Systems and methods for compressing packet headers

• US 7,386,013 B1
• Filed: 03/05/2003
• Issued: 06/10/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/03/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Juniper Networks Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Juniper Networks Incorporated
• Inventors: Beser, Nurettin Burcak
• Primary Examiner(s): Vu; Huy D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, PHUONGCHAU BA
• Application Number:
  US10/378,868
• Time in Patent Office: 1,924 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 370/477
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23608 Remultiplexing multiplex streams, e.g. involving modifying time stamps or remapping the packet identifiers
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6118 involving cable transmission, e.g. using a cable modem
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/64322 IP
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17309 Transmission or handling of upstream communications

Abstract

A system processes data units in a network. The system receives a data unit that includes a group of headers and suppresses one or more of the headers to form a reduced data unit. The system suppresses one or more other headers of the reduced data unit to form a further reduced data unit and transmits the further reduced data unit to one or more destination devices using the program identifier (PID) field in the MPEG header as an index to suppressed headers.

Claims

1. A network device comprising:

logic configured to receive a data unit comprising a plurality of headers, the plurality of headers including;

a payload field with a first movie professional experts group (MPEG) header,

a real-time protocol (RTP) header,

a user data protocol (UDP) header,

an Internet Protocol (IP) header,

a media access control (MAC) header,

an extended header, and

a second MPEG header;

logic configured to suppress one or more headers of the plurality of headers to form a reduced data unit, the logic configured to suppress one or more headers of the plurality of data unit headers including;

logic configured to remove the UDP header, the IP header, the MAC header, and at least a portion of the RTP header,

logic configured to form a first index based on information associated with the removed UDP header, IP header, MAC header, and a portion of the RTP header, and

logic configured to store the first index in the extended header;

logic configured to suppress one or more other headers of the reduced data unit to form a further reduced data unit; and

logic configured to transmit the further reduced data unit to one or more destination devices.

2. The network device of claim 1 where the logic configured to suppress the one or more headers suppresses the one or more headers to a program identifier (PID) value of a movie professional experts group (MPEG) header that is being used in the data unit.

3. The network device of claim 1 where the received data unit includes an Internet Protocol (IP) packet.

4. The network device of claim 3 where the further reduced data unit includes a movie professional experts group (MPEG) transport stream (TS) packet, which does not use a Data-Over-Cable Service Interface Specifications (DOCSIS) program identifier (PID).

5. The network device of claim 1 where the one or more destination devices include at least one of a cable modem or a set top box.

6. The network device of claim 1 where the logic configured to transmit the further reduced data unit transmits the further reduced data unit using information in the RTP header.

7. A network device comprising:

logic configured to receive a data unit, the data unit including a movie professional experts group (MPEG) program identifier (PID), a payload field, and a first MPEG header comprising a first index;

logic configured to determine whether one or more headers of the received data unit have been suppressed using the MPEG PID as an index;

logic configured to add one or more headers to the received data unit when one or more headers have been suppressed to form a first data unit, the logic configured to add one or more headers to the received data unit including;

logic configured to add an extended header that includes a second index, and one or more of a second MPEG header, or at least a portion of a real-time protocol (RTP) header to the received data unit based on the first index;

logic configured to add one or more additional headers to the first data unit to form a second data unit; and

logic configured to transmit the second data unit.

8. The network device of claim 7 where the data unit is received from a second network device, and

where the logic configured to add one or more additional headers to the first data unit adds the one or more additional headers using information relating to a time at which the second network device received the data unit.

9. The network device of claim 7 where the received data unit includes a MPEG transport stream (TS) packet.

10. The network device of claim 7 where the second data unit includes an Internet Protocol (IP) packet.

11. The network device of claim 7 where the logic configured to add one or more other headers to the first data unit includes:

logic configured to add one or more of a user data protocol (UDP) header, an Internet Protocol (IP) header, a media access control (MAC) header, or another portion of the RTP header to the first data unit based on the second index.

12. A method comprising:

receiving an Internet Protocol (IP) packet at a first device;

converting the received IP packet to a movie professional experts group (MPEG) transport stream (TS) packet, where the received IP packet includes a payload field including a first MPEG header, a real-time protocol (RTP) header, a user data protocol (UDP) header, an IP header, a media access control (MAC) header, an extended header, and a second MPEG header, and

where the converting includes;

removing the UDP header, the IP header, the MAC header, and at least a portion of the RTP header,

forming a first index based on the removed UDP header, IP header, MAC header, and portion of the RTP header,

storing the first index in the extended header,

removing the extended header, the second MPEG header, and a remaining portion of the RTP header,

forming a second index based on the removed extended header, second MPEG field, and remaining portion of the RTP header, and

storing the second index in the first MPEG header to form the MPEG TS packet; and

transmitting the MPEG TS packet to a second device.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising:

receiving the MPEG TS packet at the second device;

converting the received MPEG TS packet back into the IP packet; and

transmitting the IP packet.

14. The method of claim 13 where the first device includes a cable modem terminating system (CMTS) and the second device includes a cable modem.

15. The method of claim 12 where the first device includes a cable modem terminating system (CMTS) and the second device includes a set top box.

16. A network device comprising:

means for receiving an Internet Protocol (IP) packet;

means for converting the received IP packet to a movie professional experts group (MPEG) transport stream (TS) packet, where the received IP packet includes a payload field including a first MPEG header, a real-time protocol (RTP) header, a user data protocol (UDP) header, an IP header, a media access control (MAC) header, an extended header, and a second MPEG header, and

where the means for converting includes;

means for removing the UDP header, the IP header, the MAC header, and at least a portion of the RTP header,

means for forming a first index based on the removed UDP header, IP header, MAC header, and portion of the RTP header,

means for storing the first index in the extended header,

means for removing the extended header, the second MPEG header, and a remaining portion of the RTP header,

means for forming a second index based on the removed extended header, second MPEG field, and remaining portion of the RTP header, and

means for storing the second index in the first MPEG header to form the MPEG TS packet; and

means for transmitting the MPEG TS packet.