Changing communication mode in a CATV pathway using mute commands
First Claim
1. In a cable distribution network environment that includes a cable hub and a cable node, the cable node capable of transmitting RF data, or RF data plus Ethernet data over a return path to the cable hub, wherein bandwidth for the Ethernet data may be made available by applying a compression algorithm to the RF data, a method for the cable node to configure the cable hub to operate in either a first communication mode or a second communication mode to avoid inconsistent communication with the cable hub, the method comprising the following:
- an act of the cable node transmitting a mute command in a data stream to the cable hub using a first communication mode, the mute command causing the cable hub to abstain from communicating with the cable node until receiving a subsequent communication from the cable node;
an act of the cable node transmitting the subsequent communication to the cable hub; and
an act of the cable node transmitting a data stream to the cable hub using the second communication mode after transmitting the subsequent communication.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A cable node and a cable hub that communicate on a CATV network are configured to switch communication modes without signal loss or degradation due to delays in switching communication modes. In particular, a cable node sends one or more mute commands in an outgoing data stream to the cable hub, causing the cable hub to disable the RF outputs. Afterward, or along with the one or more mute commands, the cable node can send a switch mode command, thereby causing the cable hub to switch to the appropriate next communication mode, such as a communication mode using a new compression rate. When the cable hub has switched to the appropriate next communication mode, the cable hub can then properly receive and decode a corresponding data stream using the next communication mode.
-
Citations
43 Claims
-
1. In a cable distribution network environment that includes a cable hub and a cable node, the cable node capable of transmitting RF data, or RF data plus Ethernet data over a return path to the cable hub, wherein bandwidth for the Ethernet data may be made available by applying a compression algorithm to the RF data, a method for the cable node to configure the cable hub to operate in either a first communication mode or a second communication mode to avoid inconsistent communication with the cable hub, the method comprising the following:
-
an act of the cable node transmitting a mute command in a data stream to the cable hub using a first communication mode, the mute command causing the cable hub to abstain from communicating with the cable node until receiving a subsequent communication from the cable node;
an act of the cable node transmitting the subsequent communication to the cable hub; and
an act of the cable node transmitting a data stream to the cable hub using the second communication mode after transmitting the subsequent communication. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
-
-
16. In a cable distribution network environment that includes a cable hub and a cable node, the cable node capable of transmitting RF data, or RF data plus Ethernet data over a return path to the cable hub, wherein bandwidth for the Ethernet data may be made available by applying a compression algorithm to the RF data, a method for the cable hub to be configured in either a first communication mode or a second communication mode as appropriate in order to avoid inconsistent communications with the cable node, the method comprising the following:
-
an act of the cable hub receiving one or more of a predetermined number of mute commands from the cable node while sending data using one of a first and a second communication mode;
in response to receiving the one or more mute commands, an act of the cable hub abstaining from changing its current state until receiving all of the predetermined number of mute commands from the cable node;
after the act of the cable hub receiving all of the predetermined number of mute commands, an act of the cable hub muting or disabling the RF outputs; and
after the act of the cable hub receiving a predetermined number of switch mode commands, an act of the cable hub receiving the data stream from the cable node using the second communication mode. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29)
-
-
30. A cable node for use in a cable distribution network environment that also includes a cable hub, the cable node capable of transmitting RF data, or RF data plus Ethernet data over a return path to the cable hub, wherein bandwidth for the Ethernet data may be made available by applying a compression algorithm to the RF data, the cable node being further configured to perform the following:
-
an act of the cable node transmitting a mute command in a data stream to the cable hub, the mute command causing the cable hub to abstain from activating one or more RF outputs until receiving a subsequent communication from the cable node;
an act of the cable node transmitting the subsequent communication to the cable hub; and
an act of the cable node transmitting a data stream to the cable hub using the second communication mode after transmitting the subsequent communication. - View Dependent Claims (31, 32, 33, 34)
-
-
