System and Method for Sorting Detection of Signal Egress from a Wired Communication System

• US 20090267615A1
• Filed: 04/25/2008
• Published: 10/29/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ComSonics, Inc.
• Original Assignee: ComSonics, Inc.
• Inventors: Jones, Raymond Gregory, Early, Joseph Roy
• Granted Patent: US 7,952,363 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 324/627
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 29/0892 Details related to signal analysis or treatment; presenting results, e.g. displays; measuring specific signal features other than field strength, e.g. polarisation, field modes, phase, envelope, maximum value

Abstract

Issuance of work orders in response to monitoring signal egress from shielding integrity flaws in a cable communication system by detecting received signal strength from a mobile receiver only during rising trends in received signal strength when the mobile receiver is in motion and tracking the maximum received signal strength peak during each rising trend. Rising trends are detected by computing two rolling averages of received signal strength sample of different lengths and offset from each other and applying a threshold to the difference between the rolling averages to provide hysteresis in switching between rising and falling trend detection. Reported peaks are then compared by proximity to each other and their circle of influence determined in accordance with respective signal strengths to determine if newly reported peaks are duplicates of previously reported peaks and duplicate reported peaks are removed or discarded.

Claims

1. A method of detecting and reporting shielding integrity flaws in a cable communication system using a mobile receiver, said method comprising steps of:

detecting a rising trend in received signal strength at said mobile receiver;

comparing a signal strength peak received at said mobile receiver against other peaks received during said rising trend in signal strength,

retaining and reporting the signal strength peak found to be largest during said rising trend in signal strength while discarding lesser peaks and peaks occurring during periods other than during said rising trend in signal strength.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, including the further steps of

determining if the signal strength peak reported in said retaining and reporting step is a duplicate of an existing signal strength peak previously reported, and

discarding one of the signal strength peaks determined to be a duplicate of the other.

3. The method as recited in claim 2, wherein said step of determining if the signal strength peak reported in said retaining and reporting step is a duplicate of an existing signal strength peak previously reported includes a further step of

forming a list of previously reported signal strength peaks that are within a given distance of the signal strength peak reported in said retaining and reporting step wherein said list includes signal strength peaks in descending order of signal strength.

4. The method as recited in claim 3, including the further steps of

assigning a circle of influence radius in accordance with signal strength for said signal strength peak reported in said retaining and reporting step and each existing signal strength peak in said list,

comparing said circle of influence radius with a distance between said signal strength peak reported in said retaining and reporting step and signal strength peak in said list, and

retaining both signal strength peaks if said distance is greater than said circle of influence radius.

5. The method as recited in claim 4, comprising the further steps of

comparing signal strengths of said signal strength peak reported in said retaining and reporting step and each said signal strength peak in said list, and

removing a signal strength peak in said list and retaining the signal strength peak reported in said retaining and reporting step if the signal strengths differ by more than a predetermined amount, or

discarding said signal strength peak reported in said retaining and reporting step if the signal strengths differ by less than said predetermined amount.

6. The method as recited in claim 5, including the further steps of

determining a location of any signal strength peak reported in said retaining and reporting step which is not discarded in said discarding step.

7. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein said step of detecting a rising trend includes further steps of

computing a first rolling average of a first number of received signal strength samples,

computing a second rolling average of a second number of received signal strength samples, said second number of signal strength sample including at least one signal strength sample more recent than signal strength samples in said first number of signal strength samples, and

comparing said first rolling average and said second rolling average, and

determining a rising trend when said second rolling average exceeds said first rolling average by more than a first threshold amount.

8. The method as recited in claim 7 including the further step of determining a termination of a rising trend when said first rolling average exceeds said second rolling average by more than a second threshold amount.

9. The method as recited in claim 8 wherein said first threshold amount and said second threshold amount are the same.

10. The method as recited in claim 1, including the further steps of

detecting motion of said mobile receiver, and

performing said detecting step only when said motion of said mobile receiver is detected.

11. A method of detecting and reporting shielding integrity flaws in a cable communication system, said method comprising steps of

reporting signal strength peaks detected using a mobile receiver,

determining if a signal strength peak reported in said reporting step is a duplicate of an existing signal strength peak previously reported, and

discarding one of the signal strength peaks determined to be a duplicate of the other.

12. The method as recited in claim 11, wherein said step of determining if the signal strength peak reported in said reporting step is a duplicate of an existing signal strength peak previously reported includes a further step of

forming a list of previously reported signal strength peaks that are within a given distance of the signal strength peak reported in said reporting step wherein said list includes signal strength peaks in descending order of signal strength.

13. The method as recited in claim 12, including the further steps of

assigning a circle of influence radius in accordance with signal strength for said signal strength peak reported in said detecting step and each existing signal strength peak in said list,

comparing said circle of influence radius with a distance between said signal strength peak reported in said retaining and reporting step and signal strength peak in said list, and

retaining both signal strength peaks if said distance is greater than said circle of influence radius.

14. Apparatus for detecting and reporting shielding integrity flaws in a cable communication system comprising

a mobile receiver operating in a carrier frequency band of said cable communication system to provide received signal strength samples,

a global positioning system for periodically reporting a location of said mobile receiver,

a register for holding said samples,

means for computing averages of different groups of samples in said register,

a comparator for comparing said averages and detecting a rising trend in said samples,

means for determining a maximum signal strength sample during a duration of said rising trend in said samples, and

means for reporting signal strength and detection location for said maximum signal strength sample.

15. A computer program product comprising a computer readable medium or a communication link providing signals comprising a program for controlling a processor, said program, when run on said processor, causing said processor to perform steps of

detecting a rising trend in received signal strength of data received from a mobile receiver;

comparing a signal strength peak received at said mobile receiver against other peaks received during said rising trend in signal strength,

retaining and reporting the signal strength peak found to be largest during said rising trend in signal strength while discarding lesser peaks and peak occurring during periods other than during said rising trend in signal strength.

16. A computer program product comprising a computer readable medium or a communication link providing signals comprising a program for controlling a processor, said program, when run on said processor, causing said processor to perform steps of

storing signal strength peaks.

determining if a newly input signal strength peak is a duplicate of an stored signal strength peak, and

discarding one of the signal strength peaks determined to be a duplicate of the other.