Using dedicated upstream channel(s) for cable modem initialization

• US 7,978,723 B1
• Filed: 07/14/2004
• Issued: 07/12/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/15/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Juniper Networks Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Juniper Networks Incorporated
• Inventors: Beser, Nurettin Burcak
• Primary Examiner(s): WONG, XAVIER S
• Application Number:
  US10/890,383
• Time in Patent Office: 2,554 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 370/431
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/6418 Hybrid transport
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42676 for modulating an analogue carrier signal to encode digital information or demodulating it to decode digital information, e.g. ADSL or cable modem
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4432 Powering on the client, e.g. bootstrap loading using setup parameters being stored locally or received from the server resetting in general G06F1/14; program loading or initiating in general G06F9/445; bootstrapping in general G06F9/4401; secure boots of computer platforms G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4436 Power management, e.g. shutting down unused components of the receiver power management in computer systems G06F1/3203; hibernate or awake process in computer systems G06F9/4418
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6168 involving cable transmission, e.g. using a cable modem
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17309 Transmission or handling of upstream communications

Abstract

A system facilitates initialization of devices in a cable modem network. The system may provide downstream channels for transmitting data to the devices and upstream channels for receiving data from the devices. At least one of the upstream channels may be dedicated to providing initialization opportunities. This dedicated upstream channel(s) includes less than all of the upstream channels. The system may transmit upstream channel identifiers on the downstream channels, where each of the upstream channel identifiers identifies one of the upstream channels. The system receives initialization data on the dedicated upstream channel(s).

Claims

1. A method for initializing devices in a cable modem system, the method, performed by at least one of the devices, comprising:

receiving upstream channel identifiers on a plurality of downstream channels, each of the upstream channel identifiers identifying one of a plurality of upstream channels, at least one upstream channel, of the plurality of upstream channels, being dedicated to providing initialization opportunities, the at least one upstream channel including fewer than all of the plurality of upstream channels, where one or more upstream channels, of the plurality of upstream channels, provide no initialization opportunities and transmit data communications traffic while the dedicated at least one upstream channel provides initialization opportunities, where the one or more upstream channels differ from the at least one upstream channel;

reading from a particular upstream channel, of the plurality of upstream channels, identified by a particular one of the upstream channel identifiers;

determining whether the particular upstream channel corresponds to the at least one upstream channel that provides initialization opportunities;

performing initialization when the particular upstream channel corresponds to the at least one upstream channel,

reading, when the particular upstream channel does not correspond to the at least one upstream channel, another one of the plurality of upstream channels, identified by another one of the upstream channel identifiers;

determining, based on reading the other one of the upstream channels, whether the other one of the upstream channels corresponds to the at least one upstream channel; and

performing, when the other one of the upstream channels corresponds to the at least one upstream channel, initialization.

2. The method of claim 1, where the at least one upstream channel includes a single one of the plurality of upstream channels.

3. The method of claim 1, where receiving the upstream channel identifiers includes:

receiving an equal number of upstream channel identifiers corresponding to each of the plurality of upstream channels.

4. The method of claim 1, where receiving the upstream channel identifiers includes:

receiving a greater quantity of upstream channel identifiers corresponding to the at least one upstream channel than upstream channel identifiers corresponding to other ones of the plurality of upstream channels.

5. The method of claim 1, where performing the initialization includes:

transmitting a registration packet on the particular upstream channel.

6. A system comprising:

at least one device to;

receive upstream channel identifiers on a plurality of downstream channels, each of the plurality of upstream channel identifiers identifying a corresponding one of a plurality of upstream channels, one upstream channel, of the plurality of upstream channels, being dedicated to provide initialization opportunities, another upstream channel, of the plurality of upstream channels, that provides no initialization opportunities and transmits data communications traffic while the dedicated one upstream channel is providing initialization opportunities;

read from a particular upstream channel, of the plurality of upstream channels, identified by a particular one of the upstream channel identifiers;

determine whether the particular upstream channel corresponds to the one upstream channel that provides initialization opportunities or to the other upstream channel that provides no initialization opportunities;

perform initialization when the particular upstream channel corresponds to the one upstream channel and not to the other upstream channel;

read from a further upstream channel, of the plurality of upstream channels, identified by a further one of the upstream channel identifiers when the particular upstream channel corresponds to the other upstream channel;

determine whether the further upstream channel corresponds to the one upstream channel that provides initialization opportunities; and

perform initialization when the further upstream channel corresponds to the one upstream channel.

