Spectrum analysis and plant diagnostic tool for communications systems
View Patent ↗A system, method, and apparatus to allow an operator of a broadcast communication system, such as a cable television or satellite television service to provide some examples, to diagnose performance of this communication system remotely. The operator of a first communication device, such as a cable modem termination system (CMTS) to provide an example, may remotely diagnosis performance problems, or potential performance problems, occurring at a second communication device, such as a cable modem (CM) to provide an example, or a group of second communication devices. For example, the operator of the first communication device may view a spectrum analysis of communication signals being routed to, processed by, and/or provided by the second communication device, or group of second communication devices, to diagnose the performance problems, or the potential performance problems, in real time.
1. A diagnostic device for a communication system, the diagnostic device comprising:
a receiver configured to:
process a received communication signal comprising a plurality of communication channels, and
convert each of the plurality of communication channels from an analog representation to a digital representation to provide a received sequence of data;
a parameter measurement module comprising hardware and configured to estimate one or more signal parameters associated with the received communication signal, the one or more signal parameters being used by a service provider location of the communication system to reconstruct the received communication signal; and
a transmitter configured to process the one or more signal parameters for transmission to the service provider location to provide a transmitted communication signal.
2. The diagnostic device of claim 1 , wherein the one or more signal parameters comprise at least one selected from a group consisting of:
spectral density of signals;
received signal strength;
relative strength of different channels and services;
noise floor and interference; and
transmitter frequency offsets.
3. The diagnostic device of claim 1 , wherein the receiver comprises a wide-band capture receiver.
4. The diagnostic device of claim 3 , wherein the received communication signal is a wide-band communication signal, and
wherein the parameter measurement module is further configured to use the wide-band communication signal to estimate the one or more signal parameters.
5. The diagnostic device of claim 1 , wherein the receiver comprises a full-band capture receiver.
6. The diagnostic device of claim 5 , wherein the received communication signal is a full-band communication signal, and
wherein the parameter measurement module is further configured to use the full-band communication signal to estimate the one or more signal parameters.
7. A diagnostic device for a communication system, the diagnostic device comprising:
a receiver configured to process a received communication signal to provide a received sequence of data;
a parameter measurement module comprising hardware and configured to estimate one or more signal parameters associated with the received communication signal, the one or more signal parameters being used by a service provider location of the communication system to reconstruct the received communication signal;
a transmitter configured to process the one or more signal parameters for transmission to the service provider location to provide a transmitted communication signal; and
a baseband processor configured to process the received sequence of data to provide a recovered sequence of data.
8. The diagnostic device of claim 7 , wherein the baseband processor is further configured to process a second received sequence of data from one or more devices to provide a transmission sequence of data, wherein the transmitter is further configured to process the transmission sequence of data to provide the transmitted communication signal.
9. The diagnostic device of claim 8 , wherein the transmitted communication signal includes an in-band portion and an out-of-band portion, the transmitter being further configured to transmit the transmission sequence of data using the in-band portion and the one or more signal parameters using the out-of-band portion.
10. The diagnostic device of claim 8 , wherein the second received sequence of data comprises a header portion and a data portion, the baseband processor being further configured to format the one or more signal parameters into the header portion.
11. The diagnostic device of claim 7 , wherein the receiver comprises a wide-band capture receiver.
12. The diagnostic device of claim 11 , wherein the received communication signal is a wide-band communication signal, and
wherein the parameter measurement module is further configured to use the wide-band communication signal to estimate the one or more signal parameters.
13. The diagnostic device of claim 7 , wherein the receiver comprises a full-band capture receiver.
14. The diagnostic device of claim 13 , wherein the received communication signal is a full-band communication signal, and
wherein the parameter measurement module is further configured to use the full-band communication signal to estimate the one or more signal parameters.
15. A diagnostic device for a communication system, the diagnostic device comprising:
a receiver configured to process a received communication signal to provide a received sequence of data;
a parameter measurement module comprising hardware and configured to estimate one or more signal parameters associated with the received communication signal, the one or more signal parameters being used by a service provider location of the communication system to reconstruct the received communication signal; and
a transmitter configured to process the one or more signal parameters for transmission to the service provider location to provide a transmitted communication signal,
wherein the received communication signal comprises a sounding signal provided by the service provider location to determine characteristics of the communication system.
16. The diagnostic device of claim 15 , wherein the receiver comprises a wide-band capture receiver.
17. The diagnostic device of claim 16 , wherein the received communication signal is a wide-band communication signal, and
wherein the parameter measurement module is further configured to use the wide-band communication signal to estimate the one or more signal parameters.
