Telecom service identification resonator apparatus and technique

• US 6,389,110 B1
• Filed: 06/13/2000
• Issued: 05/14/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 01/24/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Agere Systems Guardian Corp. (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Fischer, Jonathan H., Laturell, Donald R., Smith, Lane A.
• Primary Examiner(s): TIEU, BINH KIEN
• Application Number:
  US09/592,864
• Time in Patent Office: 700 Days
• Field of Search: 379/1, 379/22, 379/24, 379/27, 379/29, 379/399, 379/1.01, 379/1.03, 379/1.04, 379/3, 379/12, 379/22.02, 379/27.03, 379/28, 379/30, 324/500, 324/520, 324/523, 324/525, 324/526, 324/527, 340/825.36, 340/825.79, 455/450, 455/426, 455/454, 455/507
• US Class Current: 379/1.04
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/2209 for lines also used for data transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/301 Circuit arrangements at the subscriber's side of the line
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/308 Craftsperson test terminals

Abstract

Telephone line service type identification is provided to a telephone technician in the field by the placement of one or more tuned circuit(s) across the telephone line. In one embodiment, an inexpensive tuned circuit such as a ceramic resonator forms a telecom service resonator ID device which is placed across a telephone line, either at the central office or at the customer premises. Injection of a test current at a predetermined frequency, and a suitable amplitude of the same indicates to the technician aspects of telecom service to that particular telephone line (e.g., the existence of POTS, ISDN, and/or xDSL) and or use of the telephone line by a home network such as HPNA. In another embodiment, a telecom service transponder ID device is formed to provide line service identification to an interrogating line technician. The telecom service transponder ID device is activated when the test signal including an appropriate frequency is present to cause excitation in the telecom service transponder ID device. The resonator and transponder devices preferably have very high impedances at all frequencies except at the desired resonant frequency, and thus avoids violation of telephone service standards. The resonator or transponder ID devices may be placed anywhere along the telephone line, but preferably at the customer premises, or in installed equipment utilizing the telephone line. More than one resonation frequency may be implemented with parallel tuned circuits to indicate additional features of service on the telephone line (e.g., the number of services, the existence of a data service, etc.). The frequencies of resonance of the tuned circuits are preferably chosen to exist between the spectrum utilized by the various operating services. The transponder implementation may generate a simple low frequency response signal, or a more sophisticated specific data pattern using amplitude and/or frequency modulation.

Claims

1. A line identification device, comprising:

a first tuned circuit having a particular resonance frequency selected to represent an aspect of a first type of customer equipment connected to a line; and

a connection to connect said first tuned circuit across a tip and ring of said line;

wherein said first tuned circuit insubstantially changes an impedance of said line at frequencies of normal operation of said line.

2. The line identification device according to claim 1, wherein said first tuned circuit comprises:

a resonator.

3. The line identification device according to claim 2, wherein:

said resonator is a ceramic resonator.

4. The line identification device according to claim 2, wherein said first tuned circuit further comprises:

a resistor in series with said resonator.

5. The line identification device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a plurality of additional tuned circuits each in parallel to said first tuned circuit.

6. The line identification device according to claim 5, wherein:

each of said plurality of additional tuned circuits has a resonance frequency different from the remaining ones of said plurality of additional tuned circuits.

7. The line identification device according to claim 5, wherein:

each of said plurality of additional tuned circuits represents information regarding a type of customer equipment connected to said line.

8. The line identification device according to claim 7, wherein said type of customer equipment includes at least one of the following:

home networking equipment;

voice service equipment;

ISDN equipment; and

xDSL equipment.

9. The line identification device according to claim 8, wherein said xDSL equipment is one of:

ADSL equipment; and

VDSL equipment.

10. The line identification device according to claim 1, wherein:

a presence of said first tuned circuit across said line represents implementation on said line of a particular data equipment in addition to voice equipment.

