METHOD FOR DETERMINING ELECTRICAL POWER SIGNAL LEVELS IN A TRANSMISSION SYSTEM

• US 20100194382A1
• Filed: 03/26/2010
• Published: 08/05/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/24/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: PPC Broadband Incorporated (Belden Inc.)
• Original Assignee: John Mezzalingua Associates Incorporated
• Inventors: Montena, Noah P.
• Granted Patent: US 8,400,318 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 324/126
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/641 by indicating incorrect coupling; by indicating correct or full engagement
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6683 with built-in sensor
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 2103/00 Two poles
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 24/42 comprising impedance matching means or electrical components, e.g. filters or switches
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 9/05 for coaxial cables

Abstract

A signal level detection method is provided, the method includes providing a feed line system that includes coaxial cable connectors connected coaxial cable sections. Each coaxial cable connector includes a connector body, a coupling circuit positioned within the connector body, an electrical signal power level detection circuit electrically connected to the coupling circuit and comprised by the connector body, and an output component comprised by the connector body. At least one coupling circuit senses an electrical signal flowing through at least one associated coaxial cable connector. At least one electrical signal power level detection circuit detects a plurality of associated power levels of the electrical signal flowing through at least one associated coaxial cable connector.

Claims

1. A signal level detection method comprising:

providing a transmission system comprising a signal receiving device, a signal emitting source and a feed line system connected between said signal receiving device and said signal emitting source, wherein said feed line system comprises a plurality of coaxial cable connectors connected between a plurality of coaxial cable sections, wherein each coaxial cable connector of said coaxial cable connectors comprises a connector body, a coupling circuit positioned within the connector body, an electrical signal power level detection circuit electrically connected to said coupling circuit and comprised by the connector body, and an output component comprised by the connector body, and wherein said output component is in communication with said electrical parameter sensing circuit;

sensing, by at least one said coupling circuit, an electrical signal flowing through at least one associated coaxial cable connector of said plurality of coaxial cable connectors; and

detecting, by at least one said electrical signal power level detection circuit, a plurality of associated power levels of said electrical signal flowing through said at least one associated coaxial cable connector.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

reporting said plurality of associated power levels, via at least one said output component, to communicate said plurality of associated power levels to a location external to each said connector body.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein each power level of said plurality of associated power levels is compared to each other power level of said plurality of associated power levels to determine if there are distinct power levels of said plurality of associated power levels.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein each said power level of said power plurality of associated power levels is associated with a single coaxial cable connector of said plurality of coaxial cable connectors.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein each said power level of said power plurality of associated power levels is associated with a different coaxial cable connector of said plurality of coaxial cable connectors.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein it is determined that there are distinct power levels, and wherein said distinct power levels are used to determine that passive intermodulation (PIM) exists at a location associated with at least one coaxial cable connector of said plurality of coaxial cable connectors or a location associated with said feed system.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein an intensity of each distinct power level of said distinct power levels is compared to an intensity of each other distinct power level of said distinct power levels to determine a specified intensity, wherein said specified intensity is associated with a specified frequency, and wherein said specified frequency is additionally used to determine that said PIM exists.

8. The method of claim 3, wherein said coaxial cable connectors are connected to RF ports, wherein each said coaxial cable connector of said coaxial cable connectors additionally comprises a physical parameter status sensing circuit comprised by the connector body, and wherein the output component is in electrical communication with the physical parameter status sensing circuit, and wherein said method further comprises:

sensing, by at least one said physical parameter status sensing circuit, a condition associated with said at least one associated coaxial cable connector connected to an associated RF port.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

reporting said condition, via at least one said output component, to communicate each said condition to a location external to each said connector body.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein each said condition is associated with a single coaxial cable connector of said plurality of coaxial cable connectors.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein each said condition is associated with a different coaxial cable connector of said plurality of coaxial cable connectors.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein it is determined that there are distinct power levels, and wherein each said condition and said distinct power levels are used to determine that passive intermodulation (PIM) exists at a location associated with at least one coaxial cable connector of said plurality of coaxial cable connectors or a location associated with said feed system.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein each said physical parameter status sensing circuit comprises a sensor selected from the group consisting of a mechanical connection tightness sensor configured to detect mating forces of a connection with each said associated RF port, an electrical proximity connection tightness sensor configured to detect a tightness of a connection with each said associated RF port, an electrical proximity connection tightness sensor configured to detect a tightness of a connection with each said associated RF port, a strain connection tightness sensor configured to detect mating forces of a connection with each said associated RF port, and a temperature sensor configured to sense a temperature of each associated coaxial cable connectors of said coaxial cable connectors.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein each said physical parameter status sensing is positioned within an associated said connector body.

