Upstream channel bonding partial service using spectrum management

• US 8,576,705 B2
• Filed: 11/18/2011
• Issued: 11/05/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/18/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ARRIS Enterprises LLC (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: General Instrument Corporation (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Inventors: Thibeault, Brian K., Cooper, Michael J., Morrissette, Marc L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Thompson, Jr., Otis L
• Application Number:
  US13/300,101
• Publication Number:
  US 20130128723A1
• Time in Patent Office: 718 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 370/225
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2801 Broadband local area networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2865 Logical combinations
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/287 Remote access server, e.g. BRAS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/25 with rate being modified by the source upon detecting a change of network conditions
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/50 in wire-line communication networks, e.g. low power modes or reduced link rate

Abstract

A method and computing device receives data packets on an upstream bonding group in full service mode, where the upstream bonding group includes a set of channels and each channel has a transmission quality. The method detects that a select channel in the set of channels is impaired when the transmission quality of the select channel is below a threshold value, and transitions the receiving of the data packets from full service mode to partial service mode by disabling data grant scheduling on the select channel. The method monitors the select channel using a spectrum management method while the receiving of the data packets is in partial service mode. The method transitions the receiving of the data packets from partial service mode to full service mode when a result from the spectrum management method indicates that the select channel can transmit data packets error free.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving data packets on an upstream bonding group in full service mode, the upstream bonding group including a set of channels, each channel having a transmission quality;

detecting that a select channel in the set of channels is impaired when the transmission quality of the select channel is below a threshold value;

transitioning the receiving of the data packets from full service mode to partial service mode by disabling data grant scheduling on the select channel;

monitoring the select channel using a spectrum management method while the receiving of the data packets is in partial service mode; and

transitioning the receiving of the data packets from partial service mode to full service mode when a result from the spectrum management method indicates that the select channel can transmit data packets error free.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving of the data packets is in a cable modem termination system (CMTS), and from a cable modem.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the detecting that the select channel in the set of channels is impaired further comprises:

obtaining a result from the spectrum management method for the select channel; and

comparing the result from the spectrum management method to the threshold value.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the transitioning of the receiving of the data packets from full service mode to partial service mode further comprises:

attempting to correct the select channel by changing an upstream frequency of the select channel.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the transitioning of the receiving of the data packets from full service mode to partial service mode further comprises:

attempting to correct the select channel by dropping the select channel to a lower modulation mode.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the monitoring of the select channel further comprises:

obtaining a value from a quality metric for the select channel, where the value is the result from the spectrum management method; and

comparing the value from the quality metric to the threshold value,

wherein the select channel can transmit data packets error free when the value from the quality metric meets or exceeds the threshold value.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the quality metric includes at least one of modulation error ratio (MER), signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), and carrier-to-noise ratio (CNR).

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

waiting for a hold down time;

obtaining a new value from the quality metric after the hold down time expires; and

comparing the new value from the quality metric to the threshold value,

wherein the select channel can transmit data packets error free when the value from the quality metric and the new value from the quality metric meet or exceed the threshold value.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the monitoring of the select channel further comprises:

obtaining a value from a fast Fourier transform (FFT) for the select channel, where the value is the result from the spectrum management method; and

comparing the value from the FFT to the threshold value,

wherein the select channel can transmit data packets error free when the value from the FFT meets or exceeds the threshold value.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

waiting for a hold down time;

obtaining a new value from the FFT after the hold down time expires; and

comparing the new value from the FFT to the threshold value,

wherein the select channel can transmit data packets error free when the value from the FFT and the new value from the FFT meet or exceed the threshold value.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the transitioning of the receiving of the data packets from partial service mode to full service mode further comprises:

scheduling data packets on the select channel.

12. A computing device, comprising:

a memory device resident in the computing device; and

a processor disposed in communication with the memory device, the processor configured to;

receive data packets on an upstream bonding group in full service mode, the upstream bonding group including a set of channels, each channel having a transmission quality;

detect that a select channel in the set of channels is impaired when the transmission quality of the select channel is below a threshold value;

transition the receiving of the data packets from full service mode to partial service mode by disabling data grant scheduling on the select channel;

monitor the select channel using a spectrum management method while the receiving of the data packets is in partial service mode; and

transition the receiving of the data packets from partial service mode to full service mode when a result from the spectrum management method indicates that the select channel can transmit data packets error free.

13. The computing device of claim 12, wherein to detect that the select channel in the set of channels is impaired, the processor is further configured to:

obtain a result from the spectrum management method for the select channel; and

compare the result from the spectrum management method to the threshold value.

14. The computing device of claim 12, wherein to transition the receiving of the data packets from full service mode to partial service mode, the processor is further configured to:

attempt to correct the select channel by changing an upstream frequency of the select channel.

15. The computing device of claim 12, wherein to transition the receiving of the data packets from full service mode to partial service mode, the processor is further configured to:

attempt to correct the select channel by dropping the select channel to a lower modulation mode.

16. The computing device of claim 12, wherein to monitor the select channel, the processor is further configured to:

obtain a value from a quality metric for the select channel, where the value is the result from the spectrum management method; and

compare the value from the quality metric to the threshold value,

wherein the select channel can transmit data packets error free when the value from the quality metric meets or exceeds the threshold value.

17. The computing device of claim 16, wherein the quality metric includes at least one of modulation error ratio (MER), signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), and carrier-to-noise ratio (CNR).

18. The computing device of claim 16, wherein the processor is further configured to:

wait for a hold down time;

obtain a new value from the quality metric after the hold down time expires; and

compare the new value from the quality metric to the threshold value,

wherein the select channel can transmit data packets error free when the value from the quality metric and the new value from the quality metric meet or exceed the threshold value.

19. The computing device of claim 12, wherein to monitor the select channel, the processor is further configured to:

obtain a value from a fast Fourier transform (FFT) for the select channel, where the value is the result from the spectrum management method; and

compare the value from the FFT to the threshold value,

wherein the select channel can transmit data packets error free when the value from the FFT meets or exceeds the threshold value.

20. The computing device of claim 19, wherein the processor is further configured to:

wait for a hold down time;

obtain a new value from the FFT after the hold down time expires; and

compare the new value from the FFT to the threshold value,

wherein the select channel can transmit data packets error free when the value from the FFT and the new value from the FFT meet or exceed the threshold value.

21. The computing device of claim 12, wherein to transition the receiving of the data packets from partial service mode to full service mode, the processor is further configured to:

schedule data packets on the select channel.

22. A non-transitory computer-readable medium, comprising computer-executable instructions that, when executed on a computing device, perform steps of:

receiving data packets on an upstream bonding group in full service mode, the upstream bonding group including a set of channels, each channel having a transmission quality;

detecting that a select channel in the set of channels is impaired when the transmission quality of the select channel is below a threshold value;

transitioning the receiving of the data packets from full service mode to partial service mode by disabling data grant scheduling on the select channel;

monitoring the select channel using a spectrum management method while the receiving of the data packets is in partial service mode; and

transitioning the receiving of the data packets from partial service mode to full service mode when a result from the spectrum management method indicates that the select channel can transmit data packets error free.