Adaptively applying a target noise margin to a digital subscriber line (DSL) loop for DSL data rate establishment

• US 7,570,599 B2
• Filed: 04/13/2005
• Issued: 08/04/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/21/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Tennyson, Gary
• Primary Examiner(s): Pham; Chi H
• Assistant Examiner(s): Faroul; Farah
• Application Number:
  US11/104,768
• Publication Number:
  US 20050237940A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,574 Days
• Field of Search: 370/252, 370/463, 370/465, 375/219, 375/377
• US Class Current: 370/252
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/42 Loop networks

Abstract

Methods, systems, and computer program products adaptively apply a target noise margin to a DSL loop to establish a DSL data rate on the DSL loop. A method involves receiving performance data associated with a quantity of errors detected over a period of time on the DSL loop and adjusting the target noise margin for the DSL loop based on the performance data. The target noise margin is inversely associated with the DSL data rate that can be established and is adjusted in order to maximize the DSL data rate while minimizing the quantity of errors detected over the period of time. Thus, embodiments of the present invention allow a maximum data rate that can be sustained on a DSL loop without an excessive quantity of errors.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for adaptively applying a target noise margin to a digital subscriber line (DSL) loop to establish a DSL data rate on the DSL loop, the method comprising:

receiving, by a processor, performance data associated with a quantity of errors detected over a period of time on the DSL loop;

adjusting, by the processor, the target noise margin for the DSL loop based on the performance data in order to increase the DSL data rate and to reduce the quantity of errors detected over the period of time;

wherein the target noise margin is inversely associated with an establishable DSL data rate;

thereby allowing a sustainable increased data rate while reducing the quantity of errors detected over the period of time;

detecting, by the processor, whether the DSL loop is identified as a newly upgraded loop; and

in response to increasing the target noise margin for the DSL loop identified as a newly upgraded loop, removing a newly upgraded status from and scheduling the DSL loop for performance data retrieval and error assessment at an interval of time of less than or equal to the period of time.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether the quantity of errors exceed a threshold quantity for the period of time comprises determining whether a quantity of current line code violations for the DSL loop exceed the threshold quantity for the period of time.

3. A computer-implemented method for adaptively applying a target noise margin to a digital subscriber line (DSL) loop to establish a DSL data rate on the DSL loop, the method comprising:

receiving, by a processor, performance data associated with a quantity of errors detected over a period of time on the DSL loop;

adjusting, by the processor, the target noise margin for the DSL loop based on the performance data in order to increase the DSL data rate and to reduce the quantity of errors detected over the period of time;

wherein the target noise margin is inversely associated with an establishable DSL data rate;

thereby allowing a sustainable increased data rate while reducing the quantity of errors detected over the period of time;

in response to determining that the quantity of errors do not exceed the threshold quantity, determining whether an end user modem for the DSL loop has been on for the period of time; and

in response to determining that the end user modem has not been on for the period of time, scheduling the DSL loop for performance data retrieval and error assessment at the interval of time of less than or equal to the period of time.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein receiving the performance data associated with the quantity of errors comprises retrieving the performance data from a digital subscriber line access multiplexer (DSLAM) associated with the DSL loop.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein adjusting the target noise margin for the DSL loop based on the performance data comprises applying a different profile to the DSL loop wherein the profile includes a different setting for the target noise margin and wherein the DSLAM includes multiple profiles for application to the DSL loop.

6. A computer-implemented method for adaptively applying a target noise margin to a digital subscriber line (DSL) loop to establish a DSL data rate on the DSL loop, the method comprising:

receiving, by a processor, performance data associated with a quantity of errors detected over a period of time on the DSL loop;

adjusting, by the processor, the target noise margin for the DSL loop based on the performance data in order to increase the DSL data rate and to reduce the quantity of errors detected over the period of time;

wherein the target noise margin is inversely associated with an establishable DSL data rate;

thereby allowing a sustainable increased data rate while reducing the quantity of errors detected over the period of time;

determining, by the processor, whether the performance data for the DSL loop has been retrieved and assessed for errors for a number of times less than a threshold number of times;

in response to determining that the performance data for the DSL loop has been retrieved and assessed for errors less than the threshold number of times, scheduling the DSL loop for performance data retrieval and error assessment at an interval of time of less than or equal to the period of time;

in response to determining that the performance data for the DSL loop has been retrieved and assessed for errors over the threshold number of times, determining whether the quantity of errors has been less than a second threshold quantity each time the errors have been assessed and determining whether the DSL data rate is less than a predetermined data rate value; and

scheduling the DSL loop for performance data retrieval and error assessment at an interval of time greater than the period of time thereby scheduling performance data retrieval and error assessment on a less frequent basis in response to at least one of the following;

determining that the quantity of errors has not been less than a second threshold quantity each time the errors have been assessed; and

determining that the DSL data rate is not less than the predetermined data rate value.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

in response to determining that the quantity of errors has been less than the second threshold quantity each time the errors have been assessed and determining that the DSL data rate is less than the predetermined data rate value, determining whether the target noise margin is currently set at target value greater than a minimum target noise margin; and

wherein adjusting the target noise margin comprises decreasing the target noise margin for the DSL loop in response to determining that target noise margin is currently set at a target value greater than the minimum target noise margin.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising in response to decreasing the target noise margin for the DSL loop:

resetting the number of times the performance data for the DSL loop has been retrieved and assessed for errors to zero; and

scheduling the DSL loop for performance data retrieval and error assessment at an interval of time of less than or equal to the period of time.