18. The diagnostic device of claim 15 , wherein the receiver comprises a full-band capture receiver.
19. The diagnostic device of claim 18 , wherein the received communication signal is a full-band communication signal, and
wherein the parameter measurement module is further configured to use the full-band communication signal to estimate the one or more signal parameters.
20. A spectrum analysis device for a communication system, the spectrum analysis device comprising:
a wide-band capture receiver configured to:
process a received communication signal comprising a plurality of communication channels, and
convert more than one of the plurality of communication channels from an analog representation to a digital representation to provide a received sequence of data; and
a baseband processor configured to process one or more signal parameters associated with the received sequence of data to reconstruct at least a portion of the received communication signal.
21. The spectrum analysis device of claim 20 , wherein the wide-band capture receiver comprises a full-band capture receiver further configured to convert the plurality of communication channels from an analog, representation to a digital representation to provide the received sequence of data.
22. A spectrum analysis device for a communication system, the spectrum analysis device comprising:
a receiver configured to process a received communication signal to provide a received sequence of data;
a baseband processor configured to process one or more signal parameters associated with the received sequence of data to reconstruct at least a portion of the received communication signal; and
a display configured to display at least the portion of the received communication signal in a frequency domain or a time domain.
23. The spectrum analysis device of claim 22 , wherein the receiver comprises a wide-band capture receiver.
24. The spectrum analysis device of claim 22 , wherein the receiver comprises a full-band capture receiver.
25. A spectrum analysis device for a communication system, the spectrum analysis device comprising:
a receiver configured to process a received communication signal to provide a received sequence of data; and
a baseband processor configured to process one or more signal parameters associated with the received sequence of data to reconstruct at least a portion of the received communication signal,
wherein the baseband processor is further configured to process the received sequence of data to provide a recovered sequence of data.
26. The spectrum analysis device of claim 25 , wherein the receiver comprises a wide-band capture receiver.
27. The spectrum analysis device of claim 25 , wherein the receiver comprises a full-band capture receiver.
28. A communication system comprising a service provider location coupled to a subscriber location via a communication channel, the communication system comprising:
a diagnostic device, disposed at the subscriber location, comprising:
a receiver configured to:
process a received communication signal comprising a plurality of communication channels, and
convert each of the plurality of communication channels from an analog representation to a digital representation to provide a received sequence of data;
a parameter measurement module comprising hardware and configured to estimate a signal parameter associated with the received communication signal, the signal parameter being used by the service provider location to reconstruct the received communication signal; and
a transmitter configured to process the signal parameter for transmission to the service provider location to provide a transmitted communication signal; and
a spectrum analysis device, disposed at the service provider location, configured to process the signal parameter to reconstruct, at least, a portion of the received communication signal.
29. The communication system of claim 24 , wherein the received communication signal comprises a sounding signal.
30. The communication system of claim 29 , wherein the subscriber location comprises a sounding source and a sounding receiver.
31. The communication system of claim 29 , wherein the service provider location comprises a sounding source, and
wherein the subscriber location comprises a sounding receiver.
32. The communication system of claim 28 , wherein the communication system comprises a wired communication system.
33. The communication system of claim 32 , wherein the wired communication system comprises a Data Over Cable Service Interface Specification (DOCSIS) compliant communication system.
34. The communication system of claim 28 , wherein the communication system comprises a wireless communication system.
35. The communication system of claim 28 , wherein the receiver comprises a wide-band capture receiver.
36. The communication system of claim 35 , wherein the received communication signal is a wide-band communication signal, and
wherein the parameter measurement module is further configured to use the wide-band communication signal to estimate the one or more signal parameters.
37. The communication system of claim 28 , wherein the receiver comprises a full-band capture receiver.
38. The communication system of claim 37 , wherein the received communication signal is a full-band communication signal, and
wherein the parameter measurement module is further configured to use the full-band communication signal to estimate the one or more signal parameters.
39. A communication system comprising a service provider location coupled to a subscriber location via a communication channel, the communication system comprising:
a diagnostic device, disposed at the subscriber location, configured to estimate a signal parameter of a signal received at the subscriber location; and
a spectrum analysis device, disposed at the service provider location, comprising:
a receiver configured to process the signal received at the subscriber location to provide a received sequence of data;
a baseband processor configured to process one or more signal parameters within the received sequence of data to reconstruct at least a portion of the signal received at the subscriber location; and,
a display configured to display at least the portion of the signal received at the subscriber location in a frequency domain or a time domain.
40. The communication system of claim 39 , wherein the receiver comprises a wide-band capture receiver.
41. The communication system of claim 39 , wherein the receiver comprises a full-band capture receiver.