Data transmission system

• US 6,571,393 B1
• Filed: 05/27/1998
• Issued: 05/27/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/27/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hong Kong University of Science and Technology
• Original Assignee: Hong Kong University of Science and Technology
• Inventors: Cheng, Roger, Hu, Bo, Liou, Ming, Qu, Donghui, Cheung, Kwan-Fai, Ko, Tsz-Mei
• Primary Examiner(s): Faile, Andrew
• Assistant Examiner(s): SALCE, JASON P
• Application Number:
  US09/084,501
• Time in Patent Office: 1,826 Days
• Field of Search: 725/91, 725/98, 725/127, 725/107, 725/114, 725/118, 725/119, 725/148, 725/149, 725/78, 375/224, 375/227, 375/231, 375/285, 455/43, 455/67.3, 455/67.4, 455/67.6, 455/63, 455/68, 455/69, 333/17.1, 333/18, 708/322, 348/192, 348/193, 348/723, 348/724
• US Class Current: 725/121
• CPC Class Codes: H03G 5/00 Tone control or bandwidth control in amplifiers
• CPC Class Codes: H03G 5/005 of digital signals
• CPC Class Codes: H03G 5/165 Equalizers; Volume or gain control in limited frequency bands
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 17/004 for digital television systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/106 for domestic distribution
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/108 the cable being constituted by a pair of wires

Abstract

A data transmission system is proposed, for example for video-on-demand, internet or multimedia applications, in which a number of subscribers in a building are connected to a central server through at least in part twisted pair cables within the building. Compensation for the channel distortion caused by the use of twisted pair cables is provided by the use of pre-emphasis filters in the outgoing data lines from the server. The required coefficients for the pre-emphasis filters are established by first characterizing the distortion properties of a channel by the use of a test signal.

Claims

1. A data transmission system comprising:

a server;

a plurality of subscribers;

a plurality of data lines from said server;

connection means for connecting to said subscribers to said server, said subscribers being connected to said connection means by respective cables;

pre-emphasis filter means provided in each said data line between said server and said connection means;

means for transmitting a test signal along a channel from said server to a receiver at a said subscriber;

means for returning said test signal from said receiver to said transmitting means; and

means for calculating distortion properties of said channel from a delay in returning said test signal from said receiver to said transmitting means and for establishing required properties of said pre-emphasis filter means to compensate for said distortion properties.

2. A system as claimed in claim 1 wherein said cables are twisted-pair cables.

3. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said transmitting means is adapted to generate an increasing test signal preceded by a header, and said receiving means is adapted to generate a first return signal when said header is received and a second return signal when said test signal reaches a predetermined threshold at said receiving means, and said transmitting means includes clock means for determining the time interval between said test signal being transmitted by said transmitting means and said return signals being received at said transmitting means from said receiving means.

4. A system as claimed in claim 3 wherein said test signal is a quantized or non-quantized linearly increasing test signal.

5. A system as claimed in claim 1 wherein said pre-emphasis filter means comprises a tap-line filter.

6. A system as claimed in claim 5 wherein said pre-emphasis filter comprises a conventional tap-line filter.

7. A system as claimed in claim 5 wherein said pre-emphasis filter comprises a fractional tap-line filter.

8. Apparatus for the characterization of the amplitude and phase response of a data channel between a transmitter and a receiver, wherein said transmitter comprises means for transmitting a test signal to said receiver, means for detecting the arrival of a return signal from said receiver and means for timing the delay between transmitting said test signal and detecting said return signal, wherein said receiver comprises means for generating a return signal when a received transmitted signal exceeds a predetermined threshold, and means for calculating the amplitude and phase response of said data line from said delay.

9. Apparatus as claimed in claim 8 wherein said transmitting means is adapted to generate an increasing test signal preceded by a header, and said receiving means is adapted to generate a first return signal when said header is received and a second return signal when said test signal reaches a predetermined threshold at said receiving means, and said transmitting means includes clock means for determining the time interval between said test signal being transmitted by said transmitting means and said return signals being received at said transmitting means from said receiving means.

10. Apparatus as claimed in claim 9 wherein said test signal is a quantized or non-quantized linearly increasing signal.

11. A method for transmitting data from a server to a plurality of subscribers along a data channel comprising a cable having relatively linear amplitude and phase distortion properties, comprising:

characterizing the distortion properties of said data channel prior to transmitting said data along said data channel, said distortion properties being characterized by;

transmitting a test signal along said data channel from said transmitter to a receiver;

generating a return signal from said receiver upon receipt of said test signal; and

calculating the distortion properties of said channel from the delay in returning said test signal from said receiver to said transmitter; and

passing said data through a pre-emphasis filter prior to transmission along said data channel to compensate for said amplitude and phase distortion.

12. A method as in claim 11, wherein said cable is a twisted-pair cable.

13. A method for transmitting data from a server to a plurality of subscribers along a data channel comprising a cable having relatively linear amplitude and phase distortion properties, comprising characterizing the distortion properties of said data channel prior to transmitting said data along said data channel, and passing said data through a pre-emphasis filter prior to transmission along said data channel to compensate for said amplitude and phase distortion, wherein said test signal comprises a header followed by an increasing signal and generating a first return signal upon receipt at said receiver of said header and a second return signal when said test signal reaches a predetermined threshold at said receiver, counting the time delay between said return signals being received at said transmitter, and calculating said distortion properties from said delay.

14. A method as in claim 13, wherein said cable is a twisted-pair cable.

15. A method as claimed in claim 13 wherein said test signal is a quantized or non-quantized linearly increasing signal.

16. A method for the characterization of the amplitude and phase response of a data channel between a transmitter and a receiver, comprising transmitting a test signal to said receiver, generating a return signal from said receiver to said transmitter when a received transmitted signal exceeds a predetermined threshold, detecting the arrival at said transmitter of a said return signal from said receiver and timing the delay between transmitting said test signal and detecting said return signal, and calculating the amplitude and phase response from said delay.

17. A method as claimed in claim 16 wherein said test signal comprises an increasing signal preceded by a header, and wherein a first return signal is generated upon receipt at said receiver of said header, and a second return signal is generated when said test signal reaches a predetermined threshold at said receiver, and wherein the time interval between receipt at said transmitter of said first and second return signals is counted.

18. A method as claimed in claim 17 wherein said test signal is a quantized or non-quantized linearly increasing signal.