Dynamic bandwidth allocation for use in the hybrid fiber twisted pair local loop network service architecture

• US 6,307,839 B1
• Filed: 12/31/1997
• Issued: 10/23/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: RPX Corporation
• Original Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Gerszberg, Irwin, Romain, Dennis Matthew, Treventi, Philip Andrew
• Primary Examiner(s): Chin, Wellington
• Assistant Examiner(s): PHAM, BRENDA H
• Application Number:
  US09/001,425
• Time in Patent Office: 1,392 Days
• Field of Search: 370/235, 370/230, 370/233, 370/363, 370/371, 370/374, 370/381, 370/468, 370/352, 370/395, 370/252
• US Class Current: 370/235
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 3/1682 Allocation of channels according to the instantaneous demands of the users, e.g. concentrated multiplexers, statistical multiplexers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/10 Flow control; Congestion control
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/15 in relation to multipoint traffic arrangements for broadcast or multicast in data networks H04L12/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/70 Admission control; Resource allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/741 Holding a request until resources become available
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/801 Real time traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/822 Collecting or measuring resource availability data

Abstract

A dynamic bandwidth allocation system is used to optimize the transmission of traffic on the twisted pair connecting the customer premises equipment with the local office. As demand for simultaneous traffic at the customer premises equipment increases, the requirement for multiple twisted pair lines is minimized by dynamically allocating the bandwidth of the channel and sharing that bandwidth with multiple, simultaneous services.

Additional efficiencies for simultaneous transmission of traffic can be achieved by directing all traffic to occupy a smaller channel. This might slightly affect the quality of some services but in many cases the impact will be minimal. Voice signals will be allowed to decrease to a predetermined level and facsimile or other data traffic will transmit at a slower transmission rate. At some predetermined level, traffic quality will degrade to a level such that service will be unacceptable. At this point, a prioritization scheme will buffer certain traffic at the intelligent services director (terminal block) or the facilities management platform (access module). New requests for services are denied until the required bandwidth is free. Once the required bandwidth becomes available, buffered traffic is allowed to transmit or receive will flow again and service availability will resume.

An alternative scheme employs allows all services to maintain their highest quality and ranks all traffic by a priority scheme. Once the allocated bandwidth is occupied, the priority scheme discontinues or buffers lower ranking traffic. Once bandwidth resources are released by the higher ranking traffic, the lower ranking traffic is allowed to proceed if the information was buffered. By optimizing the traffic on the twisted pair, requirements for the installation of multiple twisted pairs is minimized as services are added by the user.

Claims

1. A method for dynamically allocating the bandwidth of a communication channel, comprising the steps of:

sensing by a terminal block the available bandwidth of said communication channel, the communciations channel being capable of supporting multiple, simultaneous service channels;

said terminal block determining whether a requested service requiring a predetermined bandwidth is capable of operating within said available bandwidth of said communication channel;

seizing said required bandwidth for said requested service if said available bandwidth is sufficient and denying said requested service if said available bandwidth is insufficient to support said requested service, and

buffering said denied requested service until said communication channel bandwidth becomes available.

2. The method for dynamically allocating the bandwidth of a communication channel of claim 1, wherein said transmission of said multiple, simultaneous services occurs by modulating said requested service.

3. The method for dynamically allocating the bandwidth of a communication channel of claim 2, wherein said communication channel is capable of carrying a plurality of pulse code modulation, modulated requested services.

4. The method for dynamically allocating the bandwidth of a communication channel of claim 2, wherein said communication channel is capable of carrying a plurality of time division multiplexing, modulated requested services.

5. The method for dynamically allocating the bandwidth of a communication channel of claim 2, wherein said communication channel is capable of carrying a plurality of code division multiplexing, modulated requested services.

6. The method for dynamically allocating the bandwidth of a communication channel of claim 2, wherein said communication channel is capable of carrying a plurality of frequency division multiplexing, modulated requested services.

7. The method for dynamically allocating the bandwidth of a communication channel of claim 2, wherein said communication channel uses digital subscriber loop technology to carry said requested services.

