Faster modem method and apparatus

• US 20040008761A1
• Filed: 07/12/2002
• Published: 01/15/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 07/12/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: F Poszat Hu LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: UTStarcom Incorporated (UTStarcom Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Kelliher, Timothy, Farmwald, P.
• Granted Patent: US 7,233,649 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 375/222
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/062 using different frequency bands for speech and other data

Abstract

A faster modem apparatus communicates with customer premise equipment according to a variety of communication protocols. The faster modem apparatus communicates with customer premise equipment comprising an analog soft-modem comprising a codec. A method utilizes an unused portion of the codec operating range to code and decode data signals having frequencies above 4 kHz. The faster modem apparatus also codes and decodes data signals above 4 kHz. The analog soft-modem and the faster modem apparatus transmit and receive coded analog signals at a signal level of greater than −9 dBm. In one embodiment, the faster modem apparatus is also operative to communicate with additional modems such as dial-up modems and DSL modems. In one embodiment, the faster modem apparatus supports simultaneous voice and data communications.

Claims

1. A faster modem apparatus comprising:

a subscriber line port;

a central office line port;

a first low pass filter connected to said subscriber line port and said central office line port;

isolation circuitry connected to said subscriber line port;

a switch connected to said isolation circuitry, said switch comprising a switch control line;

a hybrid unit connected to said switch;

a line driver connected to said switch and said isolation circuitry, said line driver comprising a line driver control line;

an analog front end connected to said line driver and said hybrid unit;

a digital signal processor in communication with said analog front end, said digital signal processor comprising a microprocessor interface; and

a compression engine in communication with said digital signal processor.

2. The invention of claim 1 wherein said hybrid unit comprises a first hybrid connected to said switch and a second hybrid connected to said switch.

3. The invention of claim 2 wherein said first hybrid comprises a DSL hybrid and a high pass filter.

4. The invention of claim 3 wherein said DSL hybrid is an ADSL hybrid.

5. The invention of claim 3 wherein said high pass filter is a 20 kHz high pass filter.

6. The invention of claim 2 wherein said second hybrid comprises an analog modem hybrid and a second low pass filter.

7. The invention of claim 6 wherein said second low pass filter is a 20 kHz low pass filter.

8. The invention of claim 1 wherein said first low pass filter is an 8 kHz low pass filter.

9. The invention of claim 1 wherein said isolation circuitry is a 1:

1 transformer.

10. The invention of claim 9 wherein said transformer has an insertion loss of less than 3 dB.

11. The invention of claim 1 wherein said switch is a double-pole-double-throw relay.

12. The invention of claim 1 wherein said line driver is operative to be switched on and off by said line driver control line.

13. The invention of claim 1 wherein said compression engine is a V.42/V.42bis compression engine.

14. The invention of claim 1 wherein said analog front end is operative to code and decode signals above 4 kHz in frequency.

16. The invention of claim 15 wherein said termination equipment comprises the faster modem apparatus of claim 1.

15. A faster analog modem communication system comprising:

termination equipment;

a computer comprising an analog soft-modem; and

a conductor connecting said termination equipment to said computer;

wherein said termination equipment and said analog soft-modem are operable to transmit and receive analog signals at a level of greater than −

9 dBm;

wherein said termination equipment and said analog soft-modem are operable to transmit and receive analog signals at frequencies above 4 kHz.

17. The invention of claim 15 wherein said termination equipment is operable to transmit signals at a level of up to 5 dBm and receive signals at a level of up to 0 dBm, and wherein said analog soft-modem is operable to transmit signals at a level of up to 0 dBm and receive signals at a level of up to 0 dBm.

18. The invention of claim 15 wherein said termination equipment is located in a service area cross connect.

19. The invention of claim 15 wherein said termination equipment is located around 6000 feet or less from said analog soft modem.

20. The invention of claim 15 wherein said computer is located at a customer premise.

21. The invention of claim 15 wherein said termination equipment is a universal broadband server.

22. A faster analog modem communication method for an analog modem comprising a codec, the analog modem in communication with a remote communication device, the method comprising:

(a) utilizing an unused portion of the analog modem codec operating range to code and decode data signals;

(b) transmitting coded analog signals at a level of greater than −

9 dBm to the remote communication device; and

(c) receiving coded analog signals at a level of greater than −

9 dBm from the remote communication device.

