IDENTIFICATION OF A FAULT

• US 20110194418A1
• Filed: 08/02/2010
• Published: 08/11/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/05/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Comcast Cable Communications LLC (Comcast Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Comcast Cable Communications LLC (Comcast Corporation)
• Inventors: Chang, Phillip F., Wolcott, Lawrence D.
• Granted Patent: US 8,416,697 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/242
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2025/0342 QAM
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2025/03808 Transmission of equaliser coefficients
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 25/022 of frequency response
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 25/03 Shaping networks in transmitter or receiver, e.g. adaptive shaping networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 25/03019 adaptive, i.e. capable of adjustment during data reception
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0823 Errors, e.g. transmission errors
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/107 wherein the security policies are location-dependent, e.g. entities privileges depend on current location or allowing specific operations only from locally connected terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal

Abstract

An apparatus, method, and system are provided for determining a location of an error source. Equalization coefficients may be retrieved and an average period of time between localized peak amplitudes may be determined. The average period of time may be multiplied by a velocity of propagation associated with a communication channel to determine an approximate location of the error source. The equalization coefficients may correspond to the inverse of the frequency response associated with the communication channel and may be updated over time using replacement or combination (e.g., convolution) techniques.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

retrieving a set of equalization coefficients; and

determining a location of an error source relative to a location of a user terminal by transforming the set of equalization coefficients in accordance with a predetermined algorithm.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting a second set of equalization coefficients and a parameter to the user terminal,

wherein the parameter is configured to indicate to the user terminal how to interpret the second set of equalization coefficients.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the parameter is configured to indicate to the user terminal that the user terminal is to replace the set of equalization coefficients with the second set of equalization coefficients.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the parameter is configured to indicate to the user terminal that the user terminal is to combine the set of equalization coefficients with the second set of equalization coefficients.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a request message from the user terminal, the request message including at least one predefined data field;

calculating a frequency response associated with a communication channel associated with the user terminal based on the at least one predefined data field;

assigning values to the set of equalization coefficients based on the calculated frequency response; and

transmitting the set of equalization coefficients, including the assigned values, to the user terminal

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the values assigned to the set of equalization coefficients correspond to the inverse of the calculated frequency response.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the predetermined algorithm comprises:

determining an average value of time between peak values in the set of equalization coefficients;

determining a velocity of propagation associated with a communication channel associated with the user terminal; and

determining the location of the error source relative to the location of the user terminal by multiplying the average value of time between peak values in the set of equalization coefficients with the velocity of propagation.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein determining the average value of time between peak values in the set of equalization coefficients comprises averaging a number of sampling periods between peak values in the set of equalization coefficients.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein determining a velocity of propagation associated with a communication channel associated with the user terminal comprises determining a percentage of velocity of propagation of the communication channel relative to the velocity of propagation of free space.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the set of equalization coefficients includes at least one of:

exactly twelve (12) coefficients, exactly twenty-four (24) coefficients, and exactly thirty-six (36) coefficients.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating a status message indicating the determined location of the error source.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the generated status message indicates a probable cause of an error.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the status message comprises at least one of an audio message, an email, a text message, an image, and a video.

14. An apparatus comprising:

at least one processor; and

memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to;

retrieve a set of equalization coefficients; and

determine a location of an error source relative to a location of a user terminal by transforming the set of equalization coefficients in accordance with a predetermined algorithm.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to receive the set of equalization coefficients from the user terminal.

16. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the predetermined algorithm comprises:

determining an average value of time between peak values in the set of equalization coefficients;

determining a velocity of propagation associated with a communication channel associated with the user terminal; and

determining the location of the error source relative to the location of the user terminal by multiplying the average value of time between peak values in the set of equalization coefficients with the velocity of propagation.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein determining the average value of time between peak values in the set of equalization coefficients comprises averaging a number of sampling periods between peak values in the set of equalization coefficients.

18. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to:

generate a displayable tap bar graph showing the amplitudes associated with the set of equalization coefficients as a function of a sampling period.

19. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media storing executable instructions that, when executed by at least one computer, cause the at least one computer to:

retrieve a set of equalization coefficients; and

determine a location of an error source relative to a location of a device upstream of a user terminal by transforming the set of equalization coefficients in accordance with a predetermined algorithm.

20. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 19, wherein the predetermined algorithm comprises:

determining an average value of time between peak values in the set of equalization coefficients;

determining a velocity of propagation associated with a communication channel coupled to the device; and

determining the location of the error source relative to the location of the device by multiplying the average value of time between peak values in the set of equalization coefficients with the velocity of propagation.