| 摘要 |
Enhanced Cable Modem (Fig. 7) Termination System (CMTS) functionality is incorporated into Fiber Nodes (FNs) or mini Fiber Nodes (mFNs), yielding enhanced Fiber Nodes (eFNs) (3A). These eFNs (3A) distribute CMTS functionality, by moving the cable modem teminations closer to the subscribers thereby shortening the analog RF paths required to support cable modems. Communication of both subscriber data and CMTS control data is performed over Ethernet-compatible packet networks between the CMTSs and an upstream facility (e.g., the Head End (10100)), which includes an Internet gateway. Packet data for multiple subscriber cable modems is compressed and merged over common network paths, reducing cabling plant complexity and increasing bandwidth utilization. This approach dramatically reduces the infrastructure cost per cable modem, and reduces demands on resources at the Head End (10100) for space, power, and HVAC. For HFCN channels containing signals with modulation or encoding schemes that are unknown or best processed upstream, tunnelling is provided. |
