Patent application number | Description | Published |
20130004179 | Neighborhood node mapping methods and apparatus for ingress mitigation in cable communication systems - A mobile transmitter traverses a drive path in a neighborhood node of a cable communication system and broadcasts a test signal at frequencies falling within an upstream path bandwidth. A navigational device generates a first record of positions of the transmitter along the drive path, and an analyzer monitors the upstream path bandwidth and generates a second record of received signal amplitudes of the transmitted test signal as a function of time. An ingress map is generated showing the drive path and potential points of ingress in the node, and employed to remediate faults particularly in the hardline coaxial cable plant. Iterative generation of maps and corresponding remediation in the node enable improved cable communication systems with reduced noise profiles between 5 MHz and 20 MHz and employing higher modulation order QAM communication channels (e.g., 256-QAM and higher) throughout the upstream path bandwidth to increase upstream capacity. | 01-03-2013 |
20130064279 | METHODS FOR INGRESS MITIGATION IN CABLE COMMUNICATION SYSTEMS INVOLVING REPAIR, REPLACEMENT AND/OR ADJUSTMENT OF INFRASTRUCTURE ELEMENTS - Methods for reducing ingress in a neighborhood node of a cable communication system. The node includes an RF hardline coaxial cable plant and multiple subscriber service drops to convey upstream information from multiple subscriber premises over an upstream path bandwidth. A test signal having a frequency falling within the upstream path bandwidth is transmitted proximate to one or more potential points of ingress into the hardline cable plant. Based on signal amplitudes at the test signal frequency representing test signal ingress into the hardline cable plant, one or more faults in the hardline cable plant are specifically identified and remediated so as to significantly reduce a noise power in the node in at least a portion of the upstream path bandwidth below approximately 20 MHz. In one example, hardline plant-related and/or subscriber-related faults are remediated so as to significantly reduce ingress arising from terrestrial short wave radio signals. | 03-14-2013 |
20130064549 | INGRESS-MITIGATED CABLE COMMUNICATION SYSTEMS AND METHODS HAVING INCREASED UPSTREAM CAPACITY FOR SUPPORTING VOICE AND/OR DATA SERVICES - Cable communication systems and methods to provide voice and/or data services to subscriber premises in one or more neighborhood nodes via an ingress-mitigated cable plant that conveys upstream information over an upstream path bandwidth. One or more upstream radio frequency (RF) signals have a carrier frequency of between approximately 5 MHz and 19.6 MHz and are modulated using quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM) with voice and/or data information constituting at least some of the upstream information. An example RF signal defines a channel having an average channel power, and a highest value for an average noise power between 5 MHz and 19.6 MHz in the upstream path bandwidth of a given neighborhood node, as measured over at least a 24 hour period, is at least 25 decibels (dB) below the average channel power and/or less than 20 decibels (dB) above a noise floor associated with the neighborhood node. | 03-14-2013 |
20130070826 | CABLE COMMUNICATION SYSTEMS AND METHODS EMPLOYING 256-QAM UPSTREAM CHANNELS AND HAVING INCREASED UPSTREAM CAPACITY FOR SUPPORTING VOICE AND/OR DATA SERVICES - Cable communication systems and methods to provide voice and/or data services to subscriber premises via a cable plant that conveys upstream information over an upstream path bandwidth, and a cable modem system including one or more demodulation tuners to receive and demodulate one or more upstream radio frequency (RF) signals. An RF signal includes an encoded carrier wave having a carrier frequency of between approximately 5 MHz and at least approximately 42 MHz that is modulated using quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM) with voice and/or data information constituting at least some of the upstream information. A modulation order of the QAM for the first upstream RF signal is at least 256, and at least one demodulation tuner of the cable modem system is configured to receive and demodulate the first upstream RF signal. | 03-21-2013 |
