# US 7,613,167 B2 · Method and system for upstream priority lookup at physical interface

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- Number: US 7,613,167 B2
- Document ID: US7613167B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 09/963,689
- Filed: 2001-09-27
- Published: 2003-03-27
- Granted: 2009-11-03
- Earliest claimed: 2001-09-27
- Assignees: Broadcom Corporation
- Inventors: Lisa Denney; Gale Shallow; Niki Pantelias; John Horton
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US7613167B2

## CPC

- H04L 12/2801: {Broadband local area networks}
- H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M)

## Abstract

A traffic prioritization system performs a coarse classification of upstream bursts at the physical interface of a headend communications device. The headend device monitors and controls communications with a plurality of remote communications devices throughout a widely distributed network, including the Internet. The traffic prioritization system includes a burst receiver that receives and sends the upstream bursts to a classifier. At an appropriate time, the classifier receives the upstream bursts and queries a priority lookup table (LUT) to determine a priority classification. The priority classification is used to separate the bursts into two or more priority levels. The higher priority level is used to designate services having a low tolerance for delay, such as telephony. Upon classification, the upstream bursts are forwarded to one of several priority queues. Each priority queue corresponds to at least one priority level. The headend device services each priority queue such that the higher priority queues are serviced before the lower priority queues.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method for determining a priority classification of a burst at a physical interface of a communications device, comprising the steps of:
detecting an identifier from the burst at the physical interface, wherein said detecting occurs prior to data link layer protocol processing;
matching said identifier to a priority indicator to determine the priority classification;
postpending said priority indicator to the burst; and
forwarding the burst to a priority queue associated with said priority indicator.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein said matching step further comprises the step of:
querying a memory to determine said priority indicator.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:
storing the burst prior to said detecting step.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein said detecting step further comprises parsing a header associated with the burst to detect said identifier.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein said identifier is associated with a service.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein said identifier is associated with a quality of service.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein said identifier is associated with a burst source.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein said identifier is associated with at least two of a service, a quality of service, and a burst source.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein said priority indicator represents one of two levels of priority.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein said priority indicator represents one of three or more levels of priority.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the burst is an electromagnetic signal.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the burst is an optical signal.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the burst is an electronic signal.

### Claim 14 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the burst includes voice over an Internet protocol signal.

### Claim 15 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the burst includes video conferencing signals.

### Claim 16 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the burst includes a webcast video production.

### Claim 17

A method for determining a priority classification of a burst at a physical interface of a communications device, comprising the steps of:
detecting an identifier from the burst at the physical interface;
matching said identifier to a priority indicator, said matching being implemented at the physical interface prior to data link layer protocol processing the burst;
postpending said priority indicator to the burst; and
forwarding the burst to a priority queue associated with said priority indicator.

### Claim 18

A method for determining a priority classification of a plurality of bursts at a physical interface of a headend controller within a cable modem network, comprising the steps of:
processing the plurality of bursts at the physical interface to detect an identifier from each burst, wherein said processing the plurality of bursts at the physical interface occurs prior to data link layer protocol processing;
matching said identifier from each burst to a priority indicator, wherein said priority indicator represents one of two or more available priority levels;
postpending said priority indicator to the burst after matching said identifier from each burst to said priority indicator; and
forwarding each burst to one of a plurality of priority queues associated with said priority indicator from said matching step.

### Claim 19 (depends on 18)

The method of claim 18, further comprising the step of:
servicing said plurality of priority queues according to a designated order of priority.

### Claim 20 (depends on 18)

The method of claim 18, further comprising the step of:
servicing said plurality of priority queues to empty each higher priority queue prior to servicing a lower priority queue.

### Claim 21 (depends on 18)

The method of claim 18, further comprising the step of:
servicing said plurality of queues such that each higher priority queue is serviced at a higher frequency than each lower priority queue.

### Claim 22

A system for determining a priority classification of a burst at a physical interface of a communications device, comprising:
a burst receiver for receiving the burst at the physical interface;
a classifier for detecting an identifier from the burst, wherein said identifier is matched to a priority indicator and said priority indicator is postpended to the burst and wherein said detecting occurs at the physical interface prior to data link layer protocol processing;
a high priority queue associated with a high priority indicator, wherein said high priority queue receives the burst if said identifier matches said high priority indicator; and
a low priority queue associated with a low priority indicator, wherein said low priority queue receives the burst if said identifier matches said low priority indicator.

### Claim 23 (depends on 22)

The system of claim 22, further comprising:
a priority storage for storing information related to said identifier, wherein said priority storage is interoperable with said classifier to match said identifier to a priority indicator.

### Claim 24 (depends on 23)

The system of claim 23, wherein said priority storage includes a lookup table.

### Claim 25 (depends on 23)

The system of claim 23, wherein said priority storage includes records of all assigned identifiers and corresponding services or burst sources.

### Claim 26 (depends on 22)

The system of claim 22, further comprising:
a plurality of priority queues, wherein each priority queue is associated with at least one priority indicator and interoperable with said classifier to receive the burst if said identifier matches a priority indicator associated with said priority queue.

### Claim 27 (depends on 26)

The system of claim 26, wherein said plurality of priority queues is positioned external to the communications device.

### Claim 28 (depends on 26)

The system of claim 26, wherein each of said plurality of priority queues is an internal component of the communications device.

### Claim 29 (depends on 24)

The system of claim 24, wherein the lookup table is updated periodically by a software application.

### Claim 30 (depends on 24)

The system of claim 24, wherein the lookup table is updated on demand by a software application.