Digital subscriber line diagnostic system

• US 7,106,834 B2
• Filed: 04/08/2003
• Issued: 09/12/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/09/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Callahan Cellular LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Paradyne Corporation (Dasan Networks Incorporated)
• Inventors: Chapman, Joseph Q., Macdonald, Alistair Malcolm
• Primary Examiner(s): TIEU, BINH KIEN
• Application Number:
  US10/409,260
• Publication Number:
  US 20030190016A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,253 Days
• Field of Search: 375/222, 375/224, 379/93.01, 379/93.05, 379/1.03, 379/1.04, 379/1.01, 379/29.01, 379/28, 379/27.01, 379/27.02, 379/22.01, 379/24
• US Class Current: 379/1.04
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/24 Arrangements for testing

Abstract

A communication device transmits very low frequency signals in order to help diagnose the cause of a communication problem in a DSL communication system. The communication problem may be, for example, the inability of a remote data transceiver unit (DTU-R) to successfully train-up with a central data transceiver unit (DTU-C). The very low frequency signals may be used to communicate the status or settings of the remote transceiver unit to the DTU-C, to download settings parameters or executable code to the DTU-R, or to coordinate the transmission of testing signals.

Claims

1. A modem comprising:

a data source interface;

an xDSL transceiver configured to receive data from the data source interface and transmit the data to a remote device;

a voice-band transceiver; and

a processor communicatively coupled to the voice-band transceiver and to the xDSL transceiver and configured to receive, via the data source interface, first diagnostic data and to transmit the first diagnostic data using the voice-band transceiver.

2. The modem of claim 1, wherein the first diagnostic data comprises at least one of a status or a configuration of a data source communicatively coupled to the data source interface.

3. The modem of claim 2, wherein the configuration comprises information about communication software residing on the data source and associated with the modem.

4. The modem of claim 1, wherein the first diagnostic data comprises communication settings of the data source interface.

5. The modem of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to receive second diagnostic data from the xDSL transceiver and to transmit the second diagnostic data using the voice-band transceiver.

6. A digital subscriber line technology (xDSL) modem comprising:

an xDSL transceiver configured to communicate with a remote device via a subscriber loop;

a voice-band transceiver configured to communicate with the remote device via the subscriber loop; and

diagnostic logic configured to transmit at least one of a first plurality of test signals via the xDSL transceiver in response to a request received via the voice band line interface.

7. The modem of claim 6, wherein the first plurality of test signals is used by the remote device in measuring at least one of distortion, noise, interference, or crosstalk on the subscriber loop.

8. The modem of claim 6, wherein the first plurality of test signals is used by the remote device to determine the presence, on the subscriber loop, of at least one of a POTS device, a loading coil, a splitter, or a low pass filter.

9. The modem of claim 6, wherein the diagnostic logic further comprises:

logic configured to receive a test result from the remote device, via the voice-band transceiver, after transmission of the at least one test signal.

10. The modem of claim 9, wherein the diagnostic logic is responsive to a failure of the xDSL transceiver to communicate with the remote device, and wherein the diagnostic logic further comprises:

logic configured to determine an apparent cause of the failure based on the test result.

11. The modem of claim 6, wherein the diagnostic logic further comprises:

logic configured to receive at least one of a second plurality of test signals via the xDSL transceiver; and

logic configured to analyze the received test signal.

12. The modem of claim 11, wherein the diagnostic logic further comprises:

logic configured to request, via the voice-band transceiver, the remote device to transmit the at least one of the second plurality of test signals.

13. The modem of claim 11, wherein the diagnostic logic is responsive to a failure of the xDSL transceiver to communicate with the remote device, and wherein the diagnostic logic further comprises:

logic configured to determine an apparent cause of the failure based on the analysis of the received test signal.

14. The modem of claim 6, wherein the diagnostic logic is responsive to a failure of the xDSL transceiver to train-up with the remote device.

15. The modem of claim 6, wherein the diagnostic logic further comprises:

logic to transmit diagnostic information to the remote device via the voice-band transceiver.

16. A digital subscriber line technology (xDSL) modem comprising:

an xDSL transceiver configured to communicate with a remote device via a subscriber loop;

a voice-band transceiver configured to communicate with the remote device via the subscriber loop; and

diagnostic logic configured to receive at least one of a plurality of xDSL test signals from the remote device and to determine an apparent cause of a communication problem between the xDSL transceiver and the remote device based on the received test signal.

17. A digital subscriber line technology (xDSL) modem comprising:

an xDSL transceiver configured to communicate with a remote device via a subscriber loop;

a voice-band transceiver configured to communicate with the remote device via the subscriber loop; and

diagnostic logic configured to receive at least one of a plurality of xDSL test signals from the remote device via the voice-band line interface and to perform a test associated with the received xDSL test signal.

18. The modem of claim 17, wherein the diagnostic logic is further configured transmit a result of the performed test to the remote device via the voice-band line interface.

19. The modem of claim 18, wherein the result measures at least one of distortion, noise, interference, or crosstalk detected during the test.

20. The modem of claim 18, wherein the result indicates the presence, on the subscriber loop, of at least one of a POTS device, a loading coil, a splitter, or a low pass filter.

21. The modem of claim 18, wherein the diagnostic logic is further configured to perform a test using the received xDSL test signal.

22. The modem of claim 18, wherein the test measures at least one of distortion, noise, interference, or crosstalk level on the subscriber loop.

23. A method for troubleshooting a digital subscriber line technology (xDSL) modem, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving, from a remote device over a suscriber loop, at least one of a plurality of xDSL test signals in the xDSL band;

analyzing the received xDSL test signal to produce a test result; and

transmitting the test result, using the voice band, to the remote device over the subscriber loop.

24. A digital subscriber line technology (xDSL) modem comprising:

means for receiving, from a remote device over a suscriber loop, at least one of a plurality of xDSL test signals in the xDSL band;

means for analyzing the received xDSL test signal to produce a test result; and

mean for transmitting the test result, using the voice band, to the remote device over the subscriber loop.