Patent ID: 8243747
Filing Date: 2012-08-14
Classification: H04H,H04L,H04N

Abstract:
1. A method comprising: receiving at a headend control computer, via an uplink channel, one or more upstream messages from one or more consumer premise equipment (CPE) units and sending from the headend control computer, via a downlink channel, one or more downstream messages to the one or more of the CPE units; receiving a plurality of interval requests via the uplink channel at the headend control computer from one or more of the CPE units; collecting the received requests for transmission time intervals on the uplink channel in a memory and arranging at least some but not all of the received interval requests in a request queue update message at the headend control computer; and sending the request queue update message via the downlink channel to at least some but not all of the CPE units and processing the request queue update message to update a master request queue in the headend control computer, to update a local request queue at the plurality of CPE units in order to place requests from the request queue update message in the local queue at the plurality of CPE units, and to enable the plurality of CPE units to apply an algorithm to determine that the local request queue is updated to substantially match the master request queue at the headend control computer; and receiving upstream messages from the plurality of CPE units when the CPE's own interval request arrives at the top of its local request queue.