Abstract: A method of determining a round trip delay time in a network comprising receiving a gate message allocating a transmission time window; retrieving a first timestamp from the gate message; setting a first clock to the time corresponding to the first timestamp, and wherein the first clock runs synchronously with a second clock recovered from a received data stream; sending upstream, after a time interval comprising a grant start time included in the transmission time window offset by a random delay time, a registration request message, wherein the registration request message includes a second timestamp obtained from the first clock; and determining a round trip delay (RTT) from a time the registration request message is received and the second timestamp.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are mechanisms to support the management of multicast keys for a multicast group comprising one or more optical line terminals (OLTs), one or more fiber to coax units (FCUs), and a plurality of coax network units (CNUs). The disclosed embodiments may support the management of multicast keys over optical and coaxial networks. In some embodiments, an FCU may facilitate communication of operations administration and maintenance (OAM) messages containing multicast keys from one or more OLTs to one or more CNUs (typically a plurality of CNUs). Some embodiments may employ one multicast key over both the optical network and coaxial network. Other embodiments may employ an optical domain multicast key over the optical network and an electrical domain multicast key over the coaxial network. Embodiments may comprise adding a first CNU to a multicast group as well as adding subsequent CNUs to the multicast group.

Abstract: A method performed by a FCU comprising receiving a MPCP request message from a CNU via an electrical network, wherein the MPCP request message comprises a first timestamp, adjusting the first timestamp in the MPCP request message by an electrical network delay, and forwarding the MPCP request message with the adjusted timestamp to an OLT via an optical network. Also disclosed is a method performed by an OLT comprising receiving a MPCP message from a CNU via a FCU and an optical network, obtaining an arrival time of the MPCP message, adjusting a timestamp in the MPCP message by subtracting an electrical network delay from the timestamp, and computing a RTT delay based on the timestamp and the arrival time.

Abstract: A method is provided in one example embodiment and includes receiving video data and gathering statistics associated with the video data. At least some of the video data is broken into slices, each of the slices representing a partition in a video frame within the video data. Each frame is encoded with one or more quality layers based on an outgoing rate and based on a number of central processing unit (CPU) cycles, wherein one or more quality layers of the frames are dropped in the encoding process. In more specific embodiments, the statistics relate to how many bits are used for encoding the quality layers of the video data and how much complexity is required for encoding the quality layers of the video data. After the statistics gathering, adjustments to a network rate are executed.

Abstract: A method of allocating upstream bandwidth on a network comprising mapping an integer portion of a value obtained from a grant start time into a symbol number of a data frame on a coaxial segment of the network, wherein the value comprises the grant start time in units of a length of a data frame in the coaxial segment of a network, and wherein the length of the data frame comprises a preselected number of units of time defined in an optical segment of a network; mapping a fractional portion of the value obtained from the grant start time into a subcarrier number of the data frame; and mapping a grant length into a number subcarriers of the data frame.

Abstract: A method implemented by a middlebox comprising registering a customer premises equipment (CPE) in the middlebox, wherein the CPE is coupled to the middlebox via an electrical line, and facilitating registration of the CPE in a central office (CO) equipment coupled to the middlebox.

Abstract: A method implemented by a middlebox comprising registering a customer premises equipment (CPE) in the middlebox, wherein the CPE is coupled to the middlebox via an electrical line, and facilitating registration of the CPE in a central office (CO) equipment coupled to the middlebox.

Abstract: An apparatus comprising a processor configured to obtain one or more plant conditions regarding at least one of a plurality of customer premises equipment (CPEs) remotely coupled to the apparatus via electrical lines, and divide the plurality of coupled CPEs into a number of profile groups based on the one or more plant conditions, wherein each profile group comprises at least one CPE and supports one or more modulation orders.

Abstract: A method performed by a FCU comprising receiving a MPCP request message from a CNU via an electrical network, wherein the MPCP request message comprises a first timestamp, adjusting the first timestamp in the MPCP request message by an electrical network delay, and forwarding the MPCP request message with the adjusted timestamp to an OLT via an optical network. Also disclosed is a method performed by an OLT comprising receiving a MPCP message from a CNU via a FCU and an optical network, obtaining an arrival time of the MPCP message, adjusting a timestamp in the MPCP message by subtracting an electrical network delay from the timestamp, and computing a RTT delay based on the timestamp and the arrival time.

Abstract: An apparatus for interconnecting a fiber-optic network and a coax network comprising a coax line terminal (CLT) configured to couple to an optical line terminal (OLT) at the fiber-optic network and a plurality of coax network units (CNUs) at the coax network and to cache data received from the CNUs and forward the cached data to the OLT upon receiving a message from the OLT that assigns a transmission cycle for a specified CNU, wherein the CLT forwards the cached data to the OLT upon receiving the message regardless of whether the cached data corresponds to the specified CNU.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are mechanisms to support the management of multicast keys for a multicast group comprising one or more optical line terminals (OLTs), one or more fiber to coax units (FCUs), and a plurality of coax network units (CNUs). The disclosed embodiments may support the management of multicast keys over optical and coaxial networks. In some embodiments, an FCU may facilitate communication of operations administration and maintenance (OAM) messages containing multicast keys from one or more OLTs to one or more CNUs (typically a plurality of CNUs). Some embodiments may employ one multicast key over both the optical network and coaxial network. Other embodiments may employ an optical domain multicast key over the optical network and an electrical domain multicast key over the coaxial network. Embodiments may comprise adding a first CNU to a multicast group as well as adding subsequent CNUs to the multicast group.

