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`Page 2 of 22
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`Page 2 of 22
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`
`
`

`
`U.S. Patent
`
`Oct. 21, 2003
`
`Sheet 2 0f5
`
`Us 6,636,603 B1
`
`
`
`FIG. 4
`
`400
`
`SUBSCRIBER
`LINE
`
`COMMUNICATION
`PROTOCOL
`
`214-555-1254
`214-555-9755
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`
`402
`
`404
`
`406
`
`408
`
`Page 3 of 22
`
`Page 3 of 22
`
`

`
`U.S. Patent
`
`(k1.21,2003
`
`Shcet3 0f5
`
`US 6,636,603 B1
`
`362
`
`364
`
`FREQUENCY
`
`IIIIII
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`GAUGE DISTURBERS ATTENUATION
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`Page 4 of 22
`
`BINDER
`GROUP SEGMENTS
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`SUBSCRIBERLINES
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`Page 4 of 22
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`

`
`U.S. Patent
`
`Oct. 21, 2003
`
`Sheet 4 0f5
`
`Us 6,636,603 B1
`
`FIG. 5
`
`FIG. 6
`
`
`
`IDENTIFY SUBSCRIBER LINE
`
`450
`
`
`
`IDENTIFY SUBSCRIBER LINES HAVING
`COMMON BINDER GROUP SEGMENT
`
`DETERMINE NOISE INFORMATION
`FOR SUBSCRIBER LINES
`
`
`
`
`DETERMINE CROSS—CHANNEL-
`COUPLING INFORMATION
`FOR SUBSCRIBER LINES
`
`STORE NOISE AND CROSS-
`CHANNEL COUPLING INFORMATION
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`DETERMINE NOISE
`INFORMATION FOR
`
`SUBSCRIBER LINES
`
`
`
`IN DATABASE
`
`STORE ATTENUATION AND
`NOISE INFORMATION
`
`
`
`452
`
`454
`
`456
`
`458
`
`460
`
`462
`
`Page 5 of 22
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`EXTRACT SUBSCRIBER LINE
`INFORMATION FROM
`
`COMPONENTS OF SYSTEM
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`DETERMINE ATTENUATION
`INFORMATION FOR
`SUBSCRIBER LINES
`
`410
`
`412
`
`414
`
`416
`
`
`
`
`
`
`RECEIVE REQUEST TO DETERMINE
`
`
`DATA RATE CAPACITY OF
`
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`SELECTED SUBSCRIBER LINE
`I‘ ‘ ‘ “ " ‘ - — — - ‘ - ‘ ‘ ' ‘ ‘ ‘ ' ‘ ‘-1
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`or SELECTED SUBSCRIBER LINE
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`Page 5 of 22
`
`

`
`U.S. Patent
`
`Oct. 21, 2003
`
`Sheet 5 0f5
`
`Us 6,636,603 B1
`
`FIG. 8
`
` 600
`
`SELECT COMMUNICATION
`PROTOCOL
`
`ATTEMPT TO CONNECT
`USING SELECTED
`COMMUNICATION PROTOCOL
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`UPDATE COMMUNICATION
`DEVICE INFORMATION
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`INITIATE OPERATION OF
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`
`Page 6 of 22
`
`Page 6 of 22
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`

`
`US 6,636,603 B1
`
`1
`SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR
`DETERMINING THE TRANSMIT POWER OF
`A COMMUNICATION DEVICE OPERATING
`ON l)IGI’I‘AI. SUBSCRIBER LINES
`
`CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED
`APPLICATIONS
`
`This application is related to and filed concurrently with
`pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/365,163,
`entitled “System and Method for Determining the Data Rate
`Capacity of Digital Subscriber Lines” and pending U.S.
`patent application Ser. No. 09/364,332, entitled “System and
`Method for Determining a Communication Protocol of a
`Communication Device Operating on Digital Subscriber
`Lines.” These applications have been commonly assigned to
`Cisco Technology, Inc.
`TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
`
`This invention relates in general to data communication,
`and more particularly to determining the transmit power of
`a communication device operating on digital subscriber
`lines.
