CABLE MODEM WITH DUAL AUTOMATIC ATTENUATION

• US 20120163201A1
• Filed: 12/27/2010
• Published: 06/28/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: BelAir Networks (Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson)
• Inventors: Williams, Chris, Smith, Roland, Rayment, Stephen, Zaniewski, Jarek, Chenier, Marcel
• Granted Patent: US 9,282,281 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/252
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2801 Broadband local area networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/00 Arrangements for monitoring or testing data switching networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/102 Circuits therefor, e.g. noise reducers, equalisers, amplifiers H04N7/108 takes precedence

Abstract

Described herein are a number of steps, methods and/or solutions that can be applied to greatly improve attenuation control of RF signals in cable plant. The present disclosure is directed to a cable modem auto-attenuation system or any other signal transferring system. The system may be capable of taking a high-power signal from the cable plant'"'"'s service line, dropping the power value down to a usable level and transmitting the signal to a cable modem while eliminating the need for rigorous manual adjustments that a normal cable modem often requires. In certain embodiments, the system may be integrated into a separate device connected between the modem and the cable company service line and configured to handle upstream and downstream attenuation separately or jointly.

Claims

1. A device for automatically attenuating an upstream modem signal comprising:

a duplexer for splitting upstream signals and downstream signals;

an upstream attenuator, capable of attenuating upstream signals; and

a control processors running software which is configured to (i) sense the upstream signal level, and (ii) adjust the upstream attenuator until the desired target signal strength is reached.

2. A device according to claim 1 wherein the controller is a cable broadband controller.

3. A device according to claim 2 wherein the controller is connected to the cable plant through a cable interface.

4. A device according to claim 3 wherein the controller is receiving independent upstream level control requests from a CMTS (Cable Modem Termination System).

5. A device according to claim 4 wherein downstream signal may consists of a plurality of frequency separate signals.

6. A device for automatically attenuating a downstream modem signal from a CMTS comprising:

a duplexer for splitting upstream signals and downstream signals;

a downstream attenuator, capable of attenuating downstream signals; and

a controller capable of monitoring receive error rate (BER or CER) information from the received downstream signal, and containing one or more processors running software which is configured to (i) sense the downstream signal level, and (ii) adjust the downstream attenuator until the desired target signal strength is reached.

7. A device according to claim 6 wherein the controller is a cable broadband controller.

8. A device according to claim 7 wherein the controller is connected to the cable plant through a cable interface.

9. A device according to claim 8 wherein upstream signal may consists of a plurality of frequency separate signals.

10. A device for automatically attenuating both downstream and upstream modem signals comprising:

a duplexer for splitting upstream signals and downstream signals;

a downstream attenuator, capable of attenuating downstream signals;

an upstream attenuator, capable of attenuating upstream signals; and

a controller capable of monitoring receive error rate (BER or CER) information from the received downstream signal, and containing one or more processors running software which is configured to (i) sense the upstream signal level, (ii) adjust the upstream attenuator until the desired target signal strength is reached, (iii) sense the downstream signal level, and (iv) adjust the downstream attenuator until the desired target signal strength is reached.

11. A device according to claim 10 wherein the controller is a cable broadband controller.

12. A device according to claim 11 wherein the controller is connected to the cable plant through a cable interface.

13. A device according to claim 12 wherein upstream or downstream signals may consist of a plurality of frequency separate signals.

14. A device for automatically attenuating both downstream and upstream modem signals comprising:

a duplexer for splitting upstream signals and downstream signals;

a combined upstream/downstream attenuator, capable of attenuating both downstream and upstream signals;

an upstream attenuator, capable of attenuating upstream signals; and

a controller capable of monitoring receive error rate (BER or CER) information from the received downstream signal, and containing one or more processors running software which is configured to (i) sense the upstream signal level, (ii) adjust the upstream attenuator until the desired target signal strength is reached, (iii) sense the downstream signal level, and (iv) adjust the downstream attenuator until the desired target signal strength is reached.

15. A device according to claim 14 wherein the controller is a cable broadband controller.

16. A device according to claim 15 wherein the controller is connected to the cable plant through a cable interface.

17. A device according to claim 16 wherein upstream or downstream signals may consist of a plurality of frequency separate signals.

18. A device for automatically attenuating both downstream and upstream modem signals comprising:

a duplexer for splitting upstream signals and downstream signals;

a combined upstream/downstream attenuator, capable of attenuating both downstream and upstream signals;

a downstream attenuator, capable of attenuating upstream signals; and

a controller capable of monitoring receive error rate (BER or CER) information from the received downstream signal, and containing one or more processors running software which is configured to (i) sense the upstream signal level, (ii) adjust the upstream attenuator until the desired target signal strength is reached;

(iii) sense the downstream signal level, and (iv) adjust the downstream attenuator until the desired target signal strength is reached.

19. A device according to claim 18 wherein the controller is a cable broadband controller.

20. A device according to claim 19 wherein the controller is connected to the cable plant through a cable interface.

21. A device according to claim 20 wherein upstream or downstream signals may consist of a plurality of frequency separate signals.

22. A device for automatically attenuating both downstream and upstream modem signals comprising:

a duplexer for splitting upstream signals and downstream signals;

a combined upstream/downstream attenuator, capable of attenuating both downstream and upstream signals;

an upstream attenuator, capable of attenuating upstream signals; and

a controller capable of monitoring receive error rate (BER or CER) information from the received downstream signal, and containing one or more processors running software which is configured to (i) sense the upstream signal level, (ii) adjust the upstream attenuator until the desired target signal strength is reached, (iii) sense the downstream signal level, and (iv) adjust the downstream attenuator until the desired target signal strength is reached, wherein the upstream or downstream signals may consist of a plurality of frequency separate signals.

23. A method for automatically attenuating at least one signal, the method comprising the steps of:

sensing a downstream signal strength; and

adjusting upstream attenuation and downstream attenuation until a desired target signal strength is reached.

24. A method according to claim 23 wherein the at least one signal is a wireless signal.

25. A method according to claim 23 wherein upstream attenuation and downstream attenuation are adjusted independently.

26. A method according to claim 23 wherein upstream attenuation and downstream attenuation are adjusted simultaneously.

27. A method according to claim 23 wherein the method is executed within a cable modem.

28. A method according to claim 23 wherein the method is executed within a strand-mount radio.

29. A method according to claim 23 wherein the method is executed in a device coupled between a tap box and a cable modem.

30. A method according to claim 29 wherein the method is executed in a device wirelessly coupled between a tap box and a cable modem.

31. A cable modem capable of automatically attenuating upstream and downstream modem signals, comprising:

a duplexer for splitting a signal into upstream signals and downstream signals;

an upstream attenuator capable of attenuating upstream signals;

a downstream attenuator capable of attenuating downstream signals; and

one or more processors running software which is configured to (i) sense downstream signal strength, and (ii) adjust the upstream attenuator and the downstream attenuator until a desired target signal strength is reached.

32. A cable modem according to claim 31 wherein the signal is supplied to the cable modem over a cable.

33. A cable modem according to claim 31 wherein the one or more processors run software which is configured to adjust the upstream attenuator and the downstream attenuator independently.

34. A cable modem according to claim 31 wherein the one or more processors run software which is configured to adjust the upstream attenuator and the downstream attenuator simultaneously.