Apparatus and method for bidirectional data transfer

• US 6,430,185 B1
• Filed: 12/23/1997
• Issued: 08/06/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: WSOU Investments, LLC (WSOU Holdings, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Alcatel USA Sourcing L.P. (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Marchionni, Joe D., Kerns, Daniel J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Chau
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lee, Chi ho A.
• Application Number:
  US08/997,341
• Publication Number:
  US 20020057670A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,687 Days
• Field of Search: 370/352, 370/353, 370/354, 370/395, 370/397, 370/401, 370/405, 370/466, 370/469, 370/389, 370/392, 370/395.1, 370/395.2, 370/419, 725/111, 725/109, 725/122
• US Class Current: 370/395.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/561 Star, e.g. cross-connect, concentrator, subscriber group equipment, remote electronics
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/5618 Bridges, gateways [GW] or interworking units [IWU]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/5665 Interaction of ATM with other protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 11/0478 Provisions for broadband connections

Abstract

A system (210) for facilitating bidirectional data transfer between a customer premises equipment (212) and information service providers (228A-N) includes a channel service unit (258) which receives packets of data from the information service providers (228A-N), and passes the packets of data to a router (256). The router (256) segregates the packets of data based on which customer premises equipment (212) is destined to receive the packets of data. An asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) adapter (264) converts the packets of data to an ATM cell, and an ATM modulator (266) synchronizes the ATM cell to facilitate transmission over an ATM broadband network (232). The particular packets of data provided by the information service providers are selected in response to a user request sent by the customer premises equipment (212) via the ATM broadband network (232) and transferred to the information service providers (228A-N) through the ATM modulator (266), the ATM adaptor (264), the router (256), and the channel service unit (258).

Claims

1. A telecommunication system that supports communication between users and information service providers by transporting information to the users'"'"' customer premises equipment in response to users'"'"' request from the users'"'"' customer premises equipment, the system comprising:

a channel service unit operable to receive packets of data from the information service providers, wherein each packet of data has a destination address associated with a customer premises equipment;

a router operable to segregate the packets of data received from the channel service unit based on which customer premises equipment are destined to receive the packets of data;

an ATM adapter operable to convert the packets of data received from the router to at least one data ATM cell; and

an ATM modulator operable to receive the data ATM cell and synchronize it to facilitate transport across an ATM broadband network;

wherein the communications link coupling the router and the ATM adapter comprises a fast Ethernet network, the ATM adapter operable to perform Ethernet-to-ATM adaptation on the packets of data received.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the packets of data are transmitted from the information service providers to the customer premises equipment in response to the user'"'"'s request from the customer premises equipment.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the user'"'"'s request is transmitted from the customer premises equipment to the information service providers through a transmission medium physically separate from the ATM broadband network.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the user'"'"'s request is transmitted from the customer premises equipment to the information service providers through the ATM broadband network.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a subscriber access device operable to receive the data ATM cell and deliver it to its associated customer premises equipment; and

a controller for receiving the data ATM cell and translating the data ATM cell into a form suitable for reception by a user'"'"'s personal computer at the customer premises equipment.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the subscriber access device comprises a digital loop carrier system.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein the controller comprises an ADSL transceiver operable to receive the data ATM cell and translate the data ATM cell into a form suitable for reception at the user'"'"'s personal computer, the ADSL transceiver further operable to translate one or more of the users'"'"' requests into a form suitable for transmission back to the information service providers, and to transmit the users'"'"' requests to the information service providers through the ATM broadband network.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein:

the ADSL transceiver is operable to receive the user'"'"'s request and to translate it into a user'"'"'s request ATM cell, the ADSL transceiver further operable to transmit the user'"'"'s request ATM cell to the subscriber access device;

the subscriber access device is operable to receive the user'"'"'s request ATM cell from the ADSL transceiver and to transmit the user'"'"'s request ATM cell through the ATM broadband network to the ATM modulator;

the ATM modulator is operable to receive and to demodulate the user'"'"'s request ATM cell; and

the ATM adapter is operable to receive and to convert the demodulated user'"'"'s request ATM cell to a form suitable for transmission to the information service provider.

9. A telecommunication system that supports communication between users and information service providers by transporting information to the users'"'"' customer premises equipment in response to users'"'"' requests from the users'"'"' customer premises equipment, the system comprising:

a channel service unit operable to receive packets of data from the information service providers, wherein each packet of data has a destination address associated with a customer premises equipment;

a router operable to segregate the packets of data received from the channel service unit based on which customer premises equipment are destined to receive the packets of data;

an ATM adapter operable to convert the packets of data received from the router to at least one data ATM cell; and

an ATM modulator operable to receive the data ATM cell and synchronize it to facilitate transport across an ATM broadband network;

wherein the communications link coupling the router and the ATM adapter comprises an N;

1 concentrated Ethernet network, the ATM adapter comprising a multiplexer operable to select an appropriate communications channel from the N channels received, the ATM adapter further operable to perform Ethernet-to-ATM adaptation on the packets of data received.

