Method and system for communicating broadband content
AssigneeTut Systems, Inc.
InventorMalcolm Herring
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method of, and an apparatus for, providing broadband services to multiple remote units located at a client premise via a single communication line are provided. Authorization data is communicated from distribution equipment to the remote units and the authorization data authorizes one of the remote units to transmit data to the distribution equipment. The authorization data is included in a DSL frame and is sequentially changed thereby sequentially to authorize each remote unit one at a time to transmit data. The distribution equipment provides the authorization data in a control word of a frame header of a VDSL frame.
Claims67
A method of providing broadband services to a plurality of remote units located at a client premise via a single communication line, the method including communicating authorization data from distribution equipment to the remote units, the authorization data authorizing one of the remote units to transmit data to the distribution equipment.
A system for providing broadband services, the system including:
- distribution equipment connected to at least one content provider and configured to provide the broadband services via a plurality of subscriber communication lines;
- and
- a plurality of remote units connectable to each subscriber communication line, the distribution equipment being configured to communicate authorization data to the remote units that authorizes the remote units to transmit data to the distribution equipment one at a time.
A broadband DSL network arranged in a point to multi-drop configuration, the point being defined by distribution equipment and the multi-drop being defined by a plurality of remote units, the distribution equipment configured to selectively instruct each remote unit when to transmits upstream data.
A remote unit for receiving broadband services via a communication line, the remote unit including:
- interface circuitry to interface the remote unit to a user device;
- a receiver connected to the interface circuitry for receiving downstream data from distribution equipment;
- and
- a transmitter connected to the interface circuitry, the transmitter transmitting upstream data to the distribution equipment upon authorization by the distribution equipment.
Distribution equipment which includes:
- a network interface to interface the distribution equipment to at least one broadband content provider;
- and
- a communication interface to interface the distribution equipment to a communication line to which a plurality of remote units are connectable, the distribution equipment being operable to control upstream transmission of data by each remote unit.
A method of controlling operation of a remote unit for receiving broadband services via a communication line from distribution equipment, the method including:
- receiving downstream data from the distribution equipment;
- and
- transmitting upstream data to the distribution equipment upon authorization by the distribution equipment.
A method of controlling operation of a plurality of remote units connected to a communication line, the method including transmitting authorization data from distribution equipment to the remote units, the authorization data authorizing the remote units one at a time to transmit upstream data.
A computer program product including a medium readable by a computer, the medium carrying instructions which, when executed by the computer, cause the computer to:
- receive downstream broadband data from distribution equipment via a communication line;
- extract authorization data from the DSL frames;
- and transmit upstream data to the distribution equipment in response to authorization data.
A computer program product including a medium readable by a computer, the medium carrying instructions which, when executed by the computer, cause the computer to transmit authorization data to a plurality of remote units, the authorization data authorizing the remote units one at a time to transmit upstream data.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.