Method and apparatus enabling synchronous transfer mode and packet mode access for multiple services on a broadband communication network

A method of allocating transmission bandwidth among multiple stations handling ATM calls, some of said ATM calls generating ATM/contention traffic and other of said calls generating ATM traffic requiring reserved time slots, said stations being interconnected with a common controller via a transmission medium having a multiple access upstream channel, said method comprising the steps of

• dividing time in said upstream channel on said transmission medium into a series of successive time frames;
• dividing each of said time frames into a plurality of time slots;
• and
• assigning some of the time slots to said ATM/contention traffic and assigning others of said time slots to said ATM traffic requiring reserved time slots, said assignment being performed as a function of the frequency with which collisions occur due to simultaneous transmission in time slots assigned to said ATM/contention traffic.

A method of allocating transmission bandwidth among multiple stations handling ATM calls, a first type of said ATM calls generating ATM/contention traffic, a second type of said calls generating constant bit rate ATM traffic requiring reserved time slots, and a third type of said calls generating variable bit rate ATM traffic requiring reserved time slots, said stations being interconnected with a common controller via a transmission medium having a multiple access upstream channel, said method comprising the steps of:

• dividing time in said upstream channel on said transmission medium into a series of successive time flames;
• dividing each of said time frames into a plurality of time slots;
• and
• assigning first ones of said time slots to said first type calls;
• assigning second ones of said time slots to said second type calls;
• assigning third ones of said time slots to said third type calls;
• when any of said assigned first, second or third time slots are vacated because corresponding ones of said first, second or third type calls are terminated, reassigning said vacated time slots to (a) new or (b) ongoing calls, said new or ongoing calls being of (a) the same or (b) a different type, said reassignment being made in accordance with the bandwidth requirement of said (a) new or (b) ongoing calls.

Apparatus for allocating transmission bandwidth among multiple stations interconnected with a common controller via a transmission medium having a multiple access upstream channel, said apparatus comprising

• means for dividing time in said upstream channel on said transmission medium into a series of successive time frames;
• means for dividing each of said time frames into first and second regions separated by a boundary region, each of said first and second regions containing a one or more time slots, said first region consisting of one or more variable length time slots for STM calls, and said second region consisting of one or more fixed length time slots assigned to (a) reservation and (b) contention oriented ATM calls;
• and
• means for dynamically adjusting the location and size of said boundary region in each of said frames as a function of the bandwidth requirements of said stations, and for dynamically sharing said second region to accommodate both reservation and contention types of ATM calls.

Apparatus for allocating transmission bandwidth among multiple stations handling ATM calls, a first type of said ATM calls generating ATM/contention traffic, a second type of said calls generating constant bit rate ATM traffic requiring reserved time slots, and a third type of said calls generating variable bit rate ATM traffic requiring reserved time slots, said stations being interconnected with a common controller via a transmission medium having a multiple access upstream channel, said apparatus comprising

• means for (a) dividing time in said upstream channel on said transmission medium into a series of successive time frames and (b) dividing each of said time frames into a plurality of time slots;
• means for (a) assigning first ones of said time slots to said first type calls;
• (b) assigning second ones of said time slots to said second type calls;
• and (c) assigning third ones of said time slots to said third type calls;
• means operative when any of said assigned first, second or third time slots are vacated because corresponding ones of said first, second or third type calls are terminated, for reassigning said vacated time slots to (a) new or (b) ongoing calls, said new or ongoing calls being of (a) the same or (b) a different type, said reassignment being made in accordance with the bandwidth requirement said (a) new or (b) ongoing calls.