Patent ID: 7480237
Filing Date: 2009-01-20
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
1. A method for balancing upstream traffic of a subscriber device in a broadband communication network over a plurality of upstream channels, comprising: performing static load balancing when the subscriber device requests an upstream channel; and performing predictive load balancing between upstream channels based on the number of subscriber devices configured with a media terminal adaptor such that the upstream channel assignment of user devices having an MTA is spread across the upstream channels, wherein the step of static load balancing includes: assigning a requesting subscriber device to a requested channel if the cumulative upstream bandwidth demand of the subscriber devices currently assigned thereto is below a first predetermined CAC threshold level; assigning a requesting subscriber device to the requested channel if the cumulative upstream bandwidth demand of the subscriber devices currently assigned thereto is below a second predetermined CAC threshold level, and none of the upstream channels have a cumulative upstream bandwidth demand below the first predetermined threshold; and assigning the requesting subscriber device to the upstream channel having the lowest bandwidth demand if none of the plurality of upstream channels has a bandwidth demand below the first or second predetermined threshold levels.