Patent ID: 7864686
Filing Date: 2011-01-04
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
1. A network device, comprising: a processor operating in a Cable Modem Termination System (CMTS) coupled between a first network and a second cable network, wherein the processor operates a Data Over Cable Service Interface Specification (DOCSIS) Set-top Gateway (DSG) agent; the processor configured to send, from the CMTS and over the second cable network using the DSG agent, an address table that maps set-top client identifiers with tunnel addresses, wherein the tunnel addresses correspond to first and second tunnels, and wherein in the address table a particular one of the set-top client identifiers corresponds to the tunnel address of the first tunnel; the processor configured to, using the DSG agent, send first data to the set-top devices over the first tunnel using the corresponding tunnel address and according to the mappings in the address table, wherein at least a portion of the first data is sent to a set-top device of the particular set-top client identifier using the first tunnel; the processor configured to, using the DSG agent, dynamically change the tunnel addresses at intervals and, in association with at least one of the dynamic changes, send over the second cable network an address table update that maps the particular one of the set-top client identifiers to the tunnel address of the second tunnel; and the processor configured to, subsequent to sending the address table update and using the DSG agent, send second data to the set-top device that corresponds to the particular set-top client identifier using the second tunnel; wherein the processor receives the second data from a DSG server over the first network and, using the DSG agent, sends the second data over the second cable network to a DSG client of the set-top device of the particular set-top client identifier over the second tunnel using the tunnel address of the second tunnel in accordance with the address table update.