem in the same interference group receives downstream in the frequency range, facilitating full duplex communication in the cable network across the frequency range;

assigning one or more of the interference groups to at least one transmission group based upon predetermined criteria; and

determining an upstream bandwidth constraint and downstream bandwidth constraint for the at least one transmission group, wherein the upstream bandwidth constraint and downstream bandwidth constraint is implemented by proportionally modifying an allocated upstream bandwidth and an allocated downstream bandwidth for the at least one transmission group to require that the sum of the allocated upstream bandwidth and allocated downstream bandwidth does not exceed a spectrum capacity for the at least one transmission group, wherein the upstream bandwidth constraint comprises an upstream upper bound that is a function of a total bandwidth capacity of an upstream direction, the allocated downstream bandwidth for the at least one transmission group, and a ratio of a spectrum efficiency of the upstream direction and a spectrum efficiency of a downstream direction and wherein the downstream bandwidth constraint comprises a downstream upper bound that is a function of a total bandwidth capacity of a downstream direction, the allocated upstream bandwidth for the at least one transmission group, and a ratio of the spectrum efficiency of the downstream direction and the spectrum efficiency of the upstream direction.

17. The media of claim 16, wherein the operations further comprise mapping the allocated upstream bandwidth and allocated downstream bandwidth to one or more resource blocks in association with the at least one transmission group.

18. The media of claim 17, wherein the mapping of the allocated upstream bandwidth and allocated downstream bandwidth is based upon an interference avoidance rule and a resource bandwidth of the one or more resource blocks.

19. The media of claim 18, wherein the operations further comprise mapping the one or more resource blocks to one or more transmission blocks in association with the at least one transmission group, wherein the one or more transmission blocks includes an indication of the association of the one or more resource blocks with the at least one transmission group.

20. The media of claim 19, wherein the operations further comprise sending the mapping of the resource blocks to the transmission blocks to at least one of the plurality of cable modems.