Bell Atlantic Network Services, Inc.

Dave Little

Kamran Sistanizadeh

William R Burton

John A Bigham

Amos Lucas

Larry Williams

Bahman Amin-Salehi

Regina S Lightfoot

Ulric E Arthur

Edward C Mihm

Alpna Jain

A video distribution network having an architecture that distributes video services over a greater serving area. The broadcast consolidation section receives broadband data from a plurality of information providers, preferably as compressed, digital signals using asynchronous transfer mode ATM transport. The broadcast consolidation section combines the ATM streams from different information providers and outputs a consolidated signal onto a transport ring. The broadcast ring supplies the consolidated broadcast signal to a plurality of video network hubs, each of which downloads the consolidated broadcast data, converts the consolidated broadcast data to motion picture experts group MPEG data on an RF carrier, and combines the RF signal with other RF signals before transmission by optical fiber to a plurality of local video access nodes. Each local video access node combines the RF broadcast data from the corresponding video network hub with downstream interactive multimedia television IMTV traffic supplied by an ATM backbone subnetwork. The combined RF signals are output from the local video access nodes to the access subnetwork servicing these subscribers. The architecture of the present invention provides sufficient allocation of resources, while at the same time providing efficient transport of signaling traffic and interactive data. In addition, the network control is centralized for more efficient management of resources.

Full service network having distributed architecture

An advanced optical fiber communications network comprises a multimode optical fiber connection (one fiber or two) from a central office to an intelligent interface device in the subscriber's premises. The central office includes at least a narrowband switch and a broadband switch. The narrowband switch provides voice grade telephone service routing. The broadband switch provides routing for video services and may comprise an ATM switch, an optical switch or the like. The intelligent interface device provides a connection to the optical fiber and performs two-way wavelength division multiplexing and demultiplexing as well as any necessary signal format conversions. The network has media access control functionality and utilizes a dynamic media access control procedure. The optical fiber loop to the subscriber's premises has the capacity to carry at least three different wavelengths. Bandwidth on the optical fiber loop is dynamically allocated to individual services on demand, and the allocation of bandwidth includes wavelength selection as well as bit rate allocation.

Advanced optical fiber communications network

A fiber optic network comprises an optical fiber connection (one fiber or two) from a central office to an intelligent interface device in the subscriber's premises. The central office includes a serving node transceiver providing communication links to/from at least a narrowband switch and a broadband switch for providing narrowband and broadband service routing. The network includes at least one passive power splitter/combiner for passing all wavelengths on the optical fiber connection between the serving node transceiver and the intelligent interface devices. All wavelengths are provided to each customer and bandwidth on the optical fiber loop is dynamically allocated for individual services on demand through two-way wavelength division multiplexing and demultiplexing as well as any necessary signal format conversions. The network has media access control functionality and utilizes a dynamic media access control procedure for allocation of the bandwidth.

Fiber optic network with wavelength-division-multiplexed transmission to

A video distribution network having an architecture that distributes video services over a greater serving area. The broadcast consolidation section receives broadband data from a plurality of information providers, preferably as compressed, digital signals using asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) transport. The broadcast consolidation section combines the ATM streams from different information providers and outputs a consolidated signal onto a transport ring. The broadcast ring supplies the consolidated broadcast edit to a plurality of video network hubs, each of which downloads the consolidated broadcast data, converts the consolidated broadcast data to MPEG data on an RF carrier, and combines the RF signal with other RF signals before transmission by optical fiber to a plurality of local video access node. Each local video access node combines the RF broadcast data from the corresponding video access node with downstream IMTV traffic supplied by an ATM backbone subnetwork. The combined RF signals are output from the local video access nodes to the access of network servicing these subscribers. ATM demultiplexers in the video network hubs and the local video access nodes perform MPEG processing on received ATM cell streams, assign identification values, and output on broadband channels or narrowband signaling channels, on the basis of corresponding VPI/VCI values and downloaded routing information, resulting in efficient transport of signaling traffic and interactive data.

ATM packet demultiplexer for use in full service network having

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Columbia, MD, United States of America

Dave Little