Coaxial cable/twisted pair cable telecommunications network architecture

(54) COAXIAL CABLE/TWISTED PAIR CABLE TELECOMMUNICATIONS NETWORK ARCHITECTURE

(75) Inventors: Irwin Gerszberg, Kendall park, NJ (US); Jeffrey S. Martin, Dover, NJ (US); Thomas Oplinger, Morristown, NJ (US); Philip Andrew Treventi, Murray Hill, NJ (US); Hopeton S. Walker, Haledon, NJ (US)

(73) Assignee: AT&T Corp., New York, NY (US)

( * ) Notice: Subject to any disclaimer, the term of this patent is extended or adjusted under 35 U.S.C. 154(b) by 22 days.

(21) Appl. No.: 09/224,283

(22) Filed: Dec. 31, 1998

Related U.S. Application Data

(63) Continuation-in-part of application No. 09/001,360, filed on Dec. 31, 1997, now Pat. No. 6,359,881.

(51) Int. CI.7 H04L 12/28

(52) U.S. CI 370/401; 370/465

(58) Field of Search 370/354, 352,

370/353, 468, 474, 490, 389, 390, 282, 351, 401, 400, 402-4, 465-69; 709/225, 223, 238, 202; 375/222; 725/74, 105-6, 111, 118, 143-4, 148, 151

(56) References Cited

U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS

(List continued on next page.)

OTHER PUBLICATIONS

David Her, "Telephony Over Cable, Communications Engineering and Design", 12/98, http://www.cedmagazine.com. Lee Goldbers, "MCNA/DOCSIS MAC Clears a Path For the Cable-Modem Invasion, Electronic Design", Dec. 7, 1997, http://www.penton.com/ed/Pages/magpages/dec0197/ comtech/1201ctl .htm.

Ralph W. Brown, "Pegasus Set-top Terminal", 3/97, http:// www.pathfinder.com/corp/tech/brown/pegasus/pegasussettopnctapaper.html, Time Warner Cable.

(List continued on next page.)

Primary Examiner—David Vincent

(74) Attorney, Agent, or Firm—Banner & Witcoff

(57) ABSTRACT

Asysyem architecture for bypassing a local exchange carrier comprises an intelligent terminal, a residential gateway coupled to the terminal, a cable facility management platform terminating a twisted pair or coaxial cable facility and a network service platform. The twisted pair and/or coaxial cable fed, integrated residence gateway controlled intelligent terminal or set-top device provides a plurality of enhanced services. One necessary service is lifeline service which may be provided over the coaxial cable via a cable modem of the integrated residence gateway, over the twisted pair facility or via wirelss means. The integrated residence gateway is coupled to either or both of the coaxial cable or twisted pair and distributes the bandwidth facilities available over either service vehicle to customer devices including the set top box.

10 Claims, 26 Drawing Sheets

Page 2

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