11. The line identification device according to claim 5, wherein:

at least one of said plurality of additional tuned circuits and said first tuned circuit represent information regarding an existing home network utilizing said line.

12. The line identification device according to claim 1, wherein:

said line identification device is adapted for connection to a telephone line.

13. The line identification device according to claim 1, wherein:

said line identification device is formed on an integrated circuit.

14. The line identification device according to claim 1, wherein:

a frequency of resonance of said first tuned circuit is selected to be outside of a spectrum of customer equipment utilizing said line.

15. The line identification device according to claim 14, wherein:

said frequency of resonance of said first tuned circuit is between about 4 kHz and about 26 kHz.

16. The line identification device according to claim 14, wherein:

said frequency of resonance of said first tuned circuit is between about 2.2 MHz and about 4 MHz.

17. The line identification device according to claim 14, wherein:

said frequency of resonance of said first tuned circuit is above 10 MHz.

18. The line identification device according to claim 14, wherein:

said frequency of resonance of said first tuned circuit is above 4 kHz.

19. A method of providing an identification of existing functions of a telephone line, comprising:

placing a first tuned circuit across a tip and ring of said telephone line selected to represent an aspect of a first type of customer equipment connected to said telephone line, said first tuned circuit insubstantially changing an impedance of said telephone line at frequencies of;

normal operation of said telephone line.

20. The method of providing an identification of existing functions of a telephone line according to claim 19, wherein said first tuned circuit comprises:

a resonator.

21. The method of providing an identification of existing functions of a telephone line according to claim 19, wherein:

said aspect of said first type of customer equipment is a number of services utilized on said telephone line.

22. The method of providing an identification of existing functions of a telephone line according to claim 19, further comprising:

placing an additional plurality of tuned circuits across said telephone line to indicate aspects of respective additional types of customer equipment connected to said telephone line;

wherein each of said additional plurality of tuned circuits and said first tuned circuit have a different frequency of resonance from the remaining ones of said additional plurality of tuned circuits and said first tuned circuit.

23. The method of providing an identification of existing functions of a telephone line according to claim 19, further comprising:

placing a second tuned circuit having a substantially same frequency of resonance as said first tuned circuit across said telephone line to indicate additional aspects of said first type of customer equipment connected to said telephone line;

whereby said second tuned circuit increases an amplitude of a test current at said frequency of resonance applied to said telephone line.

24. A method of field determining a presence of a particular service to a telephone line, comprising:

temporarily applying a test signal to said telephone line, a level of said test signal comprising a signal at a predetermined frequency; and

measuring a current of said test signal at said predetermined frequency;

wherein an increase of said measured current above a current at other frequencies on said telephone line indicates a presence of said particular type of customer equipment.

25. Apparatus for providing an identify of existing functions of a telephone line, comprising:

first tuned circuit means across a tip and ring of said telephone line selected to represent an aspect of a first type of customer equipment connected to said telephone line, said first tuned circuit insubstantially changing an impedance of said telephone line at frequencies of normal operation of said telephone line.

26. The apparatus for providing an identify of existing functions of a telephone line according to claim 25, wherein said first tuned circuit means comprises:

a resonator.

27. The apparatus for providing an identify of existing functions of a telephone line according to claim 25, wherein:

said aspect of said first type of customer equipment is a number of customer equipment connected to said telephone line.

28. The apparatus for providing an identify of existing functions of a telephone line according to claim 25, further comprising:

additional plurality of tuned circuit means placed across said telephone line for indicating at least one aspect of at least one additional type of customer equipment connected to said telephone line;

wherein said additional plurality of tuned circuit means has a different frequency of resonance from said first tuned circuit means.

29. Apparatus for field determining a presence of a particular service to a telephone line, comprising:

means for temporarily applying a test signal to said telephone line, a level of said test signal comprising a signal at a predetermined frequency; and

means for measuring a current of said test signal at said predetermined frequency;

whereby an increase of said measured current above a current at other frequencies on said telephone line indicates a presence of said particular type of customer equipment.