MULTI-CARRIER FREQUENCY-DIVISION MULTIPLEXING (FDM) ARCHITECTURE FOR HIGH SPEED DIGITAL SERVICE

• US 20080095083A1
• Filed: 12/11/2007
• Published: 04/24/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/18/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Scientific-Atlanta LLC (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Farcas, Florin, Ao, Jiening, West, Lamar, Brickell, John, Ritchie, John, Blashewski, Steven, Futch, Richard, Sorenson, Donald, Mobley, Joseph
• Granted Patent: US 7,801,119 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/295
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 4/00 Combined time-division and frequency-division multiplex systems H04J13/00 takes precedence ; data transmission H04L5/26; telemetry G08C15/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2801 Broadband local area networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/403 with centralised control, e.g. polling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/2657 Carrier synchronisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1016 IP multimedia subsystem [IMS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 7/041 using special codes as synchronising signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2362 Generation or processing of Service Information [SI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2365 Multiplexing of several video streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2383 Channel coding or modulation of digital bit-stream, e.g. QPSK modulation arrangements for detecting or preventing errors in the information received by adapting the channel coding H04L1/0009; analogue front ends or means for connecting modulators, demodulators or transceivers to a transmission line H04L27/0002
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4305 Synchronising client clock from received content stream, e.g. locking decoder clock with encoder clock, extraction of the PCR packets arrangements for synchronising receiver with transmitter by comparing receiver clock with transmitter clock H04L7/0012; arrangements for synchronising receiver with transmitter wherein the receiver takes measures against momentary loss of synchronisation H04L7/0083
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/437 Interfacing the upstream path of the transmission network, e.g. for transmitting client requests to a VOD server flow control in data networks H04L47/10; streaming protocols, e.g. RTP or RTCP, H04L65/65; scheduling or organising the servicing of application requests in data packet switching networks H04L67/60
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4382 Demodulation or channel decoding, e.g. QPSK demodulation analog front ends or means for connecting modulators, demodulators or transceivers to a transmission line H04L27/0002
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6118 involving cable transmission, e.g. using a cable modem
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6168 involving cable transmission, e.g. using a cable modem
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/10 Adaptations for transmission by electrical cable H04N7/12 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17309 Transmission or handling of upstream communications

Abstract

An architecture for providing high-speed access over frequency-division multiplexed (FDM) channels allows transmission of ethernet frames and/or other data across a cable transmission network or other form of FDM transport. The architecture involves downstream and upstream FDM multiplexing techniques to allow contemporaneous, parallel communications across a plurality of frequency channels. Furthermore, the architecture allows a central concentrator to support a plurality of remote devices that each have guaranteed bandwidth through connection-oriented allocations of bi-directional data flows. The upstream and downstream bandwidth allocation can support symmetrical bandwidth as well as asymmetrical bandwidth in either direction. The architecture generally can be used to support connection-oriented physical layer connectivity between a remote device and the central concentrator. Furthermore, the architecture may be integrated into other higher level devices such as, but not limited to, bridges, switches, routers, and/or gateways. The architecture generally may peacefully coexist with other services commonly-found in cable distribution networks.

Claims

1. A method of providing bi-directional communication in a cable transmission network between a first device and a second device, the method comprising the steps of:

allocating a first downstream bandwidth having a downstream frequency channel based on a first non-shared time slot assignment in a downstream packet, and a first upstream bandwidth having a first non-shared upstream frequency channel for a first full duplex point-to-point channel; and

conveying high priority data traffic over the first full duplex point-to-point channel.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

dynamically allocating a second downstream bandwidth having a second downstream frequency channel based on a shared downstream time slot assignment and a second upstream bandwidth having a second plurality of upstream frequency channels based on a shared upstream time slot assignment for a second full duplex channel; and

conveying best-effort data traffic over the second full duplex channel.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the high priority data traffic between the first device and the second device communicates Ethernet/802.3 frames.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising the steps of:

converting the Ethernet/802.3 frames to FMS frames;

multiplexing the FMS frames to provide MPEG frames; and

modulating the MPEG frames to provide RF data, wherein the RF data is transmitted in the downstream frequency channel.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising the steps of:

receiving the RF data;

