Communication network

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9888475-B2
Application number	US-201615198488-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 30, 2016
Priority date	Jan 14, 2013
Publication date	Feb 6, 2018
Grant date	Feb 6, 2018

Abstract

A wired network may be used to carry signals for a wireless network, in a frequency-shifted manner, to extend the range of the wireless network. A wired network may detect signal interference emanating from a wireless service provider, and received through a leak in the wired network's infrastructure. Devices may be installed or leveraged in the vicinity of the interference to extend the wireless service to geographic areas that may have poor reception. The devices may amplify wireless downstream signals and transmit them wirelessly, and may receive upstream wireless communications and transmit them upstream in the wired network's protocol.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
receiving, by a computing device and at a premises, a wireless signal associated with a first timestamp; receiving, by the computing device and at the premises, a wired signal associated with a second timestamp and a velocity of propagation constant associated with a velocity of the wired signal; determining, based on a comparison of the first timestamp and the second timestamp, a time difference; determining, based on the time difference and the velocity of propagation constant, a location of a leak; and reporting the location of the leak to a service provider.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the wireless signal is associated with the leak of the wired signal.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving, at a second premises, a second wireless signal associated with a third timestamp and further associated with the leak; and
wherein the determining the location of the leak is further based on the third timestamp.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving, by the computing device and at the premises, a signal strength associated with the wireless signal; and
wherein the determining the location of the leak is in response to determining that the signal strength associated with the wireless signal is greater than a predetermined minimum signal strength.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining a geographic location associated with the premises; and
wherein the determining the location of the leak is further based on the geographic location.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining, by the computing device, that the wired signal comprises a same data packet as the wireless signal.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the time difference comprises a distance from the premises to the leak, and wherein the method further comprises:
receiving a second distance from a second premises to the leak; and
wherein the determining the location of the leak is based on triangulating the distance from the premises to the leak and the second distance from the second premises to the leak.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the location of the leak comprises a location of an intrusion signal or a location of an interference signal.

9. A system comprising:
a computing device comprising: one or more first processors; and memory storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more first processors, cause the computing device to: receive, at a premises, a wireless signal associated with a first timestamp; receive, at the premises, a wired signal associated with a second timestamp and a velocity of propagation constant associated with a velocity of the wired signal; determine, based on a comparison of the first timestamp and the second timestamp, a time difference; determine, based on the time difference and the velocity of propagation constant, a first distance from a leak; and report the first distance from the leak; and a server comprising: one or more second processors; and memory storing instructions, that when executed by the one or more second processors, cause the server to: receive, from the computing device, the first distance from the leak.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the wireless signal is associated with the leak of the wired signal.

11. The system of claim 9 , wherein the instructions stored in the memory of the server, when executed by the one or more second processors, further cause the server to:
receive, from a second computing device, a second distance from the leak; and
determine, based on triangulating the first distance and the second distance, a location of the leak.

12. The system of claim 9 , wherein the instructions stored in the memory of the computing device, when executed by the one or more first processors, further cause the computing device to:
receive a signal strength associated with the wireless signal; and
wherein the determining the time difference is in response to determining that the signal strength associated with the wireless signal is greater than a predetermined minimum signal strength.

13. The system of claim 9 , wherein the instructions stored in the memory of the server, when executed by the one or more second processors, further cause the server to:
determine a geographic location associated with the premises; and
determine, based on the geographic location associated with the premises and the first distance from the leak, a geographic location associated with the leak.

14. The system of claim 9 , wherein the instructions stored in the memory of the computing device, when executed by the one or more first processors, further cause the computing device to:
determine that the wired signal comprises a same data packet as the wireless signal.

15. The system of claim 9 , wherein the first distance from the leak comprises a first distance from an intrusion signal or a first distance from an interference signal.

16. A computing device comprising: one or more processors; and memory storing instructions, that when executed by the one or more processors, cause the computing device to: receive, at a premises, a wireless signal associated with a first timestamp; receive, at the premises, a wired signal associated with a second timestamp and a velocity of propagation constant associated with a velocity of the wired signal; determine, based on a comparison of the first timestamp and the second timestamp, a time difference; determine, based on the time difference and the velocity of propagation constant, a location of a leak; and report the location of the leak to a service provider.

17. The computing device of claim 16 , the wireless signal is associated with the leak of the wired signal.

18. The computing device of claim 16 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the computing device to:
receive a signal strength associated with the wireless signal; and
wherein the determining the location of the leak is in response to determining that the signal strength associated with the wireless signal is greater than a predetermined minimum signal strength.

19. The computing device of claim 16 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the computing device to:
determine a geographic location associated with the premises; and
wherein the determining the location of the leak is further based on the geographic location.

20. The computing device of claim 16 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the computing device to: determine that the wired signal comprises a same data packet as the wireless signal.

21. The computing device of claim 16 , wherein the location of the leak comprises a location of an intrusion signal or a location of an interference signal.

Assignees

• Comcast Cable Comm Llc

Inventors

• Wolcott Lawrence D
• Johns Kevin

Classifications

• H04W72/02

  Selection of wireless resources by user or terminal · CPC title

• H04H20/81

  combined with telephone network over which the broadcast is continuously available · CPC title

• H04W84/045

  using private Base Stations, e.g. femto Base Stations, home Node B · CPC title

• H04H20/77

  using carrier waves · CPC title

• H04W84/105

  PBS [Private Base Station] network (H04W84/12 - H04W84/16 take precedence) · CPC title