Claims
- 1. A computer-readable media having computer-executable instructions for communicating between a headend and a plurality of subscriber interface units in an interactive video entertainment network, the headend having a plurality of ATM switch ports connected for data communications through respectively corresponding individual communications channels, the computer-executable instructions comprising instructions for:
requesting an assignment of an individual subscriber interface unit to one or more communications channels; assessing relative available capacities of the individual communications channels in response to requesting the assignment; assigning the individual subscriber interface unit to one or more individual communications channels and corresponding ATM switch ports based at least in part upon the assessed relative available capacities of the communications channels; setting the individual subscriber interface unit to communicate with the headend over the one or more communications channels it is assigned to in response to assigning the individual subscriber interface unit; and establishing an ATM virtual connection between the individual subscriber interface unit and the headend through the one or more communications channels and corresponding ATM switch ports the individual subscriber interface unit is assigned to in response to assigning the individual subscriber interface unit.
- 2. A computer-readable media as recited in claim 1, wherein the instructions for establishing the ATM virtual connection further comprise instructions for:
requesting the ATM virtual connection at a specified bandwidth; and dynamically re-assigning the individual subscriber interface unit to one or more different communications channels and corresponding ATM switch ports if necessary to provide the specified bandwidth.
- 3. A computer-readable media as recited in claim 1, wherein the communications channels are passband channels on a common transmission medium, and wherein the instructions for setting further comprise instructions for tuning the individual subscriber interface unit to the one more communications channels.
- 4. A computer-readable media as recited in claim 1, wherein the computer-executable instructions further comprise instructions for assigning more than one of the subscriber interface units to a single communications channel and corresponding ATM switch port.
- 5. A computer-readable media as recited in claim 1, wherein the computer-executable instructions further comprise instructions for assigning the individual subscriber interface unit to different communications channels for upstream and downstream communications, respectively.
- 6. A computer-readable media as recited in claim 1, wherein the computer-executable instructions further comprise instructions for setting the subscriber interface units to communicate with the headend over default communications channels prior to the assigning step.
- 7. A computer-readable media having computer-executable instructions for communicating between a headend and a plurality of subscriber interface units in an interactive video entertainment network, the headend having an ATM node switch with a plurality of downstream ATM switch ports, the computer-executable instructions comprising instructions for:
connecting the downstream ATM switch ports to communicate through respective individual communications channels with the subscriber interface units; sending a channel request message from an individual subscriber interface unit to the headend; assessing relative available capacities of the individual communications channels in response to the step of sending the channel request message; designating a downstream communications channel and corresponding downstream ATM switch port for subsequent use in communicating between the individual subscriber interface unit and the headend, the designating being determined based at least in part upon the assessed relative available capacities of the communications channels; sending a channel assignment message from the headend to the individual subscriber interface unit, the channel assignment message indicating the designated downstream communications channel; setting the individual subscriber interface unit to communicate with the headend over the designated downstream communications channel in response to the channel assignment message; and establishing an ATM virtual connection from the headend to the individual subscriber interface unit through the designated downstream communications channel and corresponding downstream ATM switch port.
- 8. A computer-readable media as recited in claim 7, wherein the instructions for establishing an ATM virtual connection further comprise instructions for:
requesting the ATM virtual connection at a specified bandwidth; if no existing downstream communications channel has sufficient available capacity to provide the specified bandwidth, designating a new downstream communications channel and corresponding downstream ATM switch port to provide the specified bandwidth; sending a new channel assignment message from the headend to the individual subscriber interface unit if a new downstream communications channel is designated, the new channel assignment message indicating the new downstream communications channel; and setting the individual subscriber interface unit to communicate with the headend over the new downstream communications channel if it is designated.
- 9. A computer-readable media as recited in claim 7, wherein the communications channels are passband channels on a common transmission medium, and wherein the instructions for setting further comprise instructions for tuning the individual subscriber interface unit to the designated downstream communications channel.
- 10. A computer-readable media as recited in claim 7, the instructions further comprising setting the subscriber interface units to communicate with the headend over default communications channels prior to the instructions for sending the channel request message.
