Facility management platform for a hybrid coaxial/twisted pair local loop network service architecture

• US 8,379,543 B2
• Filed: 12/16/2005
• Issued: 02/19/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Gerszberg, Irwin, Martin, Jeffrey S., Oplinger, Thomas, Treventi, Philip Andrew, Walker, Hopeton S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nawaz, Asad
• Assistant Examiner(s): HARLEY, JASON A
• Application Number:
  US11/303,259
• Publication Number:
  US 20060159116A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,622 Days
• Field of Search: 370/261, 370/493
• US Class Current: 370/261
• 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 12/2872 Termination of subscriber connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2898 Subscriber equipments DSL modems H04M11/062; cable modems H04L12/2801
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/6424 Access arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0213 Standardised network management protocols, e.g. simple network management protocol [SNMP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/6215 Individual queue per QOS, rate or priority
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/76 using dynamic resource allocation, e.g. in-call renegotiation requested by the user or requested by the network in response to changing network conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/30 Peripheral units, e.g. input or output ports
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/40 Support for services or applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 17/004 for digital television systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17309 Transmission or handling of upstream communications

Abstract

The present invention provides a facility management platform to monitor and view the status of a plurality of individually addressable downstream devices including, but not limited to, addressable terminals, IRG'"'"'s, settops, cable modems, taps, nodes, and/or hubs at a network control center. The FMP may display problems at these downstream devices, for example, power loss, and/or may automatically notify the appropriate companies and/or personnel to correct the problem.

Claims

1. A method of connecting telecommunication call sessions from multiple stations at a subscriber premises, comprising:

generating signaling data at one of the stations;

receiving the signaling data over a multiple access link at a network interface;

transmitting the signaling data over one of a digital loop carrier and a digital network in response to a called number in the signaling data and in response to receiving the signaling data at the network interface;

facilitating an appearance of a call received at the subscriber premises on a coaxial cable television channel;

allocating a channel in the multiple access link at the network interface to communicate user data over the link, the user data corresponding to the signaling data;

wherein the user data includes voice data, and the voice data has higher priority for allocation to the channel than non-voice data;

wherein allocating comprises providing 100 percent priority of the channel to the voice data;

deallocating the channel in response to a termination of the voice data;

reallocating bandwidth of the channel to different user data after deallocating the channel, wherein voice data of the different user data is given priority to the bandwidth of the channel over non-voice data of the different user data; and

updating a header associated with the channel to indicate that the bandwidth of the channel has been reallocated to the different user data.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising dynamically allocating the bandwidth of the channel in real time.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising allocating the bandwidth of the channel on a per-frame basis.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the header is included within a frame comprising at least one of voice, data, and ethernet channels.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising utilizing bandpass filters to separate the voice data from other data in the user data.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising facilitating the appearance of the call on a single twisted pair.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising allocating priority queues for the user data supplied by each station.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising accessing the voice data of the user data by utilizing priority fair weighted queuing.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising not allocating the user data to the channel when individual packets are utilized to transport the user data.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising multiplexing information from the stations into at least one digital subscriber line frame for dynamically allocating the bandwidth.

11. A method of connecting telecommunication call sessions from multiple stations at a subscriber premise through a multiple access link, the method comprising:

providing a digital interface to a backplane of a digital loop carrier;

generating signaling data at one of the stations; and

receiving the signaling data over the multiple access link at a network interface;

applying the signaling data to the digital interface to create an appearance of a plain old telephone connected through a line card connected to the backplane, wherein the signaling data is applied in response to receiving the signaling data at the network interface;

facilitating an appearance of a call received at the subscriber premises on a coaxial cable television channel;

allocating a channel in the multiple access link at the network interface to communicate user data over the link, the user data corresponding to the signaling data and including voice data, wherein allocating comprises providing 100 percent priority of the channel to the voice data;

reallocating bandwidth of the channel to different user data after deallocating the channel in response to termination of the voice data, wherein voice data of the different user data is given priority to the bandwidth of the channel over non-voice data of the different user data; and

updating a header associated with the channel to indicate that the bandwidth of the channel has been reallocated to the different user data.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising dynamically allocating the bandwidth of the channel in real time.

13. A method of connecting telecommunication call sessions from multiple stations at a subscriber premises through a multiple access subscriber link, comprising:

generating an indication of an initiation of a voice-dialing call at one of the stations;

receiving the indication through the multiple access subscriber link at a network interface;

opening a channel in a digital network having a server upon receipt of the indication at the network interface, wherein opening the channel includes providing 100 percent priority to voice data corresponding to a called number;

transmitting the voice data corresponding to the called number through the channel to the server;

receiving signaling data at the network interface, wherein the signaling data is transmitted by the server in response to a receipt of the indication, wherein the signaling data is responsive to the voice data;

connecting a call session at the network interface in response to the signaling data;

reallocating bandwidth of the channel to different data after deallocating the channel in response to termination of the voice data, wherein voice data of the different data is given priority to the bandwidth of the channel over non-voice data of the different data; and

updating a header associated with the channel to indicate that the bandwidth of the channel has been reallocated to the different data.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein connecting includes placing a call at the network interface through a local exchange carrier network separate from the digital network and channeling the call session through the link.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the local exchange carrier network is an analog network.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the call session is a voice call session.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein the call session is a multimedia call.

18. The method of claim 13, further comprising facilitating multiple appearances of calls on one of a single twisted pair and a coaxial cable television channel.

19. The method of claim 13, further comprising accessing the voice data by utilizing priority fair weighted queuing.

20. The method of claim 13, further comprising multiplexing information from the stations into at least one digital subscriber line frame for dynamically allocating the bandwidth.