Patent application number | Description | Published |
20080320541 | Method and apparatus for locating network impairments - A system for locating an impairment in a coaxial cable network comprises an encoder, an impairment detector, and a decoder. The encoder couples to the network at a predetermined encoding point, upstream of the impairment. The encoder automatically encodes an identification code on a signal originating downstream of the encoding point and associated with the impairment. The impairment detector couples to the network at an access point, upstream from the encoding point, and receives signals from the network. The detector is adapted to detect from the received signals the signal associated with the impairment and generate a detected version of the signal. The decoder is adapted to decode the identification code from the detected version of the impairment signal. Once the identification code is determined, the encoder and encoding point are identified, and the location of the impairment is determine to be downstream of the encoding point. | 12-25-2008 |
20110043640 | Methods and apparatus for detecting and locating leakage of digital signals - A system for detecting and locating a digital TV leakage signal in an HFC network. The system comprises a headend unit and a leakage detector. The headend unit receives the TV signal at the headend for use as a reference signal. The reference signal is sampled at a rate corresponding to a time reference signal, to produce reference signal samples. The reference signal samples and timestamp are transmitted to the leakage detector. The detector receives the digital TV signal from a leakage source, for detection as a leakage signal. The detector includes a cross-correlation processor. The leakage signal is sampled at a rate corresponding to the time reference signal, to produce leakage signal samples. The cross-correlation processor performs a cross-correlation of the reference signal samples with the leakage signal samples to produce a cross-correlation function having a peak, and the TV leakage signal is detected from this peak. | 02-24-2011 |
20130147969 | Methods and Apparatus For Locating Leakage of Digital Signals - A leak defined by coordinates is located in a network. A signal emitted from the leak is detected at first, second and third points having first, second and third sets of coordinates, respectively. Propagation delays t | 06-13-2013 |
20130291044 | LOW-COST LEAKAGE DETECTOR FOR A DIGITAL HFC NETWORK - A handheld leakage detector for finding digital QAM signal leaks in a HFC network, comprises a radio receiver, a leakage receiver, leakage sampler, a correlator, and a display. The radio receiver receives samples of the QAM signal taken from the HFC network, called “reference samples.” The leakage receiver receives a QAM leakage signal, which is related to the QAM signal from the HFC network. The leakage sampler samples the leakage signal to form leakage samples. The correlator performs a coherent cross-correlation of the reference samples and the leakage samples, to produce a correlation peak. A value is determined from the correlation peak and displayed on the display. The value generally becomes more optimized as the detector approaches the leak. The leak is sought by iteratively changing the position of the detector until the displayed value becomes substantially optimized or the leak is found. | 10-31-2013 |
20140165126 | LOW-COST LEAKAGE DETECTOR FOR A DIGITAL HFC NETWORK - A handheld leakage detector for finding digital signal leaks in a HFC network, comprises a radio receiver, a leakage receiver, leakage sampler, a correlator, and a display. The radio receiver receives samples of the digital signal taken from the HFC network, called “reference samples.” The leakage receiver receives a leakage signal, which is a leaked version of the digital signal from the HFC network. The leakage sampler samples the leakage signal to form leakage samples. The correlator performs a cross-correlation of the reference samples and the leakage samples, to produce a correlation function. An optimizable value is determined from the correlation function. The value generally becomes more optimized as the detector approaches the leak. The leak is sought by iteratively changing the position of the detector until the value becomes substantially optimized or the leak is found. | 06-12-2014 |
20150077129 | LEAKAGE DETECTION OF DIGITAL SIGNALS IN AN HFC NETWORK - A method of detecting a digital leakage signal originating from a leak in a coaxial cable portion of an HFC network. The network has a transmission end from which a digital signal is transmitted to the coaxial cable portion. The digital signal is emitted into free space from the leak to produce the leakage signal. The method comprises: (a) producing a first set of samples representing the digital signal; (b) transmitting the first set of samples to a leakage detector; (c) moving the leakage detector to a detection point in the vicinity of the network; (d) receiving the leakage signal from the leak; (e) sampling the leakage signal to produce a second set of samples; and (f) performing a cross-correlation of the first set of samples with the second set of samples, to produce a cross-correlation function having a peak, whereby the leakage signal is detected from the peak. | 03-19-2015 |
20150091721 | SIGNAL LEVEL MONITORING SYSTEM THAT MINIMIZES FALSE ALARMS - A system for monitoring signal level of a signal in a communications network, comprising a monitor that includes (i) a receiver to receive the signal from the network, (ii) a detector for detecting signal level values of the signal, and (iii) a sensor for sensing temperatures at the monitoring point in association with the signal level values. The system further comprises (i) means for evaluating the signal level values relative to an alarm reference, (ii) means for issuing alarms based on an alarm criterion defined in terms of the signal level values and the alarm reference, (iii) means for deriving an empirical relationship between signal level and temperature from the signal level values and temperatures, and (iv) means for adjusting the alarm criterion in accordance with the empirical relationship, such that temperature-dependent variations of signal level are substantially accounted for in issuing alarms. | 04-02-2015 |
20150181442 | PRIORITIZING REPAIR OF SIGNAL LEAKAGE IN AN HFC NETWORK - A method or apparatus of identifying for repair a signal leak in an HFC network, wherein a base transceiver station in the vicinity of the HFC network transmits a BTS signal over-the-air. The method comprises or apparatus performs the steps of: (a) identifying a location of the signal leak; (b) in the vicinity of the signal leak, detecting the BTS signal; (c) determining a level of the BTS signal; (d) defining a threshold level; (e) with the use of a processor, determining whether the level of the BTS signal meets or exceeds the threshold level; and (f) indicating for repair the signal leak if the level of the BTS signal meets or exceeds the threshold level. | 06-25-2015 |