Real-time multimedia conferencing over an ATM network using an intelligent ATM cable modem and hybrid fiber-coax access

A system for providing real-time multimedia conferencing services, to a dispersed plurality of locations connected to an ATM wide area network (WAN), the system comprising:

• an ATM wide area network including an ATM backbone network domain;
• at least one ATM access network domain;
• and
• one or more ATM cable modems,
• wherein a headend station-based ATM cable modem is provided at each ATM access network domain in said WAN, said ATM cable modems are designed to carry two-way multimedia signals, a number of ATM access network domains in the WAN is based on a size of the WAN, each ATM access network domain includes at least one access multimedia bridge server and at least one cable modem server, an ATM backbone network domain includes at least one central multimedia bridge server and at least one central ATM network server, wherein if a location includes an ATM cable modem, a hybrid fiber coaxial (HFC) access network connects the location to the ATM access network domain within the WAN, and the central ATM network server of the ATM backbone network domain coordinates a multimedia conference call with all ATM access network domains having locations involved in the conference call, including, coordinating conferencing information, maintaining address information of all locations, maintaining bandwidth availability information for all HFC access networks, and, coordinating bandwidth allocation.

A system for providing real-time multimedia conferencing services, to a dispersed plurality of locations connected to an ATM wide area network (WAN), the system comprising:

• an ATM wide area network including an ATM backbone network domain;
• at least one ATM access network domain;
• and
• one or more ATM cable modems,
• wherein a headend station-based ATM cable modem is provided at each ATM access network domain in said WAN, said ATM cable modems are designed to carry two-way multimedia signals, a number of ATM access network domains in the WAN is based on a size of the WAN, each ATM access network domain includes at least one access multimedia bridge server and at least one cable modem server, an ATM backbone network domain includes at least one central multimedia bridge server and at least one central ATM network server, wherein if a location includes an ATM cable modem, a hybrid fiber coaxial (HFC) access network connects the location to an ATM access network domain within the WAN, and wherein a function component architecture of an ATM cable modem at a location comprises three logical entities, the entities providing local area network medium access and ATM protocol conversion, hybrid fiber coaxial (HFC) medium access control (MAC) and ATM protocol, and modulation/demodulation for the HFC network, and further wherein the three logical entities can be separate physical entities or a single combined entity.

A system for providing real-time multimedia conferencing services, to a dispersed plurality of locations connected to an ATM wide area network (WAN), the system comprising:

• an ATM wide area network including an ATM backbone network domain;
• at least one ATM access network domain;
• and
• one or more ATM cable modems,
• wherein a headend station-based ATM cable modem is provided at each ATM access network domain in said WAN, said ATM cable modems are designed to carry two-way multimedia signals, a number of ATM access network domains in the WAN is based on a size of the WAN, each ATM access network domain includes at least one access multimedia bridge server and at least one cable modem server, an ATM backbone network domain includes at least one central multimedia bridge server and at least one central ATM network server, wherein if a location includes an ATM cable modem, a hybrid fiber coaxial (HFC) access network connects the location to the ATM access network domain within the WAN, and wherein a protocol architecture of an ATM cable modem at a location comprises a first protocol stack for processing signaling information and a second protocol stack for transferring information other that signaling information,
• wherein in said first protocol stack, HMACsig standard-based control and signaling messages are processed using segmentation and reassembly (SAR) function, ATM adaptation layer (AAL), and ATM protocol, and ATM cells are transferred using an HMAC frame, and further where said second protocol stack is divided into two protocol stacks, wherein LLC and MAC protocols transfer information, other than signaling information, from the HFC access network to an MPC at the location, and AAL, ATM and HMAC protocols transfer information other than signaling information from an MPC at the location to the HFC network.

A system for providing real-time multimedia conferencing services, to a dispersed plurality of locations connected to an ATM wide area network (WAN), the system comprising:

• an ATM wide area network including an ATM backbone network domain;
• at least one ATM access network domain;
• and
• one or more ATM cable modems,
• wherein a headend station-based ATM cable modem is provided at each ATM access network domain in said WAN, said ATM cable modems are designed to carry two-way multimedia signals, a number of ATM access network domains in the WAN is based on a size of the WAN, each ATM access network domain includes at least one access multimedia bridge server and at least one cable modem server, an ATM backbone network domain includes at least one central multimedia bridge server and at least one central ATM network server, wherein if a location includes an ATM cable modem, a hybrid fiber coaxial (HFC) access network connects the location to the ATM access network domain within the WAN,
• wherein a functional component architecture of an ATM cable modem at an HFC network headend station comprises two logical entities, the entities providing a modulation/demodulation system for the HFC network, and an HFC MAC, ATM, higher layer protocol, system, and further wherein the two logical entities can be separate physical entities or a single combined entity.