8. A method for dynamically allocating the bandwidth of a communication channel, comprising the steps of:

sensing by an element at one or the other end of a facility including a twisted cable pair the available bandwidth of said communication channel, said communication channel capable of supporting multiple, simultaneous service channels;

said access module determining whether a requested service requiring a predetermined bandwidth is capable of operating within said available bandwidth of said communication channel;

seizing said required bandwidth for said requested service if said available bandwidth is sufficient and denying said requested service if said available bandwidth is insufficient to support said requested service and

buffering said denied requested service at said one or other end until said communication channel bandwidth becomes available.

9. The method for dynamically allocating the bandwidth of a communication channel of claim 8, wherein said transmission of said multiple, simultaneous services occurs by modulating said requested service.

10. The method for dynamically allocating the bandwidth of a communication channel of claim 9, wherein said communication channel is capable of carrying a plurality of pulse code modulation, modulated requested services.

11. The method for dynamically allocating the bandwidth of a communication channel of claim 9, wherein said communication channel is capable of carrying a plurality of time division multiplexing, modulated requested services.

12. The method for dynamically allocating the bandwidth of a communication channel of claim 9, wherein said communication channel is capable of carrying a plurality of code division multiplexing, modulated requested services.

13. The method for dynamically allocating the bandwidth of a communication channel of claim 9, wherein said communication channel is capable of carrying a plurality of frequency division multiplexing, modulated requested services.

14. The method for dynamically allocating the bandwidth of a communication channel of claim 9, wherein said communication channel uses digital subscriber loop technology to carry said requested services.

15. A method for dynamically allocating the bandwidth of a communication channel, comprising the steps of:

determining the available bandwidth of said communication channel by sensing prior to securing a required service channel and after initialization of a requested service requiring a predetermined service channel bandwidth size;

prioritizing said requested service according to a prioritization scheme;

allowing said requested service if said available bandwidth for said communication channel is greater than said service channel bandwidth size and said prioritization scheme allows access; and

buffering said requested service if said available bandwidth for said communication channel is less than said service channel bandwidth size and said prioritization scheme does not allow access.

16. The method for dynamically allocating the bandwidth of a communication channel of claim 15, wherein said sensing is performed by a terminal block.

17. The method for dynamically allocating the bandwidth of a communication channel of claim 15, wherein said sensing is performed by an access module.

18. The method for dynamically allocating the bandwidth of a communication channel of claim 15, wherein said prioritization scheme grades voice calls higher than other service requests.

19. The method for dynamically allocating the bandwidth of a communication channel of claim 15, wherein said prioritization scheme allows all of said available communication channel bandwidth to be allocated to specific services after higher ranked services are allowed access.

20. The method for dynamically allocating the bandwidth of a communication channel of claim 15, wherein said specific service is Internet traffic.

21. The method for dynamically allocating the bandwidth of a communication channel of claim 15, wherein said denied requested service is buffered until said communication bandwidth becomes available.

22. The method for dynamically allocating the bandwidth of a communication channel of claim 15, further comprising the step of transmitting multiple, simultaneous services in a plurality of said service channels.

23. The method for dynamically allocating the bandwidth of a communication channel of claim 22, wherein said transmission of said multiple, simultaneous services occurs by modulating said requested service.

24. The method for dynamically allocating the bandwidth of a communication channel of claim 23, wherein said communication channel is capable of carrying a plurality of pulse code modulation, modulated requested services.

25. The method for dynamically allocating the bandwidth of a communication channel of claim 23, wherein said communication channel is capable of carrying a plurality of time division multiplexing, modulated requested services.

26. The method for dynamically allocating the bandwidth of a communication channel of claim 23, wherein said communication channel is capable of carrying a plurality of code division multiplexing, modulated requested services.

27. The method for dynamically allocating the bandwidth of a communication channel of claim 23, wherein said communication channel is capable of carrying a plurality of frequency division multiplexing, modulated requested services.

28. The method for dynamically allocating the bandwidth of a communication channel of claim 23, wherein said communication channel uses digital subscriber loop technology to carry said requested services.

