Patent ID: 6798769
Filing Date: 2004-09-28
Classification: H04L,H04M,H04Q

Abstract:
A method for transferring data with a plurality of customer premises, said method comprising:(a) providing a multiplexer comprising a set of upstream modems, a set of downstream modems, a set of upstream data links, each coupled with at least one upstream modem of the multiplexer, and a plurality of downstream data links, each coupled between at least one downstream modem of the multiplexer and a respective customer premises equipment, wherein the upstream data links are characterized by a maximum data rate less than 60 Kbps; (b) assigning a first and a second one of the upstream data links to a first one of the downstream data links with the multiplexer; (c) monitoring a second one of the downstream data links for an off-hook condition; and (d) when the off-hook condition is detected in (c), automatically re-assigning the second upstream data link from the first downstream data link to the second downstream data link, (e) adding additional upstream data links to the multiplexer at a first time, subsequent to (a), wherein the additional upstream data links are characterized by a maximum data rate greater than 100 Kbps, (f) adding optical fiber upstream data links to the multiplexer at a second time subsequent to the first time, wherein the optical fiber upstream data links are characterized by a maximum data rate greater than 1 Mbps.