35. A cable hub for use in a cable distribution network environment that includes a cable hub and a cable node, the cable node capable of transmitting RF data, or RF data plus Ethernet data over a return path to the cable hub, wherein bandwidth for the Ethernet data may be made available by applying a compression algorithm to the RF data, the cable hub further being configurable to communicate with the cable node using either a first communication mode or a second communication mode as appropriate in order to avoid inconsistent communications with the cable node, the cable hub further being configured to perform the following:
-
in response to receiving a mute command from the cable node using one of a first and a second communication mode, an act of the cable hub disabling the RF outputs until receiving a subsequent communication from the cable node;
after the act of the cable hub receiving the mute command, an act of the cable hub receiving the subsequent communication from the cable node thereby causing the cable hub to switch to the other of the first and second communication modes; and
after the act of the cable hub receiving the subsequent communication, an act of the cable hub receiving the data stream from the cable node using the second communication mode. - View Dependent Claims (36, 37)
-
-
38. In a cable distribution network environment that includes a cable hub and a cable node, the cable node capable of transmitting RF data, or RF data plus non-RF data over a return path to the cable hub, wherein bandwidth for the non-RF data may be made available by applying a compression algorithm to the RF data, a method for the cable node to configure the cable hub to operate in either a first communication mode or a second communication mode to avoid inconsistent communication with the cable hub, the method comprising the following:
-
an act of the cable node transmitting a mute command in a data stream to the cable hub using a first communication mode, the mute command causing the cable hub to abstain from communicating with the cable node until receiving a subsequent communication from the cable node;
an act of the cable node transmitting the subsequent communication to the cable hub; and
an act of the cable node transmitting a data stream to the cable hub using the second communication mode after transmitting the subsequent communication. - View Dependent Claims (39)
-
-
40. In a cable distribution network environment that includes a cable hub and a cable node, the cable node capable of transmitting RF data, or RF data plus non-RF data over a return path to the cable hub, wherein bandwidth for the non-RF data may be made available by applying a compression algorithm to the RF data, a method for the cable hub to be configured in either a first communication mode or a second communication mode as appropriate in order to avoid inconsistent communications with the cable node, the method comprising the following:
-
an act of the cable hub receiving one or more of a predetermined number of mute commands from the cable node while sending data using one of a first and a second communication mode;
in response to receiving the one or more mute commands, an act of the cable hub abstaining from changing its current state until receiving all of the predetermined number of mute commands from the cable node;
after the act of the cable hub receiving all of the predetermined number of mute commands, an act of the cable hub muting or disabling the RF outputs; and
after the act of the cable hub receiving a predetermined number of switch mode commands, an act of the cable hub receiving the data stream from the cable node using the second communication mode. - View Dependent Claims (41)
-
-
42. A cable node for use in a cable distribution network environment that also includes a cable hub, the cable node capable of transmitting RF data, or RF data plus non-RF data over a return path to the cable hub, wherein bandwidth for the non-RF data may be made available by applying a compression algorithm to the RF data, the cable node being further configured to perform the following:
-
an act of the cable node transmitting a mute command in a data stream to the cable hub, the mute command causing the cable hub to abstain from activating one or more RF outputs until receiving a subsequent communication from the cable node;
an act of the cable node transmitting the subsequent communication to the cable hub; and
an act of the cable node transmitting a data stream to the cable hub using the second communication mode after transmitting the subsequent communication.
-
-
43. A cable hub for use in a cable distribution network environment that includes a cable hub and a cable node, the cable node capable of transmitting RF data, or RF data plus non-RF data over a return path to the cable hub, wherein bandwidth for the non-RF data may be made available by applying a compression algorithm to the RF data, the cable hub further being configurable to communicate with the cable node using either a first communication mode or a second communication mode as appropriate in order to avoid inconsistent communications with the cable node, the cable hub further being configured to perform the following:
-
in response to receiving a mute command from the cable node using one of a first and a second communication mode, an act of the cable hub disabling the RF outputs until receiving a subsequent communication from the cable node;
after the act of the cable hub receiving the mute command, an act of the cable hub receiving the subsequent communication from the cable node thereby causing the cable hub to switch to the other of the first and second communication modes; and
after the act of the cable hub receiving the subsequent communication, an act of the cable hub receiving the data stream from the cable node using the second communication mode.
-
Specification