Patent US5874992A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US5874992A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Cable television data bit path error analyzer
Assignee: Arris Technology Inc
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Filing: 1996-08-16
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Granted: 1999-02-23
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Expires: 2016-08-16
Abstract
Abstract A system for determining the quality of data received by settop terminals including at least one settop terminal which analyses each data packet received by the settop terminal and determines whether the received data packet includes errors. The bit error rate is continually calculated, monitored and stored. When the bit error rate exceeds a predetermined threshold, the settop terminal generates a warning signal for transmission to the headend, which diagnoses the problem. The cable system headend utilizes the results from a group of households that have the same problem in order to isolate the source of failure.
Inventors
- 👤 Louis Caporizzo
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-09 15:09
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04H; H04H20/00; H04H20/12; H04L; H04L1/00; H04L1/20; H04L1/24; H04N; H04N17/00; H04N7/00; H04N7/10; H04N7/102; H04N7/16; H04N7/162; H04N7/165; H04N7/173; H04N7/17345; H04N7/17354; H04H20/65; H04H20/76; H04H20/77; H04H20/78
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 16
Claim 1
Independent Claim
86 words
A cable television transmission system comprising: a headend comprising: means for receiving data signals from settop terminals; and means for determining whether said received data signals include errors, wherein said determining means is selectively operable in response to an initiation message; and a plurality of settop terminals, each comprising: means for transmitting data signals to said headend; and means for transmitting an initiation message to said headend whereby the settop terminal initiates the headend's determination of error in data signals which it transmits to said headend.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
86 words
A cable television transmission system comprising: a headend comprising: means for receiving data signals from settop terminals; and means for determining whether said received data signals include errors, wherein said determining means is selectively operable in response to an initiation message; and a plurality of settop terminals, each comprising: means for transmitting data signals to said headend; and means for transmitting an initiation message to said headend whereby the settop terminal initiates the headend's determination of error in data signals which it transmits to said headend.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
26 words
The system of claim 1 wherein said headend further includes analysis means for diagnosing the source of the errors within the transmission system by repetitive deduction.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
24 words
The system of claim 1 wherein said data signals are transmitted by said settop terminals in an addressable data stream addressed to said headend.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
43 words
The system of claim 1 wherein said settop terminals further include means for sequentially selecting a plurality of frequencies for transmitting said data signals and said headend receiving means further includes means for selectively receiving said data signals over said plurality of frequencies.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
16 words
The system of claim 4 wherein said selection means periodically repeats said selection at predetermined times.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
43 words
The system of claim 1 wherein said determining means further comprises first counter means for counting the total number of received bytes of received data signals and second counter means for counting the number of received bytes of received data signals with errors.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
37 words
The system of claim 6 wherein said calculating means includes a processor which divides the number of received bytes of data with errors by the total number of received bytes of data to determine said error rate.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
34 words
The system of claim 7 wherein said first counter means stores said total number of received bytes of data and said second counter means stores the number of received bytes of data with errors.
Claim 10
Independent Claim
107 words
A method for upstream communications in a cable television transmission system wherein a headend transmits programming over a plurality of channels to a plurality of settop terminals and wherein at least some of the settop terminals transmit data signals to the headend, said method comprising the steps of: transmitting data signals from one of the settop terminals to the headend; receiving said transmitted data signals at the headend; transmitting an instruction message from said one settop terminal to the headend; receiving said instruction message at the headend; determining the error rate of said received data signals at the headend in response to reception of said instruction message.
Claim 11
Independent Claim
107 words
A method for upstream communications in a cable television transmission system wherein a headend transmits programming over a plurality of channels to a plurality of settop terminals and wherein at least some of the settop terminals transmit data signals to the headend, said method comprising the steps of: transmitting data signals from one of the settop terminals to the headend; receiving said transmitted data signals at the headend; transmitting an instruction message from said one settop terminal to the headend; receiving said instruction message at the headend; determining the error rate of said received data signals at the headend in response to reception of said instruction message.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
100 words
The method of claim 9 further comprising: transmitting data signals from each of a plurality of settop terminals to the headend; receiving said transmitted data signals at the headend; transmitting an instruction message from each of said plurality of settop terminals to the headend; receiving said instruction messages at the headend; determining the error rate of each of said received data signals at the headend in response to reception of said instruction messages; and diagnosing the source of the errors within the transmission system by repetitive deduction of the determined error rates of the received data signals at the headend.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
25 words
The method of claim 9 wherein said received data signals are transmitted by said settop terminal in an addressable data stream addressed to said headend.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
60 words
The method of claim 9 wherein the step of determining the error rate includes: counting the total number of received bytes of said received data signals; counting the number of received bytes of said received data signals with errors; and dividing the number of received bytes with errors by the total number of received bytes to determine said error rate.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
25 words
The method of claim 9 further comprising analyzing said error rate of each settop terminal which transmitted said instruction message to isolate said component failure.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
19 words
A method of claim 9 wherein said instruction message is transmitted on demand or periodically by said settop terminal.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2002-02-22 | 2002-08-24 | 2003-02-23 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2006-02-22 | 2006-08-24 | 2007-02-23 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2010-02-22 | 2010-08-24 | 2011-02-23 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |