Patent ID: 6728887
Filing Date: 2004-04-27
Classification: H04H,H04L,H04N

Abstract:
In a hybrid fiber/coax (HFC) access network, an access control system for mediating and controlling the permitted access of a plurality of information service providers to a plurality of network elements, the access control system comprisinga security and authorization database including a listing of each information service provider and a mapping between each service provider and a subset of network elements for which each service provider is permitted access; a quality of service system for collecting and processing forward path and return path signal quality information, and for providing said information to permitted information service providers in accordance with said security and authorization database; a device configuration module coupled between the plurality of information service providers and the plurality of network elements for permitting predetermined service providers to re-configure selected parameters of predetermined network elements in accordance with the permissions mapped in the security and authorization database.