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US 10,033,618 B1Granted
Systems and methods for evaluating customer premises networks
AssigneeSpirent Communications, Inc.
InventorsDouglas Grinkemeyer, David Dailey
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A tester system described herein enables a user (e.g., a field technician) to efficiently and conveniently upgrade, evaluate and troubleshoot customer premises networks and equipment. The tester system includes a dedicated tester device that is wirelessly coupled to a handheld device. In response to user input, the handheld device remotely controls the dedicated tester device to execute a testing routine to evaluate one or more customer premises wired and/or wireless networks.
Claims25
A tester device to evaluate a wired network, the tester device including:
- a first wired connector to couple the tester device to the wired network;
- a second wired connector to couple the tester device to the wired network;
- wherein the tester device is dedicated to testing, without a local input for initiating tests or a local display for test results, and not incorporated into a service provider installed interface or customer-premises equipment (CPE);
- a wireless transceiver to wirelessly couple the tester device to a handheld device;
- and
- a signal processing module coupled to the first and second wired connectors and the wireless transceiver, and including logic to:
- emulate, as the CPE, a set-top box to receive a first signal on the first wired connector;
- emulate, as the CPE, a modem to send or receive a second signal on the second wired connector;
- receive command data from the handheld device to execute a testing routine on the first signal and the second signal;
- analyze the first signal or the second signal during the testing routine to produce reports concerning one or more performance metrics of the first signal or the second signal;
- and
- transmit the reports for display on the handheld device.
9 more elements
A tester device to evaluate a wired and a wireless network, the tester device including:
- a wired connector to couple the tester device to the wired network;
- a wireless connector to couple the tester device to the wireless network;
- wherein the tester device is dedicated to testing and not incorporated into a service provider installed interface or customer-premises equipment (CPE);
- a wireless transceiver to wirelessly couple the tester device to a handheld device;
- and
- a signal processing module coupled to the wired connector and the wireless connector, and including logic to:
- receive a signal on the wired connector;
- receive command data from the handheld device to execute a first testing routine on the received signal over the wired connector;
- analyze the received signal during the first testing routine to produce reports concerning one or more performance metrics of the received signal;
- receive a second signal on the wireless connector;
- receive command data from the handheld device to execute a second testing routine on the received second signal;
- analyze the received second signal to produce second reports concerning one or more performance metrics of the received second signal;
- and
- transmit the second reports for display on the handheld device.
11 more elements
A method of evaluating a wired network, the method including:
- connecting a first wired connector and a second wired connector of a tester device to the wired network;
- wherein the tester device is dedicated to testing and not incorporated into a service provider installed interface or customer-premises equipment (CPE);
- wirelessly coupling the tester device to a handheld device;
- the tester device emulating, as a first signal on the first wired connector by emulating, as the CPE, a set-top box and receiving a second signal on the second wired connector by emulating, as the CPE, a modem;
- the tester device receiving command data from the handheld device to execute a testing routine on the first signal and the second signal;
- the tester device analyzing the first signal or the second signal during the testing routine to produce reports concerning one or more performance metrics of the received first signal or the second signal;
- and
- the tester device transmitting the reports for display on the handheld device.
5 more elements
A method of evaluating a wired network, the method including:
- connecting a wired connector of a tester device to the wired network, wherein the tester device is dedicated to testing and not incorporated into a service provider installed interface or customer-premises equipment (CPE);
- wirelessly coupling the tester device to a handheld device;
- wirelessly coupling a wireless connector of the tester device to a wireless network;
- receiving, by the tester device, a first signal on the wired connector;
- receiving, by the tester device, a second signal on the wireless connector;
- receiving, by the tester device, command data from the handheld device to execute a testing routine on the received first signal;
- receiving, by the tester device, command data from the handheld device to execute a second testing routine on the received second signal;
- analyzing, by the tester device, the first signal during the testing routine to produce reports concerning one or more performance metrics of the first signal;
- analyzing, by the tester device, the received second signal to produce second reports concerning one or more performance metrics of the received second signal;
- transmitting, by the tester device, the reports for display on the handheld device;
- and
- transmitting, by the tester device, the second reports for display on the handheld device.
9 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.