Bell Atlantic Network Services, Inc.

Lisa M Conoscenti

Amos Lucas

Bahman Amin-Salehi

John W Darr, Jr

Carmen Hossain

Henry Trogden

Kathy Daley

In a network utilizing asynchronous transport mode (ATM) transport and/or switching, the VPI/VCI values have meaning beyond the boundaries of each individual ATM processing element. At the very least, the VPI represents a source identifier related to the provider of the particular program or service carried through the cell stream. The VPI value is maintained constant throughout the network, without translation thereof by any ATM processing element. In the preferred embodiments, the VCI also is maintained constant and serves to identify a particular service or session. For example, for each broadcast service the VCI represents a channel identifier of the program offered by the service provider identified by the associated VPI value. For an interactive session, a VCI value is assigned to the session with a particular subscriber terminal on a dynamic basis. The VCI value for such a session remains valid throughout the network for the duration of that session, without translation or reassignment. The network administration systems rely on the VPI/VCI identification rules to operate and maintain the network and to accumulate various network usage statistics.

VPI/VCI administration

An arrangement for transporting digital broadband data output in Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) cell streams from a plurality of video information service providers (VIPs) to a plurality of subscribers. A digital broadband network is adapted to receive a plurality of ATM streams from VIPs via optical fibers having a predetermined capacity. A plurality of receivers corresponding to the optical fibers output ATM cells from the optical fibers having active ATM cell streams to an ATM edge device having input ports corresponding to the predetermined capacity of the optical fibers. The ATM edge device grooms the ATM cells by rejecting unauthorized cells and idle cells that do not carry information, and maps the remaining ATM cells to output ports having a lower predetermined capacity than the plurality of optical fibers coupled to the receivers. The mapped ATM cells are assigned translated VPI/VCI identifers and are combined onto common signal paths for transport via optical fibers, thereby maximizing the capacity and efficiency of the network. The network also enables subscribers to set up fully interactive broadband sessions with selected VIPs via level 1 and level 2 gateways between the subscriber and the selected VIP.

Full service network using asynchronous transfer mode multiplexing

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Laurel, MD, United States of America

Lisa M Conoscenti