Source: https://patents.google.com/patent/US7864686B2/en
Timestamp: 2018-06-23 22:36:45
Document Index: 299087540

Matched Legal Cases: ['Application No. 60', 'Application No. 60', 'Application No. 60', 'Application No. 60', 'Application No. 60', 'Application No. 60', 'Application No. 60', 'Application No. 60', 'Application No. 60']

US7864686B2 - Tunneling scheme for transporting information over a cable network - Google Patents
Tunneling scheme for transporting information over a cable network Download PDF
US7864686B2
US7864686B2 US11134005 US13400505A US7864686B2 US 7864686 B2 US7864686 B2 US 7864686B2 US 11134005 US11134005 US 11134005 US 13400505 A US13400505 A US 13400505A US 7864686 B2 US7864686 B2 US 7864686B2
US11134005
US20050265398A1 (en )
A cable network includes a Data Over Cable Service Interface Specifications (DOCSIS) set-top gateway (DSG) server connected to an Internet Protocol (IP) network and a DSG client operating in a set-top device connected to a cable network. A DSG agent operates in a cable modem termination system (CMTS) coupled between the IP network and the cable network. The DSG agent receives data from the DSG server and sends the data to the DSG client over dynamically assigned DSG tunnels.
This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/668,747, filed on Apr. 5, 2005, and to U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/635,995, filed on Dec. 13, 2004, and to U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/624,490, filed on Nov. 1, 2004, and to U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/622,312, filed on Oct. 25, 2004, and to U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/590,509, filed on Jul. 23, 2004, and to U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/588,635, filed on Jul. 16, 2004, and to U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/582,732, filed on Jun. 22, 2004, and to U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/574,876, filed on May 26, 2004, and to U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/574,506, filed on May 25, 2004.
Cable operators have deployed millions of digital set-top boxes (STBs) enabling broadcast and interactive services. Millions of cable modems have also been deployed with the associated infrastructure including Cable Modem Termination Systems (CMTSs), routers and network connectivity. There is significant interest in enabling high-speed data communications to digital set-top boxes for advanced services that leverage the existing infrastructure of digital video and Data Over Cable Service Interface Specifications (DOCSIS) networks.
FIG. 1 is a diagram of a conventional cable network.
conditional access (CA) messages including entitlements;
service information (SI) messages;
electronic program guide (EPG) messages;
emergency alert system (EAS) messages; and
any other generic messages.
QoS Parameter Set A set of service flow encodings that describe the quality of service (QoS) attributes of a service flow or a service class.
The expression “DSG tunnel address” refers to a destination MAC address of the DSG tunnel 40. The DSG agent 32 defines the uniqueness of the DSG tunnel 40 in relation to an IP multicast destination address, IP subnets, and DOCSIS downstreams. In a DSG basic mode, a destination MAC address of the DSG tunnel 40 is set equal to a DSG client ID which is a multicast (group) MAC Address. The DSG client 34 in the set-top device 22 recognizes the DSG tunnel 40 by the uniqueness of a DSG tunnel address. Multiple IP addresses may use the same DSG tunnel address. This allows a many-to-one scenario where multiple set-top controllers 14 can send OOB messaging or other content 25 to the set-top devices 22.
Referring to FIGS. 3 and 5, in one embodiment, the DSG advanced mode uses a DOCSIS MAC management message 70 alternatively referred to as a downstream channel descriptor (DCD) message to transport the DSG address table 46 and otherwise manage the DSG tunnel 42. The DCD message 70 can also provide a consolidated keep-alive mechanism for all DSG tunnels on a particular downstream, even if the IP network has been interrupted. The keep-alive for a particular DSG tunnel 42 is based upon the existence of a series of DCD messages 70 and upon the inclusion of that DSG tunnel within those DCD messages 70.
The DSG classifiers in one embodiment are coded as TLV tuples. The definitions of the TLV values are defined in section “Packet Classification Encodings” in Annex C of the DOCSIS-RFI specification. The DSG classifier parameters are set through a DSG management information base (MIB). When DSG classifiers are configured, the DSG agent 32 includes the DSG classifier encodings in the DCD messages 70 on the downstream channels to which the classifiers apply. The DSG classifier ID is unique per DSG agent 32.
A DSG UCID range value specifies the matching parameters for the upstream channel ID for which the DSG rule applies. A DSG client 34 with UCID value “ucid” matches this parameter if ucid-low<=ucid<=ucid-high. If this TLV is omitted, then the DSG rule applies to all values of UCID, regardless if the UCID is known or unknown by the DSG client 34. A DSG client ID value specifies the matching parameters for the DSG client ID 50 (FIG. 3) for which the DSG rule applies. A DSG rule applies to a DSG client 34 if there is a match on one of the DSG client ID fields and a match on the UCID range (if present).
A DSG service class is used to manage the Quality of Service of the DSG tunnels within the DSG agent 32. The DSG service class is identified with a service class name and has an associated QoS parameter set. The DSG service class parameters are set through the DSG MIB or through the CMTS command line interface (CLI). Multiple DSG tunnels may reference the same DSG service class. The DSG agent 32 may recognize the following DSG service class parameters. In one embodiment these parameters are defined in the “Service Flow Encodings” section in Annex C of DOCSIS 2.0 radio frequency interface specification. This parameter may include service class name, traffic priority, downstream maximum sustained traffic rate (R), maximum traffic burst (B), minimum reserved traffic rate, and assumed minimum reserved rate packet size.
On the DSG agent network side interface (NSI), the DSG agent 32 advertises via a multicast routing protocol, the multicast routes/groups that are configured in the DSG agent 32. On the DSG agent RF side interface (RFI), IP multicast addresses that are associated with DSG tunnels via the DCD message 70 may not be managed by Internet Group Management Protocol (IGMP). As such, the downstream channel carrying the DCD message 70 is considered to be “statically joined” to each multicast group included in the DCD message 70. For these associated multicast groups, the DSG agent 32 ignores IGMP messages (membership queries, membership reports, leave messages) on the RF interface, and does not generate IGMP messages (group-specific queries, membership reports, leave messages) on the RF interface.
Examples of DSG Operations
FIGS. 7 and 8 show examples of how rules and classifiers are used by DSG clients 106 and 107 for receiving data over different DSG tunnels. Multiple DSG servers 100 and 102 send data over multicast sessions 108 and 110, respectively. The DSG server 100 has an associated IP address of 12.8.8.1 and the DSG server 102 has an associated IP address of 12.8.8.2. The IP multicast session 108 has a destination IP address of 228.9.9.1 and the IP multicast session 110 has a destination IP address of 228.9.9.2.
FIGS. 9 and 10 show and alternative embodiment where the DSG protocol is used for managing a multicast session for a STB. A pay-for-view football game is advertised over a cable network. The DSG server 30 sends a game notice 51 over the WAN 16 advertising the upcoming football game. The DSG agent 32 sends a DCD message 55 that is broadcast over the cable network 20 using the well known DOCSIS MAC multicast address. The DCD message 55 contains a DSG address table 57 that links the well known MAC addresses associated with the set-top devices 22 to a DSG tunnel address having a particular source IP address and destination IP address for a multicast session carrying the advertised football game. The DCD message 55 may also include an extension 59, such as: “NFL—49ers vs. Seahawks”, that is then displayed on a user guide by the set-top devices 22.
25. The tangible computer readable medium of claim 23, wherein the tunnel addresses are dynamically changed at non-periodic intervals.
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Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNORS:CHAPMAN, JOHN T.;GUCKEL, WILLIAM;SIGNING DATES FROM 20050517 TO 20050520;REEL/FRAME:016589/0013