Synchronization and information exchange between communication components using a network management operations and control paradigm

• US 6,170,005 B1
• Filed: 06/12/1998
• Issued: 01/02/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 11/04/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: General Instrument Corporation (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.), Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Meandzija, Branislav N.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kostak, Victor R.
• Application Number:
  US09/096,861
• Time in Patent Office: 935 Days
• Field of Search: 709/217-219, 709/229, 709/232, 709/248, 709/250, 709/201-205, 709/225, 709/400, 380/21, 370/236, 370/350, 370/503, 370/507, 370/509, 370/513
• US Class Current: 709/217
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0213 Standardised network management protocols, e.g. simple network management protocol [SNMP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/046 comprising network management agents or mobile agents therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/052 using standardised network management architectures, e.g. telecommunication management network [TMN] or unified network management architecture [UNMA]
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0095 Specification, development or application of network management software, e.g. software re-use

Abstract

A system for providing synchronization and information exchange in a network such as a digital television broadcast network using a network management operations and control paradigm. A management entity component, such as a computer workstation operated at a control center, coordinates the actions of different agent components, such as hardware used at the headend or uplink site of a television network. The agent components are used to provide conditional access to a television signal by inserting conditional access data into the transmitted programming. Management information bases (MIBs) are provided for the agent components and the management component. The agent components update their MIBs with information of the communication network, such as changes in a television event schedule. The management component periodically reads the agents'"'"' MIBs to obtain the updated information and store it in its own MIB. The management component provides information to the agents'"'"' MIBs according to the updated information obtained from the agents to synchronize the insertion of data into the digital broadcast data stream by the agents.

Claims

1. A method for providing communication between first and second headend, uplink and/or conditional access agent components and a management component thereof in a communication network, comprising the steps of:

providing respective management information bases (MIBs) for said first and second agent components and said management component;

said first and second agent components updating their respective MIBs with information of said communication network;

said management component periodically reading said MIBs of said first and second agent components to obtain the updated information therefrom, and storing the updated information in its respective MIB;

wherein said management component provides information to said MIBs of said first and second agent components to synchronize an insertion of data into a digital broadcast data stream by said first and second agent components.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

said first agent component advertises event schedule information of said communication network by making said event schedule information available to said management component and said second agent component via said first agent component'"'"'s respective MIB.

3. The method of claim 1, comprising the further step of:

transmitting event reporting information from said management component to at least said first agent component to allow said first agent component to implement an event reporting procedure;

said event reporting information defining pre-conditions for said first agent component to declare an event;

said first agent component asynchronously notifying said management component of an event when said pre-conditions have been met.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein a plurality of management components are provided in said communication network, comprising the further step of:

transmitting information from at least a particular one of said management components to said first and second agent components to register said particular management component as a recipient of the asynchronous event notifications thereof.

5. The method of claim 3, comprising the further step of:

transmitting event logging information from said management component to at least said first agent component to allow said first agent component to implement an event logging procedure according to said event reporting procedure;

said event logging information defining pre-conditions for said first agent component to log an event.

6. The method of claim 3, comprising the further step of:

transmitting event forwarding discriminator information from said management component to at least said first agent component to allow said first agent component to implement an event forwarding discriminator procedure according to said event reporting procedure;

said event forwarding discriminator information defining pre-conditions for said first agent component to forward an event to said management component.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein:

at least one of said first and second agent components is a conditional access agent component for inserting conditional access data into said digital broadcast data stream.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein:

said management component provides conditional access information to said MIB of said conditional access agent component.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein:

said management component and said first and second agent components are synchronized with one another.

10. An apparatus for providing communication between first and second headend, uplink and/or conditional access agent components and a management component thereof in a communication network, comprising:

respective management information bases (MIBs) for said first and second agent components and said management component;

means associated with said first and second agent components for updating their respective MIBs with information of said communication network;

means associated with said management component for periodically reading said MIBs of said first and second agent components to obtain the updated information therefrom;

means for storing the updated information in said MIB of said management component; and

means associated with said management component for providing information to said MIBs of said first and second agent components to synchronize an insertion of data into a digital broadcast data stream by said first and second agent components.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, further comprising:

means associated with said first agent component for advertising event schedule information of said communication network by making said event schedule information available to said management component and said second agent component via said first agent component'"'"'s respective MIB.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, further comprising:

means for transmitting event reporting information from said management component to at least said first agent component to allow said first agent component to implement an event reporting procedure;

said event reporting information defining pre-conditions for said first agent component to declare an event; and

means associated with said first agent component for asynchronously notifying said management component of an event when said pre-conditions have been met.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein a plurality of management components are provided in said communication network, further comprising:

means for transmitting information from at least a particular one of said management components to said first and second agent components to register said particular management component as a recipient of the asynchronous event notifications thereof.

14. The apparatus of claim 12, further comprising:

means for transmitting event logging information from said management component to at least said first agent component to allow said first agent component to implement an event logging procedure according to said event reporting procedure;

said event logging information defining pre-conditions for said first agent component to log an event.

15. The apparatus of claim 12, further comprising:

means for transmitting event forwarding discriminator information from said management component to at least said first agent component to allow said first agent component to implement an event forwarding discriminator procedure according to said event reporting procedure;

said event forwarding discriminator information defining pre-conditions for said first agent component to forward an event to said management component.

16. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein at least one of said first and second agent components is a conditional access agent component, further comprising:

means associated with said conditional access agent component for inserting conditional access data into said digital broadcast data stream.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, further comprising:

means associated with said management component for providing conditional access information to said MIB of said conditional access agent component.

18. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein:

said management component and said first and second agent components are synchronized with one another.

19. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein:

said communication network comprises a broadband network for providing said digital broadcast data stream to a decoder population.

20. An apparatus for providing communication between first and second headend, uplink and/or conditional access agent components and a management component thereof in a communication network, comprising:

at least one memory associated with said first and second agent components providing respective management information bases (MIBs) thereof;

a memory associated with said management component providing a MIB thereof;

at least one transceiver associated with said first and second agent components;

a transceiver associated with said management component;

at least one processor associated with said first and second agent components;

a processor associated with said management component;

said at least one processor responsive to said at least one transceiver for updating said MIBs of said first and second agent components with information of said communication network;

said transceiver of said management component responsive to said processor thereof for periodically transmitting control signals to said at least one processor;

said at least one transceiver responsive to said at least one processor and said control signals for transmitting the updated information from said MIBs of said first and second agent components to said transceiver of said management component for storage at the MIB thereof;

said transceiver of said management component responsive to said processor thereof for periodically transmitting information to said at least one processor for storage at the MIBs of said first and second agent components to synchronize an insertion of data into a digital broadcast data stream by said first and second agent components.