Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC

Timothy C Kwok

Yoram Bernet

John R Douceur

Described herein is an ATM cable network having a plurality of ATM subscriber interface units or set-top boxes (STBs) in individual neighborhood homes. A coax distribution plant provides a plurality of communication channels between the STBs and a neighborhood node. A cable headend serves the neighborhood node and its associated STBs through a fiber-optic trunk providing a plurality of different communication channels or frequencies. The headend includes an ATM node switch having switch ports associated with each of the different communication channels. A resource manager at the headend assigns individual STBs to respective communications channels. STBs share both upstream and downstream communications channels and switch ports. In an extended autoregistration procedure, the ATM node switch is configured to assign exclusive ranges of VPI/VCI values to the individual STBs tuned to the single switch port. During ATM cell transfer, an ATM cell originating from or destined to a specific STB uses a VPI/VCI value within the range of routing indicators assigned to the STB. This allows the headend to determine the source of all upstream data cells and allows STBs to disregard any cells not intended for them.

Dynamic ATM connection management in a hybrid fiber-coax cable network

Described herein is an ATM cable network having a plurality of ATM subscriber interface units or set-top boxes (STBs) in individual neighborhood homes. A coax distribution plant provides a plurality of communication channels between the STBs and the a neighborhood node. A cable headend serves the neighborhood node and its associated STBs through a fiber-optic trunk providing a plurality of different communication channels or frequencies. The headend includes an ATM node switch having switch ports associated with each of the different communication channels. A resource manager at the headend assigns individual STBs to respective communications channels. STBs share both upstream and downstream communications channels and switch ports. In an extended autoregistration procedure, the ATM node switch is configured to assign exclusive ranges of VPI/VCI values to the individual STBs tuned to the single switch port. During ATM cell transfer, an ATM cell originating from or destined to a specific STB uses a VPI/VCI value within the range of routing indicators assigned to the STB. This allows the headend to determine the source of all upstream data cells an allows STBs to disregard any cells not intended for them.

Described herein is an ATM cable network having a plurality of ATM subscriber interface units or set-top boxes (STBs) in individual neighborhood homes. A coax distribution plant provides a plurality of communication channels between the STBs and the a neighborhood node. A cable headend serves the neighborhood node and its associated STBs through a fiber-optic trunk providing a plurality of different communication channels or frequencies. The headend includes an ATM node switch having switch ports associated with each of the different communication channels. An access resource manager at the headend assigns individual STBs to respective communications channels. STBs share both upstream and downstream communications channels and switch ports. In an extended autoregistration procedure, the ATM node switch is configured to assign exclusive ranges of virtual channel numbers to the individual STBs tuned to the single switch port. During ATM cell transfer, an ATM cell originating from or destined to a specific STB uses a virtual channel number within a range of virtual channel numbers assigned to the STB. This allows the headend to determine the source of all upstream data cells an allows STBs to disregard any cells not intended for them.

ATM extended autoregistration and VPI/VCI assignment in a hybrid

Described herein is an ATM switch having a plurality of switch ports for connection to a public ATM network and to a plurality of data handlers. Each data handler is configured to supply respective portions of a continuous data stream to a requesting end-point device through the public ATM network. To request a particular continuous data stream, an end-point device sends a request to a controller associated with the data handlers, rather to each of the individual data handlers. The controller in the preferred embodiment is a dedicated computer, although it is also possible to designate one of the data handlers to perform the functions of the controller. In response to receiving a request from an end-point device, the controller establishes a multipoint-to-point virtual connection between the end-point device and the data handlers which will supply portions of the requested continuous data stream. The switch port selected to establish the virtual connection with the end-point device is configured as the user side of a standard ATM user-to-network interface (UNI), and its ATM address is used as the calling party address in establishing the virtual connection with the end-point device. Once the connections are established, the data handlers begin supplying their data portions. The ATM switch merges these data portions into a single data stream and supplies it to the requesting end-point device through the single virtual connection between the ATM switch and the end-point device.

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Kirkland, WA, United States of America

Timothy C Kwok