23. The invention of claim 22 wherein said transmitting coded analog signals further comprises transmitting coded analog signals at a level of up to 0 dBm to the remote communication device.

24. The invention of claim 22 wherein said transmitting coded analog signals further comprises transmitting coded analog signals at a level of up to 5 dBm to the remote communication device.

25. The invention of claim 22 wherein said receiving coded analog signals further comprises receiving coded analog signals at a level of up to 0 dBm from the remote communication device.

26. The invention of claim 22 wherein said transmitting and receiving coded analog signals further comprises transmitting and receiving coded analog signals with a dynamic range from around 40 dB to around 90 dB.

27. The invention of claim 22 wherein said utilizing further comprises utilizing the unused portion of the codec operating range from 8 kHz to 44 kHz.

28. The invention of claim 22 wherein said utilizing further comprises utilizing the unused portion of the codec operating range such that data signals above 4 kHz are coded and decoded.

29. A computer-readable medium having stored thereon instructions that when executed by a processor in communication with an analog soft-modem comprising a codec, wherein the analog soft-modem is in communication with a remote communication device, causes the soft-modem to perform the steps of:

(a) utilizing an unused portion of the analog modem codec operating range to code and decode data signals;

(b) transmitting coded analog signals at a level of greater than −

9 dBm to the remote communication device; and

(c) receiving coded analog signals at a level of greater than −

9 dBm from the remote communication device.

30. The invention of claim 29 wherein said transmitting coded analog signals further comprises transmitting coded analog signals at a level of up to 0 dBm to the remote communication device.

31. The invention of claim 29 wherein said transmitting coded analog signals further comprises transmitting coded analog signals at a level of up to 5 dBm to the remote communication device.

32. The invention of claim 29 wherein said receiving coded analog signals further comprises receiving coded analog signals at a level of up to 0 dBm from the remote communication device.

33. The invention of claim 29 wherein said transmitting and receiving coded analog signals further comprises transmitting and receiving coded analog signals with a dynamic range from around 40 dB to around 90 dB.

34. The invention of claim 29 wherein said utilizing further comprises utilizing the unused portion of the codec operating range from 8 kHz to 44 kHz.

35. The invention of claim 29 wherein said utilizing further comprises utilizing the unused portion of the codec operating range such that data signals above 4 kHz are coded and decoded.

36. A faster analog modem communication system comprising:

termination equipment means for communicating according to a faster analog modem communication method;

faster analog soft-modem means for communicating according to a faster analog modem communication method; and

connection means for connecting said termination equipment means with said faster analog soft-modem means.

37. A termination equipment system, the termination equipment system connected between a central office and at least one customer premise equipment device, the termination equipment system comprising:

first termination equipment means for communicating voice signals and data signals with the central office; and

second termination equipment means connected to said first termination equipment means for communicating with the at least one customer premise equipment device according to a faster analog modem method.

38. The invention of claim 37 wherein said first termination equipment means comprises a universal broadband server.

39. The invention of claim 37 wherein said first termination equipment means comprises a digital service line access multiplexer.

40. The invention of claim 37 wherein said second termination equipment means comprises a faster modem apparatus.

41. The invention of claim 37 wherein said first termination equipment means and said second termination equipment means are located in a service area cross-connect.

42. The invention of claim 37 wherein said first termination equipment means and said second termination equipment means are located around 6000 feet or less from the at least one customer premise equipment device.

43. A faster modem apparatus comprising:

a subscriber line port;

isolation circuitry connected to said subscriber line port;

an analog modem band hybrid with low pass filter connected to said isolation circuitry;

a line driver connected to said isolation circuitry, said line driver comprising a line driver control line;

an analog front end connected to said line driver and said analog modem band hybrid;

a digital signal processor in communication with said analog front end, said digital signal processor comprising a microprocessor interface; and

a compression engine in communication with said digital signal processor;

wherein said analog front end is operable to code and decode signals above 4 kHz;

wherein said line driver is operable to transmit signals at a level greater than −

9 dBm.