Establishment of multiple upstream docsis logical channels based upon performance
First Claim
1. A process for optimizing transmission speeds on a distributed transmission system which can support multiple upstream channels or logical channels simultaneously, comprising:
- 1) gathering data about each cable modem (CM) in a group of CM coupled to a a cable modem termination system (CMTS) through a distributed transmission system;
2) dividing said group of CMs up into logical groups based upon CM type and/or throughput ability;
3) creating an upstream channel or logical channel on said distributed transmission system for each logical group of CMs, each upstream channel having transmission characteristics optimized for a particular logical group of modems; and
4) assigning the modems in each logical group to the upstream channel created for that logical group.
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Abstract
A process for grouping cable modems by type/modulation profile and/or throughput ability into different logical groups. Each logical group is commanded to transmit on an upstream which has a burst profile set to effectively use the throughput ability of the cable modem. Some species monitor initial ranging bursts and separate CMs with inadequate power onto a lower throughput upstream. Some species monitor post registration data transmissions for various factors and subdivide groups into subgroups of overperformers and underperformers.
111 Citations
24 Claims
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1. A process for optimizing transmission speeds on a distributed transmission system which can support multiple upstream channels or logical channels simultaneously, comprising:
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1) gathering data about each cable modem (CM) in a group of CM coupled to a a cable modem termination system (CMTS) through a distributed transmission system;
2) dividing said group of CMs up into logical groups based upon CM type and/or throughput ability;
3) creating an upstream channel or logical channel on said distributed transmission system for each logical group of CMs, each upstream channel having transmission characteristics optimized for a particular logical group of modems; and
4) assigning the modems in each logical group to the upstream channel created for that logical group. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A process for optimizing transmission speeds on a distributed transmission system which can support multiple upstream channels simultaneously and which has a plurality of cable modems coupled to said distributed system, each having different upstream transmission modes, comprising:
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transmitting one or more DOCSIS downstreams from a cable modem termination system (CMTS);
for each DOCSIS downstream, transmitting;
an upstream channel descriptor message which establishes a DOCSIS 1.0 upstream;
an upstream channel descriptor message which establishes a DOCSIS 2.0 SCDMA or DOCSIS 2.0 ATDMA upstream;
receiving initial ranging bursts from each of a plurality of cable modems (CM) and processing said bursts to conduct initial training of each CM which transmitted an initial ranging burst, and sending downstream messages to each CM to cause any needed adjustments in power, frequency, timing and/or equalization coeffients;
receiving registration transmissions from each CM which has successfully completed initial ranging, and determining the type of each CM from registration data;
creating a separate logical group for all DOCSIS 1.1 CMs and one or more separate 1.1 upstream channels for said DOCSIS 1.1 cable modems, each said 1.1 upstream channel having a burst profile tailored for the throughput ability of DOCSIS 1.1 CMs and linked to a downstream to which a DOCSIS 1.1 CM is tuned, and sending downstream messages to each DOCSIS 1.1 CM causing each DOCSIS 1.1 CM to switch to an 1.1 upstream channel linked to the downstream to which said CM is tuned. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16)
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17. A process for optimizing transmission speeds on a distributed transmission system which can support multiple upstream channels simultaneously and which has a plurality of cable modems coupled to said distributed system, each having different upstream transmission modes, comprising:
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transmitting one or more DOCSIS downstreams from a cable modem termination system (CMTS);
for each DOCSIS downstream, transmitting;
an upstream channel descriptor message which establishes a DOCSIS 1.0 upstream;
an upstream channel descriptor message which establishes a DOCSIS 1.1 upstream;
an upstream channel descriptor message which establishes a DOCSIS 2.0 upstream operating in SCDMA or TDMA mode;
receiving initial ranging bursts from each of a plurality of cable modems (CM) and processing said bursts and sending downstream messages to each CM to cause any needed adjustments in power, frequency, timing and/or equalization coeffients;
receiving registration transmissions from each CM which has successfully completed initial ranging, and determining the type of each CM from registration data and sending any necessary downstream messages to any CM that is transmitting on an upstream not having a burst profile optimized for the modulation profile of said CM causing said CM to move to an upstream having a burst profile optimized for the CM'"'"'s modulation profile;
monitoring the received power of each CM during initial training thereof, and determining any CM which has inadequate received power or inadequate signal-to-noise ratio after a plurality of attempts to adjust transmit power of said CM have failed to cause said CM'"'"'s signal to arrive at said CMTS with adequate received power or adequate signal to noise ratio;
sending a downstream message to each CM which has inadequate received signal power or signal-to-noise ratio to cause said CM to switch to a lower throughput upstream channel with a burst profile which is compatible with the CM type and suitable for adequate communications of digital data between said CMTS and CM despite inadequate received signal power or inadequate signal-to-noise ratio. - View Dependent Claims (18)
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19. A process for optimizing transmission speeds on a distributed transmission system which can support multiple upstream channels simultaneously and which has a plurality of cable modems coupled to said distributed system, each having different upstream transmission modes, comprising:
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transmitting one or more DOCSIS downstreams from a cable modem termination system (CMTS);
for each DOCSIS downstream, transmitting;
an upstream channel descriptor message which establishes a DOCSIS 1.0 upstream;
an upstream channel descriptor message which establishes a DOCSIS 2.0 upstream;
receiving initial training bursts from each of a plurality of cable modems (CM) and deducing the cable modem type from the upstream upon which each said initial training burst was received thereby creating defacto logical groups of cable modems grouped by modem type. receiving registration communications from each CM;
after registration, receiving upstream data transmissions from each CM;
monitoring one or more of the following parameters of communication of data from each CM;
the received power;
the signal to noise ratio;
the bit error rate;
the byte error rate;
the Reed-Solomon codeword error rate; and
the packet error rate;
if performance of any CM becomes either too good or too bad, as measured by comparing the monitored parameter for said CM to limits that establish what performance level is too good or too bad, sending a message to said CM to cause it to change to an upstream channel which has a burst profile which is suitable for the CM'"'"'s performance.
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20. An apparatus comprising:
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any DOCSIS compatible cable modem termination system having a control computer programmed to carry out a process comprising the steps;
receiving in a cable modem termination system (CMTS) registration messages from each cable modem coupled to said CMTS and determining the modem type from each registration message;
in said cable modem termination system assigning each cable modem to a group based upon the modem type with DOCSIS 1.0 compliant modems in a first group, DOCSIS 1.1 compliant modems in a second group, DOCSIS 2.0 compliant modems in a third group;
in said cable modem termination system, generating and transmitting downstream to all said cable modems a plurality of Upstream Channel Descriptor (UCD) messages, each UCD message establishing a logical upstream channel to which one of the groups of modems will be assigned and defining a burst profile for said logical upstream channel which is appropriate for the group of modems that will be assigned to transmit on that upstream logical channel;
generating in said cable modem termination system and transmitting to each said cable modem which has registered a message which tells each cable modem the upstream logical channel to which it has been assigned. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24)
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Specification