- 11. A computer-readable media as recited in claim 7, the instructions further comprising:
designating an upstream communications channel for subsequent use in communicating between the individual subscriber interface unit and the headend, the designating being based at least in part upon the assessed relative available capacities of the communications channels; indicating the designated upstream communications channel in the channel assignment message; setting the individual subscriber interface unit to communicate with the headend over the designated upstream communications channel in response to the channel assignment message; and establishing an ATM virtual connection from the individual subscriber interface unit to the headend through the designated upstream communications channel.
- 12. A computer-readable media as recited in claim 11, wherein the upstream communications channels use a time-division communications protocol.
- 13. A computer-readable media as recited in claim 11, wherein the upstream communications channels use a code-division communications protocol.
- 14. A computer-readable media as recited in claim 11, the instructions further comprising multiplexing a plurality of upstream communications channels on a single ATM switch port.
- 15. A computer-readable media as recited in claim 11, the instructions further comprising:
multiplexing a plurality of upstream communications channels on a single ATM switch port; assigning an exclusive range of VPI/VCI values to each of the subscriber interface units having a virtual connection through the single ATM switch port; and sending ATM data cells over the virtual connection between the individual subscriber interface unit and the headend, each cell having a VPI/VCI value which is within the range of VPI/VCI values assigned to the individual subscriber interface unit.
- 16. A computer-readable media as recited in claim 7, the instructions further comprising designating a single downstream communications channel for use by more than one of the subscriber interface units.
- 17. A computer-readable media as recited in claim 16, the instructions further comprising:
assigning an exclusive range of VPI/VCI values to each of the subscriber interface units using the single downstream communications channel; and sending ATM data cells over the virtual connection between the headend and the individual subscriber interface unit, each cell having a VPI/VCI value which is within the range of VPI/VCI values assigned to the individual subscriber interface unit.
- 18. A computer-readable media having computer-executable instructions for communicating between a headend and a plurality of subscriber interface units in an interactive video entertainment network, the headend having an ATM node switch with a plurality of ATM switch ports, the computer-executable instructions comprising instructions for:
providing a plurality of upstream logical communications channels and a plurality of downstream passband communications channels; connecting a set of downstream switch ports to send communications to the subscriber interface units through respective individual downstream passband communications channels; connecting an upstream switch port to receive communications from the plurality of subscriber interface units through the plurality of upstream logical communication channels; sending a channel request message from an individual subscriber interface unit to the headend; assessing relative available capacities of the upstream and downstream communications channels in response to sending the channel request message; designating a particular downstream passband communications channel and corresponding ATM switch port for subsequent use in communicating between the individual subscriber interface unit and the headend; designating a particular upstream logical communications channel for subsequent use in communicating between the individual subscriber interface unit and the headend, the instructions for designating being determined based at least in part upon the assessed relative available capacities of the communications channels; sending a channel assignment message from the headend to the individual subscriber interface unit, the channel assignment message indicating the designated downstream and upstream communications channels; tuning the individual subscriber interface unit to communicate with the headend over the designated upstream and downstream communications channels in response to the channel assignment message; and establishing one or more ATM virtual connections from the headend to the individual subscriber interface unit through the designated communications channels.
- 19. A computer-readable media as recited in claim 18, wherein the instructions for establishing one or more ATM virtual connections further comprise instructions for:
requesting an ATM virtual connection at a specified bandwidth; if no existing downstream communications channel has sufficient available capacity to provide the specified bandwidth, designating a new downstream communications channel to provide the specified bandwidth; designating a new upstream communications channel if necessary to provide the specified bandwidth; sending a new channel assignment message from the headend to the individual subscriber interface unit if new downstream or upstream communications channels are specified, the new channel assignment message indicating such new downstream or upstream communications channels; and tuning the individual subscriber interface unit to communicate with the headend over the new downstream and upstream communications channels if they are designated.
- 20. A computer-readable media as recited in claim 18, wherein the instructions further comprise sharing at least one of the upstream logical communications channels among a group of the subscriber interface units using a time-division communications protocol.
RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This is a continuation of U.S. Pat. No. 6,510,157 to Kwok et al, titled “Dynamic ATM Connection Management in a Hybrid Fiber-Coax Cable Network”, filed on Apr. 29, 1996, and which is hereby incorporated by reference.
Divisions (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
08639774 |
Apr 1996 |
US |
Child |
10347061 |
Jan 2003 |
US |