Bit-level control for dynamic bandwidth allocation

A method of dynamically allocating bandwidth in a multi-node transport system having at least a first transport channel associated with a subscriber line and a second transport channel distinct from the first transport channel, the method comprising:

• at a first node, detecting a subscriber line condition indicative of a desire to change an allocation status for the first transport channel in an upstream direction from the first node to a second node of the transport system, wherein detecting the subscriber line condition occurs during transmission of a first frame in the upstream direction;
• updating status bit information in the second transport channel in a second frame for transmission in the upstream direction;
• changing the allocation status for the first transport channel in a third frame for transmission in the upstream direction;
• at the second node, evaluating the updated status bit information from the second frame in the upstream direction;
• updating status bit information in the second transport channel in a fourth frame for transmission in a downstream direction from the second node to the first node;
• and
• changing the allocation status for the first transport channel in a fifth frame for transmission in the downstream direction.

A communications transport system for carrying a first traffic type and a second traffic type between a first node and a second node, the transport system comprising:

• a carrier for transmitting frames between the first node and the second node, wherein the carrier has at least one first transport channel and a second transport channel distinct from each of the first transport channels and wherein each frame carries a sample of each of the first transport channels and the second transport channel;
• wherein each frame carries a status bit in the second transport channel corresponding to each of the first transport channels;
• wherein each status bit is indicative of a desired allocation status for its corresponding first transport channel;
• and
• wherein the desired allocation status is either allocated for the first traffic type or allocated for the second traffic type.

A method of processing channel traffic in a telecommunications transport system having at least one first transport channel and a second transport channel distinct from each of the first transport channels, the method comprising:

• receiving a first frame containing a first sample of the channel traffic from each of the first transport channels and the second transport channel, wherein the second transport channel carries status bit information indicative of a desired allocation status for each of the first transport channels;
• processing the first samples of to channel traffic from each of the first transport channels according to their desired allocation status indicated by the status bit information carried by the second transport channel in an earlier received frame;
• receiving a second frame containing a second sample of the channel traffic from each of the first transport channels and the second transport channel;
• and
• processing the second samples of the channel traffic from each of the first transport channels according to their desired allocation status indicated by the status bit information carried by the second transport channel in the first frame.

A method of processing channel traffic in a telecommunication transport system having a first transport channel and a second transport channel distinct from the first transport channel, the method comprising:

• receiving a first frame containing a first sample of the channel traffic from the first transport channel and the second transport channel, wherein the second transport channel carries status bit information indicative of a desired allocation status for the first transport channels and wherein the desired allocation stabs is selected from a group consisting of a first allocated status for a first traffic type and a second allocated status for a second traffic type;
• processing the first sample of the channel traffic from the first transport channel as the first traffic type;
• extracting the status bit information from the first frame;
• evaluating the status bit information from the first frame;
• receiving a second frame containing a second sample of the channel traffic from the first transport channel and the second transport channel;
• processing the second sample of the channel traffic from the first transport channel as the first traffic type if the desired allocation status indicated by the status bit information extracted from the first frame is allocated for the first traffic type;
• and
• processing the second sample of the channel traffic from the first transport channel as the second traffic type if the desired allocation status indicated byte status bit information extracted from the first frame is allocated for the second traffic type.