15. The method of claim 8, wherein each said physical parameter status sensing is positioned external to and mechanically attached to an associated said connector body.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein each said coaxial cable connector further comprises a memory structure and a processing device in communication with said memory structure, and wherein said method further comprises:

storing, by at least one said memory structure, at least one associated power level of said plurality of associated power levels;

determining, by said processing device, a quantity associated with said at least one associated power level;

comparing, by said processing device, said quantity to a predetermined threshold;

determining, by said computer processor, that said quantity exceeds said predetermined threshold; and

reporting based on said determining that said quantity exceeds said predetermined threshold, via at least one said output component, to communicate said at least one associated power level to a location external to each said connector body.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein each said coupling circuit is further configured to receive said electrical signal.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein each said coupling circuit comprises a coupling device.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein each said coupling device is coupled to a center conductor of an associated coaxial cable connector of said plurality of coaxial cable connectors.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein each said coupling device is directly coupled to said center conductor of said associated coaxial cable connector.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein each said coupling device is indirectly coupled to said center conductor of said associated coaxial cable connector.

22. The method of claim 18, wherein each said coupling device is an antenna.

23. The method of claim 1, wherein each said coupling circuit comprises a plurality of coupling devices each coupled to a center conductor of an associated coaxial cable connector of said plurality of coaxial cable connectors.

24. A signal level detection method comprising:

providing a computing system comprising a computer processor;

receiving, by said computer processor from a plurality of electrical signal power level detection circuits comprised by a plurality of coaxial cable connectors, a first plurality of power levels of an electrical signal flowing through each coaxial cable connector of said plurality of coaxial cable connectors, wherein said plurality of coaxial cable connectors are comprised by a transmission system comprising a signal receiving device, a signal emitting source, and a feed line system connected between said signal receiving device and said signal emitting source, wherein said feed line system comprises said plurality of coaxial cable connectors connected between a plurality of coaxial cable sections, wherein each coaxial cable connector of said coaxial cable connectors comprises a connector body, a coupling circuit positioned within the connector body, an electrical signal power level detection circuit of said plurality of electrical signal power level detection circuits comprised by the connector body, and an output component comprised by the connector body, and wherein each said coupling circuit senses said electrical signal flowing through an associated coaxial cable connector of said plurality of coaxial cable connectors;

comparing, by said computer processor, each power level of said first plurality of power levels to each other power level of said first plurality of power levels;

first determining, by said computer processor based on results of said comparing, that there are first distinct power levels of said plurality of power levels; and

second determining, by said computer processor based on said first distinct power levels, that a malfunction may be present at a location associated with at least one coaxial cable connector of said plurality of coaxial cable connectors or a location associated with said feed system.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein said computing system further comprises a memory structure in communication with said computer processor, and wherein said method further comprises:

storing, by said memory structure, a quantity of said first distinct power levels;

comparing, by said computer processor, said quantity to a predetermined threshold; and

determining, by said computer processor, that said quantity exceeds said predetermined threshold; and

transmitting, by said computer processor to a user, a warning indicator indicating that said malfunction may be present.

26. The method of claim 24, further comprising:

transmitting, by said computer processor to a user, a warning indicator indicating that said malfunction may be present.

27. The method of claim 24, wherein said second determining determines that said malfunction is present at said location associated with said at least one coaxial cable connector of said plurality of coaxial cable connectors or said location associated with said feed system, wherein said malfunction comprises passive intermodulation (PIM), and wherein said first distinct power levels are used to determine that said passive intermodulation (PIM) exists at said location associated with said at least one coaxial cable connector of said plurality of coaxial cable connectors or said location associated with said feed system.

