Method and apparatus for transmitting data in differential and phantom mode in vectoring DSL

A transmitter device for transmitting data to a plurality of receiver devices, each of which is connected to the transmitter device via at least one respective pair of wires, each receiver device being operable to receive signals detected as a change over time in the potential difference across the local ends of each respective pair of wires extending between the receiver device and the transmitter device, the transmitter device being operable to transmit signals onto the wires extending between the transceiver device and the plurality of receiver devices in a plurality of different modes, over a plurality of different channels, the different modes including phantom and differential modes and the different channels including a first set of phantom channels, the transmitter device comprising:

• a phantom channel selector for selecting a second set of phantom channels from the first set, the second set being a proper subset of the first set comprising one or some of the phantom channels of the first set, the selection being made in dependence upon the cross-talk coupling between the phantom channels of the first set and the reception of signals at each of the receiver devices detected as a change over time in the potential difference across the local ends of the respective pair of wires extending between the respective receiver device and the transmitter device;
• and
• a connector for connecting the selected phantom channels to the transmitter device such that the transmitter device is able to transmit signals from the transmitter device onto the phantom channels of the second set of phantom channels.

A phantom channel connector for connecting a transmitter device to a selected set of phantom channels carried over a plurality of pairs of wires extending between the transmitter device and a plurality of receiver devices, the phantom channel connector comprising:

• a phantom channel selection signal receiver for receiving a phantom channel selection signal specifying a set of one or more phantom channels,
• the set of selected phantom channels comprising a subset of the total number of possible phantom channels to which the connector is operable to connect to the transmitter device,
• a set of one or more pairs of input terminals, each pair of input terminals being operable to receive a transmission signal for transmission over an associated selected phantom channel;
• a switch arrangement;
• and
• a plurality of phantom mode driving couplers for electrically coupling a voltage signal output from the switching arrangement to a plurality of pairs of wires in a manner suitable for driving a phantom mode signal over the pairs of wires;
• wherein the switching arrangement is operable to selectively couple the or each of one or more of the input terminals to any one of at least a plurality of the output terminals in dependence upon the received phantom channel selection signal such that, in use,
• a transmission signal applied to a pair of input terminals is capable of being transmitted over a selected phantom channel in dependence upon the received phantom channel selection signal.

A phantom channel selector device which is operable to select, from a first set of possible phantom channels, a second set of selected phantom channels, the second set being a proper subset of the first set of phantom channels, the second set comprising one or more phantom channels carried over a plurality of pairs of wires, each of which extends between a transmitter device and one of a plurality of receiver devices, on to each of which selected phantom channel to transmit a transmission signal or signals, the phantom channel selector device comprising:

• a coupling data receiver for receiving receiver signal reception data and/or cross channel coupling data;
• a selection interface for communicating a phantom channel selection signal or message to a phantom channel connector, and
• a processor arranged to generate a phantom channel selection for communication to the phantom channel connector within the phantom channel selection signal or message in dependence upon the received signal reception data and/or cross channel coupling data, the phantom channel selection being made in dependence upon the cross-talk coupling between the phantom channels of the first set and the reception of signals at each of the receiver devices detected as a change over time in the potential difference across the local ends of the, or each, respective pair of wires extending between the respective receiver device and the transmitter device,
• wherein the phantom channel selection corresponds to the second set of phantom channels.

A transmitter device for transmitting data to a plurality of receiver devices, each of which is connected to the transmitter device via at least one respective pair of wires, each receiver device being operable to receive signals detected as a change over time in the potential difference across the local ends of each respective pair of wires extending between the receiver device and the transmitter device, the transmitter device being operable to transmit signals onto the wires extending between the transceiver device and the plurality of receiver devices in a plurality of different modes, over a plurality of different channels, the different modes including phantom and differential modes and the different channels including a first set of phantom channels, the transmitter device comprising:

• a processing system including a non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions and at least one computer processor executing the instructions so that the processing system is configured to at least perform:
• a phantom channel selection which selects a second set of phantom channels from the first set, the second set being a proper subset of the first set comprising one or some of the phantom channels of the first set, the selection being made in dependence upon the cross-talk coupling between the phantom channels of the first set and the reception of signals at each of the receiver devices detected as a change over time in the potential difference across the local ends of the respective pair of wires extending between the respective receiver device and the transmitter device;
• and
• a connection which connects the selected phantom channels to the transmitter device such that the transmitter device is able to transmit signals from the transmitter device onto the phantom channels of the second set of phantom channels.