Configurable hybrid medium access control for cable metropolitan area networks

• US 5,696,765 A
• Filed: 08/19/1996
• Issued: 12/09/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: General Instrument Corporation (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Inventors: Safadi, Reem
• Primary Examiner(s): Olms, Douglas W.
• Assistant Examiner(s): BLUM, RUSSELL
• Application Number:
  US08/697,056
• Time in Patent Office: 477 Days
• Field of Search: 370/24, 370/30, 370/50, 370/71, 370/73, 370/124, 370/82, 370/83, 370/79, 370/85.1, 370/85.2, 370/85.7, 370/85.8, 370/85.9, 370/95.1, 370/95.2, 370/95.3, 370/276, 370/295, 370/431, 370/432, 370/436, 370/442, 370/443, 370/449, 370/478, 370/485, 370/486, 370/487, 375/257, 455/3.1, 455/5.1, 340/825.08, 348/6, 348/10, 348/12, 348/13, 348/17, 348/14
• US Class Current: 370/436
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 3/1694 Allocation of channels in TDM/TDMA networks, e.g. distributed multiplexers Passive Optical Networks H04Q11/0062
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2801 Broadband local area networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/5605 Fibre
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/5606 Metallic
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/561 Star, e.g. cross-connect, concentrator, subscriber group equipment, remote electronics
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/5642 Multicast/broadcast/point-multipoint, e.g. VOD
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/5667 IP over ATM
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2221 being a cable television head-end CATV in broadcast systems H04H20/78
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2381 Adapting the multiplex stream to a specific network, e.g. an Internet Protocol [IP] network transmission of MPEG streams over ATM H04L12/5601
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2665 Gathering content from different sources, e.g. Internet and satellite
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4381 Recovering the multiplex stream from a specific network, e.g. recovering MPEG packets from ATM cells transmission of MPEG streams over ATM H04L12/5601
• 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 21/64307 ATM
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17309 Transmission or handling of upstream communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/22 Adaptations for optical transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 11/0478 Provisions for broadband connections

Abstract

The hybrid medium access control MAC system is configurable to the type of communication required to support a desired application or service. The MAC system analyzes services requested from a settop terminal, or a network controller client, and determines the best MAC component for transmitting signals upstream based on the resources required by the service and the available network resources. A portion of the upstream channel spectrum is allocated to each of the MAC components: 1) POP; 2) assigned static TDMA; 3) assigned dynamic multi-rate TDMA; and 4) random slot reservation-dynamic slot allocation TDMA. Depending upon the communication requirements of the service desired, the configurable MAC system will select the MAC component best suited to support the service. A frequency agile transmitter is then tuned to the channel which has been preallocated for the selected MAC component(s). As communication traffic varies over time, the system reallocates portions of the upstream channel spectrum among the different MAC components and may also reconfigure a specific MAC component.

Claims

1. A headend within a CATV communication system for providing communications between a plurality of information providers and a plurality of information user terminals comprising:

first control means for processing and routing broadcast and interactive downstream communications from said information providers to said user terminals, said downstream communications including a demand for the required downstream communicating bandwidth, wherein said first control means provides medium access control by allocating said demanded bandwidth;

second control means for providing medium access control for upstream communications by said user terminals to said information providers, said upstream communication including a demand for the required upstream communicating bandwidth; and

interface means, located between said first and second control means and said user terminals, for transmitting said downstream and upstream communications.

2. The headend of claim 1, wherein said first control means includes means for receiving interactive communications from said information providers, means for receiving local broadcast control communications and means for combining said communications for transmission to said user terminals.

3. The headend of claim 1 wherein said first control means receives said broadcast and interactive communications, provides MPEG2adaptation and originates in-band and out-of-band transport multiplex streams for transmission to the user terminals.

4. The headend of claim 1 wherein said second control means determines the type of medium access that is utilized.

5. The headend of claim 4 wherein said type of access includes plain old polling, default assigned TDMA and multi-rate assigned TDMA.

6. The headend of claim 4 wherein said interface means includes a QAM multiplexer/modulator for in-band downstream communications, a QPSK multiplexer/modulator for out-of-band downstream communications and a QPSK demodulator/multiplexer for upstream communications.