BONDED INTERCONNECTION OF LOCAL NETWORKS

• US 20110090892A1
• Filed: 06/09/2008
• Published: 04/21/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/09/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Genesis Technical Systems Corp.
• Original Assignee: Genesis Technical Systems Corp.
• Inventors: Cooke, Stephen P.
• Granted Patent: US 9,608,838 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/338
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2865 Logical combinations
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/42 Loop networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/062 using different frequency bands for speech and other data

Abstract

Apparatus and methods relating to bonded interconnection of local communication networks are disclosed. Bonded communication links, including multiple constituent links that have been bonded together, are terminated to enable communications over the bonded links using bandwidth available on the constituent links. A cross-connect function determines whether received communication traffic is to be forwarded to one or more of a local communication network and the terminated bonded links. The received communication traffic is forwarded in accordance with the determination. The local communication networks may include ring networks, linear networks, or both. The bonded links and links between nodes in a local communication network are bonded DSL (Digital Subscriber Line) links in some embodiments. Bonding of DSL links in this manner can be used, for instance, to extend the reach of DSL service without sacrificing bandwidth.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a cross-connect module to be operatively coupled to a local communication network; and

first and second bonding interfaces, operatively coupled to the cross-connect module, that terminate and thereby enable communications over respective first and second bonded links,

the cross-connect module being operable to receive communication traffic, to determine whether the received communication traffic is to be forwarded to one or more of the local communication network, the first bonding interface, and the second bonding interface, and to forward the received communication traffic in accordance with the determination.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the cross-connect module is operable to determine, where the received communication traffic comprises communication traffic from the local communication network, whether the received communication traffic is to be forwarded to one or more of the first bonding interface and the second bonding interface.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the cross-connect module is operable to determine, where the received communication traffic comprises communication traffic received through one of the first and second bonding interfaces, whether the received communication traffic is to be forwarded to one or more of the other of the first and second bonding interfaces and the local communication network.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first and second bonded links comprise different numbers of constituent links.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first bonding interface terminates a plurality of constituent links of the first bonded link, and wherein the second bonding interface bonds together constituent links of the second bonded link.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the first and second bonded links comprise the same number of constituent links.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first and second bonded links operatively couple the apparatus to respective first and second remote communication networks.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the cross-connect module comprises:

a switch matrix operatively coupled to the first and second bonding interfaces and to the local communication network; and

a controller, operatively coupled to the switch matrix, that controls the switch matrix to switch the received communication traffic between the first bonding interface, the second bonding interface, and the local communication network, to thereby forward the received communication traffic in accordance with the determination.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, further comprising:

a set of one or more traffic queues for storing the received communication traffic, the set of traffic queues being operatively coupled to the first and second bonding interfaces, to the local communication network, and to the switch matrix,

the controller being further operative to provide QoS (Quality of Service) forwarding for the received communication traffic.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the set of one or more traffic queues comprises receive queues for storing the received communication when received, and transmit queues for storing the received communication traffic prior to forwarding.

11. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the received communication traffic is forwarded from the set of one or more queues.

12. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the controller provides the QoS forwarding by determining a priority of the received communication traffic and forwarding the received communication traffic further in accordance with the determined priority.

13. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the QoS forwarding is implemented using one or more of:

RPR (Resilient Packet Ring), Ethernet, and VDSL2 (Very high bit rate Digital Subscriber Line).

14. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

first and second local network interfaces that enable communications in the local communication network; and

a traffic processor, operatively coupled to the first and second local network interfaces and to the cross-connect module, operable to transmit and receive communication traffic in the local communication network.

15. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first and second bonded links comprise DSL (Digital Subscriber Line) links, and wherein the local communication network comprises nodes operatively coupled together through DSL links.

16. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the cross-connect module is further operable to provide a translation function to translate the received communication traffic.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the translation function comprises a function to translate the received communication traffic between RPR (Resilient Packet Ring) and Ethernet or ATM (Asynchronous Transfer Mode).

18. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the local communication network comprises a ring network or a linear network.

19. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the local communication network comprises one of a plurality of local communication networks operatively coupled to the cross-connect module, the cross-connect module being operable to determine whether the received communication traffic is to be forwarded to one or more of the local communication networks, the first bonding interface, and the second bonding interface, and to forward the received communication traffic in accordance with the determination.

20. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a third bonding interface, operatively coupled to the cross-connect module, that terminates and thereby enables communications over a third bonded link, the cross-connect module being operable to determine whether the received communication traffic is to be forwarded to one or more of the local communication network, the first bonding interface, the second bonding interface, and the third bonding interface, and to forward the received communication traffic in accordance with the determination,

wherein two of the first, second, and third bonded links comprise respective communication links to a main communication network.

21. The apparatus of claim 20,

wherein the communication links to the main communication network comprise respective sets of constituent links,

wherein the local communication network comprises one of a plurality of local communication networks operatively coupled to the cross-connect module, the cross-connect module being operable to determine whether the received communication traffic is to be forwarded to one or more of the local communication networks, the first bonding interface, the second bonding interface, and the third bonding interface, and to forward the received communication traffic in accordance with the determination, and

wherein the plurality of local communication networks comprises a respective local communication network associated with each of the communication links to the main communication network.

22. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein one of the first and second bonded links comprises a communication link to a main communication network.

23. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

an optical interface, operatively coupled to the cross-connect module, that enables communications with a main communication network over an optical communication link.

24. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a remote powering module operatively coupled to a remote component through one or more electrically conductive twisted wire pairs, the remote powering module enabling the apparatus to be at least partially powered by the remote component through the one or more twisted wire pairs.

25. The apparatus of claim 23, further comprising:

a remote powering module operatively coupled to a component of the main network through one or more electrically conductive twisted wire pairs, the remote powering module enabling the apparatus to be at least partially powered by the component of the main network through the one or more twisted wire pairs.

26. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a wireless interface, operatively coupled to the cross-connect module, that enables the apparatus to communicate over a wireless communication link.

27. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the wireless interface comprises one or more of:

a WiFi interface and a femtocell interface.

28. A method comprising:

receiving communication traffic from a local communication network or one of first and second bonded links;

determining whether the received communication traffic is to be forwarded to one or more of the local communication network, the first bonded link, and the second bonded link; and

forwarding the received communication traffic in accordance with the determination.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein, where the received communication traffic comprises communication traffic from the local communication network, the determining comprises determining whether the received communication traffic is to be forwarded to one or more of the first bonded link and the second bonded link.

30. The method of claim 28, wherein, where the received communication traffic comprises communication traffic received through one of the first and second bonded links, the determining comprises determining whether the received communication traffic is to be forwarded to one or more of the other of the first and second bonded links and the local communication network.

31. The method of claim 28, wherein the first and second bonded links comprise different numbers of constituent links.

32. The method of claim 28, wherein the first and second bonded links comprise the same number of constituent links.

33. The method of claim 28, wherein the first and second bonded links enable communications with respective first and second remote communication networks.

34. The method of claim 28, wherein the forwarding comprises forwarding further in accordance with a QoS (Quality of Service) mechanism.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein the QoS mechanism involves determining a priority of the received communication traffic, and wherein the forwarding comprises forwarding the received communication traffic further in accordance with the determined priority.

36. The method of claim 34, wherein the QoS mechanism is implemented using one or more of:

RPR (Resilient Packet Ring), Ethernet, and VDSL2 (Very high bit rate Digital Subscriber Line).

37. The method of claim 28, wherein the first and second bonded links comprise DSL (Digital Subscriber Line) links, and wherein the local communication network comprises nodes operatively coupled together through DSL links.

38. The method of claim 28, further comprising translating the received communication traffic.

39. The method of claim 38, wherein the translating comprises translating the received communication traffic between RPR (Resilient Packet Ring) and Ethernet or ATM (Asynchronous Transfer Mode).

40. The method of claim 28, wherein the local communication network comprises a ring network or a linear network.

41. The method of claim 28,

wherein the local communication network comprises one of a plurality of local communication networks,

wherein the receiving comprises receiving communication traffic from one of the local communication networks or one of the first and second bonded links, and

wherein the determining comprises determining whether the received communication traffic is to be forwarded to one or more of the local communication networks, the first bonded link, and the second bonded link.

42. The method of claim 28,

wherein the receiving further comprises receiving communication traffic from a third bonded link,

wherein the determining comprises determining whether the received communication traffic is to be forwarded to one or more of the local communication network, the first bonded link, the second bonded link, and the third bonded link, and

wherein two of the first, second, and third bonded links comprise respective communication links to a main communication network.

43. The method of claim 42,

wherein the communication links to the main communication network comprise respective sets of constituent links,

wherein the local communication network comprises one of a plurality of local communication networks,

wherein the determining comprises determining whether the received communication traffic is to be forwarded to one or more of the local communication networks, the first bonded link, the second bonded link, and the third bonded link, and

wherein the plurality of local communication networks comprises a respective local communication network associated with each of the communication links to the main communication network.

44. The method of claim 28, wherein one of the first and second bonded links comprises a communication link to a main communication network.

45. A computer-readable medium storing instructions which when executed perform the method of claim 28.

46. A communication system comprising:

a plurality of gateway nodes serially coupled together through respective bonded links, the plurality of gateway nodes comprising at least a first gateway node and a last gateway node;

a plurality of local communication networks, each of the local communication networks comprising a respective one of the gateway nodes and at least one subscriber node for providing a communication service to subscriber premises,

each of at least the first gateway node and any intermediate gateway nodes between the first gateway node and the last gateway node comprising a cross-connect module that receives communication traffic, determines whether the received communication traffic is to be forwarded to one or more of the local communication network and a bonded link that is operatively coupled to the gateway node, and forwards the received communication traffic in accordance with the determination.

47. The communication system of claim 46, wherein the gateway node and each subscriber node in each of the local communication networks comprises a wireless interface for enabling wireless communications between the gateway node and each subscriber node in the local communication network.

48. The communication system of claim 47, wherein the wireless interface comprises at least one of:

a WiFi interface and a femtocell interface.