# US 10,455,082 B2 · Copper impairment testing and remediation in digital subscriber line (DSL) service > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,455,082 B2 - Document ID: US10455082B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/050,946 - Filed: 2018-07-31 - Published: 2019-08-08 - Granted: 2019-10-22 - Earliest claimed: 2018-02-08 - Assignees: Viavi Solutions Inc. - Applicants: Viavi Solutions Inc. - Inventors: Brian Bowman; Reynald Dupuis; Paul Snead - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10455082B2 ## CPC - G01R 31/52: Testing for short-circuits, leakage current or ground faults - G01R 31/08: Locating faults in cables, transmission lines, or networks - G01R 31/54: Testing for continuity - H04B 3/46: Monitoring; Testing - H04L 41/0631: using root cause analysis; using analysis of correlation between notifications, alarms or events based on decision criteria, e.g. hierarchy, tree or time analