SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR IP VIDEO DELIVERY USING DISTRIBUTED FLEXIBLE CHANNEL BONDING

• US 20120147751A1
• Filed: 12/08/2010
• Published: 06/14/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/08/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ARRIS Enterprises LLC (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: General Instrument Corporation (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Inventors: Ulm, John M.
• Granted Patent: US 8,654,640 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/237
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2801 Broadband local area networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2861 Point-to-multipoint connection from the data network to the subscribers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2865 Logical combinations
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/611 for multicast or broadcast systems for broadcast or conference H04L12/18; arrangements for broadcast or distribution combined with broadcast H04H20/00; arrangements for broadcast applications with a direct linkage to broadcast information or to broadcast space-time H04H60/00; selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS], H04W4/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/80 Responding to QoS
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/50 in wire-line communication networks, e.g. low power modes or reduced link rate

Abstract

A system and method receives IP packets on a first device for delivery as DOCSIS packets over a DOCSIS interface, each DOCSIS packet encapsulating IP data from the IP packets, and including a sequence number that the first device generates for a bonding group. The method delivers first DOCSIS packets to a DOCSIS device using first downstream channels on the first device that are associated with the bonding group. When the first downstream channels exceed a capacity, the method determines an available capacity of second downstream channels on a second device that are associated with the bonding group, identifies second DOCSIS packets that do not exceed the available capacity, and forwards the second DOCSIS packets to the second device, which delivers the second DOCSIS packets to the DOCSIS device using the second downstream channels.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving Internet Protocol (IP) packets on a first device for delivery over a Data Over Cable Service Interface Specification (DOCSIS) interface, wherein each DOCSIS packet of a plurality of DOCSIS packets encapsulates IP data from the IP packets and includes a sequence number that the first device generates for a bonding group that the first device controls;

delivering a first number of the DOCSIS packets to a DOCSIS device using first downstream channels on the first device, wherein the first downstream channels are associated with the bonding group;

detecting that a capacity of the first downstream channels exceed a threshold value;

determining an available capacity of second downstream channels on a second device, wherein the second downstream channels are associated with the bonding group;

identifying a second number of the DOCSIS packets that do not exceed the available capacity of the second downstream channels on the second device; and

forwarding the second number of the DOCSIS packets from the first device to the second device,

wherein the second device delivers the second number of the DOCSIS packets to the DOCSIS device using the second downstream channels.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the IP data includes at least one of an IP video stream, best effort high speed data (HSD) traffic, web surfing traffic, adaptive streaming, video-on-demand, and audio-on-demand.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the bonding group bonds the first downstream channels on the first device, and the second downstream channels on the second device, and wherein each first downstream channel and each second downstream channel is a DOCSIS QAM channel.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the delivering of the first number of the DOCSIS packets further comprises:

assigning the first number of the DOCSIS packets to one of the first downstream channels;

adding the first number of the DOCSIS packets to a transmission queue on the first device; and

transmitting the first number of the DOCSIS packets to the DOCSIS device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the threshold value is a percentage of available bandwidth for the first downstream channels.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining of the available capacity further comprises:

requesting the available capacity of the second downstream channels on the second device; and

receiving the available capacity of the second downstream channels on the second device.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

receiving a credit that indicates the available capacity of the second downstream channels on the second device.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

receiving adjustment information that indicates a change to the available capacity of the second downstream channels on the second device.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the forwarding of the second number of the DOCSIS packets further comprises:

configuring a DOCSIS External Physical Interface (DEPI) tunnel between the first device and the second device; and

sending the second number of the DOCSIS packets to the second device on the DEPI tunnel.

10. An IP video delivery system that includes a first device and a second device, comprising:

a first memory device resident in the first device;

a first processor disposed in communication with the first memory device, the first processor configured to;

receive Internet Protocol (IP) packets on a first device for delivery over a Data Over Cable Service Interface Specification (DOCSIS) interface, wherein each DOCSIS packet of a plurality of DOCSIS packets encapsulates IP data from the IP packets and includes a sequence number that the first device generates for a bonding group that the first device controls;

deliver a first number of the DOCSIS packets to a DOCSIS device using first downstream channels on the first device, wherein the first downstream channels are associated with the bonding group;

detect that a capacity of the first downstream channels exceed a threshold value;

determine an available capacity of second downstream channels on a second device, wherein the second downstream channels are associated with the bonding group;

identify a second number of the DOCSIS packets that do not exceed the available capacity of the second downstream channels on the second device; and

forward the second number of the DOCSIS packets from the first device to the second device;

a second memory device resident in the second device; and

a second processor disposed in communication with the second memory device, the second processor configured to;

deliver the second number of the DOCSIS packets to the DOCSIS device using the second downstream channels.

11. The IP video delivery system of claim 10, wherein the IP data includes at least one of an IP video stream, best effort high speed data (HSD) traffic, web surfing traffic, adaptive streaming, video-on-demand, and audio-on-demand.

12. The IP video delivery system of claim 10, wherein the bonding group bonds the first downstream channels on the first device, and the second downstream channels on the second device, and wherein each first downstream channel and each second downstream channel is a DOCSIS QAM channel.

13. The IP video delivery system of claim 10, wherein to deliver the first number of the DOCSIS packets, the first processor is further configured to:

assign the first number of the DOCSIS packets to one of the first downstream channels;

add the first number of the DOCSIS packets to a transmission queue on the first device; and

transmit the first number of the DOCSIS packets to the DOCSIS device.

14. The IP video delivery system of claim 10, wherein the threshold value is a percentage of available bandwidth for the first downstream channels.

15. The IP video delivery system of claim 10, wherein to determine the available capacity, the first processor is further configured to:

request the available capacity of the second downstream channels on the second device;

receive the available capacity of the second downstream channels on the second device.

16. The IP video delivery system of claim 15, wherein the first processor is further configured to:

receive a credit that indicates the available capacity of the second downstream channels on the second device.

17. The IP video delivery system of claim 15, wherein the first processor is further configured to:

receive adjustment information that indicates a change to the available capacity of the second downstream channels on the second device.

18. The IP video delivery system of claim 10, wherein to forward the second number of the DOCSIS packets, the first processor is further configured to:

configure a DOCSIS External Physical Interface (DEPI) tunnel between the first device and the second device;

send the second number of the DOCSIS packets to the second device on the DEPI tunnel.

19. The IP video delivery system of claim 10, wherein to deliver the second number of the DOCSIS packets, the second processor is further configured to:

assign the second number of the DOCSIS packets to one of the second downstream channels;

add the second number of the DOCSIS packets to a transmission queue on the second device; and

transmit the second number of the DOCSIS packets to the DOCSIS device.

20. A non-transitory computer-readable medium, comprising computer-executable instructions that, when executed on a computing device, perform steps of:

receiving Internet Protocol (IP) packets on a first device for delivery over a Data Over Cable Service Interface Specification (DOCSIS) interface, wherein each DOCSIS packet of a plurality of DOCSIS packets encapsulates IP data from the IP packets and includes a sequence number that the first device generates for a bonding group that the first device controls;

delivering a first number of the DOCSIS packets to a DOCSIS device using first downstream channels on the first device, wherein the first downstream channels are associated with the bonding group;

detecting that a capacity of the first downstream channels exceed a threshold value;

determining an available capacity of second downstream channels on a second device, wherein the second downstream channels are associated with the bonding group;

identifying a second number of the DOCSIS packets that do not exceed the available capacity of the second downstream channels on the second device; and

forwarding the second number of the DOCSIS packets from the first device to the second device,

wherein the second device delivers the second number of the DOCSIS packets to the DOCSIS device using the second downstream channels.