Method and apparatus for high speed data services

• US 9,288,514 B2
• Filed: 07/25/2012
• Issued: 03/15/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/21/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Reese, Kevin, Jones, Alfonso, McDonald, Steven
• Primary Examiner(s): TAYLOR, JOSHUA D
• Application Number:
  US13/557,355
• Publication Number:
  US 20120297439A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,329 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2381 Adapting the multiplex stream to a specific network, e.g. an Internet Protocol [IP] network transmission of MPEG streams over ATM H04L12/5601
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2404 Monitoring of server processing errors or hardware failure error or fault detection G06F11/07; monitoring in general G06F11/30
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/242 Synchronization processes, e.g. processing of PCR [Program Clock References] arrangements for synchronising broadcast or distribution via plural systems in broadcast distribution systems H04H20/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4302 Content synchronisation processes, e.g. decoder synchronisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4425 Monitoring of client processing errors or hardware failure
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6118 involving cable transmission, e.g. using a cable modem
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6473 Monitoring network processes errors for recovering from a failure of a protocol instance or entity H04L69/40
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/108 the cable being constituted by a pair of wires

Abstract

A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, receiving, by a first line card coupled to minimally twisted or non-twisted pair cables, a very high digital subscriber line signal, modifying the very high digital subscriber line signal for transmission over the minimally twisted or non-twisted pair cables to generate an updated very high digital subscriber line signal that overcomes a transmission deficiency, and transmitting from the first line card the updated very high digital subscriber line signal to a second line card to cause the second line card to receive the adapted very high digital subscriber line signal at a desired signal quality and convert the updated very high digital subscriber line signal to a very high digital subscriber line signal for presentation of interactive television services at the customer premise equipment. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving, by a first line card coupled to minimally twisted or non-twisted pair cables, a signal, wherein the minimally twisted or non-twisted pair cables have a transmission deficiency which prevents reliable delivery of the signal at a desired signal quality for presenting interactive television services at customer premise equipment, wherein the signal comprises a very high digital subscriber line signal;

modifying the signal, by applying noise canceling filters to the signal by the first line card, for transmission over the minimally twisted or non-twisted pair cables to generate an updated signal that overcomes the transmission deficiency, wherein the updated signal comprises a very high digital subscriber line signal; and

transmitting from the first line card the updated signal to a second line card to cause the second line card to receive the updated signal at the desired signal quality and convert the updated signal to a converted signal for presentation of the interactive television services at the customer premise equipment, wherein the converted signal comprises a very high digital subscriber line signal.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the modifying of the signal does not include applying a sealing current to the signal.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the signal is modified by applying line or path error corrections to the signal.

4. The method of claim 1, comprising identifying a location of a fault between the first line card and the second line card by utilizing fault isolation.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the signal is modified by applying synchronization signals to the signal between the first line card and the second line card.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the signal is modified for transmission over the minimally twisted or non-twisted pair cables by applying a sealing current to the signal.

7. A method, comprising receiving, by a second line card from a first line card over a minimally twisted or non-twisted pair cable, an updated signal transmitted over the minimally twisted or non-twisted pair cable, wherein the updated signal is provided by the first line card by modifying an original signal by applying a noise cancelling filter to the signal to generate the updated signal, wherein the original signal comprises a very high digital subscriber line signal, and wherein the updated signal overcomes a transmission deficiency which prevents reliable receipt of the signal at a preferred signal quality for presenting interactive television services at customer premise equipment, wherein the updated signal comprises a very high digital subscriber line signal;

and converting, by the second line card, the updated signal back to the original signal for enabling the customer premise equipment to receive the interactive television services;

wherein the converted signal comprises a very high digital subscriber line signal.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the first line card applies a line or path error correction to the signal.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the converting by the second line card comprises converting the updated signal back to the original signal to support a preferred data communication speed.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the converting the updated signal back to the original signal comprises synchronization by the second line card with the first line card.

11. A system to transmit and receive interactive television services using minimally twisted or non-twisted pair cables, comprising:

a first line card coupled to the minimally twisted or non-twisted pair cable, the first line card comprising;

a first memory comprising first instructions; and

a first processor coupled to the first memory, wherein responsive to executing the instructions, the first processor performs first operations comprising;

receiving a signal; and

modifying the signal for transmission over the minimally twisted or non-twisted pair cable having a transmission characteristic which affects a preferred signal quality for presenting interactive television services at customer premise equipment, wherein the signal is modified to form an updated signal that overcomes the transmission characteristic; and

a second line card coupled to the minimally twisted or non-twisted pair cable, the second line card comprising;

a second memory comprising second instructions; and

a second processor coupled to the second memory, wherein responsive to executing the second instructions, the second processor performs second operations comprising converting the updated signal to a converted signal enabling the customer premise equipment to present the interactive television services,

wherein the signal comprises a very high digital subscriber line signal,

wherein the updated signal comprises a very high digital subscriber line signal, and

wherein the converted signal comprises a very high digital subscriber line signal.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the first operations further comprise transmitting, from the first line card, the updated signal to the second line card enabling the second line card to receive the updated signal at the preferred signal quality.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the first operations further comprise generating the updated signal by applying to the signal a sealing current that inhibits degradation to the minimally twisted or non-twisted pair cables.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the first operations further comprise transmitting synchronization signals to the second line card.