`
`BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
`
`Traditional telephone networks are designed to provide
`voice transmissions, and performs this function well. In
`general, however, the existing telephone networks are not
`adept at high speed data transmission. Digital Subscriber
`Line technology (DSL) uses existing twisted pair telephone
`lines to transport high bandwidth data, such as multimedia,
`video on demand, and Internet access,
`to data service
`subscribers. DSL technology uses a DSL transceiver unit
`(e.g. modems, splitters, and other communication
`equipment) at the central 0 ice of the data services provider
`and at the subscriber premises to utilize a greater range of
`frequencies of the telephone line than traditional telephone
`services, resulting in high speed data transmission.
`To receive data services,
`therefore, a subscriber must
`install
`the proper communication equipment at
`the sub-
`scriber premises to support transmitting and receiving data
`using DSL technology over the existing telephone lines.
`Under certain circumstances, even a subscriber having the
`proper communication equipment may be unable to receive
`data services using particular DSL teclmologies. Since the
`conmiunicatioii equipment required at the subscriber pre-
`mises may be expensive and the quality of data services
`received is uncertain, a potential data services subscriber
`may request from the data services provider an estimate of
`the data rate capacity of the telephone line servicing the
`potential subscriber before installing the communication
`equipment.
`The data rate capacity of an existing telephone line
`generally defines the maximum throughput of the telephone
`line and typically depends on a number of factors. For
`example, the data rate capacity of a particular telephone line
`depends on the length of the telephone line, the gauge of
`Wiring used in the telephone line, and the number and type
`of noise or interference producing elements present near the
`telephone line. A typical telephone line may be arranged in
`one or more binder goup segments. In general, a binder
`group segment comprises a collection of telephone lines that
`share a common sheath. Each of the factors which affects the
`data rate capacity of a particular telephone line may vary
`among the different binder group segments of that telephone
`line.
`In addition,
`the provisioning of data services to a
`
`10
`
`20
`
`tou:
`
`toun
`
`40
`
`S0
`
`60
`
`cm:1.
`
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`subscriber premises over a telephone line in a particular
`binder group may contribute to the noise and distortion upon
`other telephone lines within the same binder group, thereby
`degrading the services already provided to other subscriber
`premises.
`Due to the number of factors affecting the data rate
`capacity of a particular telephone line, data services provid-
`ers often cannot provide an accurate estimate of the data rate
`capacity to a potential subscriber. In some cases, a data
`services provider may perform a “trucl< roll”—the dispatch
`of a service technician to install communication equipment
`or to configure the telephone line at the customer premises—
`to determine the data rate capacity of a particular telephone
`line. A truck roll, however,
`is time consuming and cost
`prohibitive for the data services provider and the subscriber.
`SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
`
`In accordance with the present invention, a system for
`determining the transmit power of a communication device
`operating on digital subscriber lines is provided which
`substantially eliminates or reduces disadvantages and prob-
`lems associated with previous communication systems.
`In accordance with one embodiment of the present
`invention, a system for determining the transmit power of a
`communication device operating on a twisted pair subscriber
`line includes a communication server coupled to a first
`subscriber line and a second subscriber line. The commu-
`nication server comprises a communication device that
`communicates a signal using the first subscriber line. The
`system includes a memory coupled to the communication
`server that stores noise information and cross-cl1annel-
`coupling information for the first subscriber line and the
`second subscriber line. Aprocessor coupled to the memory
`determines the transmit power of the communication device
`based upon the noise information and the cross-channel-
`coupling information.
`Another embodiment of the present invention is a met iod
`for determining the transmit power of a communication
`device operating on a twisted pair subscriber line. The
`method includes storing noise information for a first sub-
`scriber line and a second subscriber line. The metiod
`continues by storing cross-channel-coupling information for
`a first subscriber line and a second subscriber line. The
`method concludes by determining the transmit power of a
`communication device operating on the first subscriber ine
`based upon the noise information and the cross-channel-
`coupling information.
