Remote detection and measurement of data signal leakage

• US 9,444,719 B2
• Filed: 09/26/2014
• Issued: 09/13/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/05/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Comcast Cable Communications LLC (Comcast Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Comcast Cable Communications LLC (Comcast Corporation)
• Inventors: Wolcott, Lawrence D., Chang, Philip, Colon, Wilfredo, Kharwal, Paras
• Primary Examiner(s): Gidado, Rasheed
• Application Number:
  US14/498,553
• Publication Number:
  US 20150029869A1
• Time in Patent Office: 718 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 3/487 Testing crosstalk effects
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/50 Testing arrangements

Abstract

Disclosed are systems and methods for detecting and locating ingress of an over-the-air signal into a wired communications network. Computing devices located in a plurality of different areas may be configured to identify amplitude of signals transmitted over the wired communications network as it varies by signal frequency. In one embodiment, the system may determine expected amplitude of the over-the-air signal at the plurality of different areas. In other embodiments, the system may identify amplitudes received over the wired communication path at the computing devices. The system may determine a location at which the over-the-air signal has entered the wired communications network based on a comparison of the identified and expected amplitudes of the over-the-wire signal.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

detecting, on a wired communication path, a presence of an external signal caused by an over-the-air signal received by a computing device;

identifying strengths at which the over-the-air signal was received over the wired communication path at a plurality of different locations in a network;

comparing the strengths received over the wired communication path with expected signal strengths at the plurality of different locations; and

identifying a location in the network at which the over-the-air signal is entering the network based on the comparison.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

retrieving, from a database, transmitter information associated with a transmission device generating the over-the-air signal.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

calculating, by a processor, expected signal strengths at the plurality of different locations based on the transmitter information.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying strengths at which the over-the-air signal was received further comprises:

receiving, from one or more computing devices, frequency spectrum data corresponding to strengths of frequency signals detected on the wired communication path.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

outputting, on a display device, a visual depiction of the frequency spectrum data.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the location in the network at which the over-the-air signal is entering the network further comprises:

determining the location at which the over-the-air signal is entering the network based on the difference between the strengths received over the wired communication path and the expected signal strengths at one or more locations in the plurality of different locations.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the location in the network at which the over-the-air signal is entering the network further comprises:

identifying a first area and a second area where the over-the-air signal is entering the network.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

identifying a third area consisting of an overlap between the first area and the second area.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

comparing a location of the third area with a location of the wired communication path.

10. A method comprising:

detecting, on a wired communication path, a presence of a plurality of wireless transmissions emitted from a plurality of transmission devices;

identifying, at a first location in a network, a first computing device having detected the plurality of wireless transmissions;

for each transmission device in the plurality of transmission devices, identifying an expected signal strength of the wireless transmission at the first location and an actual signal strength at which the wireless transmission was received over the wired communication path at the first location; and

determining a location in the network where the plurality of wireless transmissions are entering the wired communication path based on a comparison of the actual and expected signal strengths.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

for each transmission device in the plurality of transmission devices;

determining whether the expected signal strength is greater than the actual signal strength; and

identifying an area where the wireless transmission is entering the wired communication path based on the determination.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein determining a location in the network where the plurality of wireless transmissions are entering the wired communication path further comprises:

determining a location where identified areas overlap.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein identifying the expected signal strength of the wireless transmission further comprises:

determining a loss in strength associated with a propagation of the wireless transmission, over the wired communication path, from a transmission device to the first computing device.

14. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

identifying a frequency radiation pattern for at least one transmission device in the plurality of transmission devices.

15. A method comprising:

detecting, on a wired communication path, a presence of a first wireless transmission received by a first computing device and a second computing device at a first location and a second location;

identifying expected signal strengths at the first location and the second location with respect to a first transmission device generating the first wireless transmission;

identifying actual signal strengths at which the first wireless transmission was received over the wired communication path at the first location and the second location;

identifying a first area at which the first wireless transmission is entering the wired communication path based on a comparison of the expected and actual signal strengths at the first location; and

identifying a second area at which the first wireless transmission is entering the wired communication path based on a comparison of the expected and actual signal strengths at the second location.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

identifying a third area where the first area and the second area overlap.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

comparing a location of the third area with a location of the wired communication path.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

identifying a location in a network at which the first wireless transmission is entering the network based on the comparison.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein identifying a first area at which the first wireless transmission is entering the wired communication path further comprises:

identifying a periphery defining one or more locations where amplitude of the first wireless transmission corresponds to an expected signal strength at the first location with respect to the first transmission device.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein the first wireless transmission is a frequency modulated transmission.