System and method for providing statistics for flexible billing in a cable environment

• US 6,230,203 B1
• Filed: 03/14/1997
• Issued: 05/08/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 10/20/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Scientific-Atlanta LLC (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Scientific-Atlanta Incorporated (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Mann, John R. III, Koperda, Francis R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Rinehart, Mark
• Assistant Examiner(s): Cardone, Jason D.
• Application Number:
  US08/818,037
• Time in Patent Office: 1,516 Days
• Field of Search: 709/252, 709/218, 709/238, 709/217, 709/219, 709/223, 709/224, 709/227, 709/229, 709/250, 348/7, 348/12, 348/13, 455/3.1, 455/4.2, 455/5.1, 455/6.3, 370/463, 370/477
• US Class Current: 709/229
• 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: H04J 3/247 ATM or packet multiplexing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2801 Broadband local area networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/561 Star, e.g. cross-connect, concentrator, subscriber group equipment, remote electronics
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/5616 Terminal equipment, e.g. codecs, synch.
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/5619 Network Node Interface, e.g. tandem connections, transit switching
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/5626 Network management, e.g. Intelligent nets
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/563 Signalling, e.g. protocols, reference model
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/5632 Bandwidth allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/5642 Multicast/broadcast/point-multipoint, e.g. VOD
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/5675 Timeslot assignment, e.g. TDMA
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/5679 Arbitration or scheduling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/3081 ATM peripheral units, e.g. policing, insertion or extraction
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2385 Channel allocation H04N21/266 takes precedence; Bandwidth allocation H04N21/24 takes precedence ; allocation of channels according to the instantaneous demands of the users in time-division multiplex systems H04J3/1682; admission control, resource allocation in open networks H04L12/5692; arrangements for maintenance or administration in data switching networks involving bandwidth and capacity management H04L41/0896; negotiating bandwidth in wireless networks H04W28/16
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2393 involving handling client requests scheduling or organising the servicing of application requests H04L67/60
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2402 Monitoring of the downstream path of the transmission network, e.g. bandwidth available traffic monitoring in data switching networks H04L43/00; monitoring data switching networks utilization H04L43/0876
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6583 Acknowledgement
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/147 Communication arrangements, e.g. identifying the communication as a video-communication, intermediate storage of the signals selecting H04Q
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17309 Transmission or handling of upstream communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 11/0478 : Provisions for broadband connections

Abstract

A system for providing flexible billing in a cable environment can establish billing practices based on tier level of service, quality of service or the amount of network resources consumed. A plurality of tiers or levels of service can be defined by parameters including at least a maximum or peak bit rate or bandwidth for providing services over a shared channel. A plurality of levels or tiers of services are defined by maximum bandwidth or bit rate and a subscriber receives service at that subscribe-to level or at a slower data rate depending on availability of shared bandwidth. Quality of service is maintaining the specified bandwidth, jitter or delay. The amount of network resources consumed may be expressed in terms of the amount of data transmitted or the connect time of a network access device to the network.

Claims

1. A system for providing parametric statistics related to a level of service comprising at least a maximum bandwidth or data bit rate over a shared channel comprises

a link access controller coupled to a plurality of network access devices, the link access controller for supervising a connection and denying service if requested bandwidth or bit rate by a coupled network access device exceeds a maximum bandwidth or data bit rate of an authorized level of service and

a network control computer for collecting parametric statistics from said link access controller.

2. A system for providing statistics as recited in claim 1 wherein said system further comprises modulators coupled to said link access controllers and said link access controller forwards statistics to said network control computer regarding upstream link status via said modulators.

3. A system for providing statistics as recited in claim 1 wherein said statistics including connection time and time of connection are forwarded to said network control computer.

4. A system for providing statistics related to a level of service as in claim 1 wherein said parametric statistics comprise source and destination addresses of said network access devices.

5. A system for providing statistics related to a level of service as in claim 1 wherein said parametric statistics comprise total amount of data transmitted.

6. A system for supervising a level of service in a cable television network, said level of service comprising at least a maximum bandwidth or data bit rate over a shared channel, the system comprising

a link access controller adapted to be coupled to a plurality of network access devices, the link access controller for supervising a connection and for regulating service if requested bandwidth or bit rate by a coupled network access device exceeds a maximum bandwidth or data bit rate of an authorized level of service.

7. A system as recited in claim 6 further comprising an administrative computer for storing preauthorized level of service data for subscribers, the administration computer communicating said preauthorized level of service data to said link access controller for regulating service at said preauthorized level.

8. A system as recited in claim 6 further comprising an administrative computer for receiving parametric statistical data for a session of a network access device.

9. A method of providing service at a plurality of levels of service comprising at least a maximum bandwidth or data bit rate over a shared channel comprising the steps of

detecting parametric data related to an originated communication from an identified network access device and

policing a connection of said network access device to said system to assure an authorized level of service for the identified network access device is met.

10. A method as recited in claim 9 characterized in that said steps are performed in real time at a network access controller adapted to be coupled to a plurality of network access devices.

11. A method of providing service as recited in claim 9 wherein said parametric data comprises start time and length of a connection of a coupled network access device.

12. A method of providing service as recited in claim 9 wherein said parametric data comprises a count of total number of cells transmitted.

13. A method of providing service at a plurality of levels of service comprising at least a maximum bandwidth or data bit rate over a shared channel comprising the steps of

receiving a service request for service at an identified bit rate from an identified network access device,

allocating a maximum bandwidth or data bit rate for an authorized level of service for the identified network access device,

comparing the authorized level of service with the identified bit rate and

computing a route for a communication from the identified network access device if the authorized level of service exceeds or is equivalent to the identified bit rate.

14. A method as recited in claim 13 further comprising the step of issuing a data grant to a network access device.

15. A method as recited in claim 14 wherein said data grant comprises a time of day, a number of cells and an authorized data rate for transmission of said number of cells.

16. A method as recited in claim 13 further comprising the step of storing parametric statistics related to said authorized level of service.

17. A method as recited in claim 14 wherein said parametric statistics comprise bandwidth of connection of the identified network access device.

18. A method as recited in claim 14 wherein said parametric statistics comprise start time and length of connection of the identified network access device.