Remote sensing of power supply states
First Claim
1. A communications system comprising:
- a communication distribution network;
a plurality of communication cable access units coupled to the communication distribution network, at least one of the cable access units each receiving power from a respective power supply powered by a main power source, said power supply including a backup power source adapted to supply power to an associated cable access unit when the main power source fails, said power supply further adapted to generate status information on the backup power source, at least one of the cable access units adapted to monitor the status information generated by said respective power supply and to check and record the capability of the cable access unit to acquire said status information;
an operator unit coupled to said network, said operator unit adapted to monitor, for at least one of the cable access units, the capability of the cable access unit to check and record said status information and also the backup power source status information via two-way communication with said cable access unit; and
a user interface coupled to said operator unit, and said operator unit adapted to display an indication of the monitored status information on said user interface.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Power supplies (116) for cable access units (110) have associated backup power supplies (120) and generate one or more power supply status indications for said backup power supplies (120). Cable access units (110) monitor and retain the generated power supply status indications. An operator unit (102) communicates periodically with the cable access units (110) to ascertain the power supply status indications. If any power supply status indications indicate an alarm condition, the operator unit (102) can display an indication of the alarm condition and the identity of the cable access unit reporting the alarm condition. Alternatively, if the number of reported alarm conditions equals or exceeds a service area alarm threshold, the operator unit (102) can display a service area alarm in lieu of displaying any individual alarms.
31 Citations
52 Claims
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1. A communications system comprising:
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a communication distribution network;
a plurality of communication cable access units coupled to the communication distribution network, at least one of the cable access units each receiving power from a respective power supply powered by a main power source, said power supply including a backup power source adapted to supply power to an associated cable access unit when the main power source fails, said power supply further adapted to generate status information on the backup power source, at least one of the cable access units adapted to monitor the status information generated by said respective power supply and to check and record the capability of the cable access unit to acquire said status information;
an operator unit coupled to said network, said operator unit adapted to monitor, for at least one of the cable access units, the capability of the cable access unit to check and record said status information and also the backup power source status information via two-way communication with said cable access unit; and
a user interface coupled to said operator unit, and said operator unit adapted to display an indication of the monitored status information on said user interface. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A method of remotely sensing the power supply states of communication cable access units coupled to a communications network, comprising:
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operably coupling a plurality of communication cable access units to a communication network, the cable access units each coupled to a respective power supply powered by a main power source, and said power supply having a backup battery adapted to supply backup power to an associated cable access unit when the main power source fails;
monitoring power supply status information from at least one of the cable access units by;
generating a status information signal by the power supply associated with the cable access unit to be monitored indicating at least one of the presence of the backup battery and the power status of the backup battery when the main power fails, obtaining, at the cable access unit, access information on whether the cable access unit is capable of obtaining the status information on the backup battery, and when so capable, acquiring said status information on the backup battery, transmitting, from an operator unit to the cable access unit via the network, a request for the access information and status information from the cable access unit for transmission back to the operator unit via said network, sending the access information back to the operator unit from the cable access unit via the network, and including the status information when the access information indicates the cable access unit is status information collection capable, processing, at the operator unit, said access information, and also said status information when the access information indicates the cable access unit is status information collection capable, and displaying an indication of the respective battery status information for an associated cable access unit on a user interface coupled to the operator unit. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. An access unit for use in a communications network comprising:
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processing circuitry having a first input, a first output, a second input, and a second output, said processing circuitry first input operably coupled to an operator unit to receive a power supply status query, said processing circuitry first output operably coupled to said operator unit to provide a power supply status thereto; and
a detection unit having a first input coupled to said processing circuitry second output to receive power supply status requests, said detection unit having a second input operably coupled to a power supply to monitor status of said power supply, said detection unit having a status output coupled to said processing circuitry second input to provide a monitored power supply status thereto.
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26. A system for remote sensing of power supply states, said system comprising:
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a communications network;
a power supply located at or near a customer'"'"'s premises, said power supply powered by a power source, said power supply having a backup power supply, said power supply generating one or more power supply status indications;
a cable access unit coupled to said power supply, said cable access unit coupled to said network, said cable access unit powered by said power supply, said cable access unit monitoring one or more of said generated power supply status indications;
an operator unit coupled to said network, said operator unit communicating with said cable access unit to ascertain at least one of said monitored power supply indications; and
a user interface coupled to said operator unit, said operator unit displaying on said user interface an indication of at least one of said ascertained power supply indications. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34)
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35. A method for remote sensing and display by an operator unit of power supply states of power supplies each having a respective backup power supply, each of said power supplies coupled to a respective cable access unit, each of said cable access units coupled to said operator unit, said operator unit coupled to a storage location, each of said power supplies powered by a respective power source, said method comprising:
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a) generating, by at least one of said power supplies, a respective power supply status in response to the occurrence of at least one predetermined condition associated with said respective backup power supply;
b) monitoring, by at least one of said cable access units, the power supply status of the respective power supply;
c) reading from said storage location, by said operator unit, identifiers of at least one alarm condition and addresses of at least one of said cable access units to be monitored;
d) communicating with said one or more cable access units by said operator unit to ascertain the power supply status of said respective power supplies;
e) analyzing one or more of said communicated power supply statuses to determine whether any alarm conditions have been generated by said power supplies; and
f) displaying by said operator unit, responsive to said analyzing indicating at least one alarm conditions have been generated, an indication of at least one alarm conditions and the respective generating power supply on a user interface associated with said operator unit. - View Dependent Claims (36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42)
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43. A computer program product for providing an indication on a user interface of alarm conditions of power supplies, said power supplies each having a backup power supply, said power supplies each coupled to a cable access unit, said cable access units coupled to an operator unit, said operator unit coupled to said user interface, said computer program product comprising a computer usable medium having a computer readable code thereon, said computer readable program code comprising:
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computer readable program code means for generating, by one or more of said power supplies, alarm conditions in respective alarm locations when respective predetermined events occur;
computer readable program code means for monitoring, by one or more of said cable access units, respective ones of said power supplies to determine whether any said alarm conditions have been generated;
computer readable program code means for reading from a storage location, by said operator unit, identifiers of one or more said cable access units;
computer readable program code means for communicating with said identified cable access units by said operator unit to determine whether any of said identified cable access units indicate any of said alarm conditions have been generated; and
computer readable program code means for displaying by said operator unit, responsive to said communication, indications of said any generated alarm conditions and corresponding indicating said identified cable access unit on a user interface associated with said operator unit. - View Dependent Claims (44, 45, 46, 47)
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48. An operator unit for use in a network comprising:
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a control query output adapted to be operably coupled to one or more access units in said network, said control query output to provide power supply status queries to said one or more access units;
an analyzation unit having a status reply input adapted to be operably coupled to said one or more access units, said status reply input to receive power supply status reply messages from said one or more access units, said analyzation unit having an output to provide notice of any asserted alarm conditions; and
an operator interface having an input coupled to said analyzation unit output;
said operator interface having an output to provide an alarm condition warning. - View Dependent Claims (49, 50, 51, 52)
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Specification