Modems, methods, and computer program products for recovering from errors in a tone reversal sequence between two modems

• US 6,487,243 B1
• Filed: 03/08/1999
• Issued: 11/26/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/08/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Ye, Hua, Ware, Malcolm Scott, Hwang, Dongming
• Primary Examiner(s): Pham, Chi
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Dung X.
• Application Number:
  US09/264,422
• Time in Patent Office: 1,359 Days
• Field of Search: 375/222, 375/220, 375/285, 375/296, 375/326, 375/233, 375/327, 379/416, 379/417, 379/93.32, 708/322, 708/323, 370/526, 370/252, 370/465
• US Class Current: 375/222
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 25/4927 using levels matched to the quantisation levels of the channel

Abstract

Modems, methods, and computer program products for recovering from errors during a tone reversal sequence between a modem pair detect a false tone reversal during a tone reversal sequence at a first modem. If a false tone reversal is detected, then the first modem requests that a second modem restart the tone reversal sequence. Tone reversal sequences are used, for example, in the startup protocols of both the V.34 and V.90 standards to calculate the round trip delay between two modems. Neither standard provides for any recovery procedure, however, should the tone reversal sequence fail. The modems, methods, and computer program products can allow errors in a tone reversal sequence to be addressed immediately rather than proceeding to later phases in the communication protocol where the errors may ultimately cause the communication session to breakdown.

Claims

1. A method for recovering from errors in a tone reversal sequence between a first modem and a second modem, the method comprising the steps of:

detecting, at the first modem, an occurrence of a false tone reversal during the tone reversal sequence; and

requesting that the second modem restart the tone reversal sequence if an occurrence of a false tone reversal is detected.

2. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the detecting step comprises the steps of:

receiving, at the first modem, a first tone transmitted from the second modem;

detecting a first reversal in phase of the first tone;

detecting a second reversal in phase of the first tone; and

determining if a duration between the first reversal and the second reversal is less than a threshold value.

3. A method as recited in claim 2, further comprising the steps of:

transmitting a second tone from the first modem to the second modem prior to receiving the first tone; and

transmitting the second tone with a first reversal in phase from the first modem to the second modem after the step of detecting a first reversal in phase of the first tone.

4. A method as recited in claim 2, wherein the requesting step comprises the step of preventing acknowledgment of receipt of the second reversal in phase of the first tone if the duration is less than the threshold value.

5. A method as recited in claim 4, wherein the requesting step further comprises the steps of:

receiving, at the first modem, the first tone transmitted from the second modem after the step of preventing acknowledgment; and

transmitting a second tone from the first modem to the second modem after the step of receiving at the first modem the first tone transmitted from the second modem and after the step of preventing acknowledgment.

6. A method as recited in claim 2, wherein the threshold value is approximately 70 ms.

7. A method as recited in claim 2, wherein the first modem is a digital modem and the second modem is an analog modem.

8. A method as recited in claim 2, wherein the first and second modems are both analog modems.

9. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the detecting step comprises the steps of:

receiving, at the first modem, a first tone transmitted from the second modem;

detecting a first reversal in phase of the first tone; and

determining if a duration between receiving the first tone and detecting the first reversal in phase of the first tone is less than a threshold value.

10. A method as recited in claim 9, further comprising the steps of:

transmitting a second tone from the first modem to the second modem after receiving the first tone;

then

transmitting a second tone with a first reversal in phase from the first modem to the second modem.

11. A method as recited in claim 9, wherein the requesting step comprises the step of preventing acknowledgment of receipt of the first reversal in phase of the first tone if the duration is less than the threshold value.

12. A method as recited in claim 11, wherein the requesting step further comprises the steps of:

receiving, at the first modem, the first tone transmitted from the second modem after the step of preventing acknowledgment; and

transmitting a second tone from the first modem to the second modem after the step of receiving at the first modem the first tone transmitted from the second modem and after the step of preventing acknowledgment.

13. A method as recited in claim 9, wherein the threshold value is approximately 80 ms.

14. A method as recited in claim 9, wherein the first modem is an analog modem and the second modem is a digital modem.

15. A method as recited in claim 9, wherein the first and second modems are both analog modems.

16. A modem having an error recovery capability for recovering from errors in a tone reversal sequence between the modem and a second modem, the modem comprising:

first means for detecting an occurrence of a false tone reversal during the tone reversal sequence; and

means for requesting, responsive to the first means for detecting, that the second modem restart the tone reversal sequence.

17. A modem as recited in claim 16, wherein the first means for detecting comprises:

first means for receiving a first tone transmitted from the second modem;

second means for detecting a first reversal in phase of the first tone;

third means for detecting a second reversal in phase of the first tone; and

means for determining if a duration between the first reversal and the second reversal is less than a threshold value.

18. A modem as recited in claim 17, further comprising:

first means for transmitting a second tone to the second modem, the first means for receiving being responsive to the first means for transmitting; and

second means for transmitting, responsive to the second means for detecting, the second tone with a first reversal in phase to the second modem.

