System and method for communicating with a telco-return cable modem as a single communications device

• US 6,295,554 B1
• Filed: 05/27/1998
• Issued: 09/25/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 05/27/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: 3Com Corporation (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Karadogan, Baris, Nunns, Andrew, Robinson, Philip Thomas
• Primary Examiner(s): Harrell, Robert B.
• Application Number:
  US09/085,651
• Time in Patent Office: 1,217 Days
• Field of Search: 709/219, 709/218, 709/220, 709/222, 709/225, 709/200, 709/217, 709/221, 713/201, 376/399
• US Class Current: 709/219
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2801 Broadband local area networks

Abstract

A system and method for communicating with a cable modem having an RF interface for downstream data and a PSTN interface for upstream data. The system uses a cable modem driver that receives commands for sending and receiving data. The cable modem driver interfaces to the RF interface to receive downstream data. The cable modem driver interfaces to an inner protocol driver to redirect data to a standard modem driver. The inner protocol driver sends the data to the modem driver and the modem driver sends the data over the PSTN connection.

Claims

1. A method of providing a program interface to a cable modem with telephony return in a computer comprising a user level, an operating system level comprising a standard interface for communicating with the RF interface and the PSTN interface, and a driver level for communicating hardware that implements the RF interface and the PSTN interface, comprising the steps of:

providing a protocol driver for connecting an application to a network and a standard modem service for connecting the protocol driver to a public-switched telephone network (PSTN) interface;

configuring a PSTN-connected modem driver using the standard modem;

providing a cable modem driver for communicating with a radio frequency interface for receiving downstream data from a high frequency coaxial cable (HFC) and for receiving upstream data from the application; and

providing an inner protocol driver at the driver level for receiving upstream data from the cable modem driver and for sending the upstream data to the PSTN-connected modem driver.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of:

providing an initialization program for initializing the program interface to the cable telephony return modem by the steps of;

binding the protocol driver to the PSTN-connected modem driver;

binding the protocol driver to the cable modem driver; and

binding the inner protocol driver to the PSTN-connected modem driver.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the step of binding the inner protocol driver to the modem driver includes the step of receiving a handle from the modem driver.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of providing the inner protocol driver includes the step of implementing the inner protocol driver as a Windows Virtual Driver (VxD).

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the step of providing the inner protocol driver includes the step of creating a VxD setup table.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of providing the protocol driver includes the step of providing an Internet Protocol.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of providing the protocol driver and standard modem service includes the step of providing a Windows Dialup Networking Adapter.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of setting up the modem driver to perform a Point-to-Point Protocol (PPP).

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of providing the cable modem driver includes the step of implementing the cable modem driver according to the Windows Network Driver Interface Specification.

10. A system in a computer for communicating with a cable modem having a radio frequency (RF) interface for receiving downstream data and a public switched telephone network (PSTN) interface for sending upstream data, the system comprising, in combination:

the computer comprising a user level, an operating system level comprising a standard interface for communicating with the RF interface and the PSTN interface, and a driver level for communicating hardware that implements the RF interface and the PSTN interface;

a cable modem driver in the driver level, the cable modem driver comprising a cable modem driver interface for receiving downstream data from the RF interface and for sending upstream data over said PSTN connection, the cable modem interface using the standard interface;

a protocol driver for connecting a computer application to said cable modem driver, said protocol driver being operable to communicate with said cable modem driver interface;

a PSTN-connected modem driver for sending upstream data via said PSTN interface, the PSTN-connected modem driver using the standard interface; and

an inner protocol driver connected to said cable modem driver for receiving upstream data from said cable modem driver, said inner protocol driver being connected to said PSTN-connected modem driver for sending the upstream data to said PSTN-connected modem driver, the inner protocol driver operating in the driver level.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein said protocol driver implements a wide area network protocol.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein said wide area network protocol is an IP protocol.

13. The system of claim 11 wherein said wide area network protocol is a UDP protocol.

14. The system of claim 10 wherein said cable modem driver includes a wide area network address for sending and receiving data.

15. The system of claim 10 wherein said PSTN-connected modem driver uses a dial up networking adapter as the standard interface in a Windows operating system environment.

16. The system of claim 10 wherein said inner protocol driver is a virtual device driver in a Windows operating system environment.

17. A system in a computer for communicating with a cable modem having a radio frequency (RF) interface for receiving downstream data and a public switched telephone network (PSTN) interface for sending upstream data, the system comprising, in combination:

a cable modem driver comprising a cable modem driver interface for receiving downstream data from the RF interface and for sending upstream data over said PSTN connection;

a protocol driver for connecting a computer application to said cable modem driver, said protocol driver being operable to communicate with said cable modem driver interface;

a single network address operable to identify the computer as a destination for data communicated downstream to the RF interface and as a source for data communicated upstream from the PSTN interface;

a PSTN-connected modem driver for sending upstream data via said PSTN interface; and

an inner protocol driver connected to said cable modem driver for receiving upstream data from said cable modem driver, said inner protocol driver being connected to said PSTN-connected modem driver for sending the upstream data to said PSTN-connected modem driver.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein said protocol driver implements a wide area network protocol.

19. The system of claim 18 wherein said wide area network protocol is an IP protocol.

20. The system of claim 17 wherein said PSTN-connected modem driver uses a dial up networking adapter as the standard interface in a Windows operating system environment.

21. The system of claim 17 wherein said inner protocol driver is a virtual device driver in a Windows operating system environment.

22. In a system using a cable modem having a radio frequency (RF) interface for receiving downstream data and a public switched telephone network connection for transmitting upstream data, a method for sending upstream data and receiving downstream data over the cable modem, the computer comprising a user level, an operating system level comprising a standard interface for communicating with the RF interface and the PSTN interface, and a driver level for communicating hardware that implements the RF interface and the PSTN interface, the method comprising the steps of:

initializing a PSTN-connected modem driver for communicating upstream data to the PSTN connection;

initializing a cable modem driver for communicating downstream data received from a data network;

sending upstream data for transmission to said cable modem driver;

said cable modem driver sending said upstream data in the driver level to an inner protocol driver; and

said inner protocol driver sending in the driver level said upstream data to said PSTN-connected modem driver.

23. The method of claim 22 further comprising, before the step of sending said data for transmission, the step of binding said cable modem driver to a wide area network protocol driver.

24. The method of claim 22 further comprising, before the step of sending said data for transmission, the step of binding said PSTN-connected modem driver to a wide area network protocol driver.

25. The method of claim 22 further comprising, before the step of sending said upstream data for transmission, the step of initializing said cable modem driver with a single wide area network address for communicating data via said RF interface and said PSTN connection.

26. In a system using a cable modem having a radio frequency (RF) interface for receiving downstream data and a public switched telephone network connection for transmitting upstream data, a method for sending upstream data and receiving downstream data over the cable modem, the method comprising the steps of:

initializing a PSTN-connected modem driver for communicating upstream data to the PSTN connection;

initializing a cable modem driver for communicating downstream data received from a data network;

initializing said cable modem driver with a single wide area network address for communicating data via said RF interface and said PSTN connection

sending upstream data for transmission to said cable modem driver;

said cable modem driver sending said upstream data in the driver level to an inner protocol driver; and

said inner protocol driver sending in the driver level said upstream data to said PSTN-connected modem driver.

27. The method of claim 26 further comprising, before the step of sending said data for transmission, the step of binding said cable modem driver to a wide area network protocol driver.

28. The method of claim 26 further comprising, before the step of sending said data for transmission, the step of binding said PSTN-connected modem driver to a wide area network protocol driver.