High speed multiple loop DSL system

• US 7,639,596 B2
• Filed: 03/25/2004
• Issued: 12/29/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/07/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Assia Spe LLC
• Original Assignee: Adaptive Spectrum and Signal Alignment, Incorporated
• Inventors: Cioffi, John M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Moe; Aung S
• Assistant Examiner(s): RIYAMI, ABDULLA A
• Application Number:
  US10/808,771
• Publication Number:
  US 20050152385A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,105 Days
• Field of Search: 370/201, 370/351, 370/352, 370/420, 370/252, 370/286, 370/432, 370/464, 370/493, 370/494, 370/495, 370/535, 370/536, 370/267, 370/268, 370/269, 370/270, 370/431, 379/165, 379/164, 379/171, 379/198, 379/387.01, 379/399.01, 379/402, 379/413.02, 379/413.03, 379/1.03, 379/93.01, 379/416, 379/406, 455/91, 375/141, 375/157, 375/224, 375/225, 375/346, 375/222, 375/231
• US Class Current: 370/201
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00011 Not relevant to the scope of the group, the symbol of which is combined with the symbol of this group
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01004 Beryllium [Be]
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 3/32 Reducing cross-talk, e.g. by compensating
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 3/487 Testing crosstalk effects
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0002 by adapting the transmission rate
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0019 in which mode-switching is based on a statistical approach
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2856 Access arrangements, e.g. Internet access asynchronous transfer mode networks H04L12/5601; broadband local area networks H04L12/2801; optical access or distribution networks H04Q11/0067; access to open networks H04L12/5691; digital subscriber line end-user equipment and bit-level processing of data on a PSTN-based network H04M11/00; home network gateways H04L12/2834; wireless access networks H04W
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2859 Point-to-point connection between the data network and the subscribers encapsulation H04L12/4633; virtual LANs H04L12/4641; routing of packets H04L45/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2874 Processing of data for distribution to the subscribers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2898 Subscriber equipments DSL modems H04M11/062; cable modems H04L12/2801
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/6418 Hybrid transport
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/6478 Digital subscriber line, e.g. DSL, ADSL, HDSL, XDSL, VDSL
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 25/0272 Arrangements for coupling to multiple lines, e.g. for differential transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 25/0278 Arrangements for impedance matching
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/2601 Multicarrier modulation systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0806 for initial configuration or provisioning, e.g. plug-and-play
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0853 by actively collecting configuration information or by backing up configuration information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/142 using statistical or mathematical methods
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/00 Arrangements for monitoring or testing data switching networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0829 Packet loss
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0847 : Transmission error
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0888 : Throughput
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0894 : Packet rate
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/106 : using time related information in packets, e.g. by adding timestamps
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/16 : Threshold monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0044 : allocation of payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/062 : using different frequency bands for speech and other data
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/2209 : for lines also used for data transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/30 : for subscriber's lines , for the local loop
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/304 : and using xDSL modems xDSL line qualification H04M3/306
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/34 : Testing for cross-talk

Abstract

A DSL system includes a multiple loop segment where K loops are bonded to provide a multiple loop segment having up to (2K−1) communication channels on which transmissions are vectored. The segment may be a drop to a customer premises, an inter-pedestal link, or any other suitable part of a larger DSL system. Generally the bonded loops are relatively short, being 300 meters or less. Signal vectoring is used to increase the speed and data carrying capability of the channels. In some embodiments, an expanded frequency spectrum also can be used to increase the data carrying capability of one or more of the channels. An impedance matching circuit may be coupled to each end of the segment to provided efficient transmission of data across the segment. A controller may provide control signals used to operate the segment as a vectored system and, if desired, frequency bandwidth control signals. The controller may monitor and/or collect data and information from the DSL system to assist in generating control signals. The controller can be a dynamic spectrum manager or DSM Center that includes a computer system and/or other hardware to assist in performing the required functions.