Abstract: A Cable Modem Termination System (CMTS) comprising a receiver configured to receive a plurality of upstream transmission request messages from a plurality of coaxial units via an electro-optical network, wherein the upstream transmission request messages each request permission to transmit a specified amount of data, a processor coupled to the receiver and configured to allocate Orthogonal Frequency-Division Multiplexing (OFDM) minislots to each coaxial unit based on the amount of data requested in the associated upstream transmission request message, and a transmitter coupled to the processor and configured to transmit at least one Uplink Allocation Map (UL-MAP) message to indicate minislot allocations to the coaxial units.

Abstract: An example method is provided and includes receiving a video bitstream in a network environment; detecting a question in a decoded audio portion of a video bitstream; and marking a segment of the video bitstream with a tag. The tag may correspond to a location of the question in the video bitstream, and can facilitate consumption of the video bitstream. The method can further include detecting keywords in the question, and combining the keywords to determine a content of the question. In specific embodiments, the method can also include receiving the question and a corresponding answer from a user interaction, crowdsourcing the question by a plurality of users, counting a number of questions in the video bitstream and other features.

Abstract: An apparatus for interconnecting a fiber-optic network and a coax network comprising a coax line terminal (CLT) configured to couple to an optical line terminal (OLT) at the fiber-optic network and a plurality of coax network units (CNUs) at the coax network and to cache data received from the CNUs and forward the cached data to the OLT upon receiving a message from the OLT that assigns a transmission cycle for a specified CNU, wherein the CLT forwards the cached data to the OLT upon receiving the message regardless of whether the cached data corresponds to the specified CNU.

Abstract: A method implemented in a Fiber Coaxial Unit (FCU) comprising receiving a plurality of Ethernet Passive Optical Network (EPON) report messages from a plurality of Coaxial Network Units (CNUs) across a coaxial network, receiving an EPON gate message comprising Time Quanta (TQ) information indicating an upstream transmission time grant for the FCU across the optical network, translating the TQ based upstream transmission time grants to OFDM resource block grants in a time domain and in a frequency domain across the coaxial network for each CNU based on the configurable constants, and transmitting an EPON over Coaxial (EPoC) gate message to each CNU, wherein each EPoC gate message comprises a CNU profile indicating the Orthogonal Frequency-Division Multiplexing (OFDM) resource block grants for the an associated CNU and a start time.

Abstract: A method comprising generating an updated security key upon expiration of a key exchange timer, transferring the updated security key to a Coaxial Network Unit (CNU), retaining an original key, wherein the updated security key comprises a different key identification number than the original key, accepting and decrypting upstream traffic that employs either the original key or the updated key, after transferring the updated security key to the CNU, creating a key switchover timer, before the key switchover timer expires, verify that upstream traffic transferred from the CNU on a logical link uses the updated security key, and when upstream traffic is encrypted using the updated security key, begin using the updated security key to encrypt downstream traffic and clear the key switchover timer.

Abstract: A method in a network device for providing end-to-end connection in a unified optical and coax network, comprising receiving at an integrated node device (IND) a frame from an optical line terminal (OLT), wherein the frame comprises a data frame and a logical link identifier (LLID), and placing the data in a one of a plurality of buffers based on the LLID, wherein the one of the plurality of buffers corresponds to a customer premises equipment (CPE) associated with the LLID, wherein the data frame stays intact in a media access control (MAC) layer.

Abstract: A method of determining a round trip delay time in a network comprising receiving a gate message allocating a transmission time window; retrieving a first timestamp from the gate message; setting a first clock to the time corresponding to the first timestamp, and wherein the first clock runs synchronously with a second clock recovered from a received data stream; sending upstream, after a time interval comprising a grant start time included in the transmission time window offset by a random delay time, a registration request message, wherein the registration request message includes a second timestamp obtained from the first clock; and determining a round trip delay (RTT) from a time the registration request message is received and the second timestamp.

Abstract: An apparatus comprising a receiver configured to receive a plurality of transmission requests from a plurality of end nodes via an optical network and an electrical network, a processor coupled to the receiver and configured to dynamically allocate optical transmission time slots to the end nodes according to measured RTTs of the end nodes, and a transmitter coupled to the processor and configured to transmit the allocated transmission time slots to the end nodes. Also disclosed is a method performed by an OLT comprising receiving a plurality of transmission requests from a plurality of network units via a PON and an electrical network, and allocating optical transmission time slots to the network units dynamically according to measured RTTs of the network units.

Abstract: An example method is provided and includes receiving a video bitstream in a network environment; detecting a question in a decoded audio portion of a video bitstream; and marking a segment of the video bitstream with a tag. The tag may correspond to a location of the question in the video bitstream, and can facilitate consumption of the video bitstream. The method can further include detecting keywords in the question, and combining the keywords to determine a content of the question. In specific embodiments, the method can also include receiving the question and a corresponding answer from a user interaction, crowdsourcing the question by a plurality of users, counting a number of questions in the video bitstream and other features.