Patent ID: 7764604

Claim:
A method of controlling MACs (media access controls) between a cable modem termination system (CMTS) and a cable modem (CM), comprising: a first step of monitoring a scheduling state of a plurality of service sessions sharing a physical channel between the CMTS and CM; and a second step of switching a scheduling type of a specific session occupying the physical channel inactively among a plurality of the service sessions sharing the physical channel, wherein the second step includes a step of inserting a source address and a destination address for distinguishing the specific service session, of which scheduling type is to be switched, in a MAC frame format; further wherein the second step comprises: a step (a) of, when a time slot to be allocated to at least one additional service session added to share the physical channel is not available, having the CMTS insert a switch command of the scheduling type of the specific service session occupying the physical channel inactively in a MAC frame format to transmit to the CM; and a step (b) of having the CM switch the scheduling type of the specific service session occupying the physical channel in accordance with the switch command inserted in the MAC frame format; and a step after step (a), having the CM judge whether the scheduling type for a designated service session can be switched based on an insertion information of the MAC frame format received from the CMTS, and a step after step (a), having the CM transmit an affirmative response that the scheduling type of the designated service session can be switched to the CMTS.