Front-end structure for access network line card
First Claim
1. A system, comprising:
- at least one access control system including at least one cable modem termination system (CMTS) operable to communicate with a first plurality of nodes of a first subscriber group via a first shared access upstream channel, and operable to communicate with second plurality of nodes of a second subscriber group via a second shared access upstream channel, wherein the first and second plurality of nodes are cable modems;
the access control system comprising;
a CMTS line card including a first plurality of physical (PHY) layer components, the first plurality of physical layer components including a first upstream port and a first PHY processor, the first upstream port being associated with a first upstream channel, wherein the first plurality of nodes are physically coupled to the first upstream port;
wherein the CMTS line card further includes a second plurality of physical layer components, the second plurality of physical layer components including a second upstream port and a second PHY processor, the second upstream port being associated with a second upstream channel, wherein the second plurality of nodes are physically coupled to the second upstream port;
the access control system being operable to;
configure at least a portion of the first plurality of physical layer components to cause upstream signals from the first plurality of nodes coupled to the first upstream port to be processed by the first PHY processor;
configure at least a portion of the second plurality of physical layer components to cause upstream signals from the second plurality of nodes coupled to the second upstream port to be processed by the second PHY processor, wherein at least a portion of the second plurality of PHY layer components are coupled to at least a portion of the first plurality of PHY layer components via one or more physical components;
process upstream signals from a first portion of the first plurality of nodes at the first PHY processor;
process upstream signals from a second portion of the second plurality of nodes at the second PHY processor;
detect a first event or condition for triggering a dynamic re-configuration of at least one port-PHY processor configuration;
dynamically configure, in response to detecting the first event or condition, at least a portion of the first plurality of physical layer components to cause upstream signals received from the first portion of the first plurality of nodes via the first upstream port to be processed by the second PHY processor, thereby enabling the upstream signals sent from the first portion of the plurality of nodes coupled to the first upstream port associated with the first upstream channel to be processed by the second PHY processor associated with the second upstream channel; and
process, in response to the dynamic configuration, upstream signals from the first portion of the first plurality of nodes at the second PHY processor.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A technique is described for facilitating communication in access networks such as cable networks. One aspect of the present invention is directed to an improved line card configuration which may be used to provide upstream channel “high availability” protection whereby the cable modems of a failed upstream channel may be immediately and dynamically reassigned to an alternate upstream channel in order to minimize service disruption. Another aspect of the present invention is directed to an improved line card configuration which is able to provide load balancing capabilities across multiple upstream channels associated with one or more line cards. According to a specific implementation, such load balancing capabilities may be used to reassign cable modems (which are physically connected to a fixed upstream port) to alternate upstream channels. Yet another aspect of the present invention is directed to an improved line card configuration which is able to provide the feature of virtual cabling. According to one embodiment, the feature of virtual cabling may be used to dynamically configure, via software, cable modems from any selected subscriber group to “talk” to any desired PHY chip on any line card within a CMTS.
63 Citations
31 Claims
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1. A system, comprising:
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at least one access control system including at least one cable modem termination system (CMTS) operable to communicate with a first plurality of nodes of a first subscriber group via a first shared access upstream channel, and operable to communicate with second plurality of nodes of a second subscriber group via a second shared access upstream channel, wherein the first and second plurality of nodes are cable modems; the access control system comprising; a CMTS line card including a first plurality of physical (PHY) layer components, the first plurality of physical layer components including a first upstream port and a first PHY processor, the first upstream port being associated with a first upstream channel, wherein the first plurality of nodes are physically coupled to the first upstream port; wherein the CMTS line card further includes a second plurality of physical layer components, the second plurality of physical layer components including a second upstream port and a second PHY processor, the second upstream port being associated with a second upstream channel, wherein the second plurality of nodes are physically coupled to the second upstream port; the access control system being operable to; configure at least a portion of the first plurality of physical layer components to cause upstream signals from the first plurality of nodes coupled to the first upstream port to be processed by the first PHY processor; configure at least a portion of the second plurality of physical layer components to cause upstream signals from the second plurality of nodes coupled to the second upstream port to be processed by the second PHY processor, wherein at least a portion of the second plurality of PHY layer components are coupled to at least a portion of the first plurality of PHY layer components via one or more physical components; process upstream signals from a first portion of the first plurality of nodes at the first PHY processor; process upstream signals from a second portion of the second plurality of nodes at the second PHY processor; detect a first event or condition for triggering a dynamic re-configuration of at least one port-PHY processor configuration; dynamically configure, in response to detecting the first event or condition, at least a portion of the first plurality of physical layer components to cause upstream signals received from the first portion of the first plurality of nodes via the first upstream port to be processed by the second PHY processor, thereby enabling the upstream signals sent from the first portion of the plurality of nodes coupled to the first upstream port associated with the first upstream channel to be processed by the second PHY processor associated with the second upstream channel; and process, in response to the dynamic configuration, upstream signals from the first portion of the first plurality of nodes at the second PHY processor. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A system, comprising:
