WIDEBAND DOCSIS ON CATV SYSTEMS USING PORT TRUNKING

摘要

Method and apparatus to carry out wideband DOCSIS both upstream and downstream in a point-to-multipoint environment of an HFC system using port trunking concepts. For the downstream, each CMTS has a frame distributor which distributes frames to various transmitters transmitting on downstream channels to be used to transmit downstream data simultaneously to a CM using wideband DOCSIS. The frame distributor adds sequence numbers in some embodiments to guarantee proper order of frames can be restored at the CM, and schedules transmissions according to quality of service considerations to meet guaranteed and committed portions of constant bit rate and variable bit rate flows. The CMTS sends and Extended Channel Enable (ECE) message to wideband capable CMs telling them which downstreams to enable. Each CM has a frame collector to which all frames received on various downstream channels are sent. The frame collector makes sure they are all there, puts them into the proper order and delivers them to a NI. Upstream wideband DOCSIS works the same way with a frame distributor in each CM and a frame collector in the CMTS. The CMTS receives bandwidth requests and controls upstream wideband DOCSIS transmissions by sending downstream UCD and MAP and ECE messages to the CMs instructing them which upstream channels to use, describing the parameters of the channel and assigning times for transmission which are simultaneous on multiple channels for upstream wideband capable CMs.