Spectrum Analysis and Plant Diagnostic Tool for Communication Systems

• US 20150082363A1
• Filed: 09/17/2013
• Published: 03/19/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/11/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies General IP PTE Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Broadcom Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Gomez, Ramon, Dauphinee, Leonard, McMullin, Donald, Whitehead, Harold Raymond
• Application Number:
  US14/029,566
• Publication Number:
  US 20150082363A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/107
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/27 for locating or positioning the transmitter
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/309 Measuring or estimating channel quality parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/32 Specific management aspects for broadband networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/12 Network monitoring probes
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/10 Providing fault- or trouble-signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/306 for frequencies above the voice frequency, e.g. xDSL line qualification test methods, test equipment and test arrangements for subscriber lines using xDSL modems H04M3/304; systems modifying transmission characteristics according to link quality H04L1/0001; monitoring and/or testing of line transmission systems H04B3/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 17/00 Diagnosis, testing or measuring for television systems or their details
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/64723 Monitoring of network processes or resources, e.g. monitoring of network load traffic related reporting in data switching networks H04L43/062

Abstract

A system, method, and apparatus to allow an operator of a broadcast communication system, such as a cable television or satellite television service to provide some examples, to diagnose performance of this communication system remotely. The operator of a first communication device, such as a cable modem termination system (CMTS) to provide an example, may remotely diagnosis performance problems, or potential performance problems, occurring at a second communication device, such as a cable modem (CM) to provide an example, or a group of second communication devices. For example, the operator of the first communication device may view a spectrum analysis of communication signals being routed to, processed by, and/or provided by the second communication device, or group of second communication devices, to diagnose the performance problems, or the potential performance problems, in real time.

Claims

1. A diagnostic apparatus comprising:

a full band capture receiver configured to receive a full band communication signal comprising multiple channels and/or services from a communication network, and convert each of the channels and/or services of the full band communication signal from an analog representation to a digital representation;

a parameter measurement unit configured to generate one or more signal parameters using the full band communication signal based at least in part on the digital representation; and

a transmitter configured to transmit a transmission signal comprising the one or more signal parameters generated using the full band communication signal.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the transmission signal allows performance of the communication network or full band communication signal to be evaluated remotely.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the diagnostic apparatus is disposed in customer premises equipment that is coupled to the communication network.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the transmission signal allows performance of the communication network, including the customer premises equipment, to be evaluated remotely.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the one of more signal parameters include spectral density, a received signal strength, a relative strength of different channels and services, noise floor and interference, or transmitter frequency offset.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a base band processor configured to process the one or more signal parameters in the time domain or the frequency domain.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the transmission signal includes an in-band portion and an out-of-band portion.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the full band communication signal conforms with a DOCSIS standard or a MoCA standard.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the full band capture receiver comprises a full band analog to digital converter.

10. A system comprising:

a diagnostic apparatus comprising;

a full band capture receiver configured to receive a full hand communication signal comprising multiple channels and/or services from a communication network, and convert each of the channels and/or services of the full band communication signal from an analog representation to a digital representation;

a parameter measurement unit configured to generate one or more signal parameters using the full band communication signal based at least in part on the digital representation; and

a transmitter configured to transmit a transmission signal comprising the one or more signal parameters generated using the full band communication signal; and

a spectrum analyzer configured to receive the transmission signal, and present the one or more signal parameters.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the spectrum analyzer is disposed at a headend of the communication network, and the diagnostic apparatus is disposed remote from the spectrum analyzer.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the diagnostic apparatus is disposed in customer premises equipment.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the spectrum analyzer comprises a user interface configured to present the one or more signal parameters to evaluate performance of the communication network.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the full band capture receiver comprises a full band analog to digital converter.

15. A method, comprising:

receiving, at a diagnostic apparatus, a full band communication signal comprising multiple channels and/or services from a communication network;

converting, by the diagnostic apparatus, each of the channels and/or services from the full band communication signal from an analog representation to a digital representation;

generating, by the diagnostic apparatus, one or more signal parameters using the full band communication signal based at least in part on the digital representation; and

transmitting, from the diagnostic apparatus, a transmission signal comprising the one or more signal parameters generated using the full band communication signal.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising evaluating the transmission signal remotely from a customer premises equipment to determine performance of the communication network.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the diagnostic apparatus is disposed in customer premises equipment that is coupled to the communication network.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising evaluating the transmission signal remotely from the customer premises equipment to determine performance of the customer premises equipment.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the one of more signal parameters include spectral density, a received signal strength, a relative strength of different channels and services, noise floor and interference, or transmitter frequency offset.

20. The method of claim 15, further comprising processing, by the diagnostic apparatus, the one or more signal parameters in the time domain or the frequency domain.

21. The method of claim 15, wherein transmitting the transmission signal includes transmitting the transmission signal with an in-band portion and an out-of-band portion.

22. The method of claim 15, wherein the full band communication signal conforms with a DOCSIS standard or a MoCA standard.