20130088993 | CABLE COMMUNICATION SYSTEMS AND METHODS EMPLOYING TDMA/ATDMA QAM UPSTREAM CHANNELS BELOW 20 MHZ FOR INCREASED UPSTREAM CAPACITY TO SUPPORT VOICE AND/OR DATA SERVICES - Cable communication systems and methods to provide voice and/or data services to subscriber premises via a cable plant that conveys upstream information over an upstream path bandwidth, and a cable modem system including one or more demodulation tuners to receive and demodulate one or more upstream radio frequency (RF) signals. An RF signal includes an encoded carrier wave having a carrier frequency of between 5 MHz and 19.6 MHz that is modulated using a Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) protocol or an Advanced Time Division Multiple Access (ATDMA) protocol and quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM) with voice and/or data information constituting at least some of the upstream information. A modulation order of the QAM for the first upstream RF signal is at least 32, and at least one demodulation tuner of the cable modem system is configured to receive and demodulate the first upstream RF signal. | 04-11-2013 |
20130094369 | ITERATIVE MAPPING METHODS FOR INGRESS MITIGATION IN CABLE COMMUNICATION SYSTEMS - Methods for reducing ingress in a neighborhood node of a cable communication system. The node includes a hardline cable plant and multiple subscriber service drops to convey upstream information from multiple subscriber premises over an upstream path bandwidth. A mobile broadcast apparatus equipped with a transmitter is directed along a drive path proximate to the hardline plant, and a test signal having a frequency falling within the upstream path bandwidth is broadcast along the drive path. Respective positions of the broadcast apparatus, and signal amplitudes at the test signal frequency representing test signal ingress in the node due to one or more hardline plant-related and/or subscriber-related faults, are recorded, and a neighborhood node ingress map is generated. Following remediation of one or more faults based on the map, the process is repeated to generate one or more additional iterations of the map to document a progression of ingress mitigation efforts. | 04-18-2013 |
20130094859 | CABLE COMMUNICATION SYSTEMS AND METHODS EMPLOYING QAM UPSTREAM CHANNELS BELOW 16.4 MHZ FOR INCREASED AGGREGATE DEPLOYED UPSTREAM CAPACITY TO SUPPORT VOICE AND/OR DATA SERVICES - Cable communication systems and methods to provide voice and/or data services to subscriber premises via a cable plant that conveys upstream information over an upstream path bandwidth, and a cable modem system including one or more demodulation tuners to receive and demodulate one or more upstream radio frequency (RF) signals. One or more RF signals include an encoded carrier wave having a carrier frequency of between 5 MHz and 16.4 MHz that is modulated using a Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) protocol or an Advanced Time Division Multiple Access (ATDMA) protocol and quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM) with voice and/or data information constituting at least some of the upstream information. An aggregate deployed upstream capacity of the one or more RF signals to convey the upstream information in a portion of the upstream path bandwidth between 5 MHz and 16.4 MHz is at least approximately 12 Megabits per second (Mbits/s). | 04-18-2013 |
20140010542 | CABLE COMMUNICATION SYSTEMS AND METHODS EMPLOYING QAM UPSTREAM CHANNELS BELOW 16.4 MHZ FOR INCREASED AGGREGATE DEPLOYED UPSTREAM CAPACITY - Cable communication systems and methods to provide voice and/or data services to subscriber premises via a cable plant that conveys upstream information over an upstream path bandwidth via one or more upstream radio frequency (RF) signals. One or more RF signals include an encoded carrier wave having a carrier frequency of between 5 MHz and 16.4 MHz that is modulated using a Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) protocol or an Advanced time Division Multiple Access (ATDMA) protocol and quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM) with voice and/or data information constituting at least some of the upstream information. An aggregate deployed upstream capacity of the one or more RF signals to convey the upstream information in a portion of the upstream path bandwidth between 5 MHz and 16.4 MHz is at least approximately 12 Megabits per second (Mbits/s). | 01-09-2014 |
