Telecom service identification transponder apparatus and technique

• US 6,466,650 B1
• Filed: 06/13/2000
• Issued: 10/15/2002
• 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:
  US09/592,863
• Time in Patent Office: 854 Days
• Field of Search: 379/1, 379/22, 379/24, 379/27, 379/29, 379/399, 379/1.01, 379/1-3-, 379/3, 379/12, 379/22.02, 379/22.03, 379/28, 379/30, 324/500, 324/520, 324/522-523, 324/525-527, 340/825.36, 340/825.79, 340/572.1, 340/572.2, 340/10.4, 455/450, 455/426, 455/454, 455/507
• US Class Current: 379/27.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/24 Testing correct operation
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/30 for subscriber's lines , for the local loop

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.

Claims

1. A line transponder device, comprising:

a tuned circuit having a particular resonance frequency, said tuned circuit being responsive with an excitation signal to a particular resonance frequency injected into said line; and

a modulator to modulate said excitation signal in response to said injection of said particular resonance frequency, said modulator modulating an aspect of said excitation signal based upon a type of customer equipment connected to said line.

2. The line transponder device according to claim 1, wherein:

said modulator is disabled when said particular resonance frequency is not present on said line.

3. A line transponder device, comprising:

a tuned circuit having a particular resonance frequency, said tuned circuit being responsive with an excitation signal to a particular resonance frequency injected into said line;

a modulator to modulate said excitation signal in response to said injection of said particular resonance frequency;

a bridge circuit; and

a pattern generator adapted to alter a current in at least one branch of said bridge circuit in relation to a predetermined data pattern.

4. The line transponder device according to claim 3, wherein:

said predetermined data pattern corresponds to an aspect of customer equipment connected to said line.

5. The line transponder device according to claim 4, wherein:

said aspect of said customer equipment is a type of customer equipment.

6. The line transponder device according to claim 4, wherein:

said aspect of said customer equipment is a number of customer equipment devices.

7. The line transponder device according to claim 4, wherein:

said aspect of said customer equipment is an existence of a data service to said line.

8. The line transponder device according to claim 4, wherein:

said aspect of said customer equipment is an existence of a home network utilizing said telephone line.

9. The line transponder device according to claim 3, wherein:

said predetermined pattern is programmable over said telephone line.

10. The line transponder device according to claim 3, further comprising:

a transistor connected to at least one branch of said bridge circuit.

11. A method of interrogating a telephone line for service information, comprising:

injecting an interrogating test signal including particular frequency into said telephone line;

detecting and excitation signal from a tuned circuit in response to said particular frequency; and

demodulating said excitation signal to determine a predetermined data pattern encoded thereby, said predetermined data pattern relating to at least one aspect of at least one type of customer equipment connected to said telephone line.

12. The method of interrogating a telephone line for service information according to claim 11, wherein:

said test signal is a constant voltage signal.

13. The method of interrogating a telephone line for service information according to claim 11, wherein:

said test signal is a modulated voltage signal.

14. The method of interrogating a telephone line for service information according to claim 13, wherein:

said modulated voltage signal is a test tone.

15. The method of interrogating a telephone line for service information according to claim 11, wherein:

said test signal is a constant current signal.

16. A method of providing service information through a telephone line, comprising:

monitoring said telephone line for injection of a test signal including a particular frequency component; and

increasing an aspect of said telephone line at said particular frequency when said test signal is detected on said telephone line.

17. The method of providing service information through a telephone line according to claim 16, wherein:

said increased aspect is a current on said telephone line.

18. The method of providing service information through a telephone line according to claim 16, wherein:

said increased aspect is a voltage of said telephone line.

19. The method of providing service information through a telephone line according to claim 16, wherein:

said aspect is modulated in accordance with a predetermined data pattern.

20. The method of providing service information through a telephone line according to claim 19, wherein:

said predetermined data pattern relates to at least one aspect of at least one type of customer equipment connected to said telephone line.

21. Apparatus for interrogating a telephone line for service information, comprising:

means for injecting an interrogating test signal including a particular frequency into said telephone line;

means for detecting an excitation signal from a tuned circuit in response to said particular frequency; and

means for demodulating said excitation signal to determine a predetermined data pattern encoded thereby, said predetermined data pattern relating to at least one aspect of at least one type of customer equipment connected to said telephone line.

22. The apparatus for interrogating a telephone line for service information according to claim 21, wherein:

said test signal is a constant voltage signal.

23. The apparatus for interrogating a telephone line for service information according to claim 21, wherein:

said test signal is a constant current signal.

24. Apparatus for providing service information through a telephone line, comprising:

means for monitoring said telephone line for injection of a test signal including a particular frequency component; and

means for increasing an aspect of said telephone line at said particular frequency when said test signal is detected on said telephone line.

25. The apparatus for providing service information through a telephone line according to claim 24, wherein:

said increased aspect is a current on said telephone line.

26. The apparatus for, providing service information through a telephone line according to claim 24, wherein:

said increased aspect is a voltage of said telephone line.

27. The apparatus for providing service information through a telephone line according to claim 24, wherein:

said means for increasing said aspect modulates said aspect in accordance with a predetermined data pattern.

28. The apparatus for providing service information through a telephone line according to claim 27, wherein:

said predetermined data pattern relates to at least one aspect of at least one type of customer equipment connected to said telephone line.