Network architecture for intelligent network elements

• US 7,835,379 B2
• Filed: 07/12/2005
• Issued: 11/16/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/22/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ciena Corporation
• Original Assignee: Ciena Corporation
• Inventors: Rege, Kiran M., Gupta, Dev V., Dravida, Subrahmanyam, Peralta, Frederick, Tandon, Manas
• Primary Examiner(s): Ho; Duc C
• Application Number:
  US11/180,889
• Publication Number:
  US 20050251846A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,953 Days
• Field of Search: 725/129
• US Class Current: 370/419
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2801 Broadband local area networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2856 Access arrangements, e.g. Internet access asynchronous transfer mode networks H04L12/5601; broadband local area networks H04L12/2801; optical access or distribution networks H04Q11/0067; access to open networks H04L12/5691; digital subscriber line end-user equipment and bit-level processing of data on a PSTN-based network H04M11/00; home network gateways H04L12/2834; wireless access networks H04W
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2859 Point-to-point connection between the data network and the subscribers encapsulation H04L12/4633; virtual LANs H04L12/4641; routing of packets H04L45/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2861 Point-to-multipoint connection from the data network to the subscribers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/4641 Virtual LANs, VLANs, e.g. virtual private networks [VPN] LAN interconnection over a bridge based backbone H04L12/462; encapsulation techniques H04L12/4633; routing of packets H04L45/00; packet switches H04L49/00; virtual private networks for security H04L63/0272
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/4645 Details on frame tagging routing of packets H04L45/00; support for virtual LAN H04L49/354
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/5605 Fibre
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/5606 Metallic
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/561 Star, e.g. cross-connect, concentrator, subscriber group equipment, remote electronics
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/5651 Priority, marking, classes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/5679 Arbitration or scheduling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0806 for initial configuration or provisioning, e.g. plug-and-play
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0886 Fully automatic configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5003 Managing SLA; Interaction between SLA and QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/10 Flow control; Congestion control
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/20 Traffic policing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/2416 Real-time traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/2425 for supporting services specification, e.g. SLA
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/2433 Allocation of priorities to traffic types
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/2441 : relying on flow classification, e.g. using integrated services [IntServ]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/2491 : Mapping quality of service [QoS] requirements between different networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/32 : by discarding or delaying data units, e.g. packets or frames
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5007 : Internet protocol [IP] addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5014 : using dynamic host configuration protocol [DHCP] or bootstrap protocol [BOOTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/10 : Adaptations for transmission by electrical cable H04N7/12 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17309 : Transmission or handling of upstream communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0045 : involving hybrid, i.e. a mixture of public and private, or multi-vendor systems

Abstract

The present system uses point-to-point data links between intelligent network elements located in the feeder/distribution network to provide reliable, secure, bidirectional broadband access. Digital signals are terminated at the intelligent network elements, switched and regenerated for transmission across additional upstream or downstream data links as needed to connect a home to a headend or router. The intelligent network elements are co-located with or replace the standard network elements to take advantage of existing network configurations. The standard network elements are selectively replaced by the intelligent network elements in an incremental approach. A tree-and-branch network architecture is established in which each intelligent network element is assigned a routing ID employed in the point-to-point transmissions while leaving legacy analog signals unimpeded. The data links are made over relatively short runs of coax cable, which provides greater bandwidth than typical end-to-end feeder/distribution connections between a home and the headend or optical network unit.

Claims

1. A network communications device comprising:

at least one input port receiving Ethernet data,

a plurality of output ports including a first output port having a modem for converting a first portion of the Ethernet data into forward Ethernet radio frequency data and transmitting the forward Ethernet radio frequency data at frequencies above 860 MHz, the first output port being a coaxial output port,

a processor, and

a switch for switching the data, under the control of the processor, from the at least one input port to at least one of the plurality of output ports wherein the forward radio frequency data is transmitted from the first output port in a downstream direction in a coaxial or hybrid fiber coaxial network.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the forward radio frequency data is transmitted at frequencies above 1 GHz.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the switch switches a second portion of the data from the at least one input port to a second output port, the second output port having a modem for transmitting second forward radio frequency data at frequencies above 860 MHz.

4. The device of claim 3, wherein the second output port is a coaxial output port.

5. The device of claim 3, wherein the second forward radio frequency data is transmitted at frequencies above 1 GHz.

6. The device of claim 1 comprising a signal passthrough unit for passing radio frequency data at frequencies below 860 MHz from the at least one input port to at least one of the plurality of output ports.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the input port is a fiber input port.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the input port is a coaxial input port.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein the switch includes a layer 2 switch.

10. The device of claim 1, wherein the at least one input port includes a modem for receiving reverse radio frequency data at frequencies above 860 MHz, the at least one input port being one of the plurality of output ports.

11. The device of claim 1, wherein the reverse radio frequency data is received at the at least one input port in a upstream direction in a coaxial or hybrid fiber coaxial network.

12. The device of claim 1, wherein the at least one input port receives data in a downstream direction from a data source in a coaxial or hybrid fiber coaxial network.

13. The device of claim 1, wherein the at least one input port and at least one output port are the same port.

14. The device of claim 1 comprising a router for routing a portion of the data.

15. The device of claim 1, wherein converting includes modulating.

16. A method for distributing communications network data comprising:

switching a first portion of Ethernet data from at least one input port to at least one of a plurality of output ports, the plurality of output ports including a first coaxial output port having a modem, the modem performing;

converting the Ethernet data into forward Ethernet radio frequency data, and

transmitting the forward Ethernet radio frequency data at frequencies above 860 MHz,

controlling the switching using a processor and

transmitting the forward radio frequency data from the first output port in a downstream direction in a coaxial or hybrid fiber coaxial network.

17. The method of claim 16 comprising transmitting the forward radio frequency data at frequencies above 1 GHz.

18. The method of claim 16 comprising switching a second portion of the data from the at least one input port to a second output port and transmitting, from the second output port, second forward radio frequency data at frequencies above 860 MHz.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the second output port is a coaxial output port.

20. The method of claim 18 comprising transmitting the second forward radio frequency data at frequencies above 1 GHz.

21. The method of claim 16 comprising using a signal passthrough unit to pass radio frequency data at frequencies below 860 MHz from the at least one input port to at least one of the plurality of output ports.

22. The method of claim 16, wherein the input port is a fiber input port.

23. The method of claim 16, wherein the input port is a coaxial input port.

24. The method of claim 16 comprising switching using a layer 2 switch.

25. The method of claim 16 comprising receiving reverse radio frequency data, at the at least one input port, at frequencies above 860 MHz, the at least one input port being a coaxial output port.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the reverse radio frequency data is received at the at least one input port in a upstream direction in a coaxial or hybrid fiber coaxial network.

27. The method of claim 16, wherein the at least one input port receives data in a downstream direction from a data source in a coaxial or hybrid fiber coaxial network.

28. The method of claim 16, wherein the at least one input port and at least one output port are the same port.

29. The method of claim 16 comprising routing a portion of the data.

30. The method of claim 16, wherein converting includes modulating.