UPSTREAM BANDWIDTH LEVEL MEASUREMENT DEVICE

• US 20110085452A1
• Filed: 10/09/2009
• Published: 04/14/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/09/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: PPC Broadband Incorporated (Belden Inc.)
• Original Assignee: John Mezzalingua Associates Incorporated
• Inventors: Kelma, David, Cox, Tab Kendall
• Granted Patent: US 8,385,219 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/252
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0876 Network utilisation, e.g. volume of load or congestion level
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/00 Systems for electrical power generation, transmission, distribution or end-user application management characterised by the use of communication or information technologies, or communication or information technology specific aspects supporting them

Abstract

A measurement device is provided for measuring an upstream bandwidth. The measurement device includes a return path extending at least a portion of a distance between a supplier side connector and a user side connector. A coupler is connected within the return path, the coupler providing a secondary path. A detection circuit is connected electrically downstream the coupler. A level detector is connected electrically downstream the detection circuit, and a microprocessor is connected electrically downstream the level detector. The microprocessor includes a first buffer and a second buffer.

Claims

1. A measurement device for measuring an upstream bandwidth, the device comprising:

a return path extending at least a portion of a distance between a supplier side connector and a user side connector;

a coupler connected within the return path, the coupler providing a secondary path;

a detection circuit connected electrically downstream the coupler;

a level detector connected electrically downstream the detection circuit; and

a microprocessor connected electrically downstream the level detector, the microprocessor comprising a first buffer and a second buffer.

2. The measurement device is claim 1 further comprising a non-linear amplifier connected electrically downstream the level detector and electrically upstream the microprocessor.

3. The measurement device of claim 1, wherein the first buffer is a series peak buffer comprising values relative to a voltage output of the level detector, and the second buffer is an average buffer comprising at least one average of the values placed in the series peak buffer.

4. The measurement device of claim 1 further comprising a high-pass filter connected electrically between the coupler and the RF detection circuit.

5. The measurement device of claim 1, wherein the detection circuit comprises an amplifier and a detector, the detector translating a frequency dependent voltage stream into a first time dependent voltage stream.

6. The measurement device of claim 5, wherein the detection circuit further comprises a low-pass amplifier connected electrically downstream the detector, the low-pass amplifier amplifying longer duration voltages within the first voltage stream a greater amount than shorter duration voltages.

7. The measurement device of claim 1, wherein the level detector comprises at least one diode, at least one resistor, and at least capacitor being connected electrically downstream the at least one diode, the capacitor having a discharge time constant at least ten times greater than a lowest period of increased voltages corresponding to an expected desirable upstream bandwidth.

8. The measurement device of claim 3, wherein the series peak buffer is originally filled with a seed value, the seed value being within a range of expected values relative to the voltage output of the non-linear amplifier.

9. The measurement device of claim 2, wherein the non-linear amplifier provides relatively less amplification to higher voltages from a voltage stream of the level detector than to lower voltages from the voltage stream of the level detector.

10. The measurement device of claim 1, wherein the coupler is connected electrically between a user side diplexer filter and a supplier side diplexer filter.

11. The measurement device of claim 1 further comprising an output device to allow for a review by a technician for a purpose of conditioning the upstream bandwidth, the output device being at least one of a monitor, a memory device, a network monitoring location, a hand held device, and a printer.

12. The measurement device of claim 1, wherein the microprocessor further comprises a memory location for a high voltage threshold and a low voltage threshold, each of the high voltage threshold and the low voltage threshold being calculated from a value placed in the average buffer.

13. A method of obtaining level data for an upstream bandwidth, the method comprising:

converting a frequency dependent voltage stream into a time dependent voltage stream including periods of increased voltage;

amplifying and maintaining the periods of increased voltages using a low pass amplifier and a peak detector;

recording a peak value from a plurality of voltage series from within the output voltage stream, each series beginning with a measured voltage level exceeding a high voltage threshold and ending with a measured voltage level passing below a low voltage threshold;

placing the peak values in a first buffer;

periodically calculating a first buffer average;

placing each of the first buffer averages into a second buffer;

periodically calculating an second buffer average; and

outputting at least one of the first buffer average and at least one of the second buffer average to an output device for a review by a technician for a purpose of conditioning the upstream bandwidth.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising:

filling the first buffer and with a seed value prior to placing the peak values in the first buffer, the seed value being a value within an expected range of the peak values.

15. The method of claim 13 further comprising:

calculating each of the high voltage threshold and the low voltage threshold based on the average of the first buffer placed in the second buffer.

16. The method of claim 13 further comprising:

amplifying the periods of increased voltage in a non-linear manner such that lower voltages are increased a greater amount than higher frequencies to create an output voltage stream.