# US 10,313,496 B2 · Spectrum abstraction for a shared coaxial cable network > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,313,496 B2 - Document ID: US10313496B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/206,049 - Filed: 2016-07-08 - Published: 2017-01-12 - Granted: 2019-06-04 - Earliest claimed: 2015-07-09 - Assignees: MaxLinear, Inc. - Applicants: Maxlinear, Inc. - Inventors: Curtis Ling; Sridhar Ramesh - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10313496B2 ## CPC - H04L 69/323: in the physical layer [OSI layer 1] - H04B 3/46: Monitoring; Testing - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) - H04B: TRANSMISSION ## Abstract A first Multimedia over Coax Alliance (MoCA) compatible device comprises a physical layer profiling circuit and a spectrum abstraction circuit. The physical layer profiling circuit may for example be operable to measure a performance metric for each of a plurality of subbands on a shared coaxial cable of a MoCA network. The spectrum abstraction circuit may for example be operable to select, based at least in part on the measured performance metric, a subset of the subbands to be used for communication over the coaxial cable between the first MoCA-compatible device and a second MoCA-compatible device. The spectrum abstraction circuit may for example be operable to receive an indication of whether channel bonding is to be used for the communication over the coaxial cable between the first MoCA-compatible device and the second MoCA-compatible device. The spectrum abstraction circuit may for example be operable to perform the selection of the subset of the subbands based at least in part on the indication of whether channel-bonding is to be used. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A system comprising a first Multimedia over Coax Alliance (MoCA) compatible device comprising a physical layer profiling circuit and a spectrum abstraction circuit, wherein: the physical layer profiling circuit is operable to measure a performance metric for each of a plurality of subbands on a shared coaxial cable of a MoCA network; and the spectrum abstraction circuit is operable to select, based at least in part on the measured performance metric, a subset of the plurality of subbands to be used for communication over the coaxial cable between the first MoCA-compatible device and a second MoCA-compatible device, wherein the subset of the plurality of subbands comprises more than one of the plurality of subbands, wherein: the spectrum abstraction circuit is operable to receive an indication of whether channel-bonding is to be used for the communication over the coaxial cable between the first MoCA-compatible device and the second MoCA-compatible device; and the spectrum abstraction circuit is operable to perform the selection of the subset of the plurality of subbands based at least in part on the indication of whether channel-bonding is to be used, wherein: when channel-bonding is not to be used, the subset of the plurality of subbands comprises a first plurality of the plurality of subbands; and when channel-bonding is to be used, the subset of the plurality of subbands comprises a second plurality of the plurality of subbands, wherein the second plurality is different from the first plurality. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of subbands comprises at least one MoCA subband and at least one non-MoCA subband. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the spectrum abstraction circuit is operable to: select a first subset of the plurality of subbands having a first aggregate bandwidth when the indication is that channel bonding is to be used; and select a second subset having a second aggregate bandwidth, different from the first aggregate bandwidth, when the indication is that channel bonding is not to be used. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the spectrum abstraction circuit is operable to include, in the selected subset, only those of the plurality of subbands for which the measured performance metric meets a minimum acceptable level. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein: the first MoCA-compatible device comprises an analog-to-digital conversion circuit (ADC), a subband selection circuit, and a downconversion circuit, wherein: an input of the subband selection circuit is connected to an output of the ADC; and inputs of the downconversion circuit are connected to outputs of the subband selection circuit. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The system of claim 5, wherein a local oscillator frequency of the downconversion circuit is configured based, at least in part, on a control signal from the spectrum abstraction circuit. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The system of claim 5, wherein the subband selection circuit is configured based, at least in part, on a control signal from the spectrum abstraction circuit such that the subband selection circuit passes only the selected subset of the plurality of subbands to the inputs of the downconversion circuit. ### Claim 8 (depends on 5) The system of claim 5, wherein: the first MoCA-compatible device comprises a demodulation and decoding circuit; and parameter values used by the demodulation and decoding circuit are configured based, at least in part, on a control signal from the spectrum abstraction circuit such that appropriate parameter values are used for demodulating and decoding each subband in the selected subset. ### Claim 9 A system comprising a first Multimedia over Coax Alliance (MoCA) compatible device comprising a physical layer profiling circuit and a spectrum abstraction circuit, wherein: the physical layer profiling circuit is operable to measure a performance metric for each of a plurality of subbands on a shared coaxial cable of a MoCA network; the spectrum abstraction circuit is operable to select, based at least in part on the measured performance metric, a subset of the plurality of subbands to be used for communication over the coaxial cable between the first MoCA-compatible device and a second MoCA-compatible device, wherein the subset of the plurality of subbands comprises more than one of the plurality of