28. The method of claim 24, wherein said plurality of coaxial cable connectors are connected to RF ports, wherein each said coaxial cable connector additionally comprises a physical parameter status sensing circuit comprised by said connector body, and wherein said method further comprises:

receiving, by said computer processor from each said physical parameter status sensing circuit, a condition associated with each associated coaxial cable connector of said plurality of coaxial cable connectors connected to an associated RF port, wherein said second determining is further based on each said condition.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein said second determining determines that said malfunction is present at said location associated with said at least one coaxial cable connector of said plurality of coaxial cable connectors or said location associated with said feed system, wherein said malfunction comprises passive intermodulation (PIM), and wherein said first distinct power levels are used to determine that said passive intermodulation (PIM) exists at said location associated with said at least one coaxial cable connector of said plurality of coaxial cable connectors or said location associated with said feed system.

30. The method of claim 24, further comprising:

transmitting, by said computer processor to a user, a warning indicator indicating that said malfunction may be present;

retrieving, by said computer processor from said plurality of electrical signal power level detection circuits in response to a command from said user, an additional plurality of power levels of said electrical signal;

second comparing, by said computer processor, each additional power level of said plurality of additional power levels to each other additional power level of said plurality of additional power levels;

determining, by said computer processor based on results of said second comparing, that there are second distinct power levels of said plurality of additional power levels;

determining, by said computer processor, a first power level of said additional plurality of power levels comprising a higher power level than each other power level of said additional plurality of power levels;

associating, by said computer processor, a first coaxial cable connector of said plurality of coaxial cable connectors with said first power level; and

determining, by said computer processor based on said first power level, that a malfunction is present proximate to said first coaxial cable connector.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein said warning indicator is transmitted to said user at a remote location, and wherein said command is retrieved from said user from said remote location.

32. The method of claim 30, wherein said malfunction comprises passive intermodulation (PIM).

33. The method of claim 30, wherein said plurality of coaxial cable connectors are connected to RF ports, wherein each said coaxial cable connector additionally comprises a physical parameter status sensing circuit comprised by the connector body, and wherein said method further comprises:

receiving, by said computer processor from each said physical parameter status sensing circuit, a conditions associated with each associated coaxial cable connector of said plurality of coaxial cable connectors connected to an associated RF port, wherein determining that said malfunction is present proximate to said first coaxial cable connector is further based on a first condition of said conditions, and wherein said first condition is associated with said first coaxial cable connector.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein said malfunction comprises passive intermodulation (PIM).

35. The method of claim 24, further comprising:

storing, by said computer processor based, data associated with said first distinct power levels;

transmitting, by said computer processor to a user, a warning indicator indicating that said malfunction may be present;

receiving, by said computer processor from said user in response to said warning indicator, a command for retrieving said data;

presenting, by said computer processor to said user in response to said command, said data.

36. The method of claim 35, further comprising:

receiving, by said computer processor from said user in response to said presenting, indication data specifying that a first power level of said first distinct power levels comprises a higher power level than each other power level of said first distinct power levels;

determining, by said computer processor, a first coaxial cable connector of said plurality of coaxial cable connectors associated with said first power level; and

determining, by said computer processor based on said first power level, that a malfunction is present proximate to said first coaxial cable connector.

37. The method of claim 36, wherein said command for retrieving said data is received from said user at a remote location, wherein said data is presented to said user at said remote location, and wherein said indication data is received from said user from said remote location.

38. The method of claim 36, wherein said malfunction comprises passive intermodulation (PIM).

39. The method of claim 36, wherein said plurality of coaxial cable connectors are connected to RF ports, wherein each said coaxial cable connector additionally comprises a physical parameter status sensing circuit comprised by the connector body, and wherein said method further comprises:

receiving, by said computer processor from each said physical parameter status sensing circuit, conditions associated with each associated coaxial cable connector of said plurality of coaxial cable connectors connected to an associated RF port, wherein determining that said malfunction is present proximate to said first coaxial cable connector is further based on a first condition of said conditions, and wherein said first condition is associated with said first coaxial cable connector.

40. The method of claim 39, wherein said malfunction comprises passive intermodulation (PIM).

41. The method of claim 24, wherein each said power level of said first plurality of power levels is associated with a single coaxial cable connector of said plurality of coaxial cable connectors.

42. The method of claim 24, wherein each said power level of said first plurality of power levels is associated with a different coaxial cable connector of said plurality of coaxial cable connectors.