DSL data collection system

• US 8,045,629 B1
• Filed: 08/30/2007
• Issued: 10/25/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/17/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Assia Spe LLC
• Original Assignee: Adaptive Spectrum and Signal Alignment, Incorporated
• Inventors: Cioffi, John M., Rhee, Wonjong
• Primary Examiner(s): BURD, KEVIN MICHAEL
• Application Number:
  US11/897,683
• Time in Patent Office: 1,517 Days
• Field of Search: 375/259, 375/260, 379/90.01, 709/229, 709/217, 709/218, 709/225, 709/226
• US Class Current: 375/260
• 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 2012/6478 Digital subscriber line, e.g. DSL, ADSL, HDSL, XDSL, VDSL
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0213 Standardised network management protocols, e.g. simple network management protocol [SNMP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0803 Configuration setting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0853 by actively collecting configuration information or by backing up configuration information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/32 Specific management aspects for broadband networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/062 using different frequency bands for speech and other data
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/229 Wire identification arrangements; Number assignment determination

Abstract

Information is sent by a DSL system component using a non-disruptive operational data parameter. One or more bits of the non-disruptive operational data parameter are used to send other information. In some instances the selected parameter will be an unused parameter, such as an unused fast operational mode or interleaved operational mode parameter used to report operational data in a DSL system. In one embodiment of the invention, a remote modem provides a unique equipment identifier that can be paired with the telephone number on which the modem is operating. Verification of and/or searching for the correct pairing of telephone number and unique equipment identifier can be performed as well.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving an instruction from a Dynamic Spectrum Management (DSM) Center to obtain a Unique Equipment Identifier (UEI) from a remote modem;

sending a communication from a DSL (Digital Subscriber Line) system controller to a remote modem through a DSL line using a DSL connection, the DSL line being carried on a loop connected to the modem through which the modem is operating, the communication requesting unique equipment identifier (UEI) data from the modem;

receiving UEI data associated with the remote modem at the DSL system controller from the remote modem through the DSL line using a DSL connection on the loop through which the modem is operating, wherein the UEI can be determined from the UEI data;

sending the UEI to a Management Information Base (MIB) that is accessible to the DSM Center; and

sending the telephone number assigned to the loop through which the modem is operating to the MIB;

wherein the DSM Center, using the MIB is provisioned for pairing the UEI with the telephone number assigned to the loop through which the modem is operating.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving data comprises receiving the data paired with the telephone number assigned to the loop associated with the DSL line through which the modem is operating.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising verifying the pairing by comparing the pairing with data from a database of pairings.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein verifying the pairing further comprises conducting a search for a UEI of the modem when, based on the comparison, an expected UEI from the database and the pairing UEI do not match.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the search is conducted using a marker operational data parameter value used by the modem in reporting its operational data.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the marker is a reported data value for an operational data parameter that is outside the operational range of the remote modem.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the reported data value is a data rate.

8. The method of claim 4 wherein the search is conducted using a correlation method comparing near end data and far end data.

9. The method of claim 3, further comprising accepting the pairing when, based on the comparison there is no expected UEI from the database.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising verifying the pairing by correlating data collected by the DSL system controller from the remote modem with other data collected by a DSL transceiver unit.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the UEI data of the remote modem comprises a serial number of the remote modem and further wherein receiving the remote modem serial number comprises receiving at hardware equipment corresponding to at least one of:

a controller;

a database;

or

a DSL system MIB (Management Information Base).

12. The method of claim 1 wherein sending a communication to a remote modem comprises sending the telephone number assigned to the loop.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the DSM Center is further provisioned for comparing the unique equipment identifier data received from the modem to an expected unique equipment identifier value.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the DSM Center is further provisioned for conducting a search when, based on the comparison, the expected unique equipment identifier value and the unique equipment identifier data sent by the modem do not match.

15. A method comprising:

receiving a communication from a DSL (Digital Subscriber Line) system controller through a Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) line at a remote DSL modem using a DSL connection, the communication instructing the modem to send a unique equipment identifier (UEI) of the modem to a Management Information Base (MIB) that is accessible to a Dynamic Spectrum Management (DSM) Center of a DSL system;

sending the UEI from the remote modem through the DSL line on the loop through which the modem is operating to the MIB using a DSL connection so that the UEI may be paired with the telephone number assigned to the loop associated with the DSL line through which the modem is operating.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein receiving a communication comprises receiving a communication including the telephone number assigned to the loop associated with the DSL line through which the modem is operating.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein sending the UEI comprises sending the UEI paired with the received telephone number.