subbands; and the plurality of subbands comprises at least one MoCA subband and at least one non-MoCA subband. ### Claim 10 A system comprising a first Multimedia over Coax Alliance (MoCA) compatible device comprising a physical layer profiling circuit and a spectrum abstraction circuit, wherein: the physical layer profiling circuit is operable to measure a performance metric for each of a plurality of subbands on a shared coaxial cable of a MoCA network; the spectrum abstraction circuit is operable to select, based at least in part on the measured performance metric, a subset of the plurality of subbands to be used for communication over the coaxial cable between the first MoCA-compatible device and a second MoCA-compatible device, wherein the subset of the plurality of subbands comprises more than one of the plurality of subbands; and the subset of the plurality of subbands comprises at least three distinct subbands separated from each other by one or more intervening subbands. ### Claim 11 A method comprising measuring, by a physical layer profiling circuit of a first Multimedia over Coax Alliance (MoCA) compatible device, a performance metric for each of a plurality of subbands on a shared coaxial cable of a MoCA network; and selecting, by a spectrum abstraction circuit of the first MoCA-compatible device based at least in part on the measured performance metric, a subset of the plurality of subbands to be used for communication over the coaxial cable between the first MoCA-compatible device and a second MoCA-compatible device, wherein the subset of the plurality of subbands comprises more than one of the plurality of subbands, receiving, by the spectrum abstraction circuit, an indication of whether channel-bonding is to be used for the communication over the coaxial cable between the first MoCA-compatible device and the second MoCA-compatible device, wherein the spectrum abstraction circuit performs the selecting of the subset of the plurality of subbands based at least in part on the indication of whether channel-bonding is to be used, wherein: when channel-bonding is not to be used, the subset of the plurality of subbands comprises a first plurality of the plurality of subbands; and when channel-bonding is to be used, the subset of the plurality of subbands comprises a second plurality of the plurality of subbands, wherein the second plurality is different from the first plurality. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein the plurality of subbands comprises at least one MoCA subband and at least one non-MoCA subband. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein the selecting comprises: selecting a first subset of the plurality of subbands having a first aggregate bandwidth when the indication is that channel bonding is to be used; and selecting a second subset having a second aggregate bandwidth, different from the first aggregate bandwidth, when the indication is that channel bonding is not to be used. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein the selecting comprises selecting only those of the plurality of subbands for which the measured performance metric meets a minimum acceptable level. ### Claim 15 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein: the first MoCA-compatible device comprises an analog-to-digital conversion circuit (ADC), a subband selection circuit, and a downconversion circuit, wherein: an input of the subband selection circuit is connected to an output of the ADC; and inputs of the downconversion circuit are connected to outputs of the subband selection circuit. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, comprising configuring, by the downconversion circuit, a frequency of one or more local oscillators based, at least in part, on a control signal from the spectrum abstraction circuit. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, comprising configuring, by the subband selection circuit based at least in part on a control signal from the spectrum abstraction circuit, the subband selection circuit to pass only the selected subset of the plurality of subbands to the inputs of the downconversion circuit. ### Claim 18 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein the first MoCA-compatible device comprises a demodulation and decoding circuit, and the method comprises: configuring, by the demodulation and decoding circuit based at least in part on a control signal from the spectrum abstraction circuit, parameter values used by the demodulation and decoding circuit such that appropriate parameter values are used for demodulating and decoding each subband in the selected subset. ### Claim 19 A method comprising measuring, by a physical layer profiling circuit of a first Multimedia over Coax Alliance (MoCA) compatible device, a performance metric for each of a plurality of subbands on a shared coaxial cable of a MoCA network; and selecting, by a spectrum abstraction circuit of the first MoCA-compatible device based at least in part on the measured performance metric, a subset of the plurality of subbands to be used for communication over the coaxial cable between the first MoCA-compatible device and a second MoCA-compatible device, wherein the subset of the plurality of subbands comprises more than one of the plurality of subbands, wherein the plurality of subbands comprises at least one MoCA subband and at least one non-MoCA subband. ### Claim 20 A method comprising measuring, by a physical layer profiling circuit of a first Multimedia over Coax Alliance (MoCA) compatible device, a performance metric for each of a plurality of subbands on a shared coaxial cable of a MoCA network; and selecting, by a spectrum abstraction circuit of the first MoCA-compatible device based at least in part on the measured performance metric, a subset of the plurality of subbands to be used for communication over the coaxial cable between the first MoCA-compatible device and a second MoCA-compatible device, wherein the subset of the plurality of subbands comprises more than one of the plurality of subbands, wherein the subset of the plurality of subbands comprises at least three distinct subbands separated from each other by one or more intervening subbands.