Patent ID: 7840988

Claim:
A system, comprising: at least one access control system including at least one cable modem termination system (CMTS) operable to communicate with a first plurality of nodes of a first subscriber group via a first shared access upstream channel, and operable to communicate with second plurality of nodes of a second subscriber group via a second shared access upstream channel, wherein the first and second plurality of nodes are cable modems; the access control system comprising: a CMTS line card including a first plurality of physical (PHY) layer components, the first plurality of physical layer components including a first upstream port and a first PHY processor, the first upstream port being associated with a first upstream channel, wherein the first plurality of nodes are physically coupled to the first upstream port; wherein the CMTS line card further includes a second plurality of physical layer components, the second plurality of physical layer components including a second upstream port and a second PHY processor, the second upstream port being associated with a second upstream channel, wherein the second plurality of nodes are physically coupled to the second upstream port; the access control system being operable to: configure at least a portion of the first plurality of physical layer components to cause upstream signals from the first plurality of nodes coupled to the first upstream port to be processed by the first PHY processor; configure at least a portion of the second plurality of physical layer components to cause upstream signals from the second plurality of nodes coupled to the second upstream port to be processed by the second PHY processor, wherein at least a portion of the second plurality of PHY layer components are coupled to at least a portion of the first plurality of PHY layer components via one or more physical components; process upstream signals from a first portion of the first plurality of nodes at the first PHY processor; process upstream signals from a second portion of the second plurality of nodes at the second PHY processor; detect a first event or condition for triggering a dynamic re-configuration of at least one port-PHY processor configuration; dynamically configure, in response to detecting the first event or condition, at least a portion of the first plurality of physical layer components to cause upstream signals received from the first portion of the first plurality of nodes via the first upstream port to be processed by the second PHY processor, thereby enabling the upstream signals sent from the first portion of the plurality of nodes coupled to the first upstream port associated with the first upstream channel to be processed by the second PHY processor associated with the second upstream channel; and process, in response to the dynamic configuration, upstream signals from the first portion of the first plurality of nodes at the second PHY processor.