Patent ID: 7681214

Claim:
A cable modem system that is operable using synchronous code division multiple access for a plurality of cable modem channels, the cable modem system comprising: a plurality of cable modems; a cable modem termination system; and a cable modem network segment that communicatively couples the cable modem termination system to the plurality of cable modems; and wherein: the cable modem termination system is operable to provide network access to each cable modem within the plurality of cable modems, the network access being provided using a plurality of cable modem user signals, each cable modem user signal being transmitted from the cable modem termination system to at least one of the cable modems within the plurality of cable modems; the cable modem termination system spreads each of the cable modem user signals using one corresponding orthogonal code of a plurality of orthogonal codes to generate a plurality of orthogonal code spread cable modem user signals; the cable modem termination system sums the plurality of orthogonal code spread cable modem user signals together to generate a summed, orthogonal code spread signal; the cable modem termination system spreads the summed, orthogonal code spread signal using a pseudo-noise code to generate a pseudo-noise code signal; the cable modem termination system provides pseudo-noise code synchronization information to each of the plurality of cable modems; each of the plurality of cable modems de-spreads the pseudo-noise code signal using the pseudo-noise code to generate its respective pseudo-noise de-spread cable modem user signal; each of the plurality of cable modems de-spreads its respective pseudo-noise de-spread cable modem user signal using its respective orthogonal code; and each orthogonal code of the plurality of orthogonal codes corresponds to one respective cable modem of the plurality of cable modems.