demodulating the RF data to provide the MPEG frames;

inverse multiplexing the MPEG frames to provide the FMS frames; and

converting the FMS frames back to Ethernet/802.3 frames.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first upstream bandwidth and the first downstream bandwidth provide one of symmetric and asymmetric bandwidth bi-directional communications.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein first upstream bandwidth and the first downstream bandwidth provide a connection-oriented service to the bi-directional communications between the first device and the second device.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the first upstream bandwidth and the second upstream bandwidth provide physical layer connectivity between the first device and the second device.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the cable transmission network carries other services in addition to the bi-directional communication between the first device and the second device.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the other services comprise cable television.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one downstream frequency channel and the at least one non-shared upstream frequency channel utilize a different amount of frequency bandwidth.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein bi-directional communication between the first device and the second device communicates circuit emulation services.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein bi-directional communication in the cable transmission network is further provided between the first device and a third device, the method further comprising the steps of:

allocating a second downstream bandwidth on the downstream frequency channel based on a second non-shared time slot assignment in the downstream packet, the second non-shared time slot assignment being different from the first non-shared time slot;

allocating a second upstream bandwidth of a second non-shared upstream frequency channel, the second non-shared upstream frequency channel being different from the first non-shared upstream frequency channel;

conveying a second upstream data flow over the second upstream bandwidth; and

conveying a second downstream data flow over the second downstream bandwidth.

14. A system that provides bi-directional communication in a cable transmission network between a first device and a second device, the system comprising:

logic configured to allocate first downstream bandwidth on at least one downstream frequency channel based on at least one first non-shared time slot assignment in at least one downstream packet and first upstream bandwidth of at least one first non-shared upstream frequency channel for a first full duplex point-to-point channel; and

logic configured to convey a first upstream and downstream data flow over the first full duplex point-to-point channel.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the at least one downstream frequency channel is a plurality of downstream frequency channels, and the at least one first non-shared upstream frequency channel is a plurality of upstream frequency channels.

16. The system of claim 14, further comprising logic configured to dynamically allocate second downstream bandwidth on a second downstream frequency channel based on at least one shared time slot assignment and second upstream bandwidth on at least one shared upstream time slot assignment for a second full duplex channel.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein the first upstream bandwidth and the first downstream bandwidth provide one of symmetric and asymmetric bandwidth bi-directional communications.

18. The system of claim 14, wherein first upstream bandwidth and the first downstream bandwidth provide a connection-oriented service to the bi-directional communications between the first device and the second device.

19. The system of claim 14, wherein the first upstream bandwidth and the second upstream bandwidth provide physical layer connectivity between the first device and the second device.

20. The device of claim 14, wherein bi-directional communication between the first device and the second device communicates Ethernet/802.3 frames.

21. The device of claim 20, further comprising and transmit side device, the transmit side device comprising:

a converter for converting the Ethernet/802.3 frames into FMS frames;

a multiplexer for multiplexing the FMS frames into MPEG frames; and

a modulator for modulating the MPEG frames to provide RF data, wherein the RF data is transmitted in the at least one downstream frequency channel.

22. The system of claim 21, further comprising a receive side device, the receive side device comprising:

a receiver for receiving the RF data;

a demodulator for demodulating the RF data to provide the MPEG frames;

an inverse multiplexer for multiplexing the MPEG frames to provide the FMS frames; and

a converter for converting the FMS frames back to the Ethernet/802.3 frames.

23. The system of claim 14, wherein bi-directional communication between the first device and the second device communicates circuit emulation services.

24. The system of claim 14, wherein bi-directional is further provided between the first device and a third device, the system further comprising:

logic configured to allocate second downstream bandwidth on the at least one downstream frequency channel based on at least one second non-shared time slot assignment in the at least one downstream packet, the at least one second non-shared time slot assignment being different from the at least one first non-shared time slot;

logic configured to allocate second upstream bandwidth of at least one second non-shared upstream frequency channel, the at least one second non-shared upstream frequency channel being different from the at least one first non-shared upstream frequency channel;

logic configured to convey a second upstream data flow over the second upstream bandwidth; and

logic configured to convey a second downstream data flow over the second downstream bandwidth.