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US 9,807,030 B2Granted
Method and apparatus for implementing traffic flags for large service groups
AssigneeEntropic Communications, Inc.
InventorsChangwen Liu, David Barr, Michail Tsatsanis
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The use of traffic flag symbols allows a large number of CPEs to transmit traffic notifications to a network controller. In some such embodiments, hundreds of CPEs simultaneously transmit traffic flags on different subcarriers of a channel. For example, in a MoCA2 based access network, up to 480 CPEs can transmit flags in only 5 μs in the 100 MHz-wide channel.
Claims31
A method for coordinating network communications in a network comprising a network controller and a plurality of network nodes, the method comprising:
- assigning a different subcarrier of a channel used for network communications to individual ones of the network nodes;
- receiving a traffic flag from each of the individual ones of the network nodes, the traffic flags being transmitted simultaneously by the network nodes on the assigned subcarriers, each traffic flag comprising an indication of whether the network node transmitting the traffic flag has upstream traffic to send to the network controller, wherein a traffic flag symbol comprises the traffic flags, the traffic flag symbol being transmitted without forward error correction;
- and
- scheduling reservation requests for the network nodes based on received traffic flags.
1 more element
A network controller, comprising:
- a processor;
- a communications interface;
- and
- a memory, the memory storing instructions executable by the processor and configured to cause the processor to perform a method for coordinating network communications in a network comprising a network controller and a plurality of network nodes, the method comprising:
- assigning a different subcarrier of a channel used for network communications to individual ones of the network nodes;
- receiving a traffic flag from each of the individual ones of the network nodes, the traffic flags being transmitted simultaneously by the network nodes on the assigned subcarriers, each traffic flag comprising an indication of whether the network node transmitting the traffic flag has upstream traffic to send to the network controller, wherein a traffic flag symbol comprises the traffic flags, the traffic flag symbol being transmitted without forward error correction;
- and
- scheduling reservation requests for the network nodes based on received traffic flags.
5 more elements
A method of coordinating network communications in a network comprising a network controller and a plurality of network nodes, comprising:
- a network device receiving an assignment of a subcarrier of a channel used for network communications from a network controller, and
- the network device transmitting a traffic flag to the network controller on the subcarrier, the traffic flag comprising an indication of whether the network device has upstream traffic to send to the network controller, wherein transmitting the traffic flag is performed simultaneously with a plurality of other network devices transmitting other traffic flags on other subcarriers of the channel, wherein a traffic flag symbol comprises the traffic flag and the other traffic flags, the traffic flag symbol being transmitted without forward error correction;
- and
- the network device receiving a scheduled time for a reservation request from the network controller in response to the traffic flag.
1 more element
A network device, comprising:
- a processor;
- a communication interface;
- and
- a memory, the memory storing instructions executable by the processor and configured to cause the processor to perform a method for coordinating network communications in a network comprising a network controller and a plurality of network nodes, the method comprising:
- receiving an assignment of a subcarrier of a channel used for network communications from a network controller;
- transmitting a traffic flag to the network controller on the subcarrier, the traffic flag comprising an indication of whether the network device has upstream traffic to send to the network controller, wherein transmitting the traffic flag is performed simultaneously with a one or more other network devices transmitting other traffic flags on other subcarriers of the channel, wherein a traffic flag symbol comprises the traffic flag and the other traffic flags, the traffic flag symbol being transmitted without forward error correction;
- and
- receiving a scheduled time for a reservation request from the network controller in response to the traffic flag.
5 more elements
A network controller, comprising:
- a processor;
- a communications interface;
- and
- a memory, the memory storing instructions executable by the processor and configured to cause the processor to perform a method for coordinating network communications in a network comprising a network controller and a plurality of network nodes, the method comprising:
- assigning a different subcarrier of a channel used for network communications to individual ones of the network nodes;
- transmitting a data packet to each of a subset of the individual ones of the network nodes;
- and
- receiving a traffic flag from each of the individual ones of the network nodes, the traffic flags being transmitted simultaneously by the network nodes on the assigned subcarriers, each traffic flag comprising an acknowledgement or a disacknowledgement of receipt of the data packet, wherein a traffic flag symbol comprises the traffic flags, the traffic flag symbol being transmitted without forward error correction;
- and
- scheduling reservation requests for the network nodes based on received traffic flags.
7 more elements
A network device, comprising:
- a processor;
- a communication interface;
- and
- a memory, the memory storing instructions executable by the processor and configured to cause the processor to perform a method for coordinating network communications in a network comprising a network controller and a plurality of network nodes, the method comprising:
- receiving an assignment of a subcarrier of a channel used for network communications from a network controller;
- transmitting a traffic flag to the network controller on the subcarrier simultaneously with one or more other network devices transmitting other traffic flags on other subcarriers of the channel, wherein a traffic flag symbol comprises the traffic flag and the other traffic flags, the traffic flag symbol being transmitted without forward error correction;
- and
- receiving data packet from the network controller, wherein the traffic flag comprises an acknowledgement or a disacknowledgement of receipt of the data packet;
- and
- receiving a scheduled time for a reservation request from the network controller in response to the traffic flag.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.