IP Library Granted Patent US 12,438,767
Granted Patent B2
US 12,438,767 · App. 18/135,442 · Granted Oct 7, 2025

Optimal placement of aggregator equipment in telecommunication networks

Inventors: Lev B. Sofman (Allen, TX); David Curran (Simpsonville, SC)
Assignee: FRONTIER COMMUNICATIONS HOLDINGS, LLC
H04L41/065H04L41/0823H04L41/0896
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,438,767
App. No.
18/135,442
Granted
Oct 7, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

Disclosed herein are system, method, and computer program product embodiments for optimal placement of aggregator equipment in telecommunication networks. An embodiment operates by receiving, as an input, information corresponding to resource capacity of the one or more types of aggregator units and resource demands generated by a plurality of access nodes. The embodiment then calculates, based on the input, an optimized traffic aggregation configuration comprising an optimized group of one or more types of traffic aggregator units. Next, the embodiment modifies, based on the optimized traffic aggregation configuration, a network connectivity configuration corresponding to a plurality of network sites. Finally, the embodiment routes network traffic, via the optimized group of one or more types of traffic aggregator units, based on the modified network connectivity configuration.

Claims (61)

1. A method, comprising:

receiving, as an input, information corresponding to resource capacity of one or more types of traffic aggregator units and resource demands generated by a plurality of access nodes;

calculating, based on the input, an optimized traffic aggregation configuration comprising an optimized group of the one or more types of traffic aggregator units;

modifying, based on the optimized traffic aggregation configuration, a network connectivity configuration corresponding to a plurality of network sites; and

routing, based on the modified network connectivity configuration, network traffic via the optimized group of the one or more types of traffic aggregator units;

wherein the modifying or routing is performed by one or more computers.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein:

the optimized traffic aggregation configuration is calculated based on execution of a network optimization function, and

the execution of the network optimization function comprises:

calculating, based on the input, an estimated number of each type of traffic aggregator unit of the one or more types of traffic aggregator units; and

calculating, based on the input and the estimated number of each type of traffic aggregator unit, the optimized traffic aggregation configuration.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the optimized traffic aggregation configuration further comprises:

a first optimized assignment of each traffic aggregator unit of the optimized group to a respective network site of a plurality of network sites, and

a second optimized assignment of each traffic aggregator unit of the optimized group to a respective subset of the plurality of access nodes.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the second optimized assignment of each traffic aggregator unit of the optimized group to the respective subset of the plurality of access nodes comprises:

assigning a first traffic aggregator unit of the optimized group to a first subset of the plurality of access nodes such that resource demand generated by the first subset of the plurality of access nodes does not exceed a resource capacity of the first traffic aggregator unit.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein

the one or more types of the traffic aggregator units comprise a large aggregator unit, a medium aggregator unit, or a small aggregator unit, and

the optimized group comprises an optimal number of traffic aggregator units of each type of the one or more types of the traffic aggregator units.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the resource demands include a number of network links to be supported, a number of subscribers to be supported, or an amount of network traffic to be supported.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the optimized traffic aggregation configuration minimizes a network cost function that is based on site-to-site traffic transport costs and aggregator equipment costs.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein an access node of the plurality of access nodes is an optical line terminator or a digital subscriber line access multiplexer.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein a traffic aggregator unit of the optimized group is a broadband network gateway.

10. A system determining an optimal placement of aggregator units in a telecommunications network, comprising:

a memory; and

at least one processor coupled to the memory and configured to:

receive, as an input, information corresponding to resource capacity of one or more types of traffic aggregator units and resource demands generated by a plurality of access nodes; calculate, based on the input, an optimized traffic aggregation configuration comprising an optimized group of one or more types of the traffic aggregator units;

modify, based on the optimized traffic aggregation configuration, a network connectivity configuration corresponding to a plurality of network sites; and

route, based on the modified network connectivity configuration, network traffic via the optimized group of one or more types of the traffic aggregator units.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein:

the optimized traffic aggregation configuration is calculated based on execution of a network optimization function, and

to execute the network optimization function, the at least one processor is further configured to:

calculate, based on the input, an estimated number of each type of traffic aggregator unit of the one or more types of traffic aggregator units; and

calculate, based on the input and the estimated number of each type of traffic aggregator unit, the optimized traffic aggregation configuration.