`Technical advantages of the present invention incluee a
`system for determining the data rate capacity of a twisted
`pair subscriber line that includes a communication server, a
`memory, and a processor. The memory stores attenuation
`information, noise information, or any other subscriber ine
`information for a plurality of subscriber lines. The processor
`determines the data rate capacity of a selected subscriber
`line using the attenuation information and the noise in or-
`mation. In this respect, a data services provider in the sys em
`may pre-provision data rates for the subscriber line of a
`subscriber prior to activating data services for the commu-
`nication equipment at the subscriber premises.
`An important advantage of the system is that the com-
`munication server includes one or more communication
`devices that support determining subscriber line information
`while providing data services to subscribers during opera-
`tion. The processor collects the subscriber line information
`from the communication server for storage in the memory.
`In this respect, the processor may collect subscriber line
`information from a number of communication servers in the
`system.
`
`Page 7 of 22
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`Page 7 of 22
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`

`
`US 6,636,603 B1
`
`3
`Another advantage of the system is that the memory can
`store attenuation information for a particular subscriber line
`based.upon the constituent binder group segments of the
`subscriber line. The processor may then determine the
`attenuation information of a selected subscriber line accord-
`ing to the attenuation characteristics contributed by each of
`its constituent binder group segments. In this respect, the
`system may more accurately determine the data rate capacity
`of a selected subscriber line.
`
`Another advantage of the present invention is a system for
`determining the transmit power of a communication device
`operating on a subscriber line of the system. The system
`includes a communication server having a communication
`device that operates on the subscriber line, a memory, and a
`processor. The memory stores noise information and cross-
`channel-coupling information for a plurality of subscriber
`lines in the system. The processor determines the transmit
`power of the communication device based upon the noise
`information and the cross—channel—coupling information. By
`determining the optimal transmit power of a communication
`device, the system may provide data services to a subscriber
`that does not degrade the data services provided to other
`subscribers.
`
`A further advantage provided by the present invention is
`that the system may select a communication protocol for the
`communication device that is best adapted to provided the
`determined transmit power spectrum. In some instances
`when the communication device is inoperable to communi-
`cate data using a first communication protocol, such as an
`XDSL communication protocol, the system may operate the
`communication device using an alternative communication
`protocol, such as a V—series communication protocol. In this
`respect, a subscriber of the system is less likely to suller a
`loss of data services.
`
`Other technical advantages are readily apparent to one
`skilled in the art from the following figures, descriptions,
`and claims.
`
`BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
`
`For a more complete understanding of the present inven-
`tion and its advantages, reference is now made to the
`following description taken in conjunction with the accom-
`panying drawings, in which like reference numbers indicate
`like features and wherein:
`
`FIG. 1 illustrates a block diagram of a communication
`system that provides telephone and data service to subscrib-
`ers in accordance with the present invention;
`FIG. 2 illustrates one arrangement of subscribers in the
`communication system;
`FIG. 3 illustrates one example of subscriber line infor-
`mation stored in a database of the communication system;
`FIG. 4 illustrates one example of communication device
`information stored in a database of the communication
`system;
`FIG. 5 illustrates a method for managing subscriber line
`information for the communication system;
`FIG. 6 illustrates a method for determining the transmit
`power of communication devices operating on a subscriber
`line of the communication system;
`FIG. 7 illustrates a method for determining the data rate
`capacity of a subscriber line of the communication system;
`and
`
`FIG. 8 illustrates a method for determining a communi-
`cation protocol of a communication device operating on a
`subscriber line of the communication system.
`
`10
`
`20
`
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`
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`
`40
`
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`
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`
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`
`4
`DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE
`INVENTION
`
`FIG. 1 illustrates a communication system 10 that pro-
`vides both telephone and data services to subscribers 12.
`Each of several central ollices 14 is coupled o a number of
`subscribers 12 using subscriber lines 16. A system manage-
`ment server 18 is coupled to each central 0 ice 14 using a
`data li11k 20. A system management database 22 is coupled
`to each central office 14 using a data link 24 and coupled to
`server 18 using a data link 26. In general, database 22 stores
`subscriber line information 28 and communication device
`information 29 defining the physical and operating charac-
`teristics of subscriber lines 16 and communication devices
`60 of communication system 10, respectively. In one aspect
`of operation, system management server 18 determines the
`approximate data rate capacity of selected subscriber lines
`16 for subscribers 12 using subscriber line information 28
`stored in database 22. In another aspect of operation, server
`18 determines the optimal transmit power for a communi-
`cation device operating on a subscriber line 16. In yet
`another aspect of operation, server 18 determines that a
`communication device 60 is inoperable to communicate
`with a commtmication device 42 using a first communica-
`tion protocol and,
`in response,
`initiates the operation of
`communication device 60 using an alternative communica-
`tion protocol.