10. A telecommunication system that supports communication between users and information service providers by transporting information to the users'"'"' customer premises equipment in response to users'"'"' requests from the users'"'"' customer premises equipment, the system comprising:

a channel service unit operable to receive packets of data from the information service providers, wherein each packet of data has a destination address associated with a customer premises equipment;

a router operable to segregate the packets of data received from the channel service unit based on which customer premises equipment are destined to receive the packets of data;

an ATM adapter operable to convert the packets of data received from the router to at least one data ATM cell; and

an ATM modulator operable to receive the data ATM cell and synchronize it to facilitate transport across an ATM broadband network;

a subscriber access device operable to receive the data ATM cell and deliver it to its associated customer premises equipment; and

a controller for receiving the data ATM cell and translating the data ATM cell into a form suitable for reception by a user'"'"'s personal computer at the customer premises equipment;

wherein the communication link coupling the router and the ATM adapter comprises an N;

1 concentrated Ethernet network, the ATM adapter comprising a multiplexer operable to select an appropriate communication channel from the N channels received, the ATM adapter further operable to perform Ethernet-to-ATM adaptation on the packets of data received.

11. A telecommunication system that supports communication between users and information service providers by transporting information to the users'"'"' customer premises equipment in response to users'"'"' requests from the users'"'"' customer premises equipment, the system comprising:

a channel service unit for supporting the receipt of packets of data from the information service providers, wherein each packet of data has a destination address associated with a users'"'"' customer premises equipment;

a router coupled to the channel service unit, the router operable to segregate the packets of data received from the channel service unit based on which customer premises equipment is destined to receive the packets of data;

an ATM adapter coupled to the router, the ATM adapter operable to convert the packets of data received to at least one data ATM cell;

an ATM modulator coupled to the ATM adapter, the ATM modulator operable to receive the data ATM cell and synchronize it to facilitate transport across an ATM broadband network;

a subscriber access device coupled to the ATM broadband network for receiving the data ATM cell and delivering it to its associated user; and

a controller for receiving the data ATM cell and translating the data ATM cell into a form suitable for reception by a user'"'"'s personal computer at the customer premises equipment;

wherein the communication link coupling the router and the ATM adapter comprises a fast Ethernet network, the ATM adapter operable to perform Ethernet-to-ATM adaptation on the packets of data received.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the packets of data are transmitted from the information service providers to the customer premises equipment in response to the user'"'"'s request from the customer premises equipment.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the user'"'"'s request is transmitted from the customer premises equipment to the information service providers through a transmission medium physically separate from the ATM broadband network.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the user'"'"'s request is transmitted from the customer premises equipment to the information service providers through the ATM broadband network.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the subscriber access device comprises a digital loop carrier system.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein the controller comprises an ADSL transceiver and controller operable to receive the data ATM cell and translate the data ATM cell into a form suitable for reception at the user'"'"'s personal computer, the ADSL transceiver and controller further operable to translate the user'"'"'s request into a form suitable for transmission back to the information service providers, and to transmit the user'"'"'s request over the ATM broadband network to the information service providers.

17. A telecommunication system that supports communication between users and information service providers by transporting information to the users'"'"' customer premises equipment in response to users'"'"' requests from the users'"'"' customer premises equipment, the system comprising:

a channel service unit for supporting the receipt of packets of data from the information service providers, wherein each packet of data has a destination address associated with a users'"'"' customer premises equipment;

a router coupled to the channel service unit, the router operable to segregate the packets of data received from the channel service unit based on which customer premises equipment is destined to receive the packets of data;

an ATM adapter coupled to the router, the ATM adapter operable to convert the packets of data received to at least one data ATM cell;

an ATM modulator coupled to the ATM adapter, the ATM modulator operable to receive the data ATM cell and synchronize it to facilitate transport across an ATM broadband network;

a subscriber access device coupled to the ATM broadband network for receiving the data ATM cell and delivering it to its associated user; and

a controller for receiving the data ATM cell and translating the data ATM cell into a form suitable for reception by a user'"'"'s personal computer at the customer premises equipment;

wherein the communication link coupling the router and the ATM adapter comprises an N;

1 concentrated Ethernet network, the ATM adapter comprising a multiplexer operable to select an appropriate communication channel from the N channels received, the ATM adapter further operable to perform Ethernet-to-ATM adaptation on the packets of data received.