20140047489 | METHODS FOR INGRESS MITIGATION IN CABLE COMMUNICATION SYSTEMS INVOLVING REPAIR, REPLACEMENT AND/OR ADJUSTMENT OF INFRASTRUCTURE ELEMENTS - Methods for reducing ingress in a neighborhood node of a cable communication system. The node includes an RF hardline coaxial cable plant and multiple subscriber service drops to convey upstream information from multiple subscriber premises over an upstream path bandwidth. A test signal having a frequency falling within the upstream path bandwidth is transmitted proximate to one or more potential points of ingress into the hardline cable plant. Based on signal amplitudes at the test signal frequency representing test signal ingress into the hardline cable plant, one or more faults in the hardline cable plant are specifically identified and remediated so as to significantly reduce a noise power in the node in at least a portion of the upstream path bandwidth below approximately 20 MHz. In one example, hardline plant-related and/or subscriber-related faults are remediated so as to significantly reduce ingress arising from terrestrial short wave radio signals. | 02-13-2014 |
20140143818 | CABLE COMMUNICATION SYSTEMS AND METHODS EMPLOYING 256-QAM UPSTREAM CHANNELS AND HAVING INCREASED UPSTREAM CAPACITY FOR SUPPORTING VOICE AND/OR DATA SERVICES - Cable communication systems and methods to provide voice and/or data services to subscriber premises via a cable plant that conveys upstream information over an upstream path bandwidth, and a cable modem system including one or more demodulation tuners to receive and demodulate one or more upstream radio frequency (RF) signals. An RF signal includes an encoded carrier wave having a carrier frequency of between approximately 5 MHz and 25 MHz that is modulated using quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM) with voice and/or data information constituting at least some of the upstream information. A modulation order of the QAM for the first upstream RF signal is at least 32 and as high as at least 256, and at least one demodulation tuner of the cable modem system is configured to receive and demodulate the first upstream RF signal. | 05-22-2014 |
20140282783 | HYBRID FIBER-COAXIAL (HFC) CABLE COMMUNICATION SYSTEMS HAVING WELL-ALIGNED OPTICAL AND RADIO-FREQUENCY LINKS TO FACILITATE UPSTREAM CHANNEL PLANS HAVING HIGH AGGREGATE DATA CAPACITY - An HFC cable communication system comprising: a CMTS having a first attenuator to attenuate one or more upstream signals applied to the CMTS; an optical link having a dynamic range and comprising an optical receiver having a second attenuator to attenuate the upstream signal(s) and an optical transmitter having a third attenuator to attenuate the upstream signal(s); a coaxial RF link comprising one or more RF amplifiers having a fourth attenuator to attenuate the upstream signal(s); and one or more subscriber modems to generate the upstream signal(s) at respective transmit RF signal levels. The CMTS implements a long loop ALC to set the transmit RF signal level(s) based on received RF signal levels of the upstream signal(s) at the CMTS. Respective values for the first, second, third and fourth attenuators are selected based on the dynamic range of the optical link so as to facilitate implementation of the long loop ALC and effective transmission of upstream information carried by the upstream signal(s). | 09-18-2014 |
20140301490 | INGRESS-MITIGATED RF CABLE PLANTS AND INGRESS MITIGATION METHODS FOR SAME - An RF hardline coaxial cable plant to facilitate voice and/or data services to subscriber premises in one or more neighborhood nodes of a cable communication system by conveying upstream information over an upstream path bandwidth. One or more upstream radio frequency (RF) signals have a carrier frequency of between approximately 5 MHz and 19.6 MHz and are modulated using quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM) with voice and/or data information constituting at least some of the upstream information. An example RF signal defines a channel having an average channel power, and a highest value for an average noise power between 5 MHz and 19.6 MHz in the upstream path bandwidth of a given neighborhood node, as measured over at least a 24 hour period, is at least 25 decibels (dB) below the average channel power and/or less than 20 decibels (dB) above a noise floor associated with the neighborhood node. | 10-09-2014 |