`Subscriber 12 includes a telephone 30 and a computer 32,
`both coupled to an interface 34. A splitter 36 is coupled to
`subscriber line 16 and operates to split subscriber lines 16
`into a twisted pair phone line 38 and a twisted pair data line
`40. In a particular embodiment of system 10 employing the
`“G.lite” standards of the International Telecommunications
`Union—Tclecommunications Standard Section, splitter 36
`need not be used. Phone line 38 is coupled to telephone 30
`using interface 34. Similarly, data line 40 is coupled to
`computer 32 using interface 34. Subscriber 12 refers to the
`subscriber premises shown in FIG. 1, one or more compo-
`nents at the subscriber premises, as well as the user of these
`components.
`telephone transceiver, a
`Telephone 30 is a traditional
`cordless telephone transceiver, or any other device suitable
`for allowing communication over telephone line 38. Com-
`puter 32 comprises a mainframe device, mini-frame device,
`server, desktop personal computer, notebook personal
`computer, or other suitable computing device. A computer
`32 of a subscriber 12 already equipped to receive data
`service from communication system 10 includes an XDSI
`modem 42 that communicates data using data line 40.
`Subscribers 12 seeking to obtain but which do not currently
`receive data service from communication system 10 may or
`may not yet be equipped with a modem 42, and are generally
`referred to as new subscribers 12. Modern 42 couples to
`other components of computer 32 using a Peripheral Com-
`ponent Interconnect (PCI) bus, an Industrial Standard Archi-
`tecture (ISA) bus, a Personal Computer Memory Card
`International Association (PCMCIA) Interface, or any other
`suitable technology that provides input/output capability to
`computer 32. The selection and design of modem 42 for
`computer 32 may depend on the type or functionality of
`computer 32, the data rate capacity supported by data line
`40, and the communication protocols supported by central
`office 14, as described in greater detail below.
`Modern 42 comprises any suitable communication device
`that transmits and receives data in communication system 10
`using any suitable digital subscriber line technology
`(XDSL), referred to generally as an XDSI communication
`
`Page 8 of 22
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`Page 8 of 22
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`

`
`US 6,636,603 B1
`
`5
`protocol. Modem 42 also supports Ethernet; fast Ethernet;
`V-series data protocols such as V.32bis, V.32terbo, V34,
`V42, V.42bis, and V00; data frame relay; Asynchronous
`Transfer Mode (ATM), switched multi-mega-bit data service
`(SMDS); high level data link control (IIDLC); serial line
`Internet protocol
`(SLIP); point—to—point protocol
`(PPP);
`trar1sr11ission control protocol,/Internet protocol (TCP/TP); or
`any other appropriate protocol, collectively referred to as
`digital communication protocols. Digital communication
`protocols and XDSL communication protocols may be
`generically and/or collectively referred to as communication
`protocols. Computer 32 may include a network interface to
`receive data from central oflice 14 or to further communicate
`data to a local area network (LAN), wide area network
`(VVAN), or other suitable network coupled to computer 32
`using link 44. In general, modem 42 translates information
`between the communication protocol supported by commu-
`nication system 10 and the digital protocol supported by
`computer 32.
`Interface 34 couples phone line 38 to telephone 30, and
`data line 40 to computer 32. In one embodiment, interface 34
`provides additional couplings to additional telephones 30
`and computers 32 at subscriber 12. Splitter 36 is a passive
`or active splitter that divides subscriber line 16 into phone
`line 38 and data line 40 of the same type. Throughout this
`description, phone line 38 and data line 40 may be referred
`to specifically, or collectively as part of subscriber line 16.
