Methods and apparatus for using bandwidth subject to cellular interference
View Patent ↗Methods and apparatus for using communications channels corresponding to frequency bands subject to cellular network, e.g., LTE, interference and/or other interference are described. The methods are well suited for use of cable networks where communications over a coax cable or via cable device may be subject to LTE interference. In various embodiments data traffic is classified based on whether the traffic corresponds to a protocol that supports a retry communications mechanism in the event of a communication error, the type of traffic data and/or the priority of the traffic data. In some embodiments data being communicated using a protocol which supports a retry mechanism are routed over channels subject to interference even if, in some cases, the packets correspond to data which has a higher priority or QoS requirements than packets, e.g., best effort packets, which are transmitted using a protocol that does not support a packet retry mechanism.
1. A method of operating a cable modem termination device, the method comprising:
operating a traffic classifier to classify traffic to be communicated based on at least whether the traffic is being communicated using a retry mechanism in the event of a communication error, traffic classified as corresponding to a first type being communicated using a communications protocol which supports a retry communications mechanism, traffic classified as corresponding to a second type being communicated using a communications protocol which does not support a communications retry mechanism;
operating a traffic to channel assignment device to assign classified traffic to communications channels based on traffic classification, said assigning including assigning at least some traffic of said first type to communications channels in a first group of communications channels, said first group of communications channels corresponding to frequencies which are subject to wireless communications device interference, said assigning classified traffic further including assigning traffic of the second type to one or more communications channels in a second group of communications channels, said second group of communications channels corresponding to frequencies that are not subject to wireless communications device interference; and
operating a processor to control at least one of interleaving, coding or modulation used for a given channel.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein operating the traffic classifier to classify traffic includes identifying TCP/IP Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) packets as first type packets.
3. The method of claim 2 , wherein operating the traffic classifier to classify traffic further includes identifying User Datagram Protocol (UDP) packets as second type packets.
4. The method of claim 3 , wherein at least some of said UDP packets are best effort packets having a lower communications priority than at least some of said first type packets.
5. The method of claim 4 ,
wherein said wireless communications device interference is interference from one or more cellular network devices;
wherein said first type traffic includes said first type packets, the method further comprising:
operating the traffic classifier to prioritize first type packets based on packet content type;
operating the traffic to channel assignment device to allocate packets having a first level of priority to communications channels in a first sub-group of said first group of communications channels, channels in said first sub-group being subject to a first level of cellular network interference;
operating the traffic to channel assignment device to allocate packets having a second level of priority to communications channels in a second sub-group of said first group of communications channels, channels in said second sub-group being subject to a second level of cellular network interference which is higher than said first level of cellular network interference.
6. The method of claim 5 , further comprising:
operating an interleaver to apply a first level of packet interleaving to packets allocated to a communications channel in said first sub-group; and
operating said interleaver to apply a second level of packet interleaving to packets allocated to a communications channel in said second sub-group, said second level of packet interleaving being higher than said first level of packet interleaving.
7. The method of claim 6 , further comprising:
operating a coder to apply a first level of error correction coding to packets allocated to said communications channel in said first sub-group; and
operating said coder to apply a second level of error correcting coding to packets allocated to said communications channel in said second sub-group, said second level of error correction coding being higher than said first level of error correction coding.
8. The method of claim 7 , further comprising:
operating an error monitoring device to monitor for signals which are part of a retransmission mechanism indicating a failure to successfully communicate a packet over channels in said first group of communications channels; and
operating said processor to change at least one of the level of packet interleaving and error correction coding used on at least one of the communications channels in said first group of communications channels in response to a change in a packet transmission failure rate for the communications channel determined from said monitoring.
9. A cable modem termination device comprising:
a traffic classifier configured to classify traffic to be communicated based on at least whether the traffic is being communicated using a retry mechanism in the event of a communication error, traffic classified as corresponding to a first type being communicated using a communications protocol which supports a retry communications mechanism, traffic classified as corresponding to a second type being communicated using a communications protocol which does not support a communications retry mechanism;
a traffic to channel assignment device configured to assign classified traffic to communications channels based on traffic classification, said assigning including assigning at least some traffic of said first type to communications channels in a first group of communications channels, said first group of communications channels corresponding to frequencies which are subject to wireless network interference, said assigning classified traffic further including assigning traffic of the second type to one or more communications channels in a second group of communications channels, said second group of communications channels corresponding to frequencies that are not subject to wireless network interference; and
a processor configured to control at least one of interleaving, coding or modulation used for a given channel.
10. The cable modem termination device of claim 9 , wherein said traffic classifier identifies Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) packets as first type packets.
11. The cable modem termination device of claim 10 , wherein said traffic classifier identifies User Datagram Protocol (UDP) packets as second type packets.
12. The cable modem termination device of claim 11 , wherein at least some of said UDP packets are best effort packets having a lower communications priority than at least some of said first type packets.
13. The cable modem termination device of claim 12 , wherein said wireless network interference is cellular network interference.
14. The cable modem termination device of claim 13 , wherein said wireless network interference is interference from Long Term Evolution (LTE) devices.
15. The cable modem termination device of claim 13 ,
wherein said first type traffic includes said first type packets,
wherein the traffic classifier is further configured to prioritize first type packets based on packet content type; and
wherein said traffic to channel assignment device is further configured to:
allocate packets having a first level of priority to communications channels in a first sub-group of said first group of communications channels, channels in said first sub-group being subject to a first level of cellular network interference; and
allocate packets having a second level of priority to communications channels in a second sub-group of said first group of communications channels, channels in said second sub-group being subject to a second level of cellular network interference which is higher than said first level of cellular network interference.