Description

Method, network element and device for processing data and communication system comprising such device

The invention relates to a method, a network element and to a device for processing data and to a communication system comprising such a device.

DSL or xDSL, is a family of technologies that provide digital data transmission over the wires of a local telephone network .

Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line (ADSL) is a form of DSL, a data communications technology that enables faster data transmission over copper telephone lines than a conventional voice band modem can provide. Such fast transmission is achieved by utilizing frequencies that are normally not used by a voice telephone call, in particular, frequencies higher than normal human hearing.

VDSL (Very High Speed DSL) is an xDSL technology providing faster data transmission over a single twisted pair of wires. High bit rates are achieved at a range of about 300 meters (1000 ft), which allows for 26 Mbit/s with symmetric access or up to 52 Mbit/s in downstream - 12 Mbit/s in upstream with asymmetric access.

Currently, standard VDSL uses up to 4 different frequency bands, two for upstream (from the client to the telecom provider) and two for downstream. Suitable modulation techniques are QAM (quadrature amplitude modulation) or DMT (discrete multitone modulation) .

According to its high bandwidth, VDSL is capable of supporting applications like HDTV, as well as telephone services (e.g., Voice over IP) and general Internet access, over a single connection.

VDSL2 (Very High Speed Digital Subscriber Line 2) is an access technology that exploits the existing infrastructure of copper wires that were originally used for plain old tele- phone service (POTS) . It can be deployed from central offices (COs) , from fiber-fed cabinets preferably located near the customer premises, or within buildings.

ITU-T G.993.2 (VDSL2) is an enhancement to G.993.1 (VDSL) that permits the transmission of asymmetric and symmetric (full duplex) aggregate data rates up to 200 Mbit/s on twisted pairs using a bandwidth up to 30 MHz.

In current xDSL technology an end-user (i.e. a customer prem- ises equipment, CPE) is provided with a single connection to a linecard of the CO. Once the connection is established, a carrier signal is used to keep the CPE and the CO-linecard in a synchronous mode.

Disadvantageously, such approach consumes power even if there are no user data exchanged between the CO and the CPE. Transmission power is required as long as the connection exists. This concept may lead to a significant waste of energy in particular as most customers do not switch off their DSL mo- dems every time they go offline.

Another disadvantage stems from the fact that in case the customer switches off the DSL modem, a training phase has to be processed after the modem is switched on again and this leads to a considerable delay until a connection will be up and running again.

The problem to be solved is to overcome the disadvantages set forth above and in particular to allow an efficient approach for operating a DSL modem and/or a DSL connection by reducing an overall power consumption thereof.

This problem is solved according to the features of the independent claims. Further embodiments result from the depending claims .

In order to overcome this problem, a method is provided for processing data at a network element connected via at least one line to a network and via at least one connection to at least one user,

- wherein the at least one line to the network is con- trolled according to bandwidth and/or traffic requested by the at least one user.

Hence, energy can be reduced by the network element activating and/or deactivating the at least one line to the network subsequent to user requests for bandwidth and/or traffic.

In an embodiment, said user is or is associated with a customer premises equipment.

In another embodiment, the at least one line to the network comprises at least one xDSL line.

In a further embodiment, the at least one connection to the at least one user comprises one of the following: - an xDSL line;

- an Ethernet connection;

- a wireless connection;

- a fiber line.

In a next embodiment, at least one line to the network is activated if the at least one user requires and/or requests an increased bandwidth.

It is also an embodiment that at least one line to the net- work is deactivated if the at least one user does not require the bandwidth provided for a predetermined amount of time.

Such predetermined amount of time may be associated with a timer, e.g., if a timer expires such predetermined amount of time is over. This allows for some hysteresis until lines to the network are deactivated.

Pursuant to another embodiment, the at least line to the network is connected to a linecard of a central office and/or to a linecard of a DSLAM.

According to an embodiment, the at least line to the network is operated in a MIMO mode.

According to another embodiment, a message is conveyed to the network to activate and/or deactivate at last on line to the network.

In yet another embodiment, said message is a OAM signaling message .

The problem stated above is also solved by a network element

- comprising a first interface comprising at least one connection towards a network;

- comprising a second interface comprising at least one connection to at least one user; - wherein said network element controls the at least one line to the network according to bandwidth and/or traffic requested by the at least one user.

The problem stated above is also solved by a device compris- ing a and/or being associated with a processor unit and/or a hard-wired circuit and/or a logic device that is arranged such that the method as described herein is executable on said processor unit.

