Method for measuring channel characteristics with the internet control message protocol
First Claim
1. A method of characterizing channel quality for a communications channel comprising:
- constructing a data pattern for generating a reference signal to measure a specific channel characteristic;
inserting the data pattern in an Internet Control Message Protocol echo request;
transmitting the Internet Control Message Protocol echo request from a first station to a second station;
receiving the Internet Control Message Protocol echo request at the second station;
transmitting an Internet Control Message Protocol echo reply in response to the Internet Control Message Protocol echo request from the second station to the first station;
receiving the Internet Control Message Protocol echo reply at the first station;
measuring a bit slicer error of the Internet Control Message Protocol echo reply; and
characterizing the channel quality of the communications channel as a function of the bit slicer error.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method includes constructing a data pattern for generating a reference signal to measure a specific channel characteristic, inserting the data pattern in an Internet Control Message Protocol echo request, transmitting an Internet Control Message Protocol echo request from a primary station across a shared physical medium to a secondary station, receiving the echo request at the secondary station, transmitting an Internet Control Message Protocol echo reply in response to the echo request across the shared physical medium to the primary station, receiving the echo reply at the primary station, measuring a bit slicer error of the Internet Control Message Protocol echo reply, and characterizing the channel quality of the communications channel as a function of the bit slicer error. The corresponding channel quality may be measured for each of a plurality of channels in a multi-channel communications system of an Internet Protocol network and one of the plurality of channels may be selected having the best relative channel quality for routing a communications signal.
50 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method of characterizing channel quality for a communications channel comprising:
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constructing a data pattern for generating a reference signal to measure a specific channel characteristic;
inserting the data pattern in an Internet Control Message Protocol echo request;
transmitting the Internet Control Message Protocol echo request from a first station to a second station;
receiving the Internet Control Message Protocol echo request at the second station;
transmitting an Internet Control Message Protocol echo reply in response to the Internet Control Message Protocol echo request from the second station to the first station;
receiving the Internet Control Message Protocol echo reply at the first station;
measuring a bit slicer error of the Internet Control Message Protocol echo reply; and
characterizing the channel quality of the communications channel as a function of the bit slicer error. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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15. A multichannel communications system comprising:
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a first station for transmitting an echo request that conforms to Internet Control Message Protocol over a shared physical medium wherein the echo request contains a data pattern for generating a reference signal to characterize a channel quality from a bit slicer error; and
a second station for receiving the echo request and for transmitting an echo reply that conforms to Internet Control Message Protocol in response to the echo request from the second station to the first station.
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Specification