Atm multicasting for delivering information over a network

• US 20040125818A1
• Filed: 12/06/2002
• Published: 07/01/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: InterDigital Madison Patent Holdings (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Thomson Licensing (Vantiva SA)
• Inventors: Ramaswamy, Kumar, Richardson, John William
• Granted Patent: US 8,144,690 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/432
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1836 with heterogeneous network architecture
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/6418 Hybrid transport
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/5627 Fault tolerance and recovery
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/5642 Multicast/broadcast/point-multipoint, e.g. VOD
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/5663 Support of N-ISDN
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/5665 Interaction of ATM with other protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/6427 Subscriber Access Module; Concentrator; Group equipment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/6467 Information loss recovery, e.g. error correction, prediction
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/6472 Internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/6475 N-ISDN, Public Switched Telephone Network [PSTN]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/6478 Digital subscriber line, e.g. DSL, ADSL, HDSL, XDSL, VDSL
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 11/0478 Provisions for broadband connections

Abstract

A method that provides for multicast delivery of information in a DSL network includes creating transmission paths between a single source port and multiple destination ports in a DSL network; receiving information at the source port; determining which of the destination ports is to receive the information; and distributing the information from the source port to selective ones of the destination ports based on the prior referencing step. A DSL system for providing multicast delivery of information includes an ATM network layer for sending information, a digital subscriber line access multiplexer (DSLAM) coupled to the ATM network layer for receiving the information, and a network control system for controlling selective multiplexing of the information through the digital subscriber line access multiplexer (DSLAM).

Claims

1. A method for multicast delivery of information in a DSL network comprsing the steps of:

creating transmission paths between a single source port and multiple destination ports in a DSL network;

receiving information at said source port;

determining which of said destination ports is to receive said information; and

distributing said information from said source port to selective ones of said destination ports based on said step of referencing.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein said step of creating comprises creating paths between said source port and said destination ports that can be selectively multiplexed in a digital subscriber line access multiplexer DSLAM.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein said step of distributing comprises multiplexing said source port to said selective destination ports in a digital subscriber line access multiplexer DSLAM.

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein said step of receiving comprises receiving said information at an ATM trunk port of a digital subscriber line access multiplexer.

5. A method according to claim 1, wherein said step of determining comprises determining which destination ports are associated with users who have subscribed to receive said information.

6. A method according to claim 1, wherein said. Step of determining comprises referencing a connection profile to determine destination ports for said information.

7. A method according to claim 1, wherein said step of receiving comprises receiving said information at an ATM trunk port of a digital subscriber line access multiplexer and said step of distributing comprises multiplexing said source port to said selective destination ports in a digital subscriber line access multiplexer DSLAM.

8. A method according to claim 1, wherein said step of receiving comprises receiving said information at an ATM trunk port of a digital subscriber line access multiplexer, said step of determining comprises determining which destination ports are associated with users who have subscribed to receive said information, and said step of distributing comprises multiplexing said source port to said selective destination ports in a digital subscriber line access multiplexer DSLAM.

9. A DSL system for providing multicast delivery of information comprising:

an ATM network layer for sending information;

a digital subscriber line access multiplexer (DSLAM) coupled to said ATM network layer for receiving said information; and

a network control system for controlling selective multiplexing of said information through said digital subscriber line access multiplexer (DSLAM).

10. A DSL system according to claim 9, wherein said ATM network layer is included in an ATM switch.

11. A DSL system according to claim 9, wherein said digital subscriber line access multiplexer DSLAM comprises an ATM trunk port for receiving said information from said network layer and destination ports for receiving said information selectively.

12. A DSL system according to claim 9, wherein said destination ports comprise ADSL ports.

13. A DSL system according to claim 10, wherein said network control system comprises a connection profile to determine which of said destination ports to receive said information from said ATM trunk port.

14. A DSL access system according to claim 9, wherein said digital subscriber line access multiplexer DSLAM comprises an ATM trunk port for receiving said information from said network layer and ADSL ports for receiving said information from said ATM trunk port.

15. A DSL system according to claim 14, wherein each of said ATM trunk and ADSL ports is assigned a unique combination of virtual path and virtual channel identifiers.