Method and System of Addressing A Problem Associated With A Network Including A Video Access Ready Device

• US 20090161530A1
• Filed: 12/24/2007
• Published: 06/25/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/24/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Knowledge Ventures, L.P. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Knowledge Ventures, L.P. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Hossain, Monowar, Bajpay, Paritosh, Yang, Chen-Yui, Wu, Xidong, Savoor, Raghvendra, Ilango, Thiru
• Granted Patent: US 8,004,962 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/216
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/12 Arrangements for observation, testing or troubleshooting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5074 Handling of user complaints or trouble tickets
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/509 wherein the managed service relates to media content delivery, e.g. audio, video or TV
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/091 Measuring contribution of individual network components to actual service level
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/50 Testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 17/004 for digital television systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6473 Monitoring network processes errors for recovering from a failure of a protocol instance or entity H04L69/40
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/64738 Monitoring network characteristics, e.g. bandwidth, congestion level data switched network analysis H04L41/14; monitoring functioning in data switched networks H04L43/0817; flow control in packet networks H04L47/10

Abstract

A method can be used to detect a problem, isolate the cause of the problem to a particular device in which the cause resides, and potentially repairing the particular device. In one embodiment, the method can be fully automated using a system. In another embodiment, the method may be partly automated. In this particular embodiment, the system can perform most or all of the testing or diagnosis automatically. The system can perform the method until a point where human intervention is required. The problem, the cause, and particular device may be known at the time notification is sent to customer care, a workcenter, or another network operations center. With the information regarding the problem, cause and particular device, a technician or other personnel can be dispatched and repair the problem more quickly than if only the problem is provided and the technician needs to perform the testing and diagnosis.

Claims

1. A system to address a problem associated with a network, the system comprising:

a video ready access device operable to transmit a packetized video broadcast stream;

a test module operable to test the network including the video ready access device;

a monitor module operable to monitor the network including the video ready access device; and

a rule management module coupled to the testing module and the monitor module, wherein the rule management module is operable to;

receive a notification regarding the problem within the network that affects a broadcast video stream;

isolate the cause of the problem to a video ready access device, an upstream device that is upstream of the video ready access device, or a downstream device that is downstream of the video ready access device;

determine whether a software failure has occurred within the video ready access device;

determine whether hardware information associated with hardware of the video ready access device matches recorded information;

determine whether a physical alarm, a video error message, or a combination thereof is valid; and

perform a line test between the video ready access device and another device downstream of the video ready access device.

2. The system of claim 1, the video content comprises a packetized video broadcast stream.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the monitor module is operable to determine whether a software failure has occurred within the video ready access device;

when a software failure has occurred, the rule management module is further operable to generate an instruction to another portion of the system to automatically;

download or reinstall software within the video ready access device, wherein the software corresponds to the software failure and was previously downloaded or installed;

or

rollback to a prior version of the software.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein, when the hardware information is different from the recorded information, the rule management module is further operable to generate an instruction to another portion of the system to automatically:

reset the hardware or a portion thereof;

update the recorded information;

or

any combination thereof.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the test module is operable to perform a line test.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the monitor module is operable to monitor a transmission variable of the network.

7. A method of addressing a problem associated with a network, the method comprising:

receiving a notification regarding the problem within the network that affects a broadcast video stream;

isolating the cause of the problem to a video ready access device, an upstream device that is upstream of the video ready access device, or a downstream device that is downstream of the video ready access device;

when the cause is isolated to the video ready access device, determining whether a software failure has occurred within the video ready access device;

when the software failure occurred;

downloading or reinstalling software within the video ready access device, wherein the software corresponds to the software failure and was previously downloaded or installed;

or

rolling back to a prior version of the software;

determining whether hardware information associated with hardware of the video ready access device matches recorded information;

when the hardware information is different from the recorded information, resetting the hardware or a portion thereof, updating the recorded information, or any combination thereof;

determining whether a physical alarm, a video error message, or a combination thereof is valid;

performing a line test between the video ready access device and another device downstream of the video ready access device, and

wherein isolating the cause of the problem, determining whether a software failure has occurred, determining whether hardware information associated with hardware of the video ready access device matches recorded information, determining whether a physical alarm, a video error message, or a combination thereof is valid, and performing line tests are performed by a particular device or collectively by different devices within the network.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the problem is associated with a packetized video broadcast stream.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising when the cause is isolated to the upstream device, testing the upstream device.

