System and method for shared cable upstream bandwidth

A method of transferring data upstream over a cable network comprising:

• configuring a first cable modem to transmit at a first carrier frequency providing a first bandwidth during at least one timeslot of a plurality of timeslots;
• configuring a second cable modem to transmit at a second carrier frequency and at a second bandwidth during said at least one timeslot wherein said first bandwidth is not equal to said second bandwidth, and said first and second carrier frequencies are within a single upstream channel of said cable network;
• transmitting first data from said first modem at said first carrier frequency during said at least one timeslot;
• and
• transmitting second data from said second modem at said second carrier frequency during said at least one timeslot.

A method of transferring data over a cable network comprising:

• receiving a plurality of data transfer requests from a plurality of modems;
• assessing bandwidth available for data transfers;
• allocating a first sub-channel and a plurality of first timeslots to a first modem in response to the amount of bandwidth requested;
• and
• allocating a second sub-channel and a plurality of second timeslots to a second modem in response to the amount of bandwidth requested by said second modem wherein said first sub-channel and said second sub-channel are within a single cable system upstream channel and said first and second sub-channels are of different bandwidth, and at least one timeslot of said first plurality of timeslots coincides with at least one timeslot of said second plurality of timeslots.

A method of transferring voice data over a cable network comprising:

• receiving a request from a first cable modem for voice information transfer;
• receiving a request from a second cable modem for voice information transfer;
• configuring said first cable modem to transmit first voice information in a first sub-channel contained within a cable system upstream channel;
• configuring said second cable modem to transmit second voice information in a second sub-channel contained within said cable system upstream channel, wherein said first sub-channel and said second sub-channel are of different frequencies;
• allocating a first plurality of contiguous timeslots to said first modem;
• and
• allocating a second plurality of contiguous timeslots to said second modem wherein at least one timeslot of said first plurality of timeslots is concurrent with at least one timeslot of said second plurality of timeslots.

A system for transferring information across a cable network comprising:

• a first cable modem that transmits first data in a first sub-channel in a cable system upstream channel during a timeslot;
• a second cable modem that transmits second data in a second sub-channel in said cable system upstream channel during said timeslot wherein the bandwidth of said first sub-channel is not equal to the bandwidth of said second sub-channel;
• a receiver that receives transmissions in said channel;
• a digitizer that digitizes said transmissions to produce a data block;
• and
• a processing unit that processes said data block to retrieve said first data and said second data.

A method of transferring data over a cable system network comprising:

• receiving a plurality of upstream data transfer requests from a plurality of modems;
• dynamically establishing a transmit schedule comprising a first subchannel and first plurality of timeslots allotted to a first modem of said plurality of modems and a second sub-channel and a second plurality of timeslots allocated to a second modem of said plurality of modems wherein said first sub-channel and said second sub-channel are contained within a single upstream channel, and said first sub-channel and said second sub-channel are not equal in bandwidth, and at least one timeslot of said first plurality of timeslots is concurrent with at least one timeslot of said second plurality of timeslots;
• and
• configuring said first modem to transmit on said first sub-channel during said first plurality of timeslots.

A method of transferring data over a cable system network comprising:

• receiving a plurality of upstream data transfer requests from a plurality of modems;
• establishing a transmit schedule comprising a first sub-channel and first plurality of timeslots allotted to a first modem of said plurality of modems and a second sub-channel and a second plurality of timeslots allocated to a second modem of said plurality of modems wherein said first sub-channel and said second sub-channel are contained within a single upstream channel, and said first sub-channel and said second sub-channel are not equal in bandwidth, and at least one timeslot of said first plurality of timeslots is concurrent with at least one timeslot of said second plurality of timeslots;
• receiving a transmission from said upstream channel comprising said first plurality of timeslots and said second plurality of timeslots;
• and
• employing said transmit schedule to recover data transmitted by said first modem and said second modem.

A method of transferring voice data over a cable network comprising:

• receiving a stream of modem upstream data transfer requests comprising a plurality of voice data requests and a plurality of non-voice data requests;
• configuring a first cable modem to transmit voice data at a first carrier frequency in a plurality of contiguous timeslots at a predefined time;
• configuring a second cable modem to transmit voice data at a second carrier frequency in said plurality of contiguous timeslots;
• transmitting first voice data over said cable network from said first modem at said first carrier frequency in said plurality of contiguous timeslots;
• transmitting second voice data over said cable network from said second modem at said second carrier frequency in said plurality of contiguous timeslots;
• determining if a scheduled transmission will interfere with said first carrier frequency;
• configuring said first modem to transmit data at a third carrier frequency during at least one of said plurality of contiguous timeslots if said scheduled transmission will interfere with said first carrier frequency;
• and
• transmitting data from said first modem at said third carrier frequency.

A method of transferring data upstream over a cable network comprising:

• configuring a cable modem termination system to define an upstream channel in said cable network;
• configuring a first cable modem to transmit at a first carrier frequency providing a first bandwidth;
• configuring a second cable modem to transmit at a second carrier frequency and at a second bandwidth wherein said first bandwidth is not equal to said second bandwidth, and said first and second carrier frequencies are within said upstream channel of said cable network;
• and
• concurrently transmitting first data from said first modem at said first carrier frequency and transmitting second data from said second modem at said second carrier frequency.