IP Library Granted Patent US 10,735,109
Granted Patent B1
US 10,735,109 · App. 16/739,812 · Granted Aug 4, 2020

Automated analysis of RF spectrum

Inventors: Dominic Lapierre (Rigaud, CA); Luc Germain (Candiac, CA); Robert Matesevac (Wake Forest, NC)
Assignee: EXFO Inc.
H04B15/04G01R23/16H04B17/30H04L43/50H04W24/02
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,735,109
App. No.
16/739,812
Granted
Aug 4, 2020
Kind
B1
Abstract

Systems and methods e to automatically analyze and display results of tests of a link include obtaining data from one or more tests of a link, wherein the data includes samples for Antenna Carriers (AxC) for one or more AxCs auto-detected on the link; processing the data to detect peaks on any of the auto-detected AxCs on the link; performing an analysis of any detected peaks to identify any issues on the link; and causing display of a user interface that includes a reporting of any identified issues with the user interface including a display of the identified issues and a spectrum graph.

Claims (86)

1. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer readable code stored thereon for programming a test system to perform the steps of:

obtaining data from one or more tests of a link, wherein the data includes samples for Antenna Carriers (AxC) for one or more AxCs auto-detected on the link;

processing the data to detect peaks on any of the auto-detected AxCs on the link;

performing an analysis of any detected peaks to identify any issues on the link; and

causing display of a user interface that includes a reporting of any identified issues with the user interface including a display of the identified issues and a spectrum graph,

wherein the issues include identical interferers across all of the auto-detected AxCs detected by the steps of:

detecting a presence of at least one interferer for at least one AxC of the auto-detected AxCs of a same tower of the link;

determining a frequency of each interferer;

comparing the list of interferers of each AxC with that of the other AxCs;

if more than one AxC has an interferer at the same frequency, identifying that the interferers are the same; and

tagging the interferer with the list of AxCs on which it appears and the frequency.

2. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1 , wherein the auto-detected AxCs are detected by the test system each time the link transitions from link down to link up, and wherein the auto-detected AxCs are maintained in an AxC list.

3. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1 , wherein the computer readable code stored thereon further programs the test system to perform the steps of:

automatically configuring Resolution Bandwidth (RBW) and Video Bandwidth (VBW) on the spectrum graph.

4. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1 , wherein the display includes zero or more messages with a description of each associated issue and with the zero or more messages in an automatically prioritized order.

5. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1 , wherein the spectrum graph includes a full graph and a zoomed-in graph, each having tokens to visually identify peaks in each.

6. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1 , wherein the display includes at least one message with a description of a known interferer detected in the analysis, and wherein the known interferer is determined based on matching signatures in a database.

7. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1 , wherein the issues include any of known interferers, internal Passive Intermodulation (PIM), external PIM, and identical interferers across all of the auto-detected AxCs.

8. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1 , wherein the issues include known interferers detected by the steps of:

detecting a presence of at least one interferer at a known frequency on at least one AxC of the link; and

tagging this interferer at the known frequency as being potentially caused by a known device based on matching a signature.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1 , wherein the issues include internal Passive Intermodulation (PIM) detected by the steps of:

detecting a presence of a PIM in an AxC of the auto-detected AxCs of a same tower of the link;

determining a level of interference of the PIM; and

if the level of interference of the PIM is greater than a PIM detection threshold and if not all of the AxCs have a PIM, determining that the internal PIM is present on corresponding AxCs.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1 , wherein the issues include external Passive Intermodulation (PIM) detected by the steps of:

detecting a presence of a PIM in each AxC of the auto-detected AxCs of a same tower of the link;

determining a level of interference of each PIM; and

if the level of interference of each PIM is greater than a PIM detection threshold, determining that an external PIM is present.

11. A test system comprising:

a detector configured to connect to a link;

a processor; and

memory storing instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to

obtain data from one or more tests of the link, wherein the data includes samples for Antenna Carriers (AxC) for one or more AxCs auto-detected on the link;

process the data to detect peaks on any of the auto-detected AxCs on the link;

perform an analysis of any detected peaks to identify any issues on the link; and

cause display of a user interface that includes a reporting of any identified issues with the user interface including a display of the identified issues and a spectrum graph,

wherein the issues include identical interferers across all of the auto-detected AxCs detected by the instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to:

detect a presence of at least one interferer for at least one AxC of the auto-detected AxCs of a same tower of the link;

determine a frequency of each interferer;

compare the list of interferers of each AxC with that of the other AxCs;

if more than one AxC has an interferer at the same frequency, identify that the interferers are the same; and

tag the interferer with the list of AxCs on which it appears and the frequency.

12. The test system of claim 11 , wherein the auto-detected AxCs are detected by the test system each time the link transitions from link down to link up, and wherein the auto-detected AxCs are maintained in an AxC list.