Claims

1. A DSL (Digital Subscriber Line) system comprising:

a multiple loop segment comprising a plurality of bonded loops, each loop comprising a twisted pair of wires, the loops being coupled at one end to a controller and at the other end, opposite the controller, to a plurality of different customer premises equipments (CPEs) that are in different locations to provide at least one DSL communications channel to each respective CPE, there being at least one loop coupled to each CPE;

the controller to monitor the multiple loop segment and to generate control signals based on the monitoring; and

a vectoring unit also coupled to a plurality of the loops of the multiple loop segment at the controller end of the multiple loop segment, to receive the control signals and to vector transmissions simultaneously through the coupled plurality of the loops of the multiple loop segment, the coupled plurality of the loops being coupled to different CPEs,

wherein for at least one CPE, a plurality of twisted pairs of wires are coupled to the CPE such that one wire of the plurality of twisted pairs of wires is selected as a reference wire and the other wires of the plurality of twisted pairs of wires are referenced to the reference wire to provide more communications channels than there are twisted pairs.

2. The DSL system of claim 1, wherein the control signals are used to operate the multiple loop segment as a vectored system across all loops of the multiple loop segment that carry active communications channels.

3. The DSL system of claim 1, wherein the vectoring unit comprises a pedestal vectoring unit (PVU) and wherein the PVU vectors transmissions to and from the CPEs using the control signals.

4. The DSL system of claim 3, wherein the PVU is in a pedestal.

5. The DSL system of claim 4, wherein the PVU comprises a vector signal processing module and wherein the controller comprises a vectoring control means coupled to the vector signal processing module.

6. The DSL system of claim 3, further comprising a customer vectoring unit (CVU) at the CPE and coupled to the controller to vector transmissions to and from the CPEs.

7. The DSL system of claim 6, wherein the PVU is in a first pedestal and the CVU is in a second pedestal.

8. The DSL system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the communication channels is operated using an expanded frequency spectrum.

9. The DSL system of claim 1, wherein the controller comprises a frequency bandwidth controlling means used in transmitting data across the multiple loop segment.

10. The DSL system of claim 1, wherein the controller is a dynamic spectrum manager comprising vectoring control means.

11. The DSL system of claim 10, wherein the controller comprises a computer system.

12. The DSL system of claim 1, further comprising a first impedance matching circuit coupled to a first end of the multiple loop segment and a second impedance matching circuit coupled to a second end of the multiple loop segment.

13. The DSL system of claim 12, further comprising placing an impedance between each wire and each other wire.

14. The DSL system of claim 1, wherein the DSL system is one of an ADSL (Asymmetric DSL) system and a VDSL (Very High Bit Rate DSL) system.

15. The DSL system of claim 1, wherein the loops are bonded using one of the following bonding protocols:

TDIM (Time Division Inverse Multiplexing) bonding;

Ethernet bonding;

ATM (Asynchronous Transfer Mode) bonding;

or the G.bond protocol.

16. The DSL system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of twisted pairs number K twisted pairs so that there are 2K wires in the segment, one of the 2K wires being selected as a reference wire, the remaining (2K−

1) wires being referenced to the reference wire to provide up to (2K−

1) communications channels, the (2K−

1) channels using vectoring across the channels.

17. A DSL (Digital Subscriber Line) system comprising:

a multiple loop segment comprising a plurality of bonded loops, each loop in the multiple loop segment having a pair of wires, the segment being coupled at a first end to a plurality of different customer premises equipments (CPEs) to provide different channels to different CPEs that are in different locations, the wires of the multiple loop segment being connected so that at least two wires of the multiple bonded loops each carry a communication channel using a third wire of the multiple bonded loops as a common reference wire,

a first vectoring unit coupled at the first end of the multiple loop segment resident at one of the CPEs of the plurality of different CPEs, the first vectoring unit comprising a first vector signal processing module; and

a second vectoring unit coupled to a plurality of the loops of the multiple loop segment at a second end opposite the first end of the multiple loop segment opposite the plurality of CPEs and comprising a second vector signal processing module;

wherein the first and second vectoring units provide vectored transmissions across the multiple loop segment, the second vectoring unit vectoring upstream and downstream transmissions with the plurality of CPEs simultaneously across all active channels of the coupled plurality of the loops of the segment across different CPEs.

18. The DSL system of claim 17, further comprising a controller coupled to the second end of the multiple loop segment and to the first and second vectoring units, the controller comprising vectoring control means to assist in regulating transmissions across the multiple loop segment.

19. The DSL system of claim 18, wherein the controller is a dynamic spectrum manager.

20. The DSL system of claim 18, wherein the controller further comprises frequency bandwidth control means for regulating the frequency bandwidth used in transmissions across the multiple loop segment.

