CMTS Upstream Bandwidth Scheduler for Cable Networks
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Solution Overview
Problem
Upstream bandwidth limitations in cable TV networks bottleneck data transmissions from subscriber devices, as existing DOCSIS standards rely on request/grant schemes that do not efficiently allocate bandwidth, leading to suboptimal throughput.
Innovation Solution
The Cable Modem Termination System (CMTS) generates a bandwidth grant message that includes unsolicited upstream bandwidth by identifying unused bandwidth and allocating it to targeted downstream cable modems, enhancing their transmission capacity without requiring new hardware or modifying existing modems, using a software-driven approach that prioritizes premium accounts based on service flow attributes and recent bandwidth request types.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the CMTS uses traditional request/grant bandwidth allocation scheme, then the system maintains compatibility with existing DOCSIS standards, but upstream bandwidth utilization is inefficient and throughput is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The CMTS proactively identifies and reserves unsolicited upstream bandwidth before cable modems request it, analyzing bandwidth request patterns and service flow attributes in advance to pre-allocate additional bandwidth to premium accounts, thereby increasing throughput without waiting for traditional requests
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies different bandwidth allocation strategies to different cable modems based on their service flow attributes and account types, providing unsolicited bandwidth boosts specifically to premium accounts while maintaining standard request/grant allocation for other modems, thus improving overall productivity without uniformly increasing system complexity
2Productivity
If the CMTS allocates more broadcast contention slots, then more cable modems can request bandwidth, but the bandwidth available for unsolicited upstream allocation decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The CMTS automatically monitors its own bandwidth allocation status, identifies unused or underutilized bandwidth segments, and reallocates them as unsolicited upstream bandwidth to premium accounts without external intervention, thereby improving allocation efficiency while preserving total available bandwidth
Data Source
AI summary
In one embodiment, a Cable Modem Termination System (CMTS) generates a bandwidth grant message corresponding to a time segment. The CMTS identifies a portion of the time segment to be assigned according to received bandwidth request messages originating from downstream cable modems. The CMTS determines whether a remaining portion of the time segment can accommodate more than N broadcast contention slots, and if so, selects at least one of the cable modems for receiving an upstream bandwidth boost.