Apparatus, method and system for multimedia access network channel management
First Claim
1. A method for multimedia access network channel management, the multimedia access network having a plurality of channels, each channel of the plurality of channels consisting of a time division multiple access time slot of a plurality of time division multiple access time slots and a carrier frequency of a plurality of carrier frequencies, the method comprising:
- (a) receiving a first multimedia network access message having a comparative priority;
(b) when there is a first channel which is available from the plurality of channels, assigning a first transmission corresponding to the first multimedia network access message to the first channel;
(c) when there is no first channel which is available from the plurality of channels, and when there is a second transmission on a second channel of the plurality of channels which is moveable to a third channel of the plurality of channels, reassigning the second transmission to the third channel and assigning the first transmission corresponding to the first multimedia network access message to the second channel; and
(d) when there is no first channel which is available from the plurality of channels, when there is no second transmission on a second channel which is moveable to a third channel, and when there is a third transmission on a fourth channel, of the plurality of channels, having a lower comparative priority than the comparative priority of the first multimedia network access message, removing the third transmission from the fourth channel, and assigning the transmission corresponding to the first multimedia network access message to the fourth channel.
12 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An apparatus, method and system are provided for multimedia access network channel management, such as channel management in a hybrid fiber-coaxial cable network, for voice (telephony), video, fax and data transmission. The preferred system embodiment includes a plurality of cable telephony modems (CTMs), for such voice (telephony), video, fax and data transmission, and includes a cable modem termination system (CMTS). For upstream communication from the CTMs to the CMTS, the network provides a plurality of channels, formed by a combination of FDM and TDMA. When a CMTS receives an multimedia network access message having a comparative priority from a CTM, the CMTS determines whether there is a first channel which is available from the plurality of channels, and if so, assigns a first transmission corresponding to the multimedia network access message to the first channel. When there is no available first channel, the CMTS determines whether there is a second transmission on a second channel which is moveable to a third channel, and if so, reassigns the second transmission to the third channel and assigns the first transmission corresponding to the multimedia network access message to the second channel. When there is no available first channel and no second transmission which is moveable, the CMTS determines whether there is a third transmission on an assigned channel having a lower comparative priority than the comparative priority of the multimedia network access message, and when there is a third transmission, the CMTS removes the third transmission from the assigned channel to form a vacated channel, and assigns the transmission corresponding to the multimedia network access message to the vacated channel.
307 Citations
60 Claims
-
1. A method for multimedia access network channel management, the multimedia access network having a plurality of channels, each channel of the plurality of channels consisting of a time division multiple access time slot of a plurality of time division multiple access time slots and a carrier frequency of a plurality of carrier frequencies, the method comprising:
-
(a) receiving a first multimedia network access message having a comparative priority;
(b) when there is a first channel which is available from the plurality of channels, assigning a first transmission corresponding to the first multimedia network access message to the first channel;
(c) when there is no first channel which is available from the plurality of channels, and when there is a second transmission on a second channel of the plurality of channels which is moveable to a third channel of the plurality of channels, reassigning the second transmission to the third channel and assigning the first transmission corresponding to the first multimedia network access message to the second channel; and
(d) when there is no first channel which is available from the plurality of channels, when there is no second transmission on a second channel which is moveable to a third channel, and when there is a third transmission on a fourth channel, of the plurality of channels, having a lower comparative priority than the comparative priority of the first multimedia network access message, removing the third transmission from the fourth channel, and assigning the transmission corresponding to the first multimedia network access message to the fourth channel. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
when there is no first channel which is available from the plurality of channels, when there is no second transmission on a second channel which is moveable to a third channel, and when there is no third transmission on the fourth channel having the lower comparative priority than the comparative priority of the first multimedia network access message, queuing the first multimedia network access message for subsequent processing.
-
-
3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:
maintaining a database, the database including an identification of each transmitting device of a plurality of transmitting,devices, and the database further including, for each such transmitting device, an identification of a corresponding assigned channel of the plurality of channels.
-
4. The method of claim 3, wherein step (c) further comprises:
searching the database to determine whether there is the second transmission on the second channel which is moveable to the third channel.
-
5. The method of claim 3, wherein step (d) further comprises:
searching the database to determine whether there is the third transmission on the fourth channel having a lower comparative priority than the comparative priority of the first multimedia network access message.
