Band control system for a digital subscriber network and band control method therefor

• US 20020196783A1
• Filed: 06/19/2002
• Published: 12/26/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 06/20/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Juniper Networks Incorporated
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Takahashi, Takemasa
• Granted Patent: US 7,239,647 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/352
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/5601 Transfer mode dependent, e.g. ATM
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/5606 Metallic
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/561 Star, e.g. cross-connect, concentrator, subscriber group equipment, remote electronics
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/5634 In-call negotiation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1066 Session management

Abstract

A band control system of the present invention is applicable to a digital subscriber line network in which a first apparatus and a second apparatus situated at a subscriber station and a center, respectively, are interconnected by a metallic cable for interchanging at least a digital data signal with each other. The band control system includes a commanding device included in one of the first and said second apparatuses for monitoring the receipt of ATM (Asynchronous Transfer Mode) cells from the other apparatus and sending, based on the result of monitoring, a band variation command to the other apparatus to thereby cause it to vary a band by using a frequency band not used for signal transfer. A band varying device is included in the other apparatus for receiving the band variation command and varying the band in accordance with the command.

Claims

1. A band control system for a digital subscriber line network in which a first apparatus and a second apparatus situated at a subscriber station and a center, respectively, are interconnected by a metallic cable for interchanging at least a digital data signal with each other, said band control system comprising:

commanding means included in one of said first apparatus and said second apparatus for monitoring receipt of ATM cells from the other of said first apparatus and said second apparatus and sending, based on a result of monitoring, a band variation command to said other apparatus to thereby cause said other apparatus to vary a band by using a frequency band not used for signal transfer; and

band varying means included in said other apparatus for receiving said band variation command and varying the band in accordance with said band variation command.

2. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein a digital voice signal and the digital data signal are interchanged via the metallic cable.

3. The system as claimed in claim 2, wherein said second apparatus is connected to a public switched telephone network and a data communication network via an ATM (Asynchronous Transfer Mode) network.

4. The system as claimed in claim 3, wherein said commanding means comprises signal coupling means for coupling a band control information signal indicative of a content of band variation and a main information signal meant for said other apparatus and sending a resulting coupled signal to said other apparatus.

5. The system as claimed in claim 4, wherein said band varying means comprises:

signal separating means for separating said coupled signal received from said one apparatus into said band control information signal and said main information signal; and

band control information receiving means for varying the band in accordance with said band control information signal.

6. The system as claimed in claim 5, wherein said one apparatus monitors the receipt of ATM cells by measuring an amount of ATM cells received or a ratio of ATM cells discarded.

7. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said second apparatus is connected at least to a data communication network via an ATM network.

8. The system as claimed in claim 7, wherein said commanding means comprises signal coupling means for coupling a band control information signal indicative of a content of band variation and a main information signal meant for said other apparatus and sending a resulting coupled signal to said other apparatus.

9. The system as claimed in claim 8, wherein said band varying means comprises:

signal separating means for separating said coupled signal received from said one apparatus into said band control information signal and said main information signal; and

band control information receiving means for varying the band in accordance with said band control information signal.

10. The system as claimed in claim 9, wherein said one apparatus monitors the receipt of ATM cells by measuring an amount of ATM cells received or a ratio of ATM cells discarded.

11. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said band varying means comprises:

signal separating means for separating said coupled signal received from said one apparatus into said band control information signal and said main information signal; and

band control information receiving means for varying the band in accordance with said band control information signal.

12. The system as claimed in claim 11, wherein said one apparatus monitors the receipt of ATM cells by measuring an amount of ATM cells received or a ratio of ATM cells discarded.

13. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said one apparatus monitors the receipt of ATM cells by measuring an amount of ATM cells received or a ratio of ATM cells discarded.

15. The method as claimed in claim 14, wherein a digital voice signal and the digital data signal are interchanged via the metallic cable.

16. The method as claimed in claim 15, wherein said second apparatus is connected to a public switched telephone network and a data communication network via an ATM network.

17. The method as claimed in claim 15, wherein said commanding step comprises a signal coupling step of connecting a band control information signal indicative of a content of band variation and a main information signal meant for said other apparatus and sending a resulting coupled signal to said other apparatus.

18. The method as claimed in claim 17, wherein said band varying step comprises:

a signal separating step of separating the coupled signal received from said one apparatus into said band control information signal and said main information signal; and

a band control information receiving step of varying the band in accordance with said band control information signal.

19. The method as claimed in claim 18, wherein said one apparatus monitors the receipt of ATM cells by measuring an amount of ATM cells received or a ratio of ATM cells discarded.

20. The method as claimed in claim 14, wherein said second apparatus is connected at least to a data communication network via an ATM network.

21. The method as claimed in claim 20, wherein said commanding step comprises a signal coupling step of connecting a band control information signal indicative of a content of band variation and a main information signal meant for said other apparatus and sending a resulting coupled signal to said other apparatus.

22. The method as claimed in claim 21, wherein said band varying step comprises:

a signal separating step of separating the coupled signal received from said one apparatus into said band control information signal and said main information signal; and

a band control information receiving step of varying the band in accordance with said band control information signal.

23. The method as claimed in claim 22, wherein said one apparatus monitors the receipt of ATM cells by measuring an amount of ATM cells received or a ratio of ATM cells discarded.

24. The method as claimed in claim 14, wherein said commanding step comprises a signal coupling step of connecting a band control information signal indicative of a content of band variation and a main information signal meant for said other apparatus and sending a resulting coupled signal to said other apparatus.

25. The method as claimed in claim 24, wherein said band varying step comprises:

a signal separating step of separating the coupled signal received from said one apparatus into said band control information signal and said main information signal; and

a band control information receiving step of varying the band in accordance with said band control information signal.

26. The method as claimed in claim 25, wherein said one apparatus monitors the receipt of ATM cells by measuring an amount of ATM cells received or a ratio of ATM cells discarded.

27. The method as claimed in claim 14, wherein said band varying step comprises:

a signal separating step of separating the coupled signal received from said one apparatus into said band control information signal and said main information signal; and

a band control information receiving step of varying the band in accordance with said band control information signal.

28. The method as claimed in claim 27, wherein said one apparatus monitors the receipt of ATM cells by measuring an amount of ATM cells received or a ratio of ATM cells discarded.

29. The method as claimed in claim 14, wherein said one apparatus monitors the receipt of ATM cells by measuring an amount of ATM cells received or a ratio of ATM cells discarded.

14. A band control method for a digital subscriber line network in which a first apparatus and a second apparatus situated at a subscriber station and a center, respectively, are interconnected by a metallic cable for interchanging at least a digital data signal with each other, said band control method comprising:

a commanding step of causing one of said first apparatus and said second apparatus to monitor receipt of ATM cells from the other of said first apparatus and said second apparatus and send, based on a result of monitoring, a band variation command to said other apparatus for thereby causing said other apparatus to vary a band by using a frequency band not used for signal transfer; and

a band varying step of causing said other apparatus to receive said band variation command and vary the band in accordance with said band variation command.