Supporting multiple logical channels in a physical interface

Abstract

A supervisory communications system (such as, a headend cable modem termination system) manages communications with a plurality of remote communications devices (such as, a cable modem). The supervisory system enables each of its physical channels to have multiple logical channels, with each logical channel having differing channel parameters or operating characteristics. As a result, different types of communication devices are permitted to coexist on the same physical spectrum. In other words, a communications device using, for example, spread spectrum modulation technologies require different operating characteristics than a communications device using, for example, time division multiplexing technologies. Although physical layer transmissions from these communications devices are not compatible, the present invention provides methodologies and/or techniques that define multiple logical channels that allow these communications devices to share the same physical spectrum of a transmission medium (such as, a HFC cable plant, wireless path, etc.) and send upstream transmissions to a single upstream receiver.