Abstract: A centralized interactive TV recording and reproduction system linking several “Quality of Service” (QoS) reproduction and control units (such as television and audio reproduction receivers), as well as high bandwidth non-QoS legacy devices such as PCs, via a Home Area Network (HAN) to a centralized media server, has novel traffic control to prevent non-QoS devices from establishing and maintaining high-bandwidth network connections during the real-time transmission of media (video and/or audio) information from the media server to the QoS devices. In the preferred embodiment, the media server also contains a gateway device for connecting the HAN to a Wide Area Network, Metropolitan Area Network, and/or the Internet, and the media server also receives video and audio signals from sources such as cable, satellite, terrestrial broadcast, etc. The media server also contains a network router.

Abstract: Methods for reducing interference from initializing network devices in a data-over-cable system. The method includes aligning Initial Maintenance intervals for multiple upstream channels of the data-over-cable system. A cable modem termination system determines if usage intervals for the upstream channels may accommodate Initial Maintenance intervals that start at a common time. If so, the cable modem termination system constructs Bandwidth Allocation MAP messages for the usage intervals that contain Initial Maintenance intervals timed to start at the common time. In response to the MAP messages, initializing network devices range when there are no scheduled data transmissions on any upstream channel. The method may shorten a cable modem's time for ranging and may decrease collisions with data transmissions on the upstream paths when cable modems try to initialize.

Abstract: Methods for reducing interference from initializing network devices in a data-over-cable system. The method includes aligning Initial Maintenance intervals for multiple upstream channels of the data-over-cable system. A cable modem termination system determines if usage intervals for the upstream channels may accommodate Initial Maintenance intervals that start at a common time. If so, the cable modem termination system constructs Bandwidth Allocation MAP messages for the usage intervals that contain Initial Maintenance intervals timed to start at the common time. In response to the MAP messages, initializing network devices range when there are no scheduled data transmissions on any upstream channel. The method may shorten a cable modem's time for ranging and may decrease collisions with data transmissions on the upstream paths when cable modems try to initialize.

Abstract: A method for scheduling lower priority and higher priority data packets in a network system is provided. The method allows a network device to schedule the order in which data packets are sent and received on a network system using dual queues. As the network device receives data packets, the network device places data packets into a first queue and sorts the data packets as higher priority and lower priority data packets based upon a transmission deadline of each data packet. Subsequently, the network device places the high priority data packets into a second queue and the lower priority data packets into a third queue. The network device schedules data packets for execution in the second using a first scheduling method while using a second scheduling method to schedule data packets in the third queue. When a transmission deadline for a lower priority data packet expires in the third queue, the network device promotes a data packet from the third queue to the second queue for rescheduling.

Abstract: A system, device, and method for contention-based reservation in a shared medium network resolves collisions resulting from contention access using a combination of probabilistic tree splitting and first-come-first-served splitting techniques. The collision resolution procedure utilizes the first-come-first-served splitting technique to select a collision resolution interval, and provides two contention mini-slots to improve the likelihood of successful reservations. Each contending user transmits a reservation request in a randomly selected contention mini-slot. Two contention mini-slots are provided for a predetermined maximum number of collision resolution iterations, after which only one contention mini-slot is provided.

Abstract: A system, device, and method for sharing contention mini-slots among multiple priority classes determines an aggregate feedback state for each of the priority classes, determines a preferred allocation of contention mini-slots for each of the plurality of priority classes using the aggregate feedback state, and determines an actual allocation of contention mini-slots for each of the plurality of priority classes using the preferred allocation. The actual allocation of contention mini-slots is determined by making a preliminary allocation for each of the priority classes based on the preferred allocation and then allocating any remaining contention mini-slots among the priority classes.

Abstract: The entry polling (EP) method (900) of the present invention primarily incorporates two types of polling: contention based and standard polling. The present invention provides several advantages over present polling approaches. EP slots allow multi-priority users to compete for access into the standard polling scheme. The reservation channel is efficiently used by dynamically adjusting the frequency of contention slots based on system dynamics and dynamically changing the number of contention minislots for each service category within a contention slot with the case of sending only one minislot per slot. The channel is assigned primarily to active users. Pipeline polling is also incorporated, thus providing full use of the upstream channel. Since the local state information is provided by the user, the central controller may allow multiple variable length packets to be sent.