According to an embodiment, the device is a communication device, in particular a or being associated with a network element .

The problem stated supra is further solved by a communication system comprising the device as described herein.

Embodiments of the invention are shown and illustrated in the following figure:

Fig.l shows a scenario comprising a Macro-CPE that is located adjacent and connected to several users via user lines as well as connected to a CO linecard via several DSL lines, wherein the Macro-CPE is enabled to control the DSL lines subsequent to user requests for bandwidth and/or traffic.

This approach introduces a new unit (also referred to as "Macro-CPE" or "Macro-DSLAM") that can be deployed adjacent to at least one CPE, preferably at the premises of the customer (s) .

For such purpose, said Macro-CPE comprises an interface com- prising at least one connection to a CO, in particular to a linecard of a CO. Each connection may be a digital subscriber line. Further, the Macro-CPE comprises at least one connection towards at least one user, in particular towards at least one CPE.

The connections towards the CO are preferably administered by the Macro-CPE according to requirements and/or demands of the users and/or CPEs.

Thus, the Macro-CPE may provide connections and/or bandwidth as requested by the users in a transparent manner to the users, i.e. the Macro-CPE may automatically enable and/or disable said connections towards the CPO to meet the users ' requests for bandwidth.

For example, as shown in Fig.l a Macro-CPE 101 may be located inside an apartment house 105 and connected to several users

102 to 104 (i.e. devices located in the apartments of the users) .

The connections between the Macro-CPE 101 and the users 102 to 104 may utilize various technologies, in particular combinations thereof:

- xDSL-connection : Such approach would be transparent for existing end-user solutions;

- Ethernet-Connection: This approach may be advanta- geously used for new buildings;

- Wireless connection, e.g., WLAN: The wireless approach may fit special environments, e.g., facing difficulties running cables.

- Optical Fiber: Such approach may be advantageously used in case of high speed requirements and/or a huge number of (high-speed) users are to be supplied.

All connections to and from the users 102 to 104 are preferably collected and analyzed at the Macro-CPE 101.

The Macro-CPE 101 is further connected to the CO, in particular to the linecard(s) 106 of the CO via several xDSL lines 107.

The xDSL lines 107 are controlled and/or administered by the Macro-CPE 101 dependent on the bandwidth (or traffic) required by the users 102 to 104. Preferably, at least one xDSL line towards the CO-linecard 106 is maintained by the Macro- CPE 101. The more bandwidth required by the users 102 to 104 the more xDSL lines 107 are activated. Accordingly, in case of minor traffic, some xDSL lines 107 may be deactivated by the Macro-CPE 101.

Preferably, the active xDSL lines are operated in a MIMO mode to provide higher data rates compared to the same number of xDSL lines not being operated in MIMO mode. The n MIMO xDSL lines 107 can be assigned to m user lines 108 by the Macro- CPE 101.

Hence, a user's data rate can be supplied dynamically corresponding to the amount of lines and their respective bandwidth provided by the CO-linecard 106.

It is an alternative for MIMO processing to bond a number of n xDSL lines .

Examples

a. In case there is no active user, one DSL line may be maintained to allow any user to get online and request traffic without (significant) delay.

b. In case there is one user active, one DSL line is kept alive to handle this user's traffic and to allow other user's to get online thereby requesting bandwidth.

c. In case of two or more active users, n DSL lines will be activated, wherein n depends on the actual amount of bandwidth required (or requested) by the users.

- If the total load increases, a new DSL line will be switched active.

- If the total load decreases, an active DSL line will be switched to inactive.

Saving power

The Macro-CPE may control the amount of active xDSL lines and it may switch the xDSL lines on and off. At least one xDSL line shall be kept active for allowing the user(s) to access the network without significant delay (e.g., without a training phase to be conducted by setting up at least one xDSL line) .

OAM signaling messaging may be provided that allows the Macro-CPE to inform the CO (or a DSLAM within the CO) to activate and/or to deactivate a xDSL line. In case of deactiva-

tion, preferably the affected chipset inside the DSLAM as well as the affected chipset inside the Macro-CPE may enter a power-saving mode. Upon receiving a wake-up signal message, the sleeping xDSL line will be (re-) activated.

List of Abbreviations:

CO Central Office

CPE Customer Premises Equipment DSL Digital Subscriber Line

DSLAM Digital Subscriber Line Access Multiplexer

MIMO Multiple Input Multiple Output

OAM Operation and Maintenance