Equivalent working length determinative system for digital subscriber line circuits

• US 7,620,154 B2
• Filed: 12/23/2002
• Issued: 11/17/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: SBC Properties, L.P.
• Original Assignee: SBC Properties, L.P.
• Inventors: Yackle, Clifford E., Kimble, David L., Cambron, G. Keith, Hart, Richard D.
• Primary Examiner(s): TRAN, QUOC DUC
• Application Number:
  US10/328,278
• Publication Number:
  US 20040120470A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,521 Days
• Field of Search: 379/1.01, 379/1.03, 379/1.04, 379/21, 379/22, 379/22.01, 379/22.02, 379/22.03, 379/22.04, 379/22.08, 379/23, 379/24, 379/27.01, 379/30
• US Class Current: 379/1.04
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2854 Wide area networks, e.g. public data networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/2209 for lines also used for data transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/301 Circuit arrangements at the subscriber's side of the line
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/305 testing of physical copper line parameters, e.g. capacitance or resistance locating faults in cables G01R31/08

Abstract

An equivalent working length (EWL) determinative system (11) for use in a digital subscriber line (DSL) telecommunication network (10) is provided. The EWL system (11) includes a DSL circuit (32) having a customer site (14) with customer premises equipment (30). The customer premises equipment (30) receives and transmits communication signals and generates a first attenuation signal in response to the communication signals. A remote terminal (20) forms a loop (31) with the customer site (14) and has a loop length. The remote terminal (20) includes a remote terminal transceiver (40) that is in communication with the customer premises equipment (30). A main controller (37) is electrically coupled to the customer premises equipment (30) and determines an EWL of the loop (31) in response to the first attenuation signal. A method of performing the same is also provided.

Claims

1. A controller comprising:

an input to receive data regarding a first attenuation signal and to receive data regarding a second attenuation signal, wherein the first attenuation signal is generated in response to a communication signal sent by a remote terminal transceiver to customer premises equipment, wherein the customer premises equipment generates the first attenuation signal and the first attenuation signal is a downstream signal, and wherein the remote terminal transceiver generates the second attenuation signal and the second attenuation signal is an upstream signal; and

a processor to determine an equivalent working length of a digital subscriber line circuit based on the first attenuation signal and based on the second attenuation signal, wherein the processor averages a first attenuation value determined from the first attenuation signal and a second attenuation value determined from the second attenuation signal to determine a combined attenuation value and wherein the processor determines the equivalent working length based on the combined attenuation value.

2. The controller of claim 1, wherein the controller indicates an error signal when a first attenuation value detennined from the first attenuation signal is greater than a predetermined attenuation value.

3. The controller of claim 1, wherein the processor determines that a loop error exists, a filter is missing or operating inappropriately, or a bridge tap exists on the at least one digital subscriber line circuit based on the combined attenuation value.

4. The controller of claim 1, wherein the processor adjusts a transmission rate between the customer premises equipment and the remote terminal transceiver based on the equivalent working length.

5. The controller of claim 1, wherein the processor determines a desired transmission rate of the at least one digital subscriber line circuit based on the first attenuation signal.

6. The controller of claim 1, wherein detern-iining the equivalent working length comprises determining an approximately 26-gauge cable representation of the at least one digital subscriber line circuit.

7. The controller of claim 1, wherein determining the equivalent working length comprises determining an unshielded twisted pair (UTP) cable representation of the at least one digital subscriber line circuit.

8. The controller of claim 1, wherein the data regarding the first attenuation signal is determined by monitoring attenuation measurements.

9. The controller of claim 1, wherein the data regarding the first attenuation signal is determined by monitoring approximately 100 KHz attenuation measurements.

10. The controller of claim 1, further comprising an output to send the equivalent working length to a loop facility assignment center system.

11. The controller of claim 10, wherein the loop facility assignment center system stores equivalent working length values for a plurality of DSL circuits.

12. A method comprising:

receiving data regarding a downstream attenuation signal at a controller, wherein the downstream attenuation signal is generated by customer premises equipment in response to a communication signal sent by a remote terminal transceiver to the customer premises equipment;

receiving data regarding an upstream attenuation signal at the controller, wherein the remote terminal transceiver generates the upstream attenuation signal; and

determining at the controller an equivalent working length (EWL) of a digital subscriber line circuit according to a linear closed form expression based on an attenuation value determined from the downstream attenuation signal and an attenuation value determined from the upstream attenuation signal.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the linear closed form expression is

EWL=C1+C2×

A,

with C1 being approximately −

0.662, C2 being approximately 0.338, and A being the attenuation value determined from the downstream attenuation signal.

14. A controller comprising:

an input to receive data regarding a downstream attenuation signal and an upstream attenuation signal, wherein the downstream attenuation signal is generated by customer premises equipment in response to a communication signal sent by a remote terminal transceiver to the customer premises equipment and wherein the remote terminal transceiver generates the upstream attenuation signal; and

a processor to determine an equivalent working length of a digital subscriber line circuit according to a linear closed form expression based on an attenuation value determined from the downstream attenuation signal and an attenuation value determined from the upstream attenuation signal.