19. A modem as recited in claim 17, wherein the means for requesting comprises means for preventing, responsive to the means for determining, acknowledgment of receipt of the second reversal in phase of the first tone.

20. A modem as recited in claim 19, wherein the means for requesting further comprises:

second means for receiving, responsive to the means for preventing, the first tone transmitted from the second modem; and

means for transmitting, responsive to the means for preventing and the second means for receiving, a second tone to the second modem.

21. A modem as recited in claim 17, wherein the threshold value is approximately 70 ms.

22. A modem as recited in claim 17, wherein the modem is a digital modem and the second modem is an analog modem.

23. A modem as recited in claim 17, wherein the modem and the second modem are both analog modems.

24. A modem as recited in claim 16, wherein the first means for detecting comprises:

first means for receiving a first tone transmitted from the second modem;

second means for detecting a first reversal in phase of the first tone; and

means for determining if a duration between receiving the first tone and detecting the first reversal in phase of the first tone is less than a threshold value.

25. A modem as recited in claim 24, further comprising:

first means for transmitting, responsive to the first means for receiving, a second tone to the second modem; and

second means for transmitting, responsive to the first means for transmitting, a second tone with a first reversal in phase to the second modem.

26. A modem as recited in claim 24, wherein the means for requesting comprises means for preventing, responsive to the means for determining, acknowledgment of receipt of the first reversal in phase of the first tone.

27. A modem as recited in claim 26, wherein the means for requesting further comprises the steps of:

second means for receiving, responsive to the means for preventing, the first tone transmitted from the second modem; and

means for transmitting, responsive to the means for preventing and the second means for receiving, a second tone to the second modem.

28. A modem as recited in claim 24, wherein the threshold value is approximately 80 ms.

29. A modem as recited in claim 24, wherein the modem is an analog modem and the second modem is a digital modem.

30. A modem as recited in claim 24, wherein the modem and the second modem are both analog modems.

31. A computer program product for recovering from errors in a tone reversal sequence between a first modem and a second modem, comprising:

a computer readable storage medium having computer readable program code means embodied therein, the computer readable code means comprising;

first logic configured to detect, at the first modem, an occurrence of a false tone reversal during the tone reversal sequence; and

logic configured to request, responsive to the first logic configured to detect, that the second modem restart the tone reversal sequence.

32. A computer program product as recited in claim 31, wherein the first logic configured to detect comprises:

first logic configured to receive, at the first modem, a first tone transmitted from the second modem;

second logic configured to detect a first reversal in phase of the first tone;

third logic configured to detect a second reversal in phase of the first tone; and

logic configured to determine if a duration between the first reversal and the second reversal is less than a threshold value.

33. A computer program product as recited in claim 32, further comprising:

first logic configured to transmit a second tone from the first modem to the second modem, the first logic configured to receive being responsive to the first logic configured to transmit; and

second logic configured to transmit, responsive to the second logic configured to detect, the second tone with a first reversal in phase from the first modem to the second modem.

34. A computer program product as recited in claim 32, wherein the logic configured to request comprises logic configured to prevent, responsive to the logic configured to determine, acknowledgment of receipt of the second reversal in phase of the first tone.

35. A computer program product as recited in claim 34, wherein the logic configured to request further comprises:

second logic configured to receive, responsive to the logic configured to prevent, the first tone transmitted from the second modem at the first modem; and

logic configured to transmit, responsive to the logic configured to prevent and the second logic configured to receive, a second tone from the first modem to the second modem.

36. A computer program product as recited in claim 32, wherein the threshold value is approximately 70 ms.

37. A computer program product as recited in claim 32, wherein the first modem is a digital modem and the second modem is an analog modem.

38. A computer program product as recited in claim 32, wherein the first modem and the second modem are both analog modems.

39. A computer program product as recited in claim 31, wherein the first logic configured to detect comprises:

first logic configured to receive, at the first modem, a first tone transmitted from the second modem;

second logic configured to detect a first reversal in phase of the first tone; and

logic configured to determine if a duration between receiving the first tone and detecting the first reversal in phase of the first tone is less than a threshold value.

40. A computer program product as recited in claim 39, further comprising:

first logic configured to transmit, responsive to the first logic configured to receive, a second tone from the first modem to the second modem; and

second logic configured to transmit, responsive to the first logic configured to transmit, a second tone with a first reversal in phase from the first modem to the second modem.

41. A computer program product as recited in claim 39, wherein the logic configured to request comprises logic configured to prevent, responsive to the logic configured to determine, acknowledgment of receipt of the first reversal in phase of the first tone.

42. A computer program product as recited in claim 41, wherein the logic configured to request further comprises:

second logic configured to receive, responsive to the logic configured to prevent, the first tone transmitted from the second modem at the first modem; and

logic configured to transmit, responsive to the logic configured to prevent and the second logic configured to receive, a second tone from the first modem to the second modem.

43. A computer program product as recited in claim 39, wherein the threshold is approximately 80 ms.

44. A computer program product as recited in claim 39, wherein the first modem is an analog modem and the second modem is a digital modem.

45. A computer program product as recited in claim 39, wherein the first modem and the second modem are both analog modems.