METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR HIGH SPEED DATA SERVICES

• US 20120297439A1
• Filed: 07/25/2012
• Published: 11/22/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/21/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Reese, Kevin, Jones, Alfonso, McDonald, Steven
• Granted Patent: US 9,288,514 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/127
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2381 Adapting the multiplex stream to a specific network, e.g. an Internet Protocol [IP] network transmission of MPEG streams over ATM H04L12/5601
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2404 Monitoring of server processing errors or hardware failure error or fault detection G06F11/07; monitoring in general G06F11/30
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/242 Synchronization processes, e.g. processing of PCR [Program Clock References] arrangements for synchronising broadcast or distribution via plural systems in broadcast distribution systems H04H20/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4302 Content synchronisation processes, e.g. decoder synchronisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4425 Monitoring of client processing errors or hardware failure
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6118 involving cable transmission, e.g. using a cable modem
• 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 7/108 the cable being constituted by a pair of wires

Abstract

A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, receiving, by a first line card coupled to minimally twisted or non-twisted pair cables, a very high digital subscriber line signal, modifying the very high digital subscriber line signal for transmission over the minimally twisted or non-twisted pair cables to generate an updated very high digital subscriber line signal that overcomes a transmission deficiency, and transmitting from the first line card the updated very high digital subscriber line signal to a second line card to cause the second line card to receive the adapted very high digital subscriber line signal at a desired signal quality and convert the updated very high digital subscriber line signal to a very high digital subscriber line signal for presentation of interactive television services at the customer premise equipment. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving, by a first line card coupled to minimally twisted or non-twisted pair cables, a very high digital subscriber line signal, wherein the minimally twisted or non-twisted pair cables have a transmission deficiency which prevents reliable delivery of the very high digital subscriber line signal at a desired signal quality for presenting interactive television services at customer premise equipment;

modifying, by the first line card, the very high digital subscriber line signal for transmission over the minimally twisted or non-twisted pair cables to generate an updated very high digital subscriber line signal that overcomes the transmission deficiency; and

transmitting from the first line card the updated very high digital subscriber line signal to a second line card to cause the second line card to receive the updated very high digital subscriber line signal at the desired signal quality and convert the updated very high digital subscriber line signal to a very high digital subscriber line signal for presentation of the interactive television services at the customer premise equipment.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the very high digital subscriber line signal is modified by applying a sealing current to the very high digital subscriber line signal that inhibits corrosion or degradation to copper wires used in the minimally twisted or non-twisted pair cables.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the very high digital subscriber line signal is modified by applying noise canceling filters to the very high digital subscriber line signal.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the very high digital subscriber line signal is modified by applying line or path error corrections to the very high digital subscriber line signal.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the very high digital subscriber line signal is modified for fault isolation between the first line card and the second line card to identify locations of a fault.

6. method of claim 1, wherein the very high digital subscriber line signal is modified by applying frequency domain shifting to the very high digital subscriber line signal.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the very high digital subscriber line signal is modified by applying synchronization signals between the first line card and the second line card.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the very high digital subscriber line signal is modified for transmission over the minimally twisted or non-twisted pair cables by applying at least one of a sealing current to the very high digital subscriber line signal, noise canceling filters and error correction filters to the very high digital subscriber line signal, or line or path error corrections to the very high digital subscriber line signal.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein a transmission speed sufficient to deliver the interactive television service is at a desired transmission rate.

10. A method, comprising

receiving, by a second line card from a first line card over minimally twisted or non-twisted pair cable, on a updated very high digital subscriber line signal transmitted over the minimally twisted or non-twisted pair cable, wherein the updated very high digital subscriber line signal is provided by the first line card by modifying a very high digital subscriber line signal to generate the updated very high digital subscriber line signal transmitted, and wherein the updated very high digital subscriber line signal overcomes a transmission deficiency which prevents reliable receipt of the very high digital subscriber line signal at a desired signal quality for presenting interactive television services at customer premise equipment;

and

converting, by the second line card, the updated very high digital subscriber line signal back to a very high digital subscriber line signal for enabling the customer premise equipment to receive the interactive television services.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the first line card applies one of a sealing current to the very high digital subscriber line signal, a noise canceling filter to the very high digital subscriber line signal, or a line or path error correction to the very high digital subscriber line signal.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the first line card applies frequency domain shifting to the very high digital subscriber line signal.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the converting by the second line card comprises converting the updated very high digital subscriber line signal back to the very high digital subscriber line signal to support a desired data communication speed.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the converting of the updated very high digital subscriber line signal back to the very high digital subscriber line signal utilizes a frequency domain shifting technique.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein the converting the updated high digital subscriber line signal back to the very high digital subscriber line signal comprises synchronization by the second line card with the first line card.

16. A system to transmit and receive interactive television services using minimally twisted or non-twisted pair cables, comprising:

a first line card coupled to the minimally twisted or non-twisted pair cable, the first line card comprising;

a first memory comprising first computer instructions; and

at least a first processor coupled to the first memory, wherein at least the first processor, responsive to executing the first computer instructions, performs operations comprising;

receiving a very high digital subscriber line signal; and

modifying the very high digital subscriber line signal for transmission over the minimally twisted or non-twisted pair cable having a transmission characteristic which affects a desired signal quality for presenting interactive television services at customer premise equipment, wherein the very high digital subscriber line signal is modified to form an updated very high digital subscriber line signal that overcomes the transmission characteristic; and

a second line card coupled to the minimally twisted or non-twisted pair cable, the second line card comprising;

a second memory comprising second computer instructions; and

at least a second processor coupled to the second memory, wherein at least the second processor, responsive to executing the second computer instructions converts the updated very high digital subscriber line signal to a converted very high digital subscriber line signal enabling the customer premise equipment to present the interactive television services.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein at least the first processor, responsive to executing the first computer instructions, performs operations comprising transmitting from the first line card the updated very high digital subscriber line signal to the second line card enabling the second line card to receive the updated very high digital subscriber line signal at the desired signal quality.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the very high digital subscriber line signal is received from a digital subscriber line access multiplexer.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein the at least the first processor, responsive to executing the first computer instructions, performs operations comprising generating the updated very high digital subscriber line signal by applying to the very high digital subscriber line signal at least one of a sealing current that inhibits corrosion or degradation to copper wires used in the minimally twisted or non-twisted pair cables, a noise canceling filter, or a line or path error correction.

20. The system of claim 16, wherein the at least the first processor, responsive to executing the first computer instructions, performs operations comprising transmitting synchronization signals to the second line card.