Mapping cable service flows to IP network
US10122625B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jan 25, 2016 |
| Grant date | Nov 6, 2018 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Apr 30, 2036 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH04L45/44
- WIPO fieldDigital communication
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A novel method of handling network traffic for cable service flows in a distributed cable system is presented. Such a cable systems use remote distribution nodes in the fields to handle RF communications with cable modems in a distributed fashion. A packet engine is configured to assign a logical interface to each cable service flow in the cable system. Each logical interface in the packet engine is uniquely identifiable by a compound identifier that includes the identifier of the corresponding service flow and the identifier of the remote distribution node. Upon receiving upstream data packet from a particular cable service flow, the remote distribution node applies a set of tags or labels to the data packet identifying the data packet as being from the particular cable service flow. The remote distribution node then forwards the tagged packet toward the packet engine, where the tags/labels are used to direct the packet toward the corresponding logical interface of the particular cable service flow.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.