Testing facility for a broadband communications system
First Claim
1. A telephony system for communicating telephony signals between a telephony network and subscribers to the telephony system, including a broadband communication network having a headend for communicating to the subscribers, the headend comprising:
- a modulator, coupled between the telephony network and the broadband communications network, for modulating the telephony signals from the telephony network on a carrier in a first band of the broadband communication network;
channel assignment equipment for assigning telephony signals from one or more subscribers to a selected frequency subband in a second band of the broadband communication network;
a demodulator, coupled between the telephony network and the broadband communications network, for demodulating the telephony signals in said selected frequency subband and coupling them to the telephony network; and
a test system for evaluating the operating state of the modulator and the demodulator.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A test system for evaluating the operating state of a headend of a broadband communications network for communicating telephony signals between a telephony system and subscribers of communications services. Modulators at the headend transmit telephony signals in the forward band of the broadband communications network. The forward telephony channels are demodulated and demultiplexed by a plurality of subscriber terminals into individual telephony signals directed to an addressed subscriber. Signals returning from subscribers are digitized into standard telephony signals onto the reverse band of the broadband communications network, and demodulated by demodulators of the headend into a standard telephony signal that is interfaced to the telephony network. The test system evaluates the operating state of a selected demodulator of the headend by modulating a carrier with a predetermined data pattern to generate a upstream test signal. The upstream test signal is transmitted to the selected demodulator, which responds by outputting a detected upstream test signal. The test system compares the detected upstream test signal to the data pattern to generate error measurements that support an evaluation of the operating state of the selected demodulator. For an ingress test, the upstream signals present on the selected upstream channel are combined with the upstream test signal, and this signal combination is analyzed to determine the status of the selected upstream channel and the selected demodulator. The test system evaluates the operating state of a selected modulator of the headend in response to receiving a downstream test signal generated by the selected modulator. The test system outputs a detected downstream test signal in response to the downstream test signal. In turn, the test system conducts error measurements in response to the detected downstream test signal that support an evaluation of the operating state of the selected modulator.
207 Citations
34 Claims
-
1. A telephony system for communicating telephony signals between a telephony network and subscribers to the telephony system, including a broadband communication network having a headend for communicating to the subscribers, the headend comprising:
-
a modulator, coupled between the telephony network and the broadband communications network, for modulating the telephony signals from the telephony network on a carrier in a first band of the broadband communication network; channel assignment equipment for assigning telephony signals from one or more subscribers to a selected frequency subband in a second band of the broadband communication network; a demodulator, coupled between the telephony network and the broadband communications network, for demodulating the telephony signals in said selected frequency subband and coupling them to the telephony network; and a test system for evaluating the operating state of the modulator and the demodulator. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
-
-
19. A test system for a telephony system for communicating telephony signals between a telephony network and subscribers to the telephony system, including a broadband communication network having a headend for communicating to the subscribers, the headend comprising a modulator, coupled between the telephony network and the broadband communications network, for modulating the telephony signals from the telephony network on a carrier in a first band of the broadband communication network, and a demodulator, coupled between the telephony network and the broadband communications network, for demodulating telephony signals from subscribers in a selected frequency subband in a second band of the broadband communications network and coupling them to the telephony network, the test system comprising:
-
an upstream transmitter for transmitting an upstream test signal to the demodulator to evaluate the operating state of the demodulator; a downstream receiver for receiving a downstream test signal transmitted by the modulator to evaluate the operating state of the modulator; and a test controller for controlling the upstream transmitter and the downstream receiver. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
-
-
28. For a telephony system for communicating telephony signals between a telephony network and subscribers to the telephony system, including a broadband communication network having a headend for communicating to the subscribers, the headend comprising a modulator, coupled between the telephony network and the broadband communications network, for modulating the telephony signals from the telephony network on a carrier in a first band of the broadband communication network, and a demodulator, coupled between the telephony network and the broadband communications network, for demodulating telephony signals from subscribers in a selected frequency subband in a second band of the broadband communications network and coupling them to the telephony network, a method for testing the operating state of the headend, comprising the steps:
evaluating the operating state of the demodulator by; generating a data pattern; modulating a carrier with the data pattern to generate a upstream test signal; transmitting an upstream test signal to the demodulator; receiving a detected upstream test signal from the demodulator; comparing the detected upstream test signal to the data pattern to generate error measurements that support an evaluation of the operating state of the demodulator. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30, 31, 32)
-
33. For a telephony system for communicating telephony signals between a telephony network and subscribers to the telephony system, including a broadband communication network having a headend for communicating to the subscribers, the headend comprising a modulator, coupled between the telephony network and the broadband communications network, for modulating the telephony signals from the telephony network on a carrier in a first band of the broadband communication network, and a demodulator, coupled between the telephony network and the broadband communications network, for demodulating telephony signals from subscribers in a selected frequency subband in a second band of the broadband communications network and coupling them to the telephony network, a method for testing the operating state of the headend, comprising the steps:
-
evaluating the operating state of the demodulator by; generating a predetermined data pattern; modulating a carrier with the predetermined data pattern to generate a upstream test signal; transmitting an upstream test signal to the demodulator; receiving a detected upstream test signal from the demodulator; and comparing the detected upstream test signal to the data pattern to generate error measurements that support an evaluation of the operating state of the demodulator; and evaluating the operating state of the modulator by; using the modulator to generate a downstream test signal; receiving the downstream test signal; outputting a detected downstream test signal in response to receiving the downstream test signal; and conducting error measurements in response to the detected downstream test signal. - View Dependent Claims (34)
-
Specification