29. A method for dynamically allocating the bandwidth of a communication channel, comprising the steps of:

determining the available bandwidth of said communication channel by sensing prior to securing a required service channel and after initialization of a requested service requiring a predetermined service channel bandwidth size;

employing a service channel degradation scheme for allowing said service channel to occupy a predetermined smaller bandwidth for said requested service when said sensing determines said communication channel does not have a required service channel bandwidth;

allowing said requested service if said available bandwidth for said communication channel is greater than said service channel bandwidth size after all of said service channel bandwidths are degraded to a predetermined size; and

denying said requested service if said available bandwidth for said communication channel is less than said service channel bandwidth size after all of said service channel bandwidths are degraded to the predetermined size.

30. The method for dynamically allocating the bandwidth of a communication channel of claim 29, wherein said sensing is performed by a terminal block.

31. The method for dynamically allocating the bandwidth of a communication channel of claim 29, wherein said sensing is performed by an access module.

32. The method for dynamically allocating the bandwidth of a communication channel of claim 29, wherein said denied requested service is buffered until said communication bandwidth becomes available.

33. The method for dynamically allocating the bandwidth of a communication channel of claim 29, further comprising the step of transmitting multiple, simultaneous services in a plurality of said service channels.

34. The method for dynamically allocating the bandwidth of a communication channel of claim 33, wherein said transmission of said multiple, simultaneous services occurs by modulating said requested service.

35. The method for dynamically allocating the bandwidth of a communication channel of claim 33, wherein said communication channel is capable of carrying a plurality of pulse code modulation, modulated requested services.

36. The method for dynamically allocating the bandwidth of a communication channel of claim 33, wherein said communication channel is capable of carrying a plurality of time division multiplexing, modulated requested services.

37. The method for dynamically allocating the bandwidth of a communication channel of claim 33, wherein said communication channel is capable of carrying a plurality of code division multiplexing, modulated requested services.

38. The method for dynamically allocating the bandwidth of a communication channel of claim 33, wherein said communication channel is capable of carrying a plurality of frequency division multiplexing, modulated requested services.

39. The method for dynamically allocating the bandwidth of a communication channel of claim 33, wherein said communication channel uses digital subscriber loop technology to carry said requested services.

40. A method for dynamically allocating the bandwidth of a communication channel, comprising the steps of:

determining the available bandwidth of said communication channel by sensing prior to securing a required service channel and after initialization of a requested service requiring a predetermined service channel bandwidth size;

employing a service channel degradation scheme for allowing said service channel to occupy a predetermined smaller bandwidth for said requested service when said sensing determines said communication channel does not have a required service channel bandwidth;

employing a prioritization scheme for grading said requested services;

allowing said requested service if said available bandwidth for said communication channel is greater than said service channel bandwidth size after all of said service channel bandwidths are degraded to a predetermined size, and said prioritization scheme allows access; and

denying said requested service if said available bandwidth for said communication channel is less than said service channel bandwidth size after all of said service channel bandwidths are degraded to the predetermined size, and said prioritization scheme does not allow access.

41. The method for dynamically allocating the bandwidth of a communication channel of claim 40, wherein said sensing is performed by a terminal block.

42. The method for dynamically allocating the bandwidth of a communication channel of claim 40, wherein said sensing is performed by an access module.

43. The method for dynamically allocating the bandwidth of a communication channel of claim 40, wherein said denied requested service is buffered until said communication bandwidth becomes available.

44. The method for dynamically allocating the bandwidth of a communication channel of claim 40, further comprising the step of transmitting multiple, simultaneous services in a plurality of said service channels.

45. The method for dynamically allocating the bandwidth of a communication channel of claim 44, wherein said transmission of said multiple, simultaneous services occurs by modulating said requested service.

46. The method for dynamically allocating the bandwidth of a communication channel of claim 45, wherein said communication channel is capable of carrying a plurality of pulse code modulation, modulated requested services.

47. The method for dynamically allocating the bandwidth of a communication channel of claim 45, wherein said communication channel is capable of carrying a plurality of time division multiplexing, modulated requested services.

48. The method for dynamically allocating the bandwidth of a communication channel of claim 45, wherein said communication channel is capable of carrying a plurality of code division multiplexing, modulated requested services.

49. The method for dynamically allocating the bandwidth of a communication channel of claim 45, wherein said communication channel is capable of carrying a plurality of frequency division multiplexing, modulated requested services.

50. The method for dynamically allocating the bandwidth of a communication channel of claim 45, wherein said communication channel uses digital subscriber loop technology to carry said requested services.