Electrical computers and digital processing systems: multicomput – Computer network managing – Network resource allocating
Reexamination Certificate
2001-03-07
2004-11-23
Barot, Bharat (Department: 2155)
Electrical computers and digital processing systems: multicomput
Computer network managing
Network resource allocating
C709S223000, C709S224000, C709S225000, C709S229000, C370S230000, C370S468000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06823385
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE PRESENT INVENTION
The present invention generally relates to allocating access across a shared communications medium and, in particular, to allocating bandwidth used to convey data of competing users across a shared communications medium of a Carrier Network.
BACKGROUND OF THE PRESENT INVENTION
As used herein, a “Carrier Network” generally refers to a computer network through which users (such as homes and businesses) communicate with various service providers. The Carrier Network extends from the location of each user to an intermediate switched/routed network (hereinafter “Intermediate Network”). The service providers, in turn, are connected to the Intermediate Network, either directly or indirectly via the Internet, for communications with the users. The Carrier Network is maintained by a “Carrier,” which also may serve as a service provider for certain services. For example, a Carrier or a related entity may serve as an Internet service provider (ISP).
Two prevalent types of Carrier Networks include a “Shared Access Carrier Network,” in which data of multiple users are conveyed together over a shared communications medium between the users and the Intermediate Network, and a “Dedicated Connection Carrier Network,” in which data of each user are conveyed alone between the user and the Intermediate Network and are not combined with data of other users. One of the most prevalent Shared Access Carrier Networks today is found in the Data-Over-Cable (DOC) Network, which includes the traditional network constructed from coaxial cable and the hybrid fiber coaxial (HFC) network constructed with both fiber optical cabling and coaxial cable. Other Shared Access Carrier Networks include wireless and digital subscriber line (xDSL) networks (the xDSL lines typically being aggregated onto an oversubscribed backhaul trunk into the Intermediate Network, with the trunk defining the shared communications medium).
For example, with regard to DOC Networks, and with reference to
FIG. 1
wherein a conventional DOC Network
40
is illustrated, data packets are transmitted in a downstream direction from a cable modem termination system (CMTS)
30
, which is located in a headend
36
(or distribution hub) of a Carrier, over a coaxial cable
32
to respective cable modems (CMs)
34
of users. All of the CMs
34
are attached by the coaxial cable
32
to the CMTS
30
in an inverted tree configuration, and each CM
34
connected to the coaxial cable
32
listens to all broadcasts from the CMTS
30
transmitted through the coaxial cable
32
for data packets addressed to it, and ignores all other data packets addressed to other CMs
34
. Theoretically, a CM
34
is capable of receiving data in the downstream direction over a 6 MHz channel with a maximum connection speed of 30-40 Mbps. Data packets also are transmitted in the upstream direction over a 2 MHz channel by the CMs
34
to the CMTS
30
typically using time division multiplexing (TDM) and at a maximum connection speed of 1.5-10 Mbps.
The headend
36
in the DOC Network
40
includes a plurality of CMTSs, with each CMTS supporting multiple groups of CMs each connected together by a respective coaxial cable. Each such group of CMs connected to a CMTS defines a Shared Access Carrier Network, with the coaxial cable in each representing the shared communications medium. This arrangement of a group of CMs connected to a CMTS by a coaxial cable is referred to herein as a “Cable Network.” Accordingly, the DOC Network
40
includes a plurality of Cable Networks
38
originating from CMTSs at the headend
36
of the Carrier, with a particular Cable Network
38
being illustrated in an expanded view in FIG.
1
. The DOC Network
40
also includes multiple headends
36
,
64
,
66
.
In contrast to the Shared Access Carrier Network, a user in the Dedicated Connection Carrier Network establishes a dedicated connection directly with the Intermediate Network for the transfer of data directly therebetween, and no data of other users travel over the dedicated connection. Examples of a dedicated connection are shown for comparison in FIG.
1
and include a connection established by a telephony modem
74
and a connection established by an ISDN modem
76
. Both downstream and upstream connection speeds in a Dedicated Connection Carrier Network range from a maximum of 53 kbps in a telephony modem connection to a maximum of 128 kbps in a basic rate interface ISDN connection.
Connection speeds and, more importantly, throughput rate—the amount of data actually transmitted successfully in a given time interval—are important in minimizing downtime that users spend waiting for HTML documents to download from the Web. A Shared Access Carrier Network is considered superior to a comparable Dedicated Connection Carrier Network because the maximum instantaneous connection speed offered by the Shared Access Carrier Network is greater. A Shared Access Carrier Network is considered “comparable” to a Dedicated Connection Carrier Network where the entire bandwidth over a shared communications medium of the Shared Access Carrier Network equals an aggregate bandwidth that is divided between and dedicated to users in a Dedicated Connection Carrier Network. Accordingly, Shared Access Carrier Networks are able to offer significantly faster downloads of web documents, emails, and file transfers that are not considered available in Dedicated Connection Carrier Networks.
Furthermore, new multimedia applications and Internet services, such as voice and video communications via the Internet, now are offered which require even greater throughput rates for acceptable levels of service than that of the traditional Internet services, i.e., throughput rates greater than that required for acceptable text-based Web browsing, file transferring, and email communication. It is believed that these new multimedia applications and Internet services cannot adequately be provided for over Dedicated Connection Carrier Networks and that, consequently, Shared Access Carrier Networks ultimately will prevail as the predominant type of Carrier Network for Internet access by users.
As Shared Access Carrier Networks emerge as the favored type of network, it is believed that open access to such networks by different competing service providers will become an important commercial and legislative issue. Moreover, as more and more service providers seek to provide users with services over Shared Access Carrier Networks, it is believed that users of such service providers will receive inadequate bandwidth over the Shared Access Carrier Networks to meet minimum standards of quality, especially in Cable Networks where bandwidth is provided on a best efforts basis.
Accordingly, it is believed that a need exists for a method by which a service provider competing for users of a shared communications medium can seek protection against bandwidth starvation of the users of the shared communications medium that are its customers. Conversely, it is also believed that a need exists for a method that will accommodate differing demands for network access by users competing for such access across the shared communications medium.
SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION
Briefly summarized, the present invention relates to a method of providing network access across a shared communications medium between competing users. In particular, the present invention includes the steps of allocating network access to at least two “user classes” for a first future time interval and, for each user class, allocating network access to each user within the class for the first time interval. The present invention further includes the additional step of allocating network access to each user class for a second future time interval succeeding the first time interval and, for each user class, allocating network access to each user for the second time interval. Each user receives a first determined allowance of network access for utilization during the first time interval equal to that user's allocation for the first time interval, and a s
Ehrley John Joseph
McKinnon, III Martin W.
Sotack Timothy Sean
Subramanian Mani M.
Barot Bharat
Scientifc Atlanta, Inc.
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