Neighborhood node mapping methods and apparatus for ingress mitigation in cable communication systems
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Accused Products
Abstract
A mobile transmitter traverses a drive path in a neighborhood node of a cable communication system and broadcasts a test signal at frequencies falling within an upstream path bandwidth. A navigational device generates a first record of positions of the transmitter along the drive path, and an analyzer monitors the upstream path bandwidth and generates a second record of received signal amplitudes of the transmitted test signal as a function of time. An ingress map is generated showing the drive path and potential points of ingress in the node, and employed to remediate faults particularly in the hardline coaxial cable plant. Iterative generation of maps and corresponding remediation in the node enable improved cable communication systems with reduced noise profiles between 5 MHz and 20 MHz and employing higher modulation order QAM communication channels (e.g., 256-QAM and higher) throughout the upstream path bandwidth to increase upstream capacity.
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Citations
103 Claims
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1-48. -48. (canceled)
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49. A method for facilitating detection of ingress in at least one neighborhood node of a cable communication system, the cable communication system comprising:
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a headend or hub comprising; a headend optical/radio frequency (RF) converter; and a cable modem system coupled to the headend optical/RF converter; and a first neighborhood node of the at least one neighborhood node, the first neighborhood node having an infrastructure comprising; a first fiber optic cable coupled to the headend optical/RF converter; a first node optical/RF converter coupled to the first fiber optic cable; a first RF hardline coaxial cable plant, coupled to the first node optical/RF converter and traversing the first neighborhood node, to convey to the headend or hub at least first upstream information from a plurality of first subscriber premises over an upstream path bandwidth including a range of frequencies from approximately 5 MHz to at least approximately 42 MHz; and a plurality of first subscriber service drops, coupled to the first RF hardline coaxial cable plant and to the plurality of first subscriber premises, to provide the first upstream information from the plurality of first subscriber premises to the first RF hardline coaxial cable plant, the method comprising; A) directing a mobile broadcast apparatus including a transmitter along a first neighborhood node drive path proximate to the first RF hardline coaxial cable plant so as to effectively traverse and ensure substantially full coverage of the first subscriber neighborhood; B) during A), broadcasting from the transmitter a test signal at a plurality of locations distributed along at least a substantial portion of the first neighborhood node drive path, the test signal having at least one test signal frequency falling within the upstream path bandwidth; C) during A), electronically recording first geographic information corresponding to respective positions of the mobile broadcast apparatus along at least the substantial portion of the first neighborhood node drive path so as to generate a first record of the first geographic information; D) during A) and throughout traversing at least the substantial portion of the first neighborhood node drive path, recording, via an analyzer coupled to a first junction of the cable modem system and the headend optical/RF converter or a second junction of the hardline cable plant and the first node optical/RF converter, a plurality of signal amplitudes at the test signal frequency so as to generate a second record, the plurality of signal amplitudes representing a strength of a received upstream test signal as a function of time, based on B) and test signal ingress of the test signal into at least one fault in the first RF hardline coaxial cable plant; and E) based on the first record generated in C) and the second record generated in D), electronically generating a first neighborhood node ingress map comprising; a first graphical representation of the first neighborhood node drive path; and a second graphical representation, overlaid on the first graphical representation, of the plurality of signal amplitudes, at least along the substantial portion of the first neighborhood node drive path, so as to illustrate the test signal ingress of the test signal into at least the first RF hardline coaxial cable plant of the first neighborhood node. - View Dependent Claims (50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 100)
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101. An apparatus for facilitating detection of ingress in at least a first neighborhood node of a cable communication system, the apparatus comprising:
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a communication interface; a display device; a memory to store processor-executable instructions; an analyzer; and a processor coupled to the communication interface, the display device, the analyzer, and the memory, wherein upon execution of the processor-executable instructions by the processor, the processor; A) controls the communication interface so as to receive a first record of first geographic information as a function of time, the first geographic information corresponding to respective positions of a mobile broadcast apparatus as directed along at least a substantial portion of a first neighborhood node drive path proximate to a first RF hardline coaxial cable plant in the first neighborhood node of the cable communication system; and B) controls the analyzer to measure a plurality of signal amplitudes representing a strength, at a headend or the first RF hardline coaxial cable plant of the cable communication system, of a received upstream test signal as a function of time, the strength of the received upstream test signal being based on;
1) a test signal broadcast from a transmitter in the mobile broadcast apparatus as the mobile broadcast apparatus is directed along the first neighborhood node drive path proximate to the first RF hardline coaxial cable plant; and
2) test signal ingress of the test signal into at least one fault in the RF hardline coaxial cable plant;C) generates a second record including the plurality of signal amplitudes measured in A2); D) controls the memory so as to store in the memory the first record and the second record; E) based on the first record and the second record, electronically generates a first neighborhood node ingress map comprising; E1) a first graphical representation of the first neighborhood node drive path; and E2) a second graphical representation, overlaid on the first graphical representation, of the plurality of signal amplitudes, at least along the substantial portion of the first neighborhood node drive path, so as to illustrate the test signal ingress of the test signal into at least the first RF hardline coaxial cable plant of the first neighborhood node; and F) controls the display device so as to display the first neighborhood node ingress map.
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102. A computer readable storage medium storing processor-executable instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, perform a method for facilitating detection of ingress in at least a first neighborhood node of a cable communication system, the method comprising:
A) electronically receiving; A1) first geographic information as a function of time, the first geographic information corresponding to respective positions of a mobile broadcast apparatus as directed along at least a substantial portion of a first neighborhood node drive path proximate to a first RF hardline coaxial cable plant in the first neighborhood node of the cable communication system; and A2) a plurality of signal amplitudes representing a strength, as measured at a headend or the first RF hardline coaxial cable plant of the cable communication system, of a received upstream test signal as a function of time, the strength of the received upstream test signal being based on;
1) a test signal broadcast from a transmitter in the mobile broadcast apparatus as the mobile broadcast apparatus is directed along the first neighborhood node drive path proximate to the first RF hardline coaxial cable plant; and
2) test signal ingress of the test signal into at least one fault in the RF hardline coaxial cable plant;B) electronically processing the first geographic information to generate a first record based at least in part on the processed first geographic information; C) electronically processing the plurality of signal amplitudes to generate a second record based at least in part on the processed plurality of signal amplitudes; and D) based on the first record and the second record, electronically generating a first neighborhood node ingress map comprising; D1) a first graphical representation of the first neighborhood node drive path; and D2) a second graphical representation, overlaid on the first graphical representation, of the plurality of signal amplitudes, at least along the substantial portion of the first neighborhood node drive path, so as to illustrate the test signal ingress of the test signal into at least the first RF hardline coaxial cable plant of the first neighborhood node.
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103-353. -353. (canceled)
Specification