System and method for detecting anomalies along telecommunication lines

• US 8,242,785 B2
• Filed: 11/07/2008
• Issued: 08/14/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/04/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ADTRAN Incorporated (ADTRAN Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: ADTRAN Incorporated (ADTRAN Holdings, Inc.)
• Inventors: Hunt, Gary, Chu, Fred, Gusler, Lee T. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Najjar, Saleh
• Assistant Examiner(s): Shepperd, Eric W
• Application Number:
  US12/267,273
• Publication Number:
  US 20090067353A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,376 Days
• Field of Search: 703/28, 370286-291, 379/406.01, 37940605- 8, 379/406.1, 324533-534
• US Class Current: 324/534
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 3/238 using initial training sequence
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/002 Applications of echo suppressors or cancellers in telephonic connections in two-way loud-speaking telephone systems H04M9/08, echo suppressors or cancellers per se H04B3/20
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/085 Fault locating arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/28 Automatic routine testing ; Fault testing; Installation testing; Test methods, test equipment or test arrangements therefor

Abstract

An anomaly detection system comprises an echo canceler and anomaly detection logic. The echo canceler has a plurality of taps respectively associated with a plurality of tap coefficients. The anomaly detection logic is configured to determine a difference between a new tap coefficient associated with one of the taps and a previous tap coefficient associated with the one tap. The anomaly detection logic is configured to perform a comparison between the difference and a threshold and to detect an anomaly along a telecommunication line based on the comparison.

Claims

1. An anomaly detection system, comprising:

a telecommunication line having a plurality of wires including at least a first wire joined to a second wire, the telecommunication line having a time varying anomaly at a junction of the first wire and the second wire, the time varying anomaly causing a transmission characteristic of the telecommunication line to fluctuate at the junction;

a transmitter coupled to the telecommunication line;

logic configured to maintain tap coefficients based on signals communicated across the subscriber line, wherein each of the tap coefficients is indicative of an impedance of the junction at a different moment in time; and

anomaly detection logic configured to calculate a deviation of each of the tap coefficients from a respective baseline coefficient and to determine a value indicative of a number of the calculated deviations within a predefined range of a threshold, the anomaly detection logic further configured to detect the anomaly based on the value and to indicate a location of the detected anomaly along the telecommunication line.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the signals are transmitted by the transmitter across the telecommunication line and are received by a remote receiver from the telecommunication line.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the anomaly detection logic is configured to determine the tap coefficients during data communication between the transmitter and a remote receiver coupled to the transmitter via the telecommunication line.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the signals are communicated across the telecommunication line during data communication between the transmitter and a remote receiver coupled to the transmitter via the telecommunication line.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the anomaly detection logic is configured to determine the tap coefficients during data communication between the transmitter and a remote receiver coupled to the transmitter via the telecommunication line.

5. An anomaly detection system, comprising:

a telecommunication line having a plurality of wires including at least a first wire joined to a second wire, the telecommunication line having a time varying anomaly at a junction of the first wire and the second wire, the time varying anomaly causing a resistance of the telecommunication line at the junction to fluctuate;

a first transceiver coupled to the telecommunication line and configured to communicate with a second transceiver via the telecommunication line;

logic configured to maintain tap coefficients based on signals communicated from the first transceiver to the second transceiver, wherein each of the tap coefficients is indicative of the resistance at the junction at a different moment in time; and

anomaly detection logic configured to calculate a deviation of each of the tap coefficients from a respective baseline coefficient and to determine a value indicative of a number of the calculated deviations within a predefined range of a threshold, the anomaly detection logic further configured to detect the anomaly based on the value and to indicate a location of the detected anomaly along the telecommunication line.

7. An anomaly detection method, comprising the steps of:

communicating signals across a telecommunication line, the telecommunication line having a plurality of wires including at least a first wire joined to a second wire, the telecommunication line further having a time varying anomaly at a junction of the first wire and the second wire, the time varying anomaly causing a resistance of the telecommunication line at the junction to fluctuate;

maintaining tap coefficients based on the signals, wherein each of the tap coefficients is indicative of an impedance of the junction at a different moment in time;

calculating a deviation of each of the tap coefficients from a respective baseline coefficient;

determining a value indicative of a number of the calculated deviations within a predefined range of a threshold;

automatically detecting the anomaly based on the value; and

indicating a location of the detected anomaly.