7. The system of claim 6, where when receiving upstream channel identifiers, the at least one device is further to:

receive an equal number of upstream channel identifiers corresponding to each of the plurality of upstream channels.

8. The system of claim 6, where when receiving upstream channel identifiers, the at least one device is further to:

receive a larger quantity of upstream channel identifiers corresponding to the one upstream channel than upstream channel identifiers corresponding to other ones of the plurality of upstream channels.

9. The system of claim 6, where when performing initialization, the at least one device is further to:

send a registration packet on the particular upstream channel.

10. The system of claim 6, where the at least one device is a cable modem.

11. A system for initializing devices in a cable modem network, the system comprising:

a server to;

provide a plurality of downstream channels for transmitting data to the devices;

provide a plurality of upstream channels for receiving data from the devices, a particular upstream channel, of the plurality of upstream channels, being dedicated to provide initialization opportunities, other ones of the plurality of upstream channels to provide no initialization opportunities;

transmit upstream channel identifiers on the downstream channels, the upstream channel identifiers identifying the plurality of upstream channels;

receive initialization data on the particular upstream channel; and

receive data communications traffic on another one of the plurality of upstream channels while the dedicated at least one upstream channel provides initialization opportunities, and

where the devices are to;

receive the upstream channel identifiers on the plurality of downstream channels,

read from a first upstream channel, of the plurality of upstream channels, identified by a first upstream channel identifier of the upstream channel identifiers,

determine whether the first upstream channel corresponds to the particular upstream channel that provides initialization opportunities,

perform initialization when the first upstream channel corresponds to the particular upstream channel;

read from a second upstream channel, of the plurality of upstream channels, identified by a second upstream channel identifier of the upstream channel identifiers when the first upstream channel does not correspond to the particular upstream channel,

determine whether the second upstream channel corresponds to the particular upstream channel that provides initialization opportunities, and

perform initialization when the second upstream channel corresponds to the particular channel.

12. A cable modem system, comprising:

a plurality of cable modems; and

a cable modem termination system connected to the plurality of cable modems via a plurality of upstream channels and a plurality of downstream channels, where the cable modem termination system is to;

provide initialization opportunities for the plurality of cable modems on at least one upstream channel of the plurality of upstream channels, the at least one upstream channel being dedicated to handling cable modem initialization,

provide no initialization opportunities for the plurality of cable modems on at least one other upstream channel of the plurality of upstream channels and transmit data communications traffic on the at least one other upstream channel of the plurality of upstream channels while the dedicated at least one upstream channel provides cable modem initialization opportunities,

transmit upstream channel identifiers on the plurality of downstream channels, each of the upstream channel identifiers identifying one of the plurality of upstream channels, and

receive initialization data on the at least one upstream channel and no initialization data on the at least one other upstream channel, and

where the plurality of cable modems are to;

receive the upstream channel identifiers on the plurality of downstream channels,

read from a first upstream channel, of the plurality of upstream channels, identified by a first upstream channel identifier of the upstream channel identifiers,

determine whether the first upstream channel corresponds to the at least one upstream channel that provides initialization opportunities,

perform initialization when the first upstream channel corresponds to the at least one upstream channel;

read from a second upstream channel, of the plurality of upstream channels, identified by a second upstream channel identifier of the upstream channel identifiers when the first upstream channel does not correspond to the at least one upstream channel,

determine whether the second upstream channel corresponds to the at least one upstream channel that provides initialization opportunities, and

perform initialization when the second upstream channel corresponds to the at least one upstream channel.