Protocol for broadband data communication over a shared medium
First Claim
1. A communication network, comprising:
- a headend; and
a plurality of network terminals connected to the headend by a shared communication medium, wherein the headend transmits successive DVB compatible downstream data frames over the shared communication medium, each downstream data frame including a bandwidth permit associated with a first upstream RF carrier channel ("first channel permit"),wherein the downstream data frames each comprise one or more pairs of DVB slots each DVB slot pair comprising a plurality of ATM data cells and also comprising MAC control data.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Network architectures and data communication protocols for supporting both downstream and upstream transport of digital data between a headend facility and multiple downstream network terminals over a shared communication medium include downstream framing protocols compatible with DVB modem transmission framing synchronization and FEC standards at the physical layer, which support a full range of 16 to 256 QAM transmission rates in both 6 MHz and 8 MHz channels. The downstream data frames are formed by one or more repeating pairs of DVB compatible frame slots, wherein each downstream frame is transmitted over the same interval, e.g., 250 usec in preferred formats, regardless of the number of DVB slot pairs it contains. All downstream frame rates are supported by a single upstream data rate. Upstream bandwidth is allocated based on a selected set of operating criteria and service type priorities, based on both a polling basis and a contention basis, on one or more in-band RF subcarrier channels.
147 Citations
19 Claims
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1. A communication network, comprising:
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a headend; and a plurality of network terminals connected to the headend by a shared communication medium, wherein the headend transmits successive DVB compatible downstream data frames over the shared communication medium, each downstream data frame including a bandwidth permit associated with a first upstream RF carrier channel ("first channel permit"), wherein the downstream data frames each comprise one or more pairs of DVB slots each DVB slot pair comprising a plurality of ATM data cells and also comprising MAC control data. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A communication network, comprising:
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a headend; a shared communication medium; a plurality of network terminals connected to the headend by the shared communication medium, wherein DVB compatible downstream data frames are serially transmitted by the headend over the shared communication medium every 250 usec, each downstream data frame comprising two or more pairs of DVB slots, each DVB slot pair comprising a plurality of ATM data cells and also comprising MAC control data, the collective MAC control data of each downstream data frame carrying at least one upstream bandwidth permit. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A communication network, comprising:
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a headend; a shared communication medium; a plurality of network terminals connected to the headend by the shared communication medium, wherein downstream data frames are serially transmitted by the headend over the shared communication medium every 250 usec, each downstream data frame comprising two or more pairs of 204 byte DVB slots, each DVB slot pair comprising a plurality of 53 byte ATM data cells and also comprising MAC control data, the collective MAC control data of each downstream data frame carrying at least one upstream bandwidth permit, and wherein one or more of the network terminals periodically transmits upstream data over the shared medium, with upstream data transmissions from one or more network terminals form successive 68 byte upstream data frames serially received by the headend every 250 usec.
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Specification