DSL data collection system

• US 20060039486A1
• Filed: 08/17/2004
• Published: 02/23/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/17/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Assia Spe LLC
• Original Assignee: Adaptive Spectrum and Signal Alignment, Incorporated
• Inventors: Cioffi, John M., Rhee, Wonjong
• Granted Patent: US 7,535,966 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 375/260
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2856 Access arrangements, e.g. Internet access asynchronous transfer mode networks H04L12/5601; broadband local area networks H04L12/2801; optical access or distribution networks H04Q11/0067; access to open networks H04L12/5691; digital subscriber line end-user equipment and bit-level processing of data on a PSTN-based network H04M11/00; home network gateways H04L12/2834; wireless access networks H04W
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/6478 Digital subscriber line, e.g. DSL, ADSL, HDSL, XDSL, VDSL
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0213 Standardised network management protocols, e.g. simple network management protocol [SNMP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0803 Configuration setting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0853 by actively collecting configuration information or by backing up configuration information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/32 Specific management aspects for broadband networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/062 using different frequency bands for speech and other data
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/229 Wire identification arrangements; Number assignment determination

Abstract

Information is sent by a DSL system component using a non-disruptive operational data parameter. One or more bits of the non-disruptive operational data parameter are used to send other information. In some instances the selected parameter will be an unused parameter, such as an unused fast operational mode or interleaved operational mode parameter used to report operational data in a DSL system. In one embodiment of the invention, a remote modem provides a unique equipment identifier that can be paired with the telephone number on which the modem is operating. Verification of and/or searching for the correct pairing of telephone number and unique equipment identifier can be performed as well.

Claims

1. A method of transmitting information from a DSL system component without disrupting normal operation of the DSL system, wherein the component uses one or more operational data parameters to report operational data, the method comprising:

(a) identifying a non-disruptive operational data parameter;

(b) assigning at least part of the information to one or more bits of the non-disruptive operational data parameter in a manner that avoids disrupting normal operation of the DSL system to generate an amended operational data parameter;

(c) sending the amended operational data parameter comprising at least part of the information.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the DSL system component is one of the following:

a modem;

an ATU-C;

or

an ATU-R.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the non-disruptive operational data parameter is an unused operational data parameter.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the non-disruptive operational data parameter is an operational data parameter from which one or more bits can be requisitioned without disrupting normal operation of the DSL system.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the information is at least one of the following:

a telephone number;

a UEI;

a serial number;

channel insertion loss information;

or

a number assigned by a controller in another command to the DSL system component.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of sending the amended operational data parameter comprises sending the amended operational data parameter to a controller.

7. The method of claim 5 wherein the controller is a DSM Center.

8. The method of claim 5 wherein the amended operational data parameter is sent to the controller via a DSL system MIB.

9. A method of obtaining UEI/TN pairing information from a remote modem coupled to a DSL line associated with a known telephone number, wherein the remote modem has UEI data, the method comprising:

(a) sending a communication to the remote modem coupled to the DSL line;

(b) the modem sending its UEI data using a non-disruptive operational data parameter.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising comparing the UEI data sent by the modem to an expected UEI value.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising conducting a search when the expected UEI value and the UEI data sent by the modem do not match.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the search is conducted using a marker operational data parameter value used by the modem in reporting its operational data.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the marker is an unlikely data value for an operational data parameter.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the unlikely data value is an extremely high data rate.

15. The method of claim 11 wherein the search is conducted using a correlation method comparing near end data and far end data.

16. The method of claim 9 wherein the non-disruptive operational data parameter is an operational data parameter from which one or more bits may be requisitioned without disrupting normal operation of the DSL system.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the non-disruptive operational data parameter is the downstream CV count.

18. The method of claim 9 wherein the non-disruptive operational data parameter is an unused operational data parameter.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein the unused operational data parameter is a parameter associated with either the fast mode of modem operation or the interleaved mode of modem operation.