-
6. The method of claim 1, wherein step (d) further comprises:
delaying the third transmission, and following completion of the transmission corresponding to the first multimedia network access message, resuming the third transmission on an assigned channel of the plurality of channels.
-
7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:
-
reserving a fifth channel of the plurality of channels for a constant bit rate transmission;
prior to the commencement of the constant bit rate transmission, utilizing the fifth channel for a variable bit rate transmission.
-
-
8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:
-
receiving a second multimedia network access message for a comparatively high bandwidth transmission;
determining a second plurality of channels consisting of a plurality of time-continuous channels having the comparatively high bandwidth, the second plurality of channels being a subset of the plurality of channels;
moving a plurality of transmissions, the plurality of transmissions assigned to respective channels of the second plurality of channels, to other channels of the plurality of channels which are not time-continuous; and
assigning a transmission corresponding to the second multimedia network access message to the second plurality of channels.
-
-
9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:
-
receiving a second multimedia network access message from a transmitting device, the transmitting device having a current transmission on a current assigned channel, of the plurality of channels, on a first carrier frequency of the plurality of carrier frequencies;
when a first vacant channel, of the plurality of channels, is available on the first carrier frequency for the second multimedia network access message, assigning a transmission corresponding to the second multimedia network access message to the first vacant channel;
when the first vacant channel is not available on the first carrier frequency, when a second plurality of channels for the second multimedia network access message and for the current transmission are available on a second carrier frequency of the plurality of carrier frequencies, the second plurality of channels being a subset of the plurality of channels, and when the current transmission is moveable, moving the current transmission and assigning the transmission corresponding to the second multimedia network access message to the second plurality of channels on the second carrier frequency.
-
-
10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:
when the first vacant channel is not available on the first carrier frequency, when the current transmission is not moveable, when a reserved channel of the plurality of channels is available on the first carrier frequency, and when a second vacant channel of the plurality of channels is available on the second carrier frequency, moving a reservation corresponding to the reserved channel to the second vacant channel on the second carrier frequency and assigning the transmission corresponding to the second multimedia network access message to the reserved channel on the first carrier frequency.
-
11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:
when the first vacant channel is not available on the first carrier frequency, when the current transmission is not moveable, when no reserved channel is available on the first carrier frequency, and when a second vacant channel of the plurality of channels is available on a second carrier frequency, moving a second current transmission from the first carrier frequency to the second vacant channel on the second carrier frequency to form a currently available channel on the first carrier frequency, and assigning the transmission corresponding to the second multimedia network access message to the currently available channel on the first carrier frequency.
-
12. The method of claim 1, wherein the comparative priority and the lower comparative priority are determined from a plurality of comparative priorities, and wherein the plurality of comparative priorities include a first priority corresponding to emergency access services, a second priority comparatively lower than the first priority, the second priority corresponding to voice transmission or to video transmission, a third priority comparatively lower than the second priority, the third priority corresponding to facsimile transmission or TDD transmission, and a fourth priority comparatively lower than the third priority, the fourth priority corresponding to data transmission.
-
13. The method of claim 1, wherein step (c) further comprises:
when the second transmission is a type of transmission from a first plurality of types of transmissions, the first plurality of types of transmissions including a facsimile transmission and a TDD transmission, determining that the second transmission is not moveable to the third channel.
-
14. The method of claim 1, wherein step (c) further comprises:
when the second transmission is a type of transmission from a second plurality of types of transmissions, the second plurality of types of transmissions including a voice transmission, a data transmission, and a video transmission, determining that the second transmission is moveable to the third channel.
-
15. The method of claim 1, wherein the first multimedia network access message is from a plurality of multimedia network access messages, the plurality of multimedia network access messages including a best efforts service request, a gate message, a dynamic service addition request, a dynamic service change request, and a service reservation message.
-
16. The method of claim 1, wherein step (b) further comprises:
reserving the first channel for the first transmission corresponding to the first multimedia network access message prior to activating the first transmission corresponding to the first multimedia network access message on the first channel.
-
17. The method of claim 1, wherein step (c) further comprises:
-
reserving the third channel for the second transmission prior to activating the second transmission on the third channel; and
reserving the second channel for the first transmission corresponding to the first multimedia network access message prior to activating the first transmission corresponding to the first multimedia network access message on the second channel.