9. A computer-implemented method for adaptively applying a target noise margin to a digital subscriber line (DSL) loop to establish a DSL data rate on the DSL loop, the method comprising:

receiving, by a processor, performance data associated with a quantity of errors detected over a period of time on the DSL loop;

adjusting, by the processor, the target noise margin for the DSL loop based on the performance data in order to increase the DSL data rate and to reduce the quantity of errors detected over the period of time;

wherein the target noise margin is inversely associated with an establishable DSL data rate;

thereby allowing a sustainable increased data rate while reducing the quantity of errors detected over the period of time; and

in response to determining that the quantity of errors do not exceed the threshold quantity for the period of time, scheduling the DSL loop for performance data retrieval and error assessment at an interval of time greater than the period of time thereby scheduling performance data retrieval and error assessment on a less frequent basis.

10. A computer program product comprising a tangible computer-readable medium having control logic stored therein for causing a computer to adaptively apply a target noise margin to a digital subscriber line (DSL) loop to establish a DSL data rate on the DSL loop, the control logic comprising computer-readable program code for causing the computer to:

receive performance data associated with a quantity of errors detected over a period of time on the DSL loop;

adjust the target noise margin for the DSL loop based on the performance data in order to increase the DSL data rate and to reduce the quantity of errors detected over the period of time wherein the target noise margin is inversely related to an establishable DSL data rate, thereby allowing a sustained increased data rate without an excessive quantity of errors;

determine whether the quantity of errors exceed a threshold quantity for the period of time wherein the computer-readable program code for causing the computer to adjust the target noise margin causes the computer to increase the target noise margin for the DSL loop in response to determining that the quantity of errors exceed the threshold quantity, wherein the DSL loop is experiencing errors due to impulse noise; and

wherein the target noise margin impacts the effect of the impulse noise on the quantity of errors detected over the period of time on the DSL loop;

determine whether the performance data for the DSL loop has been retrieved and assessed for errors for a number of times less than a threshold number of times;

determine whether the quantity of errors exceed the threshold quantity for the period of time is operative to cause the computer to schedule the DSL loop for performance data retrieval and error assessment at an interval of time greater than the period of time therein scheduling performance data retrieval and error assessment on a less frequent basis in response to determining that the quantity of errors do not exceed the threshold quantity for the period of time.

11. A computer program product comprising a tangible computer-readable medium having control logic stored therein for causing a computer to adaptively apply a target noise margin to a digital subscriber line (DSL) loop to establish a DSL data rate on the DSL loop, the control logic comprising computer-readable program code for causing the computer to:

receive performance data associated with a quantity of errors detected over a period of time on the DSL loop;

adjust the target noise margin for the DSL loop based on the performance data in order to increase the DSL data rate and to reduce the quantity of errors detected over the period of time wherein the target noise margin is inversely related to an establishable DSL data rate, thereby allowing a sustained increased data rate without an excessive quantity of errors;

determine whether the quantity of errors exceed a threshold quantity for the period of time wherein the computer-readable program code for causing the computer to adjust the target noise margin causes the computer to increase the target noise margin for the DSL loop in response to determining that the quantity of errors exceed the threshold quantity, wherein the DSL loop is experiencing errors due to impulse noise; and

wherein the target noise margin impacts the effect of the impulse noise on the quantity of errors detected over the period of time on the DSL loop;

determine whether the performance data for the DSL loop has been retrieved and assessed for errors for a number of times less than a threshold number of times;

in response to determining that the performance data for the DSL loop has been retrieved and assessed for errors less than the threshold number of times, schedule the DSL loop for performance data retrieval and error assessment at an interval of time equal to the period of time;

in response to determining that the performance data for the DSL loop has been retrieved and assessed for errors for the threshold number of times, determine whether the quantity of errors has been less than a second threshold quantity each time the errors have been assessed and determine whether the DSL data rate is less than a predetermined data rate value; and

schedule the DSL loop for performance data retrieval and error assessment at an interval of time greater than the period of time therein scheduling performance data retrieval and error assessment on a less frequent basis in response to at least one of the following;

determining that the quantity of errors has not been less than a second threshold quantity each time the errors have been assessed; and

determining that the DSL data rate is not less than the predetermined data rate value.

12. The computer program product of claim 11, further comprising computer-readable program code for causing the computer to:

determine whether the target noise margin is currently set at target value greater than a minimum target noise margin in response to determining that the quantity of errors has been less than the second threshold quantity each time the errors have been assessed and determining that the DSL data rate is less than the predetermined data rate value;

wherein the computer-readable program code for causing the computer to adjust the target noise margin causes the computer to decrease the target noise margin for the DSL loop in response to determining that target noise margin is currently set at a target value greater than the minimum target noise margin.