Method and apparatus for controlling communication channels using contention and polling schemes

A method of utilizing a broadband channel for data communications between a controller and a plurality of user, said method comprising:

• sub-dividing said broadband channel into at least three separate data channels for upstream communications;
• assigning a first group of currently inactive ones of said plurality of users to a first channel of said at least three separate data channels for upstream communications;
• assigning a second group of active ones of said plurality of users to a second channel of said at least three separate data channels, for upstream communications;
• assigning a third group of relatively more active ones of said plurality of users to a third channel of said at least three separate data channels for upstream communications;
• wherein said plurality of users are reassigned by said controller between one of the first, second and third channels for upstream communications based on a bandwidth characteristic of payload data transmitted by respective ones of said plurality of users.

An asymmetric data communication system comprising:

• a controller;
• a plurality of users;
• a downstream channel for conveying information from said controller to said plurality of users;
• and
• a plurality of upstream channels for conveying information from said plurality of users to a host, said plurality of users having accessibility to all or some of said plurality of upstream channels but being assigned to only one of said plurality of upstream channels for transmission at any one time;
• a first of said plurality of upstream channels operating in a contention mode;
• a second of said plurality of upstream channels operating in a more limited polling mode;
• a third of said plurality of upstream channels operating in a burst mode, a relatively higher data throughput mode;
• said plurality of users being assigned and reassigned between said first and second of said plurality of upstream channels based on a bandwidth characteristic of payload data transmitted by said respective plurality of users;
• and
• said plurality of users being assigned and reassigned between said second and third of said plurality of upstream channels based on a different bandwidth characteristic of payload data transmitted by said respective plurality of users.

In an asymmetric network communication system including a server, plural clients and asymmetric communication channels interposed between said server and client that include a downstream channel and plural upstream channels, the improvement comprising:

• a controller that enables said clients to share said plural upstream channels wherein respective ones of said plural upstream channels operate under respective protocols including a contention protocol, a limited polling protocol and a more exhaustive polling protocol;
• at least one of said clients including a first status indicator indicative of at least an inactive status and an active status thereof depending on a need to transfer data and an associated second status indicator indicative of bandwidth needs during active data tansfers of payload data by said at least one of said clients;
• and
• said controller being responsive to said first indicator to assign a client to an upstream channel having said contention protocol in the absence of a data transfer request and responsive to said second indicator to dynamically assign said at least one client to said upstream channel having one of said limited and more exhaustive polling protocols according to the instantaneous bandwidth reguest or consumption of said client during active transfer of said payload data by said at least one client.

A media access control system for use in an asymmetric network communication system which includes a server, plural client devices and asymmetric channels interposed between said server and client devices, said asymmetric network including at least one downstream channel and plural upstream channels that operate under respective protocols including a contention protocol, a low bandwidth polling protocol and a high bandwidth polling protocol, said low bandwidth polling protocol being adapted to handle data transfers at relatively low average rates and said high bandwidth polling protocol being adapted to handle data transfers at relatively higher average rates, said control system comprising:

• a demand indicator associated with at least one client device indicative of a status depending on a data transfer request by said client;
• a consumption indicator indicative of data transfer needs of said client device during active data transfers of payload data by said client device;
• and
• a controller responsive to said demand indicator to assign said client to an upstream channel having a contention protocol in the absence of said data transfer request and responsive to said consumption indicator to dynamically assign said client device to said upstream channel having one of said high and low bandwidth polling protocols according to the payload data transfer needs of said client device for active transfers of payload data by said client device.

A two way networking communication system including a controller and plural client devices, said system comprising:

• a shared downstream medium over which data is conveyed to said client devices,
• an upstream medium including at least three available upstream channels over which data is conveyed from said client devices;
• one of said at least three upstream channels operating in a contention mode and two of said at least three upstream channels operating in respective different polling modes;
• said controller being operative to assign to said client device any one of said at least three upstream channels based on a bandwidth characteristic of payload data transferred by said client device;
• wherein one of said two polling mode upstream channels has a limited polling scheme;
• and the other of said two polling mode upstream channels has an approximately exhaustive polling burst mode.

A method of communicating between a controller and a plurality of client devices, comprising:

• providing a downstream communication channel over a shared medium;
• providing a plurality of upstream communication channels within said medium;
• assigning currently inactive ones of said plurality of client devices to one of said plurality of upstream communication channels operating in a contention mode;
• assigning currently active ones of said plurality of client devices to either of said at least two of said plurality of upstream communication channels operating in respective polling modes, one polling mode operating in a more limited mode, the second operating in a relatively higher data throughput mode active burst mode;
• and
• said assignment being based on a bandwidth characteristic of payload data transmitted by respective ones of said plurality of client devices.

A method of communicating between the controller and a plurality of users, comprising:

• providing a downstream communication channel;
• providing a plurality of upstream communication channels;
• assigning currently inactive ones of said plurality of users to one of said plurality of upstream communication channels operating in a contention mode;
• assigning currently active ones of said plurality of users to either of at least two of said plurality of upstream communication channels operating in respective polling modes, said assignment being based on a bandwidth characteristic of payload data transmitted by respective ones of said plurality of users;
• from the perspective of said users, providing one of said two others of said plurality of upstream channels with a low latency polling scheme;
• and
• providing the other of said two others of said plurality of upstream channels with polling scheme providing a relatively higher data throughput also from the perspective of said users.

A method of communicating between a controller and a plurality of users in a communication network, comprising:

• providing a downstream communication channel;
• providing a plurality of upstream channels operable in a burst mode, a more limited polling mode, or a contention mode, each mode having different user latency and/or throughput rates;
• altering the mode of at least one of said plurality of upstream channels between said burst mode, more limited polling mode, and said contention mode as a function of user loading;
• and
• assigning respective ones of said plurality users to one of said plurality of upstream channels.