-
-
18. The method of claim 1, wherein step (d) further comprises:
-
deleting a reservation of the fourth channel for the third transmission; and
reserving the fourth channel for the first transmission corresponding to the first multimedia network access message prior to activating the first transmission corresponding to the first multimedia network access message on the fourth channel.
-
-
19. An apparatus for multimedia access network channel management, the multimedia access network having a plurality of channels, each channel of the plurality of channels consisting of a time division multiple access time slot of a plurality of time division multiple access time slots and a carrier frequency of a plurality of carrier frequencies, the apparatus comprising:
-
a network interface for receiving a first multimedia network access message having a comparative priority;
a memory; and
a processor coupled to the network interface and to the memory, wherein the processor, when operative, is configured, when there is a first channel which is available from the plurality of channels, to assign a first transmission corresponding to the first multimedia network access message to the first channel;
the processor further configured, when there is no first channel which is available from the plurality of channels, and when there is a second transmission on a second channel of the plurality of channels which is moveable to a third channel of the plurality of channels, to reassign the second transmission to the third channel and to assign the first transmission corresponding to the first multimedia network access message to the second channel; and
the processor further configured, when there is no first channel which is available from the plurality of channels, when there is no second transmission on the second channel which is moveable to the third channel, and when there is a third transmission on a fourth channel of the plurality of channels having a lower comparative priority than the comparative priority of the first multimedia network access message, to remove the third transmission from the fourth channel and to assign the transmission corresponding to the first multimedia network access message to the fourth channel.- View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36)
-
-
37. A system for multimedia access network channel management, the multimedia access network having a plurality of channels, each channel of the plurality of channels consisting of a time division multiple access time slot of a plurality of time division multiple access time slots and a carrier frequency of a plurality of carrier frequencies, the system comprising:
-
a plurality of multimedia transmission devices for transmitting a plurality of multimedia network access messages, a first multimedia transmission device of the plurality of multimedia transmission devices having transmitted a first multimedia network access message of the plurality of multimedia network access messages, the first multimedia network access message having a comparative priority; and
a multimedia termination system couplable to the plurality of multimedia transmission devices, wherein the multimedia termination system, when operative, is configured, when there is a first channel which is available from the plurality of channels, to assign a first transmission corresponding to the first multimedia network access message to the first channel;
the multimedia termination system further configured, when there is no first channel which is available from the plurality of channels, and when there is a second transmission on a second channel of the plurality of channels which is moveable to a third channel of the plurality of channels, to reassign the second transmission to the third channel and to assign the first transmission corresponding to the first multimedia network access message to the second channel; and
the multimedia termination system further configured, when there is no first channel which is available from the plurality of channels, when there is no second transmission on the second channel which is moveable to the third channel, and when there is a third transmission on a fourth channel of the plurality of channels having a lower comparative priority than the comparative priority of the first multimedia network access message, to remove the third transmission from the fourth channel and to assign the transmission corresponding to the first multimedia network access message to the fourth channel.- View Dependent Claims (38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53)
-
-
54. An apparatus for multimedia access network channel management, the multimedia access network having a plurality of channels, each channel of the plurality of channels consisting of a time division multiple access time slot of a plurality of time division multiple access time slots and a carrier frequency of a plurality of carrier frequencies, the apparatus comprising:
-
a network interface for receiving a first multimedia network access message for a best efforts service, the first multimedia network access message having a comparative priority;
a memory; and
a processor coupled to the network interface and to the memory, wherein the processor, when operative, is configured, when there is a first channel which is available from the plurality of channels, to assign a first best efforts transmission corresponding to the first multimedia network access message to the first channel;
the processor further configured, when there is no first channel which is available from the plurality of channels, and when there is a second best efforts service transmission on a second channel of the plurality of channels which is moveable to a third channel of the plurality of channels, to reassign the second best efforts service transmission to the third channel and to assign the first best efforts transmission corresponding to the first multimedia network access message to the second channel; and
the processor further configured, when there is no first channel which is available from the plurality of channels, when there is no second best efforts transmission on the second channel which is moveable to the third channel, when there is a reserved channel which is not active, to assign the first best efforts transmission corresponding to the first multimedia network access message to the reserved channel until the reserved channel is activated for a corresponding reserved service.- View Dependent Claims (55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60)
-
Specification