Apparatus and method for accessing a network

• US 6,603,770 B2
• Filed: 01/16/2001
• Issued: 08/05/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 01/16/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Mercury Mission Systems LLC (Mercury Systems, Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Physical Optics Corporation
• Inventors: Tran, Duke, Sha, Ling, Tian, Frank, Lin, Freddie
• Primary Examiner(s): Olms, Douglas
• Assistant Examiner(s): Pizarro, Ricardo M.
• Application Number:
  US09/761,110
• Publication Number:
  US 20020093969A1
• Time in Patent Office: 931 Days
• Field of Search: 370/401, 370/400, 370/410, 370/406, 370/356, 370/352, 370/333, 370/355, 370/242, 370/354, 370/421, 370/463, 370/465, 370/468, 370/419, 379/220.9, 379/16, 379/17, 379/225, 209/249, 209/250, 209/225, 209/220, 713/201
• US Class Current: 370/401
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2861 Point-to-multipoint connection from the data network to the subscribers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2898 Subscriber equipments DSL modems H04M11/062; cable modems H04L12/2801
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 11/04 for time-division multiplexing H04Q11/0001 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13036 Serial/parallel conversion, parallel bit transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13109 Initializing, personal profile
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13196 Connection circuit/link/trunk/junction, bridge, router, gateway
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13204 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13213 Counting, timing circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/1325 Priority service
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13292 Time division multiplexing, TDM
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13298 Local loop systems, access network
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/1332 Logic circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13322 Integrated circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13332 Broadband, CATV, dynamic bandwidth allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13367 Hierarchical multiplexing, add-drop multiplexing
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13389 LAN, internet

Abstract

An apparatus and method that provides access between an enterprise network and at least one of a metropolitan area network and a wide area network. The apparatus includes an enterprise area network connection, a controller coupled to the enterprise area network connection, the controller providing Layer 1 and Layer 2 service, and a central office connection coupled to a central office, the central office providing Layer 3 and Layer 4 service. The controller transmits unmapped data across the central office connection to the central office and the central office maps the unmapped data onto a desired format.

Claims

1. A first access device that provides access between an enterprise network and at least one of a metropolitan area network and a wide network, comprising:

an enterprise area network connection providing connection to an enterprise area network;

a controller coupled to the enterprise area network connection, the controller providing Layer 1 and layer 2 service; and

a central office connection coupled to the controller and providing connection to a central office, the central office providing layer 3 and layer 4 service;

wherein said controller comprises a first controller, said central office includes a second access device controller and said first controller transmits data through said central office connection to a second access device located at said central office;

wherein said controller receives data from the enterprise area network connection and transmits multiple data formats across the central office connection to the central office using Layer 1 and layer 2 services.

5. The access device according to claim 1, wherein the central office maps multiple data formats onto appropriate Layer 3 and Layer 4 equipment.

6. The access device according to claim 1, wherein the controller receives data from the enterprise area network connection and transmits time division multiplexed (TDM) data, packetized data, video data, and audio data across the central office connection to the central office.

7. The access device according to claim 6, wherein the packetized data includes at least one of Ethernet, Fast Ethernet, Gigabit Ethernet, and Asynchronous Transfer Mode data, and the TDM data includes at least one of T1, DS1, T3, DS3, STS-1, or SONET data.

8. The access device according to claim 1, wherein the controller receives data from the enterprise area network connection and multiplexes the data received from the enterprise area network connection with other data.

9. The access device according to claim 8, wherein the enterprise area network connection comprises a first enterprise area network connection and the access device further comprises a second enterprise area network connection, wherein the controller receives second data from the second enterprise area network connection and multiplexes the second data with the data received from the first enterprise area network connection.

10. The access device according to claim 1, further comprising an access device connection, wherein the access device connection provides a connection to a second access device.

11. The access device according to claim 1, wherein the central office provides said Layer 3 and said Layer 4 service to at least one of said metropolitan area network and said wide area network.

2. An access device that provides access between an enterprise network and at least one of a metropolitan area network and a wide network comprising:

an enterprise area network connection providing connection to an enterprise area network;

a controller coupled to the enterprise area network connection, the controller providing Layer 1 and Layer 2 service; and

a central office connection coupled to the controller and providing connection to a central office, the central office providing Layer 3 and Layer 4 service;

wherein the controller further comprises;

a timeslot allocation table including timeslot allocation information; and

a transmitter coupled to the timeslot allocation table wherein the transmitter transmits data and updated timeslot allocation information in accordance with the timeslot allocation information.

12. The access device according to claim 2, wherein the controller receives data from the enterprise area network connection and provides dynamic timeslot allocation for transmitting the data through the central office connection to the central office.

13. The access device according to claim 2, further comprising a second access device connection, wherein the second access device connection provides a connection to a second access device.

14. The access device according to claim 13, wherein the controller receives data from the enterprise area network connection and provides dynamic timeslot allocation for transmitting the data through the second access device connection to the second access device.

15. The access device according to claim 2, further comprising a timeslot controller coupled to the timeslot allocation table, wherein the timeslot controller receives updated timeslot allocation information and updates the timeslot allocation table with the updated timeslot allocation information.

16. The access device according to claim 15, wherein the updated timeslot allocation information includes information regarding the addition of channels.

17. The access device according to claim 15, wherein the updated timeslot allocation information includes information regarding the removal of channels.

18. The access device according to claim 17, wherein the controller receives data from the first local area network connection and transmits data across the second local area network connection to the second local area network.

19. The access device according to claim 18, wherein the controller transmits time division multiplexed data, packetized data, video data, and audio data across the second local area network connection to the second local area network.

20. The access device according to claim 17, further comprising a central office connection coupled to a central office, the central office providing Layer 3 and Layer 4 service.

21. The access device according to claim 20, further comprising a second access device connection, wherein the second access device connection provides a connection to a second access device.

22. The access device according to claim 20, wherein the central office provides Layer 3 and Layer 4 service to at least one of a metropolitan area network and the wide area network.

3. A first access device for providing connection to a first local area networks and to a second local area network, comprising:

a first local area network connection providing a connection to a first local area network;

a second local area network connection providing a connection to a second local area network; and

a first controller coupled to the first area network connection and coupled to the second local area network connection, the first controller providing Layer 1 service and Layer 2 service for direct connection of the first local area network to the second local area network without connection to a Layer 3 device;

wherein the central office includes a second access device including a second controller and the first controller transmits data through the central office connection to the second controller of the second access device located at the central office;

wherein said first controller receives data from the enterprise area network connection and transmits multiple data formats across the central office connection to the central office using Layer 1 and layer 2 services.

4. An access device for providing connection to a first local area network to a second local area network comprising:

a first local area network connection providing a connection to a first local area netowrk;

a second local area network connection providing a connection to a second local area network; and

a controller coupled to the first local area network connection and coupled to the second local area network connection, the controller providing Layer 1 service and Layer 2 service for direct connection of the first local area network to the second local area network without connection to a Layer 3 device;

wherein the controller further comprises;

a timeslot allocation table including timeslot allocation information; and

a transmitter coupled to the timeslot allocation table wherein the access device transmit data and updated timeslot allocation information in accordance with the timeslot allocation information.

23. The access device according to claim 4, further comprising a timeslot controller coupled to the timeslot allocation table, wherein the timeslot controller receives updated timeslot allocation information and updates the timeslot allocation table with the updated timeslot allocation information.

24. The access device according to claim 23, wherein the updated timeslot allocation information includes information regarding the addition of channels.

25. The access device according to claim 23, wherein the updated timeslot allocation information includes information regarding the removal of channels.