DIGITAL FORWARD LINK IN HYBRID FIBER-COAX NETWORK

• US 20150222449A1
• Filed: 01/30/2015
• Published: 08/06/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Comcast Cable Communications LLC (Comcast Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Comcast Cable Communications LLC (Comcast Corporation)
• Inventors: Salinger, Jorge, Bevilacqua, John, Rahman, Saifur
• Granted Patent: US 10,050,801 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2801 Broadband local area networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/0002 analog front ends; means for connecting modulators, demodulators or transceivers to a transmission line duplex arrangements H04L5/143
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/0008 arrangements for allowing a transmitter or receiver to use more than one type of modulation negotiating modulation type for two-way transmission paths H04L5/1453
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/351 for local area network [LAN], e.g. Ethernet switches
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/357 Fibre channel switches

Abstract

A hybrid fiber-coax network may replace an analog forward link with a digital optical forward link between a converged cable-access platform (CCAP) and node, which may allow for improved data-throughput rates on the network. Replacing the analog forward link with the digital optical forward link may allow for a greater distance between a headend and the node. Further, the digital optical forward link may improve link modulation error ratio (MER), which, when combined with advanced headend equipment, may enable a cable modem to support the high-order modulation profiles (e.g., profiles included in DOCSIS 3.1).

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a computing device comprising;

a first Ethernet port for downstream distribution of digital data; and

a second Ethernet port for reception of upstream data,

wherein the first Ethernet port and the second Ethernet port together communicate with a node downstream of the computing device.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the first Ethernet port outputs the digital data for the node downstream of the computing device, and wherein the second Ethernet port receives the upstream data from the node downstream of the computing device.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the digital data comprises voice data and video data.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the first Ethernet port performs the downstream distribution of the digital data via a signal in a downstream spectrum, and wherein the second Ethernet port receives upstream transmission of upstream data via a signal in an upstream spectrum, the upstream spectrum comprising a range from 5 MHz to 200 MHz, and the downstream spectrum comprising a range from 54 MHz to 1.2 GHz.

5. The system of claim 1, comprising:

a hubsite comprising the computing device; and

an outside plant comprising the node downstream of the computing device wherein the first Ethernet port and the second Ethernet port comprise an interface between the hubsite and the outside plant.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the outside plant comprises a plurality of remote PHY nodes, wherein each of the plurality of remote PHY nodes comprises:

a processor;

an Ethernet input;

a burst receiver; and

a modulator.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the computing device is connected via one fiber to at least two of the plurality remote PHY nodes.

8. The system of claim 1, comprising:

the node downstream of the computing device, wherein the node comprises;

an Ethernet input;

a modulator; and

a burst receiver.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the node is connected to a service group via a coaxial link.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the computing device performs one or more management functions of the node, wherein the computing device uses layer-three information and the node uses layer-two information.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the first Ethernet port and the second Ethernet port together communicating with the node downstream of the computing device comprises the node downstream of the computing device transmitting to the computing device, through the second Ethernet port, a request for information, and the computing device transmitting to the node downstream of the computing device, through the first Ethernet port, the information, the information being transmitted in response to the request for information.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the computing device comprises:

at least one processor; and

non-transitory memory storing computer-readable instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computing device to;

receive a data packet from a server;

transmit the data packet to the node downstream of the computing device via the first Ethernet out port; and

receive a transmission from the node downstream of the computing device via the second Ethernet port.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the computing device comprises a linecard used for upstream and downstream traffic, the linecard comprising a plurality of Ethernet connectors, the plurality of Ethernet connectors comprising the first Ethernet port and the second Ethernet port.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the computing device is geographically distributed from a modulator that is downstream of the computing device.

15. A method comprising:

transmitting, by a computing device, configuration information to a remote-PHY node over an Ethernet link between the computing device and the remote-PHY node, the configuration information using dynamic host configuration protocol.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the configuration information is formatted according to a standardized interface, wherein the remote-PHY node is manufactured by a first vendor, and wherein the method comprises:

transmitting a second configuration from the computing device to a second remote-PHY node, wherein the second remote-PHY node is manufactured by a second vendor, and wherein the configuration is formatted according to the standardized interface.

17. The method of claim 15, comprising:

transmitting, from the computing device to the remote-PHY node, maintenance information, wherein the maintenance information is formatted according to a standardized interface.

18. A data network, comprising:

a computing device;

a remote-PHY node; and

an Ethernet link between the computing device and the Remote-PHY node, wherein the remote-PHY node is configured to;

receive downstream data over the Ethernet link;

modulate and transmit the downstream data via a downstream coaxial link;

receive upstream data via the downstream coaxial link; and

transmit the upstream data over the Ethernet link.

19. The data network of claim 18, wherein the remote-PHY node comprises a modulator, and wherein the computing device comprises a MAC component and a timing component configured to generate timing information for synchronizing the MAC component and the modulator.

20. The data network of claim 18, wherein the Ethernet link comprises an upstream portion and a downstream portion, and wherein the remote-PHY node comprises:

a bidirectional Ethernet port that supports both upstream and downstream transmission, wherein the bidirectional Ethernet port is configured to;

transmit the downstream data to the remote-PHY node over the downstream portion of the Ethernet link; and

receive the upstream data from the remote-PHY node over the upstream portion of the Ethernet link.