A system for providing real-time multimedia conferencing services, to a dispersed plurality of locations connected to an ATM wide area network (WAN), the system comprising:

• an ATM wide area network including an ATM backbone network domain;
• at least one ATM access network domain;
• one or more ATM cable modems, and
• wherein a headend station-based ATM cable modem is provided at each ATM access network domain in said WAN, said ATM cable modems are designed to carry two-way multimedia signals, a number of ATM access network domains in the WAN is based on a size of the WAN, each ATM access network domain includes at least one access multimedia bridge server and at least one cable modem server, an ATM backbone network domain includes at least one central multimedia bridge server and at least one central ATM network server, wherein if a location includes an ATM cable modem, a hybrid fiber coaxial (HFC) access network connects the location to the ATM access network domain within the WAN,
• wherein a protocol architecture of an ATM cable modem at HFC network headend station comprises a first protocol stack for processing signaling messages and a second protocol stack for transferring information other than signaling information,
• wherein said first protocol stack is further divided into a first divided protocol stack and a second divided protocol stack, wherein HMACsig standard-based control and signaling messages are processed using segmentation and reassembly (SAR) function, ATM adaptation layer (AAL), and ATM protocol, and ATM cells are transferred over the HFC network using an HMAC frame, all in the first divided first protocol stack, and, wherein CMsig and H225.0 control and signaling and protocol messages are processed using UDP/TCP, IP, AAL and ATM protocol, and are transferred over the ATM network, all in the second divided first protocol stack,
• wherein a higher layer signaling entity in the first protocol stack provides intersignaling communication between HMACsig and CMsig,
• further wherein said second protocol stack is further divided into a first divided second protocol stack and a second divided second protocol stack, wherein ATM adaptation layer (AAL), ATM and HMAC protocols transfer information, other than signaling information, between a cable modem at a location and a headend station, over the HFC network, all in the first divided second protocol stack, and wherein IP, AAL and ATM protocols transfer information, other than signaling information between a cable modem at the headend station and an ATM switch/node at the ATM network, all in the second divided second protocol stack.

A system for providing real-time multimedia conferencing services, to a dispersed plurality of locations connected to an ATM wide area network (WAN), the system comprising:

• an ATM wide are network including an ATM backbone network domain;
• at least one ATM access network domain;
• and
• one or more ATM cable modems,
• wherein a headed station-based ATM cable modem is provided at each ATM access network domain in said WAN, said ATM cable modems are designed to carry two-way multimedia signals, a number of ATM access network domains in the WAN is based on a size of the WAN, each ATM access network domain includes at least one access multimedia bridge server and at least one cable modem server, an ATM backbone network domain includes at least one central multimedia bridge server and at least one central ATM network server, wherein if a location includes an ATM cable modem, a hybrid fiber coaxial (HFC) access network connects the location to the ATM access network domain within the WAN,
• wherein a control and signaling protocol method, for initialization of a multimedia conference call and transferring of traffic over the HFC access network and the ATM WAN, comprises:
• setting up a multimedia conference call by an ATM cable modem-based location, over the hybrid fiber coaxial (HFC) access network, with a headend station-based ATM cable modem connected to the ATM access node/switch of the ATM access network domain, for a multimedia conference call wherein all locations are ATM cable modem-based and within the ATM access network domain, and
• setting up a multimedia conference call by an ATM cable modem-based location, over the hybrid fiber coaxial (HFC) access network, with a headend station-based ATM cable modem connected to the ATM backbone network domain, for a multimedia conference call wherein not all locations are ATM cable modem-based or within a same ATM access network domain.

A method for providing real-time multimedia conferencing services to a dispersed plurality of locations connected to an ATM wide area network (WAN) of a system, the system comprising:

• an ATM wide area network including an ATM backbone network domain;
• at least one ATM access network domain;
• and
• one or more ATM cable modems,
• wherein a headend station-based ATM cable modem is provided at each ATM access network domain in said WAN, said ATM cable modems are designed to carry two-way multimedia signals, a number of ATM access network domains in the WAN is based on a size of the WAN, each ATM access network domain includes at least one access multimedia bridge server and at least one cable modem server, an ATM backbone network domain includes at least one central multimedia bridge server and at least one central ATM network server, the method comprising the steps of:
• determining if control and signaling protocol messages should be received by the cable modem server of the ATM access network domain or by the central ATM network server of the ATM backbone network;
• determining whether the multimedia conference call will be accepted based on a determination of the computed bandwidth requirement in the hybrid fiber coaxial (HEC) network and the ATM wide area network, and
• determining whether multimedia bridging will be performed by the access multimedia bridge server of the backbone network domain.