LEAKAGE LOCATION METHODS

• US 20080133308A1
• Filed: 11/21/2007
• Published: 06/05/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/27/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Trilithic Incorporated (Lumentum Holdings Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Trilithic Incorporated (Lumentum Holdings Inc.)
• Inventors: Harris, James E.
• Application Number:
  US11/943,950
• Publication Number:
  US 20080133308A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/9
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/086 in power transmission or distribution networks, i.e. with interconnected conductors
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/58 Testing of lines, cables or conductors testing of electric windings G01R31/72
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/39 the satellite radio beacon positioning system transmitting time-stamped messages, e.g. GPS [Global Positioning System], GLONASS [Global Orbiting Navigation Satellite System] or GALILEO
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06311 Scheduling, planning or task assignment for a person or group
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 17/00 Diagnosis, testing or measuring for television systems or their details

Abstract

A method is provided for locating the source of a leak from a CATV system. The method comprises providing at least one instrument adapted to measure the strength of a signal carried by the CATV system, moving the at least one instrument along a route, measuring the signal strength using the at least one instrument, providing Global Positioning System (GPS) locations to associate with measured signal strengths, storing the associated measured signal strengths and GPS locations, and identifying locations in the CATV system that lie along perpendiculars to the route at local maxima of the measured signal strength.

Claims

1. A method for locating the source of a leak from a CATV system, the method comprising providing at least one instrument adapted to measure the strength of a signal carried by the CATV system, moving the at least one instrument along a route, measuring the signal strength using the at least one instrument, providing Global Positioning System (GPS) locations to associate with measured signal strengths, storing the associated measured signal strengths and GPS locations, and identifying locations in the CATV system that lie along perpendiculars to the route at local maxima of the measured signal strength.

2. The method of claim 1 further including storing the thus-identified locations.

3. The method of claim 1 further including scheduling CATV system components adjacent the locations for repair.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein storing the associated measured signal strengths and GPS locations comprises storing the associated measured signal strengths and GPS locations in memory provided in the instrument.

5. The method of claim 1 further including uploading the stored associated measured signal strengths and GPS locations to at least one processor and analyzing the uploaded associated measured signal strengths and GPS locations to generate plots of associated measured signal strengths and GPS locations.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein uploading the stored associated measured signal strengths and GPS locations to at least one processor comprises uploading the stored associated measured signal strengths and GPS locations to at least one processor at a hub or headend of the CATV system.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein providing GPS locations to associate with measured signal strengths comprises supplying GPS locations to the instrument through a port provided on the instrument.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising calculating distances from the route to locations in the CATV system that lie along perpendiculars to the route at local maxima of the measured signal strength.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein identifying locations in the CATV system that lie along perpendiculars to the route at local maxima of the measured signal strength comprises converting locations in the CATV system that lie along perpendiculars to the route at local maxima of the measured signal strength into GPS coordinates.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising calculating distances from the route to locations in the CATV system that lie along perpendiculars to the route at local maxima of the measured signal strength.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein converting locations in the CATV system that lie along perpendiculars to the route at local maxima of the measured signal strength into GPS coordinates comprises converting locations in the CATV system that lie along perpendiculars to the route at local maxima of the measured signal strength into GPS coordinates using reverse GPS.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising calculating distances from the route to locations in the CATV system that lie along perpendiculars to the route at local maxima of the measured signal strength.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein identifying locations in the CATV system that lie along perpendiculars to the route at local maxima of the measured signal strength comprises converting locations in the CATV system that lie along perpendiculars to the route at local maxima of the measured signal strength into addresses.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising calculating distances from the route to locations in the CATV system that lie along perpendiculars to the route at local maxima of the measured signal strength.

15. The method of claim 1 including moving the at least one instrument along a second route, measuring the signal strength using the at least one instrument, providing GPS locations to the at least one instrument to associate with measured signal strengths, storing the associated measured signal strengths and GPS locations, and identifying locations in the CATV system that lie along intersections of perpendiculars to the route at local maxima of the measured signal strength and perpendiculars to the second route at local maxima of the measured signal strength.

16. The method of claim 15 further including storing the thus-identified locations in the CATV system that lie along intersections of perpendiculars to the route at local maxima of the measured signal strength and perpendiculars to the second route at local maxima of the measured signal strength.

17. The method of claim 15 further including scheduling CATV system components adjacent locations in the CATV system that lie along intersections of perpendiculars to the route at local maxima of the measured signal strength and perpendiculars to the second route at local maxima of the measured signal strength for repair.

18. The method of claim 15 wherein storing the associated measured signal strengths and GPS locations comprises storing the associated measured signal strengths and GPS locations in memory provided in the instrument.

19. The method of claim 15 further including uploading the stored associated measured signal strengths and GPS locations to at least one processor, analyzing the associated measured signal strengths and GPS locations to generate plots of associated measured signal strengths and GPS locations comprising analyzing the uploaded associated measured signal strengths and GPS locations to generate plots of associated measured signal strengths and GPS locations.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein uploading the stored associated measured signal strengths and GPS locations to at least one processor comprises uploading the stored associated measured signal strengths and GPS locations to at least one processor at a hub or headend of the CATV system.

21. The method of claim 15 wherein providing GPS locations to associate with measured signal strengths comprises supplying GPS locations to the instrument through a port provided on the instrument.

22. The method of claim 15 further comprising calculating distances from the route to locations in the CATV system that lie along perpendiculars to the route at local maxima of the measured signal strength.

23. The method of claim 15 wherein identifying locations in the CATV system that lie along perpendiculars to the route at local maxima of the measured signal strength comprises converting locations in the CATV system that lie along perpendiculars to the route at local maxima of the measured signal strength into GPS coordinates.

24. The method of claim 23 further comprising calculating distances from the route to locations in the CATV system that lie along perpendiculars to the route at local maxima of the measured signal strength.

25. The method of claim 23 wherein converting locations in the CATV system that lie along perpendiculars to the route at local maxima of the measured signal strength into GPS coordinates comprises converting locations in the CATV system that lie along perpendiculars to the route at local maxima of the measured signal strength into GPS coordinates using reverse GPS.

26. The method of claim 25 further comprising calculating distances from the route to locations in the CATV system that lie along perpendiculars to the route at local maxima of the measured signal strength.

27. The method of claim 15 wherein identifying locations in the CATV system that lie along perpendiculars to the route at local maxima of the measured signal strength comprises converting locations in the CATV system that lie along perpendiculars to the route at local maxima of the measured signal strength into addresses.

28. The method of claim 27 further comprising calculating distances from the route to locations in the CATV system that lie along perpendiculars to the route at local maxima of the measured signal strength.

29. A method for scheduling repairs to a CATV system, the method comprising determining perpendiculars from locations requiring repairs to routes traversed by CATV system repair personnel, calculating distances along the perpendiculars from the routes to the locations, and assigning repair personnel based upon the calculated distances.

30. A method of distribution of articles, the method comprising receiving from a first person a request for an article, determining the route being travelled by the first person, querying other routes to ascertain whether persons travelling those routes have the article, determining the routes being travelled by persons having the article, calculating the closest approach by a person having the article to the route of the first person, and arranging a rendezvous between the first person and the person having the article whose route most closely approaches the route of the first person.

31. The method of claim 30 further including maintaining an inventory of the article in possession of each of the other persons, querying other routes to ascertain whether persons travelling those routes have the article comprising querying the maintained inventories.