20. A method of obtaining SN/TN pairing data for a remote DSL modem coupled to a DSL line associated with a known telephone number, wherein the remote modem has a serial number, the method comprising:

(a) a controller sending a communication to the remote modem, the communication instructing the modem to send its serial number using an unused operational data parameter;

(b) the remote modem sending the serial number using the unused programmable device parameter.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein the remote modem sends its serial number to a DSL system MIB.

22. The method of claim 20 wherein the remote modem sends its serial number to the controller.

23. The method of claim 20 wherein the remote modem sends its serial number to a database.

24. The method of claim 20 wherein the unused operational data parameter is an operational data parameter associated with operation of the remote modem in either a fast operational mode or an interleaved operational mode.

25. The method of claim 24 wherein the unused operational data parameter is either the DNCURFBR or DNCURIBR parameter.

26. The method of claim 20 wherein sending the communication from the controller to the remote modem further comprises instructing the remote modem to provide a marker in operational data reported by the remote modem.

27. The method of claim 26 wherein the marker comprises an unlikely operational data parameter value.

28. The method of claim 26 wherein the marker comprises an extremely high data rate.

29. The method of claim 20 further comprising the controller comparing the serial number sent by the remote modem to an expected serial number for the remote modem.

30. The method of claim 29 further comprising the controller searching for the marker when the serial number sent by the remote modem and the expected serial number do not match.

31. The method of claim 29 further comprising the controller conducting a correlation search to verify the SN/TN pairing data.

32. A method of obtaining UEI/TN pairing information from a modem associated with a known telephone number, the method comprising:

(a) collecting ATU-C operational data for a plurality of DSL lines;

(b) collecting ATU-R operational data for a plurality of DSL lines;

(c) correlating the ATU-C operational data and the ATU-R operational data to find the best matching ATU-C operational data and ATU-R operational data.

33. The method of claim 32 further comprising eliminating some of the ATU-C operational data based on limiting data from either the ATU-C or the ATU-R.

34. The method of claim 33 wherein the limiting data is an IP address associated with the ATU-R.

35. The method of claim 34 wherein the limiting data further comprises a telephone number associated with the ATU-C.

36. A method of obtaining SN/TN pairing data for an ATU-C modem coupled to an ATU-R modem using a DSL line, the method comprising:

(a) the ATU-C sending a telephone number associated with the DSL line to the ATU-R;

(b) the ATU-R pairing its serial number to the telephone number and sending the paired serial number and telephone number to the ATU-C.

37. The method of claim 36 wherein the ATU-C sends the telephone number to the ATU-R using an ATU-C non-disruptive operational data parameter;

and

further wherein the ATU-R send the serial number the paired serial number and telephone number to the ATU-C using an ATU-R non-disruptive operational data parameter.

38. The method of claim 37 wherein the ATU-C non-disruptive operational data parameter is an unused ATU-C operational data parameter;

and

further wherein the ATU-R non-disruptive operational data parameter is an unused ATU-R operational data parameter.

39. A controller for a DSL system, the controller comprising:

(a) means for instructing a DSL system component to transmit information without disrupting normal operation of the DSL system, wherein the component uses one or more operational data parameters to report operational data and instructing the component to transmit information includes instructing the component to identify a non-disruptive operational data parameter and to assign at least part of the information to one or more bits of the non-disruptive operational data parameter in a manner that avoids disrupting normal operation of the DSL system to generate an amended operational data parameter;

(b) means for collecting the amended operational data parameter.

40. The controller of claim 39 further comprising means for verifying the information transmitted by the component by comparing the transmitted information to expected information.

41. The controller of claim 40 further comprising a search module for searching for correct information when the information transmitted by the component does not match the expected information.

42. The controller of claim 39 wherein the controller is a DSM Center.

43. The controller of claim 39 wherein the controller is a computer system.

44. The controller of claim 39 wherein the component is a DSL modem.

45. The controller of claim 44 wherein the DSL modem is either an ATU-R modem or an ATU-C modem.

46. The controller of claim 39 wherein the information transmitted by the component is a unique equipment identifier.

47. The controller of claim 39 wherein the component transmits the information to a DSL system MIB and further wherein the controller collects the information from the MIB.