`Communication system 10 includes a plurality of central
`offices 14 coupled to system management server 18 and
`system management database 22. Each central offiee 14 is
`coupled to subscribers 12 using twisted pair subscriber lines
`16. In an exemplary embodiment, each central office 14
`provides phone and data service to many subscribers, with
`each subscriber 12 including one or more components
`described above at its premises. The subscribers and sub-
`scriber lines in cor11i11ur1ication system 10 are referred to
`collectively in the plural as subscribers 12 and subscriber
`lines 16.
`Subscriber line 16 couples subscriber 12 to central ollice
`14. Subscriber line 16 comprises twisted pair wiring that is
`con1r11only installed at subscriber premises and as the local
`loop in many public switched telephone networks (PSTNS).
`Subscriber line 16 may be unshielded twisted pair (UTP),
`shielded twisted pair (STP), or any other suitable type or
`category of twisted pair wiring made of copper or other
`suitable material. Phone line 38 and data line 40 associated
`with subscriber line 16 may be the same or different type or
`category of twisted pair wiring. Asubscriber line 16 between
`central office 14 and a particular subscriber 12 may be
`arranged in a binder group 45 comprising one or more binder
`group segments 46. In general, a binder group segment 46
`comprises a collection of subscriber lines 16 that share a
`common “sheath.” Interference between subscriber lines 16
`in a binder group 45 presents a level of complexity in XDSL
`deployment, as described in greater detail below with regard
`to FIG. 2.
`In general, communication system 10 employs XDSL
`technology to provide higl1—bar1dwidth downlink data rates
`80 and uplink data rates 82 for subscriber lines 16. Data rates
`80 and 82 comprise a measure of the number of data bits that
`may be transmitted by subscriber line 16 from central office
`14 to subscriber 12 and from subscriber 12 to central office
`14, respectively, as a function of time. Typically, data rates
`80 and 82 of a subscriber line 16 depend on a number of
`physical and operational characteristics of the subscriber
`line 16, including the length of subscriber line 16; its wire
`gauge; and the presence of bridged taps, cross—coupled
`
`10
`
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`
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`
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`
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`
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`6
`interference, or any other noise or interference producing
`elements, generally referred to as disturbers, in system 10.
`Information defining the physical and operational charac-
`teristics of a subscriber line 16 is generally referred to as
`subscriber line information 28.
`
`Downlink data rate 80 and uplink data rate 82 depend on
`the specific communication protocol employed, the quality
`and length of subscriber line 16, the contribution of noise
`and distortion from other components in communication
`system 10, and any other physical or operational character-
`istics of a subscriber line 16. A particular advantage pro-
`vided by communication system 10 is that system manage-
`ment server 18 may approximate downlink data rate 80 and
`uplink data rate 82 for a particular subscriber line 16 using
`the physical and operational characteristics of the particular
`subscriber line 16 and other subscriber lines 16 as indicated
`by subscriber line information 28 stored in database 22. In
`this regard, a central oflice 14 may pre-provision data rates
`80 and 82 for a subscriber line 16 of a new subscriber 12
`prior to activating data services for modem 42 or for any
`other communication equipment at subscriber premises 12.
`Central ollice 14 includes a splitter 50 coupled to sub-
`scriber lir1es 16. Like splitter 36 at subscriber 12, splitter 50
`at central office 14 is a passive or active splitter that divides
`suascriber line 16 into a twisted pair phone line 52 and a
`twisted pair data line 54. Phone line 52 and data line 54
`associated with subscriber line 16 may be the same or
`di erent type or category of twisted pair wiring. A telephone
`switch 56 at central 0 ice 14 is coupled to phone line 52 to
`provide plain old tele ohone system (POTS) service to sub-
`scriber 12. Telephone switch 56 also represents other com-
`ponents in the PSTN or other suitable voice communication
`network, such as switches, wireline or wireless links,
`satellites, microwave inks, and other communication facili-
`ties to deliver telephone service to subscriber 12.
