METHODS FOR INGRESS REMEDIATION IN CABLE COMMUNICATION SYSTEMS

摘要

Potential points of neighborhood node ingress in a cable communication system are identified based on a neighborhood node ingress map. One or more local test signals are then transmitted at or proximate to the potential point(s) of ingress. A local test signal amplitude is received/monitored at or proximate to the potential point(s) of ingress, wherein the amplitude represents a strength of a received test signal based on ingress of the transmitted test signal into one or more faults of the cable communication system. Accordingly, the one or more faults may be identified based on relatively higher received/monitored test signal amplitudes pursuant to transmission of the test signal(s) at or proximate to the potential point(s) of ingress.

主权项

1. A method for facilitating detection of ingress in at least one neighborhood node of a cable communication system, the cable communication system comprising:
a headend or hub comprising:
a headend optical/radio frequency (RF) converter; anda cable modem system coupled to the headend optical/RF converter; and a first neighborhood node of the at least one neighborhood node, the first neighborhood node having an infrastructure comprising:
a first fiber optic cable coupled to the headend optical/RF converter;a first node optical/RF converter coupled to the first fiber optic cable;a first RF hardline coaxial cable plant, coupled to the first node optical/RF converter and traversing the first neighborhood node, to convey to the headend or hub at least first upstream information from a plurality of first subscriber premises over an upstream path bandwidth including a range of frequencies from approximately 5 MHz to at least approximately 42 MHz; anda plurality of first subscriber service drops, coupled to the first RF hardline coaxial cable plant and to the plurality of first subscriber premises, to provide the first upstream information from the plurality of first subscriber premises to the first RF hardline coaxial cable plant, the method comprising: A) directing a mobile broadcast apparatus including a transmitter along a first neighborhood node drive path proximate to the first RF hardline coaxial cable plant so as to effectively traverse and ensure substantially full coverage of the first subscriber neighborhood; B) during A), broadcasting from the transmitter a test signal at a plurality of locations distributed along at least a substantial portion of the first neighborhood node drive path, the test signal having at least one test signal frequency falling within the upstream path bandwidth; C) during A), electronically recording first geographic information corresponding to respective positions of the mobile broadcast apparatus along at least the substantial portion of the first neighborhood node drive path so as to generate a first record of the first geographic information; D) during A) and throughout traversing at least the substantial portion of the first neighborhood node drive path, recording, via an analyzer coupled to a first junction of the cable modem system and the headend optical/RF converter or a second junction of the hardline cable plant and the first node optical/RF converter, a plurality of signal amplitudes at the test signal frequency so as to generate a second record, the plurality of signal amplitudes representing a strength of a received upstream test signal as a function of time, based on B) and test signal ingress of the test signal into at least one fault in the first RF hardline coaxial cable plant; E) based on the first record generated in C) and the second record generated in D), electronically generating a first neighborhood node ingress map comprising:
a first graphical representation of the first neighborhood node drive path; anda second graphical representation, overlaid on the first graphical representation, of the plurality of signal amplitudes, at least along the substantial portion of the first neighborhood node drive path, so as to illustrate the test signal ingress of the test signal into at least the first RF hardline coaxial cable plant of the first neighborhood node; F) based on the first neighborhood node ingress map generated in E), identifying at least one potential point of first neighborhood node ingress into the first RF hardline cable plant of the first neighborhood node; G) transmitting at least one first local test signal at or proximate to the at least one potential point of first neighborhood node ingress into the first RF hardline cable plant, the at least one first local test signal having at least one first local test signal frequency; H) receiving, at or proximate to the at least one potential point of first neighborhood node ingress, at least one first local test signal amplitude representing a first strength, at the first junction of the cable modem system and the headend optical/RF converter or the second junction of the RF hardline coaxial cable plant and the first node optical/RF converter, of a received upstream first local test signal, based on G) and first local test signal ingress of the at least one first local test signal into the at least one fault in the first RF hardline coaxial cable plant; and I) based at least in part on the at least one first local test signal amplitude received in H), identifying, at or proximate to the at least one potential point of first neighborhood node ingress, the at least one fault in the first RF hardline coaxial cable plant.