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at least one access control system operable to communicate with a first plurality of nodes of a first subscriber group via a first shared access upstream channel, and operable to communicate with second plurality of nodes of a second subscriber group via a second shared access upstream channel; the access control system comprising; a cable modem termination system (CMTS) line card including a first plurality of physical (PHY) layer components, the first plurality of physical layer components including a first upstream port and a first PHY processor, the first upstream port being associated with a first upstream channel, wherein upstream signals from the first plurality of nodes are received via the first upstream port; wherein the CMTS line card further includes a second plurality of physical layer components, the second plurality of physical layer components including a second upstream port and a second PHY processor, the second upstream port being associated with a second upstream channel, wherein upstream signals from the second plurality of nodes are received via the second upstream port, wherein at least a portion of the second plurality of PHY layer components are coupled to at least a portion of the first plurality of PHY layer components via one or more physical components; the access control system being operable to; configure upstream communications from the first plurality of nodes to be processed by the first PHY processor; configure upstream communications from the second plurality of nodes to be processed by the second PHY processor; process upstream signals from a first portion of the first plurality of nodes at the first PHY processor; process upstream signals from a second portion of the second plurality of nodes at the second PHY processor; detect a first event or condition for triggering a dynamic re-configuration of at least one node-PHY processor association; dynamically configure, in response to detecting the first event or condition, upstream communications from the first plurality of nodes to be processed by the second PHY processor; and process, in response to the dynamic configuration, upstream signals from the first portion of the first plurality of nodes at the second PHY processor. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A method for facilitating communications in a cable network, the cable network including at least one cable modem termination system (CMTS) operable to communicate with a first plurality of cable modems of a first subscriber group via a first shared access upstream channel, and operable to communicate with second plurality of cable modems of a second subscriber group via a second shared access upstream channel, the at least one CMTS having a CMTS line card including a first plurality of physical (PHY) layer components, the first plurality of physical layer components including a first upstream port and a first PHY processor, wherein the first plurality of cable modems are physically coupled to the first upstream port, the first upstream port being associated with a first upstream channel, the CMTS line card of the at least one CMTS further including a second plurality of physical layer components, the second plurality of physical layer components including a second upstream port and a second PHY processor, wherein the second plurality of cable modems are physically coupled to the second upstream port, the second upstream port being associated with a second upstream channel, the method comprising:
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configuring at least a portion of the first plurality of physical layer components to cause upstream signals received from the first plurality of nodes via the first upstream port to be processed by the first PHY processor; configuring at least a portion of the second plurality of physical layer components to cause upstream signals received from the second plurality of nodes via the second upstream port to be processed by the second PHY processor, wherein at least a portion of the second plurality of PHY layer components are coupled to at least a portion of the first plurality of PHY layer components via one or more physical components; processing upstream signals from a first portion of the first plurality of cable modems at the first PHY processor; processing upstream signals from a second portion of the second plurality of cable modems at the second PHY processor; detecting a first event or condition for triggering a dynamic re-configuration of at least one port-PHY processor configuration; dynamically configuring, in response to detecting the first event or condition, at least a portion of the first plurality of physical layer components to cause upstream signals received from the first portion of the first plurality of nodes via the first upstream port to be processed by the second PHY processor, thereby enabling the upstream signals sent from the first portion of the plurality of nodes coupled to the first upstream port associated with the first upstream channel to be processed by the second PHY processor associated with the second upstream channel; and processing, in response to the dynamic configuration, upstream signals from the first portion of the first plurality of cable modems at the second PHY processor. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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29. A system for facilitating communications in a cable network, the system comprising:
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at least one cable modem termination system (CMTS) operable to communicate with a first plurality of cable modems of a first subscriber group via a first shared access upstream channel, and operable to communicate with second plurality of cable modems of a second subscriber group via a second shared access upstream channel; the at least one CMTS comprising at least one CMTS line card including a first plurality of physical (PHY) layer components, the first plurality of physical layer components including a first upstream port and a first PHY processor, the first upstream port being associated with a first upstream channel, wherein the first plurality of cable modems are physically coupled to the first upstream port; the CMTS line card of the at least one CMTS further including a second plurality of physical layer components, the second plurality of physical layer components including a second upstream port and a second PHY processor, the second upstream port being associated with a second upstream channel, wherein the second plurality of cable modems are physically coupled to the second upstream port; the first plurality of physical layer components further including a third upstream port, the third upstream port being associated with a third upstream channel; means for configuring at least a portion of the first plurality of physical layer components to cause upstream signals from the first plurality of nodes coupled to the first upstream port to be processed by the first PHY processor; means for configuring at least a portion of the second plurality of physical layer components to cause upstream signals from the second plurality of nodes coupled to the second upstream port to be processed by the second PHY processor, wherein at least a portion of the second plurality of PHY layer components are coupled to at least a portion of the first plurality of PHY layer components via one or more physical components; means for processing upstream signals from a first portion of the first plurality of cable modems at the first PHY processor; means for processing upstream signals from a second portion of the second plurality of cable modems at the second PHY processor; means for detecting a first event or condition for triggering a dynamic re-configuration of at least one port-PHY processor configuration; means for dynamically configuring, in response to detecting the first event or condition, at least a portion of the first plurality of physical layer components to cause upstream signals from the first portion of the first plurality of nodes to be processed by the second PHY processor, thereby enabling the upstream signals sent from the first portion of the plurality of nodes coupled to the first upstream port associated with the first upstream channel to be processed by the second PHY processor associated with the second upstream channel; means for processing, in response to the dynamic configuration, upstream signals from the first portion of the first plurality of cable modems at the second PHY processor; means for configuring at least a portion of the first plurality of physical layer components to cause upstream signals from a third portion of the first plurality of cable modems coupled to the third upstream port to be processed by the first PHY processor; and means for processing upstream signals from the third portion of the first plurality of cable modems at the first PHY processor concurrently while upstream signals from the first portion of the first plurality of cable modems are processed by the second PHY processor. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31)
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Specification