Scalable multimedia network

• US 5,673,265 A
• Filed: 04/29/1996
• Issued: 09/30/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 05/19/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Integrated Network Corp.
• Inventors: Gupta, Dev Vrat, Stone, Alan E., Sharper, Craig A., Chen, Yu-Ren Brian
• Primary Examiner(s): Hsu, Alpus H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGO, RICKY QUOC
• Application Number:
  US08/639,595
• Time in Patent Office: 519 Days
• Field of Search: 370/357, 370/362, 370/364, 370/389, 370/392, 370/395, 370/397, 370/400, 370/420, 370/432, 370/458, 370/470, 370/471, 370/472, 370/474, 370/475, 370/476
• US Class Current: 370/432
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2801 Broadband local area networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2852 Metropolitan area networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/64 Hybrid switching systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/6402 Hybrid switching fabrics
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/5612 Ring
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/5613 Bus (including DQDB)
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/5614 User Network Interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/5615 Network termination, e.g. NT1, NT2, PBX
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/5627 Fault tolerance and recovery
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/5638 Services, e.g. multimedia, GOS, QOS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/5651 Priority, marking, classes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/5652 Cell construction, e.g. including header, packetisation, depacketisation, assembly, reassembly
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/5679 Arbitration or scheduling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/6427 Subscriber Access Module; Concentrator; Group equipment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/6443 Network Node Interface, e.g. Routing, Path finding
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/6448 Medium Access Control [MAC]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/6459 Multiplexing, e.g. TDMA, CDMA
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/6464 Priority
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/6483 Video, e.g. MPEG
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/6486 Signalling Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/6489 : Buffer Management, Threshold setting, Scheduling, Shaping
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/107 : using shared medium
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1026 : at the edge
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1036 : at the edge
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 : Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/08 : Protocols for interworking; Protocol conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 : Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6118 : involving cable transmission, e.g. using a cable modem
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/64707 : for transferring content from a first network to a second network, e.g. between IP and wireless
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/173 : with two-way working, e.g. subscriber sending a programme selection signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17309 : Transmission or handling of upstream communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17336 : Handling of requests in head-ends
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17345 : Control of the passage of the selected programme
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 11/0478 : Provisions for broadband connections

Abstract

A Scalable Multimedia Network providing integrated networking of data, voice, video and image services over a variety of access facilities including metallic loops, fiber/coax or digital fiber is disclosed herein. The SMN establishes customer initiated switched virtual circuits for all traffic types and directs them to the appropriate backbone network. The SMN is based on a distributed switching platform that enables carriers to economically provide service to a small number of customers and add capacity incrementally as the customer base increases. The platform has a protocol adaptation capability which permits communications between customer premises equipment and potentially incompatible backbone networks or network servers.

Claims

1. In a communication system consisting of a root and a plurality of end points, said root and said end points forming a multi-cast group, a method of multi-cast addressing including steps of:

forming a multi-cast cell wherein said multi-cast cell includes a destination address having a bus number, a shelf number, a slot number, and a BCID number;

identifying said multi-cast group by setting a unique value in said BCID number;

setting said bus number, said shelf number, and said slot number to predetermine values;

sending said multi-cast cell from said root;

receiving said multi-cast cell at said end points.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of sending includes sending said multi-cast cell over a distributed bus.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the distributed bus comprises a plurality of first buses carrying digital bits at a first rate and a plurality of second buses carrying digital bits at a second rate, said first buses interconnected to said second buses.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of receiving includes mapping the multi-cast group value to end points.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein for packet traffic the mapping step includes forming a table which identifies the multicast group value with a port number and virtual channel identifier.

6. The method of claim 4 wherein for time division multiplexed traffic the mapping step includes forming a table which identifies the multicast group value with a port number.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein said bus number is set to zero, said shelf number is set to 254, and said slot number is set to zero.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the destination address comprises four bytes including a three bit bus destination field for the bus number, an eight bit shelf destination field for the shelf number, a five bit slot destination field for the slot number, and a sixteen bit port destination field for the BCID number.