Patent ID: 8843978

Claim:
Network apparatus configured to selectively allocate bandwidth within a plurality of radio frequency (RF) channels configured to exist on a network, said RF channels comprising one or more service groups, said apparatus comprising: a processor; a storage device in operative communication with said processor; a plurality of units configured to selectively modulate data onto said RF channels; and a session manager program configured to run on said processor and to receive a plurality of on-demand (OD) session requests from other entities connected to said network, said plurality of requests comprising a first plurality of requests for high definition (HD) data, and a second plurality of requests for standard definition (SD) data, said session manager further being configured to: identify each request as being one of said first or second plurality; limit a number of HD sessions currently in process on said channels via a failure to service requests for HD sessions in excess of a predetermined HD session limit; limit a number of SD sessions currently in process on said channels via a failure to service requests for SD sessions in excess of a predetermined SD session limit; and for said HD and SD sessions which do not exceed said respective HD and SD session limits: compare an HD bandwidth utilized by at least one of said channels against a predetermined bandwidth threshold for HD sessions; when said HD bandwidth is less than said predetermined bandwidth threshold for HD sessions, allocate said request via said at least one of said channels in accordance with a Least-Loaded algorithm; and when said HD bandwidth exceeds said predetermined bandwidth threshold for HD sessions, allocate said request via said at least one of said channels in accordance with a Most-Loaded algorithm.