LOAD BALANCING IN A DOCSIS SYSTEM BASED ON WEIGHTING UPSTREAM AND DOWNSTREAM CHANNEL LOADING CONDITIONS

• US 20120182871A1
• Filed: 01/14/2011
• Published: 07/19/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/14/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ARRIS Enterprises LLC (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: ARRIS Enterprises LLC (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Inventors: Frieh, Dwain Edward, Nolle, Steven Paul, Coogan, Craig Patrick
• Granted Patent: US 9,094,229 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/235
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2885 Arrangements interfacing with optical systems optical network equipment H04B10/00; optical multiplexers H04J14/05 and H04J14/07
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/125 by balancing the load, e.g. traffic engineering

Abstract

Methods and apparatuses for balancing a network load are provided. A control attribute that allows a system operator to prioritize upstream and downstream channel loading conditions relative to each other for load balancing decisions is used to balance the network load.

Claims

1. A method for balancing a network load, the method comprising:

computing at least two loads by prioritizing upstream and downstream channel loading conditions relative to each other based on a control attribute; and

assigning at least one cable modem to at least one different channel based on the computing step.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the control attribute can take on one of a finite number of values corresponding to a predefined weighting of the upstream and downstream channel loading conditions relative to each other.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the control attribute can indicate at least one time to apply a weighting to the upstream and downstream channel loading conditions.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one different channel is a different upstream channel.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one different channel is a different downstream channel.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one different channel is a set of channels.

7. A computer readable medium having instructions for causing a computer to execute a method for balancing a network load, the method comprising:

computing at least two loads by prioritizing upstream and downstream channel loading conditions relative to each other based on a control attribute; and

assigning at least one cable modem to at least one different channel based on the computing step.

8. The computer readable medium of claim 7 wherein the control attribute can take on one of a finite number of values corresponding to a predefined weighting of the upstream and downstream channel loading conditions relative to each other.

9. The computer readable medium of claim 7 wherein the control attribute can indicate at least one time to apply a weighting to the upstream and downstream channel loading conditions.

10. The computer readable medium of claim 7 wherein the at least one different channel is a different upstream channel.

11. The computer readable medium of claim 7 wherein the at least one different channel is a different downstream channel.

12. The computer readable medium of claim 7 wherein the at least one different channel is a set of channels.

13. A system for balancing a network load, the method comprising:

means for computing at least two loads by prioritizing the upstream and downstream channel loading conditions relative to each other based on a control attribute; and

means for assigning at least one cable modem to at least one different channel based on the mean for computing step.

14. A method for balancing a load of a communication system, the method comprising:

computing at least two loads by prioritizing upstream and downstream channel loading conditions relative to each other based on a control attribute; and

reconfiguring the load of at least one channel based on the computing step.