Local communications network
AssigneeCable Television Laboratories, Inc.
InventorsJoseph Padden, Luther E. Smith, David Daniel Smith, Luis Alberto Campos
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A local communication network (LCN) is contemplated. The LCN may be established within an existing network by leveraging network capabilities in order to facilitate local communications of the type whereby point-to-point (P-to-P) or other types of messaging and/or signaling may be communicated directly between devices without having to be relayed through a headend, a termination system or other processing entity.
Claims13
A method for locally communicating over a network, the network utilizing a cable infrastructure to facilitate communications between a cable modem termination system (CMTS) and a plurality of cable modems (CMs), the method comprising:
- allocating a portion of spectrum available within the network for local communications such that messaging within the portion are exchanged between the CMs without reliance on the CMTS for relay;
- determining isolation mapping for the network, the isolation mapping detailing isolation levels between the CMs according to frequency;
- and
- selecting the portion to coincide with frequencies within the isolation mapping having low levels of isolation;
- and
- determining the low levels of isolation to correspond with portions of the isolation mapping having isolation less than a threshold.
A method for communicating over a network comprising:
- instructing devices within the network to transmit non-local messaging to a termination system for indirect relay;
- instructing devices within the network to transmit local messaging directly to other devices without relay through the termination system;
- determining spectrum available within the network;
- allocating a first portion of the spectrum for the non-local messaging;
- and
- allocating a second portion of the spectrum for the local messaging.
A method for communicating over a network comprising:
- instructing devices within the network to transmit non-local messaging to a termination system for indirect relay;
- instructing devices within the network to transmit local messaging directly to other devices without relay through the termination system;
- determining spectrum available within the network;
- allocating a first portion of the spectrum for the non-local messaging;
- allocating a second portion of the spectrum for the local messaging;
- and
- instructing the devices to execute a reservation process before transmitting the local messaging within the second portion.
A method for local communications within a cable network comprising:
- generating isolation mapping for a plurality of cable modems (CMs) associated with a cable modem termination system (CMTS);
- processing the isolation mapping to determine signaling characteristics needed for the CMs to overcome isolation associated with one or more splitters and/or taps included within the cable network;
- instructing the CMs to locally communicate messaging therebetween according to the signaling characteristics such that the messaging traverses the cable network without relying on the CMTS for relay;
- and
- instructing the CMs to execute a reservation process for determining a time and a frequency for locally communicating the messaging.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.