`A communication server 58 comprises any suitable com-
`bination of hardware and software that resides at central
`office 14, at a remote terminal, or any other suitable access
`point in system 10 that allows coupling to local loops formed
`by subscriber lines 16. In one embodiment, a communica-
`tion server 58 couples to splitter 50 of central office 14 using
`data line 54. Generally, communication server 58 manages
`the provisioning of data service to subscriber 12, and
`includes modems 60 coupled to a controller 62 using a link
`64.
`
`A modem 60 comprises any suitable communication
`device that transmits and receives data in communication
`system 10 using any suitable communication protocol sup-
`ported by subscriber lines 16. Modems 60 may be integrated
`into any suitable chipset that includes the appropriate hard-
`ware and memory to support
`the data scrambling and
`descrambling, encoding and decoding,
`interleaving and
`deinterleaving, data insertion and extraction,
`filtering,
`amplifying, and other signal processing techniques
`employed by the appropriate communication protocols.
`Modern 60 refers to one or more modems at central office 14,
`as well as any of the components of the modem chipset.
`Controller 62 comprises any suitable combination of
`hardware and software that performs o lhook detection to
`determine if subscriber 12 desires data service and couples
`a modem 60 to subscriber line 16 upon detecting a need for
`data service from a computer 32 of subscriber 12. Controller
`62 also tracks subscriber usage, monitors subscriber infor-
`mation and generates billing and demographic information.
`An important advantage of communication server 58 is
`that modems 60 support determining subscriber line infor-
`
`Page 9 of 22
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`Page 9 of 22
`
`

`
`US 6,636,603 B1
`
`7
`mation 28 of subscriber lines 16 while providing data
`service to subscribers 12, as described in detail below.
`System management controller 74 polls modems 60
`periodically, in response to an external stimulus, or upon an
`event time-out to collect the subscriber line information 28
`for subscriber lines 16 and to communicate it to system
`management server 18 using links 76 and 20.
`Communication server 58 multiplexes modem digital
`outputs into a multiplexed digital line 66 for delivery to a
`router or other network device 68. In one embodiment,
`multiplex digital line 66 carries a single, bidirectional and
`multiplexed signal for all subscribers 12 of a particular
`central o ice 14. Signals on multiplexed digital line 66 may
`support any appropriate digital protocol used by network
`device 68. In this regard, communication server 58 and
`network device 68 may form a portion of a Digital Sub-
`scriber Link Access Multiplexer (DSLAM) 69 at central
`office 14. A coirimuriicatiori network 70, such as a global
`communication network like the Internet,
`is coupled to
`network device 68. Communication network 70 may also
`include a synchronous optical network (SONET), a frame
`relay network, an Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM)
`network, a T1, T3, E1, or E3 network, or any other suitable
`communication network.
`System interface controller 74 comprises any suitable
`system controller card at DSLAM 69 that supports simple
`network management protocol (SNMP), or any other suit-
`able protocol that communicates data to system management
`server 18 using link 20 and any suitable in-band or out-of-
`band signaling techniques. In particular, system interface
`controller 74 communicates to server 18 as SNMP variables
`the subscriber line information 28 extracted from various
`components of system 10, such as from modem 60. Line 20
`comprises any suitable switched or dedicated coir1r11ui1iea—
`tion path that supports comiriunication between controller 74
`and server 18 using SNMP, or any other suitable protocol.
`Although controller 74 is illustrated in FIG. 1 integrated into
`DSLAM 69 at central office 14, it should be understood that
`one or more controllers 74 may alternatively be integrated
`into and managed by server 18 on behalf of one or more
`central 0 ices 14. In this regard, server 18 may collect
`subscriber line information 28 from a number of central
`offices 14 in communication system 10.
`Database management server 72 may comprise any suit-
`able computing platform operating database management
`software that generally stores, updates, and retrieves infor-
`mation. The database management software may be used to
`access several different databases stored locally or remotely
`for different purposes within central office 14.
`In one
`embodiment, the database management server 72 of a par-
`ticular central oflice 14 maintains in system management
`database 22 a portion of subscriber line information 28.
