Systems, methods, and storage media for testing local loops of telecommunications networks

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11277509-B2
Application number	US-202017128737-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 21, 2020
Priority date	Nov 16, 2018
Publication date	Mar 15, 2022
Grant date	Mar 15, 2022

Abstract

Automatic testing/analysis of local loops of telecommunications networks includes obtaining bits-per-tone data for a local loop of a telecommunications network and generating a bit value string from the bits-per-tone data. The bit value string is then analyzed to determine whether it includes a bit pattern indicative of an impairment of the local loop. Further approaches for automatically testing local loops of telecommunications networks include obtaining attenuation data for multiple tones carried by the local loop and determining whether the attenuation data falls below thresholds for providing a service using the local loop.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system for automatically testing local loops of telecommunications networks, the system comprising:
one or more hardware processors configured by machine-readable instructions to:
obtain attenuation data collected by a computing device communicatively coupleable with a local loop of a telecommunications network, the attenuation data including a first attenuation value for a first tone carried by the local loop, the first attenuation value indicating attenuation for the first tone, and a second attenuation value for a second tone carried by the local loop, the second attenuation indicating attenuation for the second tone;
obtain a first attenuation threshold for the first tone and a second attenuation for the second tone, the first attenuation threshold indicating an allowable attenuation for the first tone for providing a service over the local loop and the second attenuation threshold indicated an allowable attenuation for the second tone for providing the service over the local loop; and
determine whether at least one of the first attenuation value exceeds the first attenuation threshold or the second attenuation value exceeds the second attenuation threshold,
wherein the first attenuation threshold is a first previous attenuation value for the first tone measured on the local loop and the second attenuation threshold is a second previous attenuation value for the second tone measured on the local loop.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the computing device is a digital subscriber line access multiplexer (DSLAM).

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the computing device is a portable testing unit.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the one or more hardware processors are further configured by machine-readable instructions to:
generate a result indicating whether the at least one of the first attenuation value exceeds the first attenuation threshold or the second attenuation value exceeds the second attenuation threshold; and
transmit the result to the portable testing unit.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the local loop has a line type and a line length, and the one or more hardware processors are further configured by machine-readable instructions to:
calculate the first attenuation threshold based on the line type, the line length, and a frequency of the first tone; and
calculate the second attenuation threshold based on the line type, the line length, and a frequency of the second tone.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the service is a first service, the one or more hardware processors are further configured by machine-readable instructions to:
obtain a third attenuation threshold for the first tone and a fourth attenuation for the second tone, the third attenuation threshold indicating an allowable attenuation for the first tone for providing a second service over the local loop and the second attenuation threshold indicating a second allowable attenuation for the second tone for providing the second service over the local loop; and
determine whether at least one of the first attenuation value exceeds the third attenuation threshold or the second attenuation value exceeds the fourth attenuation threshold.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein:
the first tone is within an upstream band of the local loop, and
the second tone is within a downstream band of the local loop.

8. A method of automatically testing local loops of telecommunications networks, the method comprising:
obtaining, at a computing system, attenuation data collected by a computing device coupled with a local loop of a telecommunications network, the attenuation data including a first attenuation value for a first tone carried by the local loop, the first attenuation value indicating attenuation for the first tone, and a second attenuation value for a second tone carried by the local loop, the second attenuation indicating attenuation for the second tone;
obtaining, at the computing system, a first attenuation threshold for the first tone and a second attenuation for the second tone, the first attenuation threshold indicating an allowable attenuation for the first tone for delivering a service over the local loop and the second attenuation threshold indicated an allowable attenuation for the second tone for delivering the service over the local loop; and
determining, using the computing system, at least one of the first attenuation value exceeds the first attenuation threshold or the second attenuation value exceeds the second attenuation threshold,
wherein the first attenuation threshold is a first previous attenuation value for the first tone measured on the local loop and the second attenuation threshold is a second previous attenuation value for the second tone measured on the local loop.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the computing device is a digital subscriber line access multiplexer (DSLAM).

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein the computing device is a portable testing unit, the method further comprising:
generating, at the computing system, a result indicating whether the at least one of the first attenuation value exceeds the first attenuation threshold or the second attenuation value exceeds the second attenuation threshold; and
transmitting the result to the portable testing unit to cause the portable testing unit to display the result.

11. The method of claim 8 , wherein the local loop has a line type and a line length and obtaining the first attenuation threshold and the second attenuation threshold comprises:
calculating the first attenuation threshold based on the line type, the line length, and a frequency of the first tone; and
calculating the second attenuation threshold based on the line type, the line length, and a frequency of the second tone.

12. The method of claim 8 , wherein the service is a first service, the one or more hardware processors are further configured by machine-readable instructions to:
obtain a third attenuation threshold for the first tone and a fourth attenuation for the second tone, the third attenuation threshold indicating a second allowable attenuation for the first tone for delivering a second service over the local loop and the second attenuation threshold indicated a second allowable attenuation for the second tone for delivering the second service over the local loop; and
determine whether at least one of the first attenuation value exceeds the third attenuation threshold or the second attenuation value exceeds the fourth attenuation threshold.

13. The method of claim 8 , wherein:
the first tone is within an upstream band of the local loop, and
the second tone is within a downstream band of the local loop.

14. A tangible, non-transitory, computer-readable media having instructions encoded thereon, the instructions, when executed by a processor are operable to:
obtain attenuation data collected by a computing device communicatively coupled with a local loop of a telecommunications network, the attenuation data including a first attenuation value for a first tone carried by the local loop, the first attenuation value indicating attenuation for the first tone, and a second attenuation value for a second tone carried by the local loop, the second attenuation indicating attenuation for the second tone;
obtain a first attenuation threshold for the first tone and a second attenuation for the second tone, the first attenuation threshold indicating an allowable attenuation for the first tone for delivering a service over the local loop and the second attenuation threshold indicated an allowable attenuation for the second tone for delivering the service over the local

Assignees

• Level 3 Communications Llc

Inventors

• Woldahl Thomas C
• Helfrich Erik V
• Durkin Michael J
• North Larry J
• Khan Abid

Classifications

• H04M3/30 Primary

  for subscriber's lines {, for the local loop} · CPC title

• H04M3/323 Primary

  for the arrangements providing the connection (test connection, test call, call simulation) · CPC title

• H04L43/50

  Testing arrangements · CPC title

• H04L5/1476

  operating bitwise · CPC title

• H04M3/304

  and using xDSL modems (xDSL line qualification H04M3/306) · CPC title