21. The DSL system of claim 17, wherein the first vectoring unit is in a first pedestal and further wherein the second vectoring unit is in a second pedestal.

22. The DSL system of claim 17, wherein the first vectoring unit is in a customer premises and further wherein the second vectoring unit is in a pedestal.

23. The DSL system of claim 17, further comprising a first impedance matching circuit coupled to the first end of the multiple loop segment and a second impedance matching circuit coupled to the second end of the multiple loop segment.

24. A DSL (Digital Subscriber Line) system comprising:

a multiple loop segment, comprising a plurality of bonded loops, each loop in the multiple loop segment having a pair of wires, the wires being connected as communication channels to a plurality of different customer premises equipments (CPEs) coupled to one end of the multiple loop segment to provide different channels to different CPEs that are in different locations, the wires in each loop being connected so that at least two wires of the multiple bonded loops each carry a communication channel using a third wire of the multiple bonded loops as a common reference wire; and

a controller coupled opposite the plurality of different CPEs, the controller comprising;

means for collecting data regarding transmissions across the communications channels of the multiple loop segment; and

means for controlling vectoring of transmissions across the communications channels of the multiple loop segment to vector upstream and downstream transmissions with the plurality of CPEs simultaneously across all active channels of the communications channels of the coupled plurality of the loops of the segment.

25. The DSL system of claim 24, further comprising a vector signal processing module coupled to the controller and opposite the plurality of different CPEs to perform vectoring of the transmissions in response to the controller.

26. The DSL system of claim 25, further comprising a first impedance matching circuit coupled between a first end of the multiple loop segment and the CPEs and a second impedance matching circuit coupled between a second end of the multiple loop segment and the vector signal processing module.

27. The DSL system of claim 26, further comprising a second vector signal processing module coupled to the first impedance matching circuit resident at one of the plurality of different CPEs.

28. The DSL system of claim 24, wherein the multiple loop segment couples customer premises equipment to a pedestal.

29. The DSL system of claim 24, wherein the multiple loop segment couples a first pedestal to a second pedestal.

30. A method of sending DSL (Digital Subscriber Line) signals through multiple communication channels comprising:

sending a first signal through a first communications channel to a first customer premises equipment (CPE), wherein the first communication channel comprises a plurality of twisted pairs from a multiple loop segment numbering K bonded twisted pairs so that there are 2K wires in the segment, one of the 2K wires being selected as a reference wire, the remaining (2K−

l) wires being referenced to the reference wire to provide up to (2K−

l) communications channels, the (2K−

1) channels using vectoring across the channels;

sending a second signal through a second communications channel to a second CPE at a different location using a second at least two wires of the same multiple loop segment; and

vectoring upstream and downstream transmissions through the first and second communications channels simultaneously across the first and second communications channels and the first and second CPEs from an upstream location coupled to the first and second communications channels opposite the CPEs.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein vectoring comprises one-sided vectoring from the location opposite the CPEs.

32. The method of claim 30, wherein vectoring transmissions across the multiple loop segment comprises two-sided vectoring.

33. The method of claim 30, further comprising collecting data regarding transmissions across the multiple loop segment and providing vectoring control signals to a vectoring unit of the multiple loop segment based on the monitoring.

34. A computer-readable storage medium having instructions stored thereon, that when executed by a computer causes the computer to perform operations comprising:

collecting data regarding DSL (Digital Subscriber Line) transmissions on a plurality of loops of a multiple loop segment, each loop having a pair of wires to carry transmissions to customer premises equipment (CPE), the plurality of loops forming a plurality of communications channels to a plurality of different CPEs at different locations, at least one channel comprising a plurality of twisted pairs from a multiple loop segment numbering K bonded twisted pairs so that there are 2K wires in the segment, one of the 2K wires being selected as a reference wire, the remaining (2K−

l) wires being referenced to the reference wire to provide up to (2K−

l) communications channels, the (2K−

1) channels using vectoring across the channels; and

generating control signals to simultaneously control vectoring of the transmissions across the plurality of loops with the plurality of different CPEs across different communications channels of the coupled plurality of loops of the segment.

35. The medium of claim 34, wherein the operations further comprise providing the control signals to a vectoring unit to vector upstream and downstream transmissions across the different communication channels.

36. The medium of claim 34, wherein the operations further comprise generating control signals to control the frequency bandwidth used in transmitting data across the different communication channels.