12. The system of claim 10 , wherein the optimized traffic aggregation configuration further comprises:

a first optimized assignment of each traffic aggregator unit of the optimized group to a respective network site of a plurality of network sites, and

a second optimized assignment of each traffic aggregator unit of the optimized group to a respective subset of the plurality of access nodes.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein the second optimized assignment of each traffic aggregator unit of the optimized group to the respective subset of the plurality of access nodes comprises:

assigning a first traffic aggregator unit of the optimized group to a first subset of the plurality of access nodes such that resource demand generated by the first subset of the plurality of access nodes does not exceed a resource capacity of the first traffic aggregator unit.

14. The system of claim 10 , wherein:

the one or more types of the traffic aggregator units comprise a large aggregator unit, a medium aggregator unit, or a small aggregator unit, and

the optimized group comprises an optimal number of traffic aggregator units of each type of the one or more types of traffic aggregator units.

15. The system of claim 10 , wherein the optimized traffic aggregation configuration minimizes a network cost function that is based on site-to-site traffic transport costs and aggregator equipment costs.

16. A non-transitory computer-readable medium (CRM) having instructions stored thereon that, when executed by at least one computing device, causes the at least one computing device to perform operations comprising:

receiving, as an input, information corresponding to resource capacity of one or more types of traffic aggregator units and resource demands generated by a plurality of access nodes;

calculating, based on the input, an optimized traffic aggregation configuration comprising an optimized group of one or more types of the traffic aggregator units;

modifying, based on the optimized traffic aggregation configuration, a network connectivity configuration corresponding to a plurality of network sites; and

routing, based on the modified network connectivity configuration, network traffic via the optimized group of one or more types of the traffic aggregator units.

17. The non-transitory CRM of claim 16 , wherein:

the optimized traffic aggregation configuration is calculated based on execution of a network optimization function, and

the execution of the network optimization function comprises:

calculating, based on the input, an estimated number of each type of traffic aggregator unit of the one or more types of the traffic aggregator units; and

calculating, based on the input and the estimated number of each type of traffic aggregator unit, the optimized traffic aggregation configuration.

18. The non-transitory CRM of claim 16 , wherein the optimized traffic aggregation configuration further comprises:

a first optimized assignment of each traffic aggregator unit of the optimized group to a respective network site of a plurality of network sites, and

a second optimized assignment of each traffic aggregator unit of the optimized group to a respective subset of the plurality of access nodes.

19. The non-transitory CRM of claim 18 , wherein the second optimized assignment of each traffic aggregator unit of the optimized group to the respective subset of the plurality of access nodes comprises:

assigning a first traffic aggregator unit of the optimized group to a first subset of the plurality of access nodes such that resource demand generated by the first subset of the plurality of access nodes does not exceed a resource capacity of the first traffic aggregator unit.

20. The non-transitory CRM of claim 16 , wherein:

the one or more types of the traffic aggregator units comprise a large aggregator unit, a medium aggregator unit, or a small aggregator unit, and

the optimized group comprises an optimal number of traffic aggregator units of each type of the one or more types of traffic aggregator units.

Assignments (4)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 23, 2026
From: FRONTIER COMMUNICATIONS HOLDINGS, LLC
To: FRONTIER COMMUNICATIONS PARENT, INC.
Reel/Frame 075841/0108 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 2, 2026
From: FRONTIER COMMUNICATIONS PARENT, INC.
To: VERIZON PATENT AND LICENSING INC.
Reel/Frame 075835/0355 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 23, 2024
From: SOFMAN, LEV B.; CURRAN, DAVID
To: FRONTIER COMMUNICATIONS HOLDINGS, LLC
Reel/Frame 068385/0924 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 18, 2023
From: SOFMAN, LEV B.; CURRAN, DAVID
To: FRONTIER COMMUNICATION HOLDINGS, LLC
Reel/Frame 063354/0244 →
Continuity (2)
Continuation 17855900 · Jul 1, 2022
Related Publication 20240007343A1 · Jan 4, 2024
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