Scheduling mechanisms in full duplex cable network environments

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017019239-A1
Application number	US-201615052466-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Feb 24, 2016
Priority date	Jul 15, 2015
Publication date	Jan 19, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

An example method for scheduling in full duplex cable network environments is provided and includes categorizing a plurality of cable modems in a cable network into interference groups, scheduling upstream transmissions and downstream receptions for cable modems in each interference group, such that no cable modem of any one interference group transmits upstream in a frequency range simultaneously as another cable modem in the same interference group receives downstream in the frequency range, generating scheduling information of the scheduling, and transmitting the scheduling information to the cable modems.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method comprising:
categorizing a plurality of cable modems in a cable network into interference groups; scheduling upstream transmissions and downstream receptions for cable modems in each interference group, such that no cable modem of any one interference group transmits upstream in a frequency range simultaneously as another cable modem in the same interference group receives downstream in the frequency range; generating scheduling information of the scheduling; and transmitting the scheduling information to the cable modems.

2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising scheduling cable modems in different interference groups to transmit upstream and receive downstream simultaneously in the frequency range.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the cable modems are categorized into the interference groups through a ranging process.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the scheduling is implemented centrally at a cable modem termination system (CMTS) in the cable network.

5 . The method of claim 4 , wherein downstream transmission time is interleaved such that downstream data spans multiple symbols overlapped with each other, wherein upstream transmission time is not interleaved.

6 . The method of claim 4 , wherein the interference groups are sorted into interference blocks, wherein each interference block comprises a plurality of symbols including a symbol for guard time, wherein interleaving is implemented using the interference blocks.

7 . The method of claim 4 , wherein downstream transmission frequency is interleaved across a downstream symbol spanning a frequency range of an orthogonal frequency division multiplex block, wherein upstream transmission frequency is interleaved across an upstream symbol, wherein the upstream symbol is aligned with the downstream symbol.

8 . The method of claim 4 , wherein frequency interleaving is added to time interleaving, wherein symbols at each symbol time are rearranged according to a storage access scheme without introducing delay.

9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the scheduling is implemented in distributed mode, facilitating full duplex communication in the overall cable network across the frequency range and simplex communication in each individual interference group.

10 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the interference groups are identified by respective group labels, wherein downstream transmission in a frequency range to a particular interference group includes the particular interference group's group label in a forward error correction (FEC) codeword, distinguishing the downstream transmission in the frequency range to the interference group from downstream transmission to other interference groups.

11 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the FEC codeword is several codewords in advance of other data in the downstream transmission to the interference group, allowing cable modems in the interference group to anticipate the other data ahead of actual reception, and scheduling upstream transmission accordingly.

12 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the cable modems in the interference group are not allowed to transmit upstream in the frequency range when the downstream FEC codeword is being received by the interference group.

13 . Non-transitory tangible computer-readable media that includes instructions for execution, which when executed by a processor, is operable to perform operations comprising:
categorizing a plurality of cable modems in a cable network into interference groups; scheduling upstream transmissions and downstream receptions for cable modems in each interference group, such that no cable modem of any one interference group transmits upstream in a frequency range simultaneously as another cable modem in the same interference group receives downstream in the frequency range; generating scheduling information of the scheduling; and transmitting the scheduling information to the cable modems.

14 . The media of claim 13 , wherein the scheduling is implemented centrally at a CMTS in the cable network.

15 . The media of claim 14 , wherein downstream transmission time is interleaved such that transmitted data spans multiple symbols overlapped with each other, wherein upstream transmission time is not interleaved.

16 . The media of claim 14 , wherein downstream transmission frequency is interleaved across a downstream symbol spanning a frequency range of an orthogonal frequency division multiplex block, wherein upstream transmission frequency is interleaved across an upstream symbol, wherein the upstream symbol is aligned with the downstream symbol.

17 . The media of claim 13 , wherein the scheduling is implemented in distributed mode, facilitating full duplex communication in the overall cable network across the frequency range and simplex communication in each individual interference group.

18 . An apparatus, comprising:
a memory for storing data; and a processor operable to execute instructions associated with the data, wherein the processor and the memory cooperate, such that the apparatus is configured for:
categorizing a plurality of cable modems in a cable network into interference groups;
scheduling upstream transmissions and downstream receptions for cable modems in each interference group, such that no cable modem of any one interference group transmits upstream in a frequency range simultaneously as another cable modem in the same interference group receives downstream in the frequency range;
generating scheduling information of the scheduling; and
transmitting the scheduling information to the cable modems.

19 . The apparatus of claim 18 , wherein downstream transmission time is interleaved such that transmitted data spans multiple symbols overlapped with each other, wherein upstream transmission time is not interleaved.

20 . The apparatus of claim 18 , wherein downstream transmission frequency is interleaved across a downstream symbol spanning a frequency range of an orthogonal frequency division multiplex block, wherein upstream transmission frequency is interleaved across an upstream symbol, wherein the upstream symbol is aligned with the downstream symbol.

Assignees

• Cisco Tech Inc

Inventors

• Jin Hang
• Chapman John T

Classifications

• H04L12/2801 Primary

  Broadband local area networks · CPC title

• H04L5/1446 Primary

  of transmission speed · CPC title

• H04L1/004

  by using forward error control (H04L1/0618 takes precedence; coding, decoding or code conversion, for error detection or correction H03M13/00) · CPC title

• H04L49/70 Primary

  Virtual switches · CPC title

• H04L5/1438

  Negotiation of transmission parameters prior to communication (modified according to link quality H04L1/0001) · CPC title