`Typically,
`this information includes a subscriber line
`identifier, the length of the subscriber line, the gauge of
`twisted pair wiring used for the subscriber line, and the
`number and type of disturbers associated with the subscriber
`line 16. In one embodiment, this information may be stored
`arranged according to the different binder group segments
`46 of each subscriber line 16. The database management
`software operating on server 72 manages the security and
`user access of the stored information on behalf of central
`office 14. A user with proper security clearance may access
`server 72 and database 22 to store, update, or retrieve the
`above—ider1tified subscriber line information 28.
`System management server 18 comprises any suitable
`computing platform 100 operating a system management
`application 102. Computing platform 100 includes a pro-
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`cessor 104 coupled to one or more output devices 106, such
`as a display or speaker, and one or more input devices 108,
`such as a keyboard or mouse. Platform 100 also includes a
`communication interface 110, such as the appropriate hard-
`ware (e.g., one or more modems,
`terminal adapters, or
`network interface cards) and software (e.g., protocol con-
`version and data processing software) to communicate with
`modems 60 using interface controller 74. Platform 100 also
`includes memory 112 that stores application 102 and any
`associated liles,
`tables, or bullers,
`in RAM, ROM,
`CD—ROM, or any other form of magnetic or optical storage.
`Application 102 comprises a set or collection of
`instructions, procedures, and/or related data adapted for
`implementation in a suitable computer language such as, for
`example, C, C++, or any other suitable development lan-
`guage. Application 102 may be a stand-alone application or
`delivered integral
`to or with other system management
`software. In general, application 102 determines the optimal
`transmit power spectrum density of modems 60 and 42.
`Application 102 also determines the appropriate communi-
`cation protocol to use for a modem 60 or 42 providing data
`services to a subscriber 12. Application 102 further deter-
`mines the approximate data rate capacity 80 and 82 of
`subscriber lines 16.
`
`System management database 22 comprises any suitable
`form of memory arranged, for example, as a data storage
`facility or a data warehouse that provides a consistent,
`updated, and integrated view of subscriber line information
`28 and communication device information 29 gathered by
`central offices 14 and system management server 18 of
`system 10. Information 28 and 29 may be stored in files,
`tables, charts, matrices, or in any other suitable organization
`of data that is readily accessible by server 18 and central
`offices 14. Server 18 and database 22 may be referred to
`collectively as a communication facility.
`Subscriber line information 28 comprises information
`defining the physical and operational characteristics of sub-
`scriber lines 16 in system 10. Infomiation defining the
`physical characteristics of subscriber lines 16 includes a
`subscriber line identifier, the length of each subscriber line
`16, the number and arrangement of binder group segments
`46 for each subscriber line 16, the gauge of twisted pair
`wiring used in each binder group segment 46 of subscriber
`line 16, the number and type of disturbers for each binder
`group segment 46 of subscriber line 16, cross—channel
`coupling information for subscriber lines 16, or any other
`information defining the physical characteristics of sub-
`scriber lines 16. The information defining the physical
`characteristics of subscriber line 16 may be maintained by
`either system management server 18 or by the database
`management server 72 of each central office 14 in system 10.
`The information defining the operational characteristics
`of subscriber lines 16 includes attenuation information and
`noise information for subscriber lines 16 of system 10. The
`attenuation information and noise information may be deter-
`mined as a function of the information delining the physical
`characteristics of subscriber lir1es 16 by performing attenu-
`ation estimation and noise estimation algorithms.
`Alternatively,
`the attenuation information and the noise
`information of a particular subscriber line 16 may be deter-
`mined based upon information acquired by the appropriate
`modem pairs (e.g., a modem 60 at central ofliee 14 and a
`modem 42 at subscriber 12 ) over a statistically significant
`period of time, as described in greater detail below.
`Communication device information 29 comprises infor-
`mation defining the physical characteristics of communica-
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`US 6,636,603 B1
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`9
`tiori devices in system 10 such as the number and type of
`modems 60 available for use, and the type of communication
`protocols supported by modems 60. Information 29 further
`comprises information defining the operational characteris-
`tics of communication devices in system 10, such as the
`number of times a particular modem 60 fails to communi-
`cate witli a particular modem 42 using a particular sub-
`scriber line 16 and a particular communication protocol.
`Communication device information 29 is described in
`greater detail with reference to FIG. 4