Method And System For Providing Reduced Bandwidth Acquisition Latency

Abstract

Methods and systems for providing reduced bandwidth acquisition latency may comprise communicating a reservation request for bandwidth allocation for devices operating under a wired network protocol, where the reservation request may be sent by wired network devices via a wireless network protocol over a wireless network. Bandwidth may be allocated in the wired network for the requesting devices by a network controller. Data may be communicated with the requesting devices via the wired network. The wired network communication protocol may comprise a multimedia over cable alliance (MoCA) standard. The wireless protocol may comprise an IEEE 802.11x standard, a Bluetooth standard, and/or any non-public network protocol. The communication of the reservation request via the wireless protocol may decrease a latency of the wired network. A medium access plan (MAP) may be generated by the network controller based on the reservation request and may comprise a bandwidth allocation for the requesting devices.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for multimedia communication, the method comprising:
 in a multi-protocol premises-based communication network comprising a wired network operating in accordance with a multimedia over cable alliance (MoCA) standard and a wireless network:
 communicating, over the wireless network, a first reservation request for wired network bandwidth; 
 communicating, over the wired network, a second redundant reservation request for bandwidth on the wired network; 
 receiving, via the wireless network, an allocation of wired network bandwidth based on which reservation request reaches a targeted network controller first; and 
 communicating, over only the wired network, using the received allocation of wired network bandwidth. 
   
     
     
         2 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein said second redundant reservation request is identified as redundant utilizing a bit flag. 
     
     
         3 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein said targeted network controller comprises a MoCA bridge. 
     
     
         4 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein said wireless network is a non-public wireless network. 
     
     
         5 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein said receiving an allocation of bandwidth on the wired network comprises receiving a message describing the allocation of bandwidth. 
     
     
         6 . The method according to  claim 5 , wherein said message comprises a medium access plan (MAP) generated by said targeted network controller of the wired network based on said wirelessly communicated reservation request. 
     
     
         7 . The method according to  claim 6 , wherein said MAP comprises bandwidth allocation information for a plurality of wired network devices. 
     
     
         8 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein said targeted network controller comprises wireless network and wired network capability. 
     
     
         9 . A system for multimedia communication, the system comprising:
 one or more circuits comprising wireless local area network (WLAN) circuitry and a MoCA PHY, said one or more circuits for use in a multi-protocol premises-based communication network comprising a wired network operating in accordance with a multimedia over cable alliance (MoCA) standard and a wireless network, said one or more circuits being operable to:
 communicate, over the wireless network utilizing the WLAN circuitry, a first reservation request for wired network bandwidth; 
 communicate, over the wired network utilizing the MoCA PHY, a second redundant reservation request for bandwidth on the wired network; 
 receive, via the wireless network utilizing the WLAN circuitry, an allocation of wired network bandwidth based on which reservation request reaches a targeted network controller first; and 
 communicate, over only the wired network utilizing the MoCA PHY, the received allocation of wired network bandwidth. 
   
     
     
         10 . The system according to  claim 9 , wherein said second redundant reservation request is identified as redundant utilizing a bit flag. 
     
     
         11 . The system according to  claim 9 , wherein said targeted network controller comprises a MoCA bridge. 
     
     
         12 . The system according to  claim 9 , wherein said wireless network is a non-public wireless network. 
     
     
         13 . The system according to  claim 9 , wherein said receiving an allocation of bandwidth on the wired network comprises receiving a message describing the allocation of bandwidth. 
     
     
         14 . The system according to  claim 13 , wherein said message comprises a medium access plan (MAP) generated by said targeted network controller of the wired network based on said wirelessly communicated reservation request. 
     
     
         15 . The system according to  claim 14 , wherein said MAP comprises bandwidth allocation information for a plurality of wired network devices. 
     
     
         16 . The system according to  claim 9 , wherein said network controller comprises wireless network and wired network capability. 
     
     
         17 . A system multimedia communication, the system comprising:
 a multimedia over cable alliance (MoCA) network controller comprising wireless local area network (WLAN) circuitry, a MoCA PHY, and a processor, the MoCA network controller being operable to:   receive a first reservation request for bandwidth allocation for one or more devices operating under a multimedia over cable alliance (MoCA) standard on said wired network, said reservation request received utilizing said WLAN circuitry from said one or more requesting wired network devices via a wireless network;   receive over the wired network utilizing said MoCA PHY, a second redundant reservation request for bandwidth on the wired network;   allocate bandwidth in said wired network for said one or more requesting wired network devices utilizing said processor based on which reservation request reaches said MoCA network controller first; and   communicate data with said one or more requesting wired network devices via said wired network utilizing said MoCA PHY.   
     
     
         18 . The system according to  claim 17 , wherein said second redundant reservation request is identified as redundant utilizing a bit flag. 
     
     
         19 . The system according to  claim 17 , wherein said wireless network is a non-public wireless network. 
     
     
         20 . The system according to  claim 17 , wherein said receiving an allocation of bandwidth on the wired network comprises receiving a message describing the allocation of bandwidth.