METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR CONFIGURING LOGICAL CHANNELS IN A NETWORK

• US 20070223512A1
• Filed: 03/23/2007
• Published: 09/27/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/24/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ARRIS Enterprises LLC (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: General Instrument Corporation (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Inventors: Cooper, Michael, Moran, John
• Granted Patent: US 8,594,118 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/437
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/206 for modulated signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/08 Configuration management of networks or network elements address allocation H04L61/50
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/083 for increasing network speed
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0843 based on generic templates
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0879 Manual configuration through operator
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0883 Semiautomatic configuration, e.g. proposals from system
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5003 Managing SLA; Interaction between SLA and QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/00 Arrangements for monitoring or testing data switching networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/045 for graphical visualisation of monitoring data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0847 Transmission error
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/16 Threshold monitoring

Abstract

Logical channels in a network are automatically be configured by using measured network parameters. The measured network parameters are determined in cooperation with the network elements without interruption of active communication services. The network parameters include upstream or downstream modulation error ratio (MER), upstream or downstream signal to noise ratio (SNR), upstream or downstream microreflections, upstream transmit level, downstream receive power level, cable modem type (DOCSIS 1.0,1.1,2.0), functional capabilities (e.g., VoIP, 256QAM, etc), network element location with in a cable plant (e.g., node location or amplifier cascade depth), network element manufacturer, or type of services provided by the network element (including telephony versus data). An interactive display is provided to an operator which enables analysis of communication parameters, including modulation profiles and channel performance.

Claims

1. An apparatus for configuring logical channels in a network comprising:

a microprocessor configured to determine network parameters associated with a selected network element based on communications with the selected network element; and

a receiver configured to receive signals indicative of the network parameters from a network element; and

wherein the microprocessor is configured to assign the network element to a logical channel based on the network parameters.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the network parameters include one of:

upstream or downstream modulation error ratio (MER), upstream or downstream signal to noise ratio (SNR), upstream or downstream microreflections, upstream transmit level, downstream receive power level, cable modem type, functional capabilities, network element location with in a cable plant, network element manufacturer, or type of services provided by the network element.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the microprocessor compares the network parameters with threshold values and assigns the network elements to a logical channel based on the comparison.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the microprocessor provides instructions to the network elements to realign the network elements according to the logical channels.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, further including an operator interface arranged to provide the network parameters to an operator,

6. A method for configuring logical channels in a network comprising the steps of:

determining network parameters associated with a selected network element based on communications with the selected network element;

analyzing the network parameters; and

assigning network elements to logical channels based on the network parameters.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the network parameters include one of:

upstream or downstream modulation error ratio (MER), upstream or downstream signal to noise ratio (SNR), upstream or downstream microreflections, upstream transmit level, downstream receive power level, cable modem type, functional capabilities, network element location with in a cable plant, network element manufacturer, or type of services provided by the network element.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the step of assigning network elements to logical channels includes comparing the network parameters with threshold values and assigning the network elements to a logical channel based on the comparison.

9. The method of claim 6, further including the step of providing instructions to the network elements to realign the network elements according to the logical channels.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the step of providing instructions to the network elements to realign includes receiving instructions from an operator to realign the network elements.

11. The method of claim 6, wherein the step of assigning network elements to a logical channel includes an operator providing selected network elements to be assigned or unassigned to or from a logical channel.

12. A computer readable medium carrying instructions for a computer to perform a method for configuring logical channels in a network comprising the steps of:

determining network parameters associated with a selected network element based on communications with the selected network element;

analyzing the network parameters; and

assigning network elements to logical channels based on the network parameters.

13. The computer readable medium of claim 12, wherein the network parameters include one of:

upstream or downstream modulation error ratio (MER), upstream or downstream signal to noise ratio (SNR), upstream or downstream microreflections, upstream transmit level, downstream receive power level, cable modem type, functional capabilities, network element location with in a cable plant, network element manufacturer, or type of services provided by the network element.

14. The computer readable medium of claim 12, wherein the step of assigning network elements to logical channels includes comparing the network parameters with threshold values and assigning the network elements to a logical channel based on the comparison.

15. The computer readable medium of claim 12, further including the step of providing instructions to the network elements to realign the network elements according to the logical channels.

16. The computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the step of providing instructions to the network elements to realign includes receiving instructions from an operator to realign the network elements.

17. The computer readable medium of claim 12, wherein the step of assigning network elements to a logical channel includes an operator providing selected network elements to be assigned or unassigned to or from a logical channel.