13. The test system of claim 11 , wherein the memory storing instructions that, when executed, further cause the processor to

automatically configure Resolution Bandwidth (RBW) and Video Bandwidth (VBW) on the spectrum graph.

14. The test system of claim 11 , wherein the display includes zero or more messages with a description of each associated issue and with the zero or more messages in an automatically prioritized order.

15. The test system of claim 11 , wherein the spectrum graph includes a full graph and a zoomed-in graph, each having tokens to visually identify peaks in each.

16. The test system of claim 11 , wherein the display includes at least one message with a description of a known interferer detected in the analysis, and wherein the known interferer is determined based on matching signatures in a database.

17. The test system of claim 11 , wherein the issues include any of known interferers, internal Passive Intermodulation (PIM), external PIM, and identical interferers across all of the auto-detected AxCs.

18. A method comprising:

obtaining, via a test system, data from one or more tests of a link, wherein the data includes samples for Antenna Carriers (AxC) for one or more AxCs auto-detected on the link;

processing the data to detect peaks on any of the auto-detected AxCs on the link;

performing an analysis of any detected peaks to identify any issues on the link; and

causing display of a user interface that includes a reporting of any identified issues with the user interface including a display of the identified issues and a spectrum graph,

wherein the issues include identical interferers across all of the auto-detected AxCs detected by the steps of:

detecting a presence of at least one interferer for at least one AxC of the auto-detected AxCs of a same tower of the link;

determining a frequency of each interferer;

comparing the list of interferers of each AxC with that of the other AxCs;

if more than one AxC has an interferer at the same frequency, identifying that the interferers are the same; and

tagging the interferer with the list of AxCs on which it appears and the frequency.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the auto-detected AxCs are detected by the test system each time the link transitions from link down to link up, and wherein the auto-detected AxCs are maintained in an AxC list.

20. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer readable code stored thereon for programming a test system to perform the steps of:

obtaining data from one or more tests of a link, wherein the data includes samples for Antenna Carriers (AxC) for one or more AxCs auto-detected on the link;

processing the data to detect peaks on any of the auto-detected AxCs on the link;

performing an analysis of any detected peaks to identify any issues on the link; and

causing display of a user interface that includes a reporting of any identified issues with the user interface including a display of the identified issues and a spectrum graph,

wherein the spectrum graph includes a full graph and a zoomed-in graph, each having tokens to visually identify peaks in each.

21. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer readable code stored thereon for programming a test system to perform the steps of:

obtaining data from one or more tests of a link, wherein the data includes samples for Antenna Carriers (AxC) for one or more AxCs auto-detected on the link;

processing the data to detect peaks on any of the auto-detected AxCs on the link;

performing an analysis of any detected peaks to identify any issues on the link; and

causing display of a user interface that includes a reporting of any identified issues with the user interface including a display of the identified issues and a spectrum graph,

wherein the issues include known interferers detected by the steps of:

detecting a presence of at least one interferer at a known frequency on at least one AxC of the link; and

tagging this interferer at the known frequency as being potentially caused by a known device based on matching a signature.

22. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer readable code stored thereon for programming a test system to perform the steps of:

obtaining data from one or more tests of a link, wherein the data includes samples for Antenna Carriers (AxC) for one or more AxCs auto-detected on the link;

processing the data to detect peaks on any of the auto-detected AxCs on the link;

performing an analysis of any detected peaks to identify any issues on the link; and

causing display of a user interface that includes a reporting of any identified issues with the user interface including a display of the identified issues and a spectrum graph,

wherein the issues include internal Passive Intermodulation (PIM) detected by the steps of:

detecting a presence of a PIM in an AxC of the auto-detected AxCs of a same tower of the link;

determining a level of interference of the PIM;

if the level of interference of the PIM is greater than a PIM detection threshold and if not all of the AxCs have a PIM, determining that the internal PIM is present on corresponding AxCs; and

if the level of interference of each PIM is greater than a PIM detection threshold, determining that an external PIM is present.

Assignments (4)
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Aug 8, 2025
From: EXFO INC. (A CORPORATION RESULTING FROM THE AMALGAMATION OF 11172239 CANADA INC. AND EXFO INC.); ONTOLOGY-PARTNERS LIMITED
To: NATIONAL BANK OF CANADA
Reel/Frame 072338/0500 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 20, 2021
From: MATESEVAC, ROBERT
To: EXFO SERVICE ASSURANCE INC.
Reel/Frame 056305/0176 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 20, 2021
From: EXFO SERVICE ASSURANCE
To: EXFO INC.
Reel/Frame 056305/0418 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 3, 2020
From: LAPIERRE, DOMINIC; GERMAIN, LUC; MATESEVAC, ROBERT
To: EXFO INC.
Reel/Frame 051698/0593 →
Continuity (3)
Provisional Application 62861544 · Jun 14, 2019
Provisional Application 62791202 · Jan 11, 2019
Provisional Application 62819731 · Mar 18, 2019
Cited By (1)
US 12,231,210