18. The method of claim 15 wherein sending the UEI comprises providing a marker in operational data reported by the remote modem.

19. A method comprising:

collecting operational data for a plurality of DSL (Digital Subscriber Line) lines from a Management Information Base (MIB) accessible to a DSL controller, the data for each line being associated with a telephone number that is assigned to a respective loop to which a respective DSL modem operating on the respective DSL line is connected;

collecting operational data from the MIB attached to the DSL controller for a plurality of DSL lines the data having been collected from a plurality of DSL modems, the data from each modem being associated with a UEI (Unique Equipment Identifier);

correlating the controller operational data and the modem operational data from the MIB to associate telephone numbers with UEIs.

20. The method of claim 19 further comprising eliminating some of the DSL controller operational data based on limiting data.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein the limiting data is a DSL modem IP (Internet Protocol) address.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein the limiting data further comprises a telephone number associated with a DSL controller.

23. The method of claim 19 wherein the DSL controller comprises an ATU-C (ADSL Transceiver Unit Controller) and the remote modem comprises an ATU-R (ADSL Transceiver Unit Remote Modem).

24. A controller comprising:

an information verification module to collect operational data for a plurality of DSL (Digital Subscriber Line) lines from a Management Information Base (MIB) accessible to the DSL controller, the data for each line being associated with a telephone number that is assigned to a respective loop to which a respective DSL modem operating on the respective DSL line is connected,

the information verification module further to collect operational data for a plurality of DSL lines from the MIB that has been collected by the DSL controller from a plurality of DSL modems, the data from each modem being associated with a UEI (Unique Equipment Identifier),

and the information verification module further to correlate the controller operational data and the modem operational data to associate telephone numbers with UEIs.

25. The controller of claim 24 further comprising a UEI/telephone number pairing database to store associated unique equipment identifiers and telephone numbers.

26. The controller of claim 24 further comprising a search module to compare UEI/telephone number pairings in the UEI/telephone number database with an expected pair and to search for correct information when the collected operational data does not match expected data.

27. A machine-readable non-transitory medium having instructions stored thereon that when operated on by a controller cause the controller to perform operations comprising:

receiving an instruction from a Dynamic Spectrum Management (DSM) Center to obtain a Unique Equipment Identifier (UEI) from a remote modem;

sending a communication from a DSL (Digital Subscriber Line) system controller to a remote modem through a DSL line using a DSL connection, the DSL line being carried on a loop connected to the modem through which the modem is operating, the communication requesting unique equipment identifier (UEI) data from the modem;

receiving UEI data associated with the remote modem at the DSL system controller from the remote modem through the DSL line using a DSL connection on the loop through which the modem is operating, wherein the UEI can be determined from the UEI data;

sending the UEI to a Management Information Base (MIB) that is accessible to the DSM Center; and

sending the telephone number assigned to the loop through which the modem is operating to the MIB;

wherein the DSM Center, using the MIB is provisioned for pairing the UEI with the telephone number assigned to the loop through which the modem is operating.

28. The medium of claim 27 wherein sending a communication comprises sending the telephone number assigned to the loop associated with the DSL line through which the modem is operating.

29. The medium of claim 27 wherein the operations further comprise comparing the unique equipment identifier data received from the modem to an expected unique equipment identifier value.

30. A machine-readable non-transitory medium having instructions stored thereon that when operated on by a controller cause the controller to perform operations comprising:

receiving a communication from a DSL (Digital Subscriber Line) system controller through a Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) line at a remote DSL modem using a DSL connection, the communication instructing the modem to send a unique equipment identifier (UEI) of the modem to a Management Information Base (MIB) that is accessible to a Dynamic Spectrum Management (DSM) Center of a DSL system;

sending the UEI from the remote modem through the DSL line on the loop through which the modem is operating to the MIB using a DSL connection so that the UEI may be paired with the telephone number assigned to the loop associated with the DSL line through which the modem is operating.

31. The medium of claim 30 wherein sending the UEI comprises sending the UEI paired with a received telephone number.

32. The medium of claim 30 wherein sending the UEI comprises using an unused programmable device parameter.