Field qualification of disk drives in consumer electronics devices

• US 7,937,737 B2
• Filed: 05/01/2006
• Issued: 05/03/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/01/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Magnolia Licensing LLC (IP Edge LLC)
• Original Assignee: Scientific-Atlanta LLC (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Murray, Mark Randall, Russ, Samuel H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Miller; John W
• Assistant Examiner(s): SCHNURR, JOHN R
• Application Number:
  US11/414,822
• Publication Number:
  US 20070256110A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,828 Days
• Field of Search: 711/112, 711/100, 711/118, 725/107, 725/131, 725/139, 725/151, 710/19, 714/763
• US Class Current: 725/107
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2007/1739 the upstream communication being transmitted via a separate link, e.g. telephone line
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/21 Server components or server architectures
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23 Processing of content or additional data; Elementary server operations; Server middleware
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2543 Billing , e.g. for subscription services payment schemes, architectures or protocols G06Q20/00; e-commerce G06Q30/00; arrangements for billing for the use of broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/21
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42661 for reading from or writing on a magnetic storage medium, e.g. hard disk drive
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4424 Monitoring of the internal components or processes of the client device, e.g. CPU or memory load, processing speed, timer, counter or percentage of the hard disk space used error monitoring in general G06F11/30; arrangements for monitoring conditions of receiving stations in broadcast systems H04H60/32; diagnosis, testing or measuring for television receivers H04N17/04
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6582 Data stored in the client, e.g. viewing habits, hardware capabilities, credit card number arrangements where receivers interact with the broadcast H04H20/38
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8193 dedicated tools, e.g. video decoder software or IPMP tool
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/76 Television signal recording
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/765 Interface circuits between an apparatus for recording and another apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/775 between a recording apparatus and a television receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/781 on disks or drums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/85 on discs or drums

Abstract

Systems and methods are disclosed for qualifying performance of a disk drive in a digital home communications terminal (DHCT) deployed in the field. In embodiment, among others, at least one DHCT is identified for performance testing. A disk drive performance test application is downloaded to the DHCT over a communication channel. Performance test results are received from the DHCT over the communication channel. A DHCT is designated as having a hard disk failure if the test results are below a threshold.

Claims

1. A method for qualifying performance of a disk drive in a digital home communications terminal (DHCT) deployed in the field, the method comprising the steps of:

identifying at least one DHCT for performance testing;

downloading a disk drive performance test application to the DHCT over a communication channel, wherein the disk drive performance test application comprises a user configurable section location table, and wherein the disk drive performance test application is implemented at random times within a pre-specified time window;

receiving performance test results from the DHCT over the communication channel; and

designating the DHCT as having a hard disk failure if the test results are below a threshold.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

instructing the DHCT to remove the test application from memory.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

reporting a time in the test results to the server through an SNMP message.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

loading the test application into random access memory (RAM); and

rebooting the DHCT, wherein the test application remains in RAM after the reboot.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising the step of:

reporting the time to the server before the reboot step.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the communication channel comprises a downstream channel and at least one distinct upstream channel.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the at least one upstream channel comprises a telephone subscriber loop.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving step further comprises the steps of:

receiving a datagram message from the DHCT containing at least a first portion of the test results;

transmitting an SNMP request for test results after receiving the datagram message; and

receiving an SNMP reply containing at least a second portion of the test results.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the SNMP request is transmitted over a video broadcast network.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the SNMP request is transmitted over a data carousel network.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the SNMP request is transmitted over a telephone subscriber loop.

12. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having a computer program for qualifying performance of a disk drive in a digital home communications terminal (DHCT) deployed in the field, comprising:

logic configured to identify at least one DHCT for performance testing;

logic configured to download a disk drive performance test application to the DHCT over a communication channel, wherein the disk drive performance test application comprises a user configurable section location table, and wherein the disk drive performance test application is implemented at random times within a pre-specified time window;

logic configured to receive performance test results from the DHCT over the communication channel; and

logic configured to designate the DHCT as having a hard disk failure if the test results are below a threshold.

13. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 12, further comprising:

logic configured to instruct the DHCT to remove the test application from memory.

14. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 12, further comprising the steps of:

loading the test application into random access memory (RAM); and

rebooting the DHCT, wherein the test application remains in RAM after the reboot.

15. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein the communication channel comprises a downstream channel and at least one distinct upstream channel.

16. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the at least one upstream channel comprises a telephone subscriber loop.

17. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein the receiving logic further comprises:

logic configured to receive a datagram message from the DHCT containing at least a first portion of the test results;

logic configured to transmit an SNMP request for test results after receiving the datagram message; and

logic configured to receive an SNMP reply containing at least a second portion of the test results.

18. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the SNMP request is transmitted over a video broadcast network.

19. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the SNMP request is transmitted over a data carousel network.

20. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the SNMP request is transmitted over a telephone subscriber loop.