Patent ID: 8149764

Claim:
A method for overhead flow data distribution in a multi-frequency network, the method comprising: generating primary flow (PF) overhead data associated with one or more multiplexes to be distributed in the multi-frequency network; identifying multiplex specific overhead (MSO) data associated with the one or more multiplexes; transmitting the PF overhead data over the multi-frequency network using first pre-assigned flow identifiers; and transmitting the MSO data over the multi-frequency network using second pre-assigned flow identifiers, wherein said generating the PF overhead data comprises generating the PF overhead data based on one of a selected multiplex, a selected vertical multiplex (VM) set, and a selected unified multiplex (UM) set, wherein said generating the PF overhead data comprises generating separate PF overhead data for selected wide and local multiplexes, for selected wide and local vertical multiplex (VM) sets, and for selected wide and local unified multiplex (UM) sets.