Allocating access across a shared communications medium of a DOCSIS 1.0 compliant cable network
First Claim
1. A method of providing network access across a DOCSIS 1.0 compliant cable network of a data-over-cable (DOC) network to at least two users competing for bandwidth, comprising the steps of:
- (a) determining for each user a respective first bandwidth allowance for a first future time interval;
(b) generating a first set of cable modem configuration files, each of which limits bandwidth consumption by a cable modem (CM) of a respective user to that user'"'"'s first bandwidth allowance;
(c) sending the configuration files to a Trivial File Transfer Protocol (TFTP) Server of the DOC Network;
(d) sending a command either to each user'"'"'s CM or to a cable modem termination system (CMTS) to which each user'"'"'s CM is connected to cause each CM to acquire its new respective configuration file of the first set for the first time interval;
(e) determining for each user a respective second bandwidth allowance for a second future time interval, a second bandwidth allowance of at least one of the users differing from that user'"'"'s first bandwidth allowance; and
(f) for each user having a second bandwidth allowance different from that user'"'"'s first bandwidth allowance, (i) generating a second cable modem configuration file which limits bandwidth consumption of that user'"'"'s CM to a value representative of that user'"'"'s second bandwidth allowance;
(ii) sending the second configuration file for that user to the TFTP Server of the DOC Network; and
(iii) sending a command either to that user'"'"'s CM or to the CMTS to which that user'"'"'s CM is connected to cause the CM to acquire the second configuration file for that user for the second time interval.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method of incorporating allocations of network access in a DOCSIS 1.0 compliant cable network, wherein users compete for bandwidth, includes limiting bandwidth consumed by a cable modem of a user to a value representative of that user'"'"'s bandwidth allocation for a time interval. Preferably, the method includes the steps of: (a) generating cable modem configuration files, each of which limits bandwidth consumption by a cable modem of a user to a bandwidth allowance of that user equaling to the respective bandwidth allocation; (b) sending the configuration files to a Trivial File Transfer Protocol (TFTP) Server of the DOC Network; and (c) sending a command either to each user'"'"'s cable modem, or to a cable modem termination system to which each user'"'"'s cable modem is connected, to cause the cable modem to implement the respective new configuration file.
110 Citations
27 Claims
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1. A method of providing network access across a DOCSIS 1.0 compliant cable network of a data-over-cable (DOC) network to at least two users competing for bandwidth, comprising the steps of:
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(a) determining for each user a respective first bandwidth allowance for a first future time interval;
(b) generating a first set of cable modem configuration files, each of which limits bandwidth consumption by a cable modem (CM) of a respective user to that user'"'"'s first bandwidth allowance;
(c) sending the configuration files to a Trivial File Transfer Protocol (TFTP) Server of the DOC Network;
(d) sending a command either to each user'"'"'s CM or to a cable modem termination system (CMTS) to which each user'"'"'s CM is connected to cause each CM to acquire its new respective configuration file of the first set for the first time interval;
(e) determining for each user a respective second bandwidth allowance for a second future time interval, a second bandwidth allowance of at least one of the users differing from that user'"'"'s first bandwidth allowance; and
(f) for each user having a second bandwidth allowance different from that user'"'"'s first bandwidth allowance, (i) generating a second cable modem configuration file which limits bandwidth consumption of that user'"'"'s CM to a value representative of that user'"'"'s second bandwidth allowance;
(ii) sending the second configuration file for that user to the TFTP Server of the DOC Network; and
(iii) sending a command either to that user'"'"'s CM or to the CMTS to which that user'"'"'s CM is connected to cause the CM to acquire the second configuration file for that user for the second time interval. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. A method of continuously providing network access across a cable network of a data-over-cable (DOC) network to at least two users competing for bandwidth, comprising the steps of:
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(a) determining for each user during present time intervals bandwidth allowances of such user for respective future time intervals, each bandwidth allowance of such user for a future time interval representing a maximum level of bandwidth consumption for such user during the future time interval, but not necessarily representing the amount of bandwidth that will be consumed by such user during such future time interval, the bandwidth allowances of each user varying as between time intervals; and
(b) for each user, limiting during each respective future time interval bandwidth consumption of that user'"'"'s cable modem (CM) to that user'"'"'s respective bandwidth allowance for such time interval by implementing a new cable modem configuration file in the CM. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27)
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Specification