Method and apparatus for controlling traffic loading on a cable modem termination system

• US 20020129378A1
• Filed: 03/08/2001
• Published: 09/12/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/08/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Arris International, Inc. (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Arris International, Inc. (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Inventors: Cloonan, Thomas J., Hickey, Daniel W.
• Application Number:
  US09/802,250
• Publication Number:
  US 20020129378A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/111
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2385 Channel allocation H04N21/266 takes precedence; Bandwidth allocation H04N21/24 takes precedence ; allocation of channels according to the instantaneous demands of the users in time-division multiplex systems H04J3/1682; admission control, resource allocation in open networks H04L12/5692; arrangements for maintenance or administration in data switching networks involving bandwidth and capacity management H04L41/0896; negotiating bandwidth in wireless networks H04W28/16
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2402 Monitoring of the downstream path of the transmission network, e.g. bandwidth available traffic monitoring in data switching networks H04L43/00; monitoring data switching networks utilization H04L43/0876
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/266 Channel or content management, e.g. generation and management of keys and entitlement messages in a conditional access system, merging a VOD unicast channel into a multicast channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4622 Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6377 directed to server one-way streaming services wherein the source is controlled by the destination H04L65/613
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

A method and apparatus for controlling traffic loading on a cable modem termination system helps provide viable quality of service (QoS) capability on a cable data system. Available data bandwidth on a particular channel is first determined, followed by a comparison of the amount of bandwidth requested by, or required by a new subscriber. If the bandwidth available on a particular channel is adequate, service can be provided on the channel, otherwise the new subscriber is assigned to a new channel to avoid data overload.

Claims

1. A method of controlling traffic loading on a cable modem termination system (CMTS) for a cable data system, comprising the steps of:

determining the available bandwidth on a requested cable data system channel;

comparing the available bandwidth on the requested cable data system channel to bandwidth being request by a new subscriber;

determining whether the available bandwidth is greater than, less than or equal to the bandwidth to be allocated by the CMTS to the new subscriber; and

granting or denying cable data service to the new subscriber based upon the determination of whether the available bandwidth is greater than, less than or equal to the bandwidth to be allocated to the new subscriber.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of:

transferring the new subscriber to a different cable data system channel with more available capacity when the available bandwidth on the requested cable data system channel is less than the bandwidth to be allocated to the new subscriber.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein said cable data system channels are upstream channels to the CMTS.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein said cable data system channels are downstream cable data system channels from the CMTS.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

granting cable data system service to said new subscriber on said requested cable data system channel even though the available bandwidth on the requested cable data system channel is less than the bandwidth being allocated to the new subscriber; and

flagging said requested cable data system channel as being over subscribed.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein data packets for at least some subscribers are lost when said cable data system channel is over subscribed.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein data packets are randomly lost.

8. The method according to claim 6, wherein data packets are selected to be lost based on each subscribers level of service, wherein higher levels of service lose less packets.

9. A system controlling traffic loading on a cable modem termination system (CMTS) for a cable data system, comprising:

means for determining the available bandwidth on a requested cable data system channel;

means for comparing the available bandwidth on the requested cable data system channel to bandwidth being request by a new subscriber;

means for determining whether the available bandwidth is greater than, less than or equal to the bandwidth to be allocated by the CMTS to the new subscriber; and

means for granting or denying cable data system service to the new subscriber based upon the determination of whether the available bandwidth is greater than, less than or equal to the bandwidth to be allocated to the new subscriber.

10. The system according to claim 9, further comprising:

means for transferring the new subscriber to a different cable data system channel with more available capacity when the available bandwidth on the requested cable data system channel is less than the bandwidth to be allocated to the new subscriber.

11. The system according to claim 9, wherein said cable data system channels are upstream channels to the CMTS.

12. The system according to claim 9, wherein said cable data system channels are downstream channels from the CMTS.

13. The system according to claim 9, further comprising:

means for granting cable data system service to said new subscriber on said requested data channel even though the available bandwidth on the requested data channel is less than the bandwidth being allocated to the new subscriber; and

means for flagging said requested data channel as being over subscribed.

14. The system according to claim 13, wherein data packets for at least some subscribers are lost when said data channel is over subscribed.

15. The system according to claim 14, wherein data packets are randomly lost.

16. The system according to claim 14, wherein data packets are selected to be lost based on each subscribers level of service, wherein higher levels of service lose less packets.