Multi-carrier frequency-division multiplexing (FDM) architecture for high speed digital service
View Patent ↗An architecture for providing high-speed access over frequency-division multiplexed (FDM) channels allows transmission of ethernet frames and/or other data across a cable transmission network or other form of FDM transport. The architecture involves downstream and upstream FDM multiplexing techniques to allow contemporaneous, parallel communications across a plurality of frequency channels. Furthermore, the architecture allows a central concentrator to support a plurality of remote devices that each have guaranteed bandwidth through connection-oriented allocations of bi-directional data flows. The upstream and downstream bandwidth allocation can support symmetrical bandwidth as well as asymmetrical bandwidth in either direction. The architecture generally can be used to support connection-oriented physical layer connectivity between a remote device and the central concentrator. Furthermore, the architecture may be integrated into other higher level devices such as, but not limited to, bridges, switches, routers, and/or gateways. The architecture generally may peacefully coexist with other services commonly-found in cable distribution networks.
1. A method of providing bi-directional communication in a cable transmission network between a first device and a second device, the method comprising the steps of:
allocating a first downstream bandwidth having a downstream frequency channel via a controller based on a first non-shared time slot assignment in a downstream packet, and a first upstream bandwidth having a first non-shared upstream frequency channel for a first full duplex point-to-point channel between the first device and the second device via the controller;
conveying high priority data traffic over the first full duplex point-to-point channel between the first device and the second device, wherein the high priority data traffic between the first device and the second device communicates Ethernet/802.3 frames;
converting the Ethernet/802.3 frames to frame management sublayer (FMS) frames;
multiplexing the FMS frames to provide MPEG frames; and
modulating the MPEG frames to provide RF data, wherein the RF data is transmitted in the downstream frequency channel.
2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
dynamically allocating a second downstream bandwidth having a second downstream frequency channel based on a shared downstream time slot assignment and the second upstream bandwidth having a second plurality of upstream frequency channels based on a shared upstream frequency channel for the second full duplex channel; and
conveying best-effort data traffic over a second full duplex channel.
3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving the RF data;
demodulating the RF data to provide the MPEG frames;
inverse multiplexing the MPEG frames to provide the FMS frames; and
converting the FMS frames back to Ethernet/802.3 frames.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first upstream bandwidth and the first downstream bandwidth provide one of symmetric and asymmetric bandwidth bi-directional communications.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first upstream bandwidth and the first downstream bandwidth provide a connection-oriented service to the bi-directional communications between the first device and the second device.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first upstream bandwidth and the second upstream bandwidth provide physical layer connectivity between the first device and the second device.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the cable transmission network carries other services in addition to the bi-directional communication between the first device and the second device.
8. The method of claim 6 , wherein the other services comprise cable television.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one downstream frequency channel and the at least one non-shared upstream frequency channel utilize a different amount of frequency bandwidth.
10. The method of claim 1 , wherein bi-directional communication between the first device and the second device communicates circuit emulation services.
11. A system that provides bi-directional communication in a cable transmission network between a first device and a second device, the system comprising:
logic configured to allocate first downstream bandwidth on at least one downstream frequency channel based on at least one first non-shared time slot assignment in at least one downstream packet and first upstream bandwidth of at least one first non-shared upstream frequency channel for a first full duplex point-to-point channel;
a transmit side device comprising:
a converter for converting Ethernet/802.3 frames into frame management sublayer (FMS) frames:
a multiplexer for multiplexing the FMS frames into MPEG frames; and
a modulator for modulating the MPEG frames to provide RF data wherein the RF data is transmitted in the at least one downstream frequency channel; and
logic configured to convey a first upstream and downstream data flow over the first full duplex point-to-point channel.
12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the at least one downstream frequency channel is a plurality of downstream frequency channels, and the at least one first non-shared upstream frequency channel is a plurality of upstream frequency channels.
13. The system of claim 11 , further comprising logic configured to dynamically allocate second downstream bandwidth on a second downstream frequency channel based on at least one shared time slot assignment and second upstream bandwidth on at least one shared upstream time slot assignment for a second full duplex channel.
14. The system of claim 11 , wherein the first upstream bandwidth and the first downstream bandwidth provide one of symmetric and asymmetric bandwidth bi-directional communications.
15. The system of claim 11 , wherein first upstream bandwidth and the first downstream bandwidth provide a connection-oriented service to the bi-directional communications between the first device and the second device.
16. The system of claim 11 , wherein the first upstream bandwidth and the second upstream bandwidth provide physical layer connectivity between the first device and the second device.
17. The system of claim 11 , further comprising a receive side device, the receive side device comprising:
a receiver for receiving the RF data;
a demodulator for demodulating the RF data to provide the MPEG frames;
an inverse multiplexer for multiplexing the MPEG frames to provide the FMS frames; and
a converter for converting the FMS frames back to the Ethernet/802.3 frames.
18. The system of claim 11 , wherein bi-directional communication between the first device and the second device communicates circuit emulation services.
19. The system of claim 11 , wherein bi-directional is further provided between the first device and a third device, the system further comprising:
logic configured to dynamically allocate second downstream bandwidth on the at least one downstream frequency channel based on at least one second non-shared time slot assignment in the at least one downstream packet, the at least one second non-shared time slot assignment being different from the at least one first non-shared time slot;
logic configured to dynamically allocate second upstream bandwidth of at least one second non-shared upstream frequency channel, the at least one second non-shared upstream frequency channel being different from the at least one first non-shared upstream frequency channel;
logic configured to convey a second upstream data flow over the second upstream bandwidth; and
logic configured to convey a second downstream data flow over the second downstream bandwidth.