10. The method of claim 7, when a software failure has occurred, the method further comprises:

determining whether the hardware is affected by the problem; and

determining whether information regarding the type of the hardware and software.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein performing the line test comprises performing a double-ended line test or a single-ended line test.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the line test comprises the double-ended line test that is performed to determine whether a modem at a customer'"'"'s premises is synchronized.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the line test comprises the single-ended line test that is performed to determine whether a line has a physical layer electrical fault.

14. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

generating a ticket after receiving the notification;

determining whether the line test passes; and

when the line test passes, closing the ticket,

wherein generating and closing the ticket is performed automatically.

15. A processor readable medium comprising code, wherein the code includes instructions for a processor to carry out a method comprising:

accessing a notification regarding the problem within the network that affects a broadcast video stream;

isolating the cause of the problem to a video ready access device, an upstream device that is upstream of the video ready access device, or a downstream device that is downstream of the video ready access device;

when the cause is isolated to the video ready access device, determining whether a software failure has occurred within the video ready access device;

when the software failure occurred;

downloading or reinstalling software within the video ready access device, wherein the software corresponds to the software failure and was previously downloaded or installed;

or

rollback to a prior version of the software;

determining whether hardware information associated with hardware of the video ready access device matches recorded information;

when the hardware information is different from the recorded information, resetting the hardware or a portion thereof, updating the recorded information, or any combination thereof;

determining whether a physical alarm, a video error message, or a combination thereof is valid; and

performing a line test between the video ready access device and another device downstream of the video ready access device.

16. The processor readable medium of claim 15, wherein the problem is associated with a packetized broadcast stream.

17. The processor readable medium of claim 15, the code includes further instructions for the processor to carry out the method further comprising when the cause is isolated to the upstream device, testing the upstream device.

18. The processor readable medium of claim 15, when a software failure has occurred, the method further comprises:

determining whether hardware is affected by the problem; and

determining whether information regarding the type of the hardware and software.

19. The processor readable medium of claim 18, wherein performing the line test comprises performing a double-ended line test or a single-ended line test.

20. The processor readable medium of claim 19, wherein the line test comprises a double-ended line test that is performed to determine whether a modem at a customer'"'"'s premises is synchronized.

21. The processor readable medium of claim 19, wherein the line test comprises a single-ended line test that is performed to determine whether a line has a physical layer electrical fault.

22. The processor readable medium of claim 15, the code includes further instructions for the processor to carry out the method further comprising:

generating a ticket after receiving the notification;

determining whether the line test passes; and

when the line test passes, closing the ticket,

wherein generating and closing the ticket is performed automatically.

23. A processor readable medium comprising code, wherein the code includes instructions for a processor to carry out a method comprising:

determining whether a downstream line measurement is dirty, wherein the downstream line measurement corresponds to network traffic transmitted from a video ready access device towards a customer'"'"'s premises;

determining whether an upstream line measurement is dirty, wherein the upstream line measurement corresponds to network traffic transmitted from the customer'"'"'s premises towards the video ready access device;

determining whether a first network error is present in the network upstream of a residential gateway;

determining whether a second network error is present in the network downstream of a residential gateway; and

correlating information obtained by performing determining whether the downstream line measurement is dirty, determining whether the upstream line measurement is dirty, determining whether the first network error is present, and determining whether the second network error is present to determine in which device within the video transmission network resides a cause of a problem association with a transmission of a packetized video broadcast stream.

24. The processor readable medium of claim 23, wherein the cause is isolated to:

a video ready access device when the upstream line measurement is dirty, the downstream measurement is clean, the first network error is not present, and the second network error is not present;

a local loop when the upstream line measurement is clean, the downstream measurement is dirty, the first network error is present, and the second network error is not present;

a residential gateway when the upstream line measurement is clean, the downstream measurement is clean, the first network error is present, and the second network error is not present;

or

customer premises equipment when the upstream line measurement is clean, the downstream measurement is clean, the first network error is not present, and the second network error is present.