Explicit congestion notification for DOCSIS based broadband communication systems

US7145888B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• Broadcom Corporation · US

Inventors

• Mark Dale · Laguna Hills, US
• David Hartman · Laguna Hills, US
• Dorothy Lin · Irvine, US
• Rocco Brescia · Laguna Beach, US
• Alan Gin · Newport Beach, US
• Ravi Bhaskaran · Irvine, US
• Jen-chieh Chien · Lake Forest, US
• Adel Fanous · Irvine, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Apr 23, 2003
• Grant date: Dec 5, 2006
• Expiry date: Dec 27, 2023

Classification

• Technology area (CPC H): Electricity
• CPC primary: H04B7/18523
• WIPO field: Telecommunications
• WIPO sector: Electrical engineering

Abstract

Satellite communications are carried out using the Data Over Cable Interface Specification (DOCSIS). Satellite modems are notified of upstream channel congestion by inserting a congestion notification message in a medium access protocol (MAP) message for the upstream channel. Specifically, the congestion notification message is inserted in an unused field of the MAP message, such as the explicit congestion notification (ECN) field. The MAP message can also carry other characteristics of the upstream channel, including priority threshold, multicast access burst availability, and available bandwidth.