In-home coexistence network

• US 8,170,051 B2
• Filed: 06/04/2008
• Issued: 05/01/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/04/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm Atheros Incorporated (Qualcomm, Inc.)
• Inventors: Yonge, Lawrence W. III, Katar, Srinivas
• Primary Examiner(s): Ferris, Derrick
• Assistant Examiner(s): YEUNG, MANG HANG
• Application Number:
  US12/133,312
• Publication Number:
  US 20090034552A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,427 Days
• Field of Search: 370431-463
• US Class Current: 370/458
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/5445 Local network
• 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 12/413 with random access, e.g. carrier-sense multiple-access with collision detection [CSMA-CD]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/44 Star or tree networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/12 Shortest path evaluation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/121 by minimising delays
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/122 by minimising distances, e.g. by selecting a route with minimum of number of hops
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/123 Evaluation of link metrics techniques for monitoring network metrics H04L43/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/125 based on throughput or bandwidth
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/16 Multipoint routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/787 Bandwidth trade among domains

Abstract

Systems and methods for dynamic allocation of network bandwidth. In some examples, a guaranteed interval period, including a guaranteed interval start time and guaranteed interval end time, can be identified based upon policy. Network stations can then identify first interval start times and first interval end times different than the guaranteed start times and guaranteed end time provided by policy. An access network can thereby provide a first interval start time and a first interval end time to stations within the access network. An in-home network can determine an in-home interval period based upon the first interval start time and first interval end time.

Claims

1. A method of sharing time on a shared medium between an access network and one or more in-home networks, comprising:

determining a guaranteed interval period comprising a guaranteed interval start time and a guaranteed interval end time within a periodic interval of time based on a policy at one or more stations in an access network, wherein the policy includes a guaranteed proportion of time or a duration within the period interval of time for the access network to utilize;

the one or more stations in the access network monitoring a traffic load on the one or more in-home networks, wherein the access network and the one or more in-home networks are different networks;

determining at the one or more stations in the access network a first interval start time and a first interval end time within the periodic interval of time based on said monitoring, wherein the first interval start times and first interval end times are not required to be identical to the guaranteed interval start time and the guaranteed interval end time, respectively;

providing the first interval start time and the first interval end time of the one or more stations in the access network to the one or more in-home networks;

receiving an in-home interval period from each of the one or more in-home networks, wherein each in-home interval period is based on the provided first interval start time and the first interval end time of the one or more stations in the access network;

after receiving each of the in-home interval periods from the one or more in-home networks, the one or more stations in the access network monitoring the traffic load on the one or more in-home networks to determine that the access network or one of the in-home networks requires more bandwidth; and

in response to determining that the access network or one of the in-home networks requires more bandwidth, increasing or decreasing the guaranteed interval period, respectively.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the access network and the in-home network comprise a broadband over power line network.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the guaranteed interval period represents a minimum amount of time for the access network to access a medium.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the access network determines the guaranteed interval period when at least one in-home network is present.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein determining a guaranteed interval start time and a guaranteed interval end time comprises:

receiving guaranteed interval period information from a head end of the access network.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the guaranteed interval period information provided by the head end includes the start and end time of the guaranteed interval period within the periodic interval of time.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the policy defines a percentage of time within the periodic interval of time that the access network can utilize.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the policy determines a duration of the periodic interval of time that the access network can utilize.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the policy is based on a number of in-home networks that a station in the access network detects.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the policy is based on the priority of traffic being utilized by the in-home network and the access network.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the first interval end time is fixed for the one or more stations in the access network.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the first interval start time is adjustable for the one or more stations in the access network based on an access network demand.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the first interval start time is selected as the minimum required to meet the access network demand when the access network demand is less than the guaranteed interval.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the first interval start time is selected as the minimum required to meet the access network demand when the access network demand is greater than the guaranteed interval and less than the interval indicated by the in-home network.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the first interval start time is selected as the maximum available to the access network while still meeting the traffic load on the one or more in-home networks when the access network demand is greater than the guaranteed interval and the interval indicated by the in-home network, and the traffic load on the one or more in-home networks is less than the guaranteed interval.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the first interval start time is selected as the minimum required to meet the traffic load on the one or more in-home networks when the traffic load on the one or more in-home networks is less than the guaranteed interval.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein the first interval start time is selected as the minimum required to meet the traffic load on the one or more in-home networks when the traffic load on the one or more in-home networks is greater than the guaranteed interval and less than the interval indicated by the access network.

18. The method of claim 12, wherein the first interval start time is selected as the maximum available to the in-home network while still meeting the access network demand when the traffic load on the one or more in-home networks is greater than the guaranteed interval and the interval indicated by the access network, and the access network demand is less than the guaranteed interval.

19. The method of claim 12, wherein access network demand is assessed by a headend device monitoring network traffic.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein the in-home interval period represents an amount of time for the in-home network to access a medium.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein a default time for the guaranteed interval period is equal to half of the periodic interval.

22. The method of claim 1, wherein the guaranteed interval period is utilized at the end of the periodic interval.

23. The method of claim 1, wherein the in-home interval period is utilized at the beginning of the periodic interval.

24. The method of claim 1, comprising:

determining whether the in-home network is a HomePlug AV network;

using a the guaranteed interval period at the access network; and

using a stay-out region at the in-home network to indicate a period of time that the in-home network is not utilizing.

25. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

adjusting the guaranteed interval period of the periodic interval at the head end of the access network;

wherein the in-home interval period is set at half of the period interval.

26. The method of claim 1, wherein the in-home network is a HomePlug AV network.

27. The method of claim 1, wherein the in-home network is an IEEE P1901 in-home network.

28. The method of claim 1, wherein the access network is an IEEE P1901 access network.

29. The method of claim 1, wherein the access station utilizes HomePlug AV Beacons with Regions BENTRY to communicate the first interval start time and the first interval end time.

30. The method of claim 1, wherein the access network utilizes Reserved Regions to indicate the first interval start time and the first interval end time.

31. The method of claim 1, wherein the in-home network utilizes Stay-out regions to indicate intervals of time that it is not utilizing.

32. The method of claim 1, wherein the start time and end time of the access and in-home intervals are synchronized with respect to alternating current line cycle.

33. The method of claim 1, wherein synchronization is provided by the access network to all in-home networks.

34. A system, comprising:

one more stations in an access network configured to;

determine a guaranteed interval period comprising a guaranteed interval start time and a guaranteed interval end time within a periodic interval of time based on a policy, wherein the policy includes a guaranteed proportion of time or a duration within the period interval of time for the access network to utilize;

monitor a traffic load on one or more in-home networks, wherein the access network and the one or more in-home networks are different networks;

determine a first interval start time and a first interval end time within the periodic interval of time based on said monitoring, wherein the first interval start times and first interval end times are not required to be identical to the guaranteed interval start time and the guaranteed interval end time, respectively;

provide the first interval start time and the first interval end time of the one or more stations in the access network to the one or more in-home networks;

receive an in-home interval period from each of the one or more in- home networks, wherein each in-home interval period is based on the provided first interval start time and the first interval end time of the one or more stations in the access network;

after receiving each of the in-home interval periods from the one or more in-home networks, monitor the traffic load on the one or more in-home networks to determine that the access network or one of the in-home networks requires more bandwidth; and

in response to determining that the access network or one of the in-home networks requires more bandwidth, increase or decrease the guaranteed interval period, respectively.

35. The system of claim 34, wherein the one or more stations comprise head end units, repeaters, network termination units, and customer premise equipment.