# US 10,122,625 B2 · Mapping cable service flows to IP network > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,122,625 B2 - Document ID: US10122625B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/005,219 - Filed: 2016-01-25 - Published: 2016-10-06 - Granted: 2018-11-06 - Earliest claimed: 2015-04-01 - Assignees: Nokia of America Corporation - Applicants: Gainspeed, Inc. - Inventors: Iswar Biswal; Bhupesh Kothari; Alok Khambatkone; Philip Winterbottom - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10122625B2 ## CPC - H04L 45/566: {Routing instructions carried by the data packet, e.g. active networks} - H04L 45/04: {Interdomain routing, e.g. hierarchical routing} - H04L 45/16: Multipoint routing - H04L 45/44: Distributed routing - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) ## Abstract A novel method of handling network traffic for cable service flows in a distributed cable system is presented. Such a cable systems use remote distribution nodes in the fields to handle RF communications with cable modems in a distributed fashion. A packet engine is configured to assign a logical interface to each cable service flow in the cable system. Each logical interface in the packet engine is uniquely identifiable by a compound identifier that includes the identifier of the corresponding service flow and the identifier of the remote distribution node. Upon receiving upstream data packet from a particular cable service flow, the remote distribution node applies a set of tags or labels to the data packet identifying the data packet as being from the particular cable service flow. The remote distribution node then forwards the tagged packet toward the packet engine, where the tags/labels are used to direct the packet toward the corresponding logical interface of the particular cable service flow. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method comprising: receiving, at a remote distribution node, radio frequency (RF) signals from a plurality of cable modems for a plurality of cable service flows; creating a packet for a particular service flow based on the received RF signals; inserting first and second tags into the packet, the first tag identifying the particular cable service flow, the second tag identifying the remote distribution node; forwarding the packet to one of a plurality of logical interfaces in a packet engine in a cable head end, wherein the first and second tags are jointly used to identify the one of the plurality of logical interfaces in the packet engine that is configured to handle the particular cable service flow, wherein each of the plurality of logical interfaces are configured to handle a different cable service flow. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second tags are VLAN tags. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the remote distribution node is a fiber node (FN) that transceives digital data over an optical fiber network with a cable head end. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the particular cable service flow is a cable modem. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the particular cable service flow is a service of a cable bundle. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the remote distribution node is an ether node (EN) that is in Internet Protocol (IP) communication with the cable head end. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the RF signals are received over RF channels that are established over CATV cables with the plurality of cable modems. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the second tag is further for identifying a port on a switch that is connected to the remote distribution node. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, wherein the switch is for switching between a plurality of remote distribution nodes, wherein each remote distribution node is for converting RF signals from a set of cable modems to optical fiber signals to the cable head end. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the packet engine is for providing access to the Internet and for providing L2/L3 routing to each of the cable service flows. ### Claim 11 A system comprising: a cable head end comprising a packet engine; a set of cable modems for providing a plurality of cable service flows; and a set of remote distribution nodes for receiving RF signals from the plurality of cable modems and for forwarding packets to the cable head end, the packets created based on the received RF signals for the plurality of cable service flows, wherein a remote distribution node inserts first and second tags into packets it creates for a particular cable service flow, the first tag identifying the particular cable service flow, the second tag identifying the remote distribution node, wherein the packet engine comprises a plurality of logical interfaces, each logical interface configured to handle a different one of the plurality of cable service flows, wherein the first and second tags are jointly used to identify one of the plurality of logical interfaces in the packet engine that is configured to handle the particular cable service flow. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, wherein each remote distribution node is a fiber node (FN) that transceives digital data over an optical fiber network with the cable head end. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, wherein the particular cable service flow is a cable modem. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, wherein the particular cable service flow is a service of a cable bundle. ### Claim 15 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, wherein each remote distribution node is an ether node (EN) that is in Internet Protocol (IP) communication with the cable head end. ### Claim 16 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, wherein the RF signals are received over RF channels that are established over CATV cables with the plurality of cable modems. ### Claim 17 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, wherein the second tag is further for identifying a port on a switch that is connected to the remote distribution node. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The system of claim 17, wherein the switch is for switching between the set of remote distribution nodes, wherein each remote distribution node is for converting RF signals from a set of cable modems to optical fiber signals to the cable head end. ### Claim 19 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, wherein the packet engine is for providing access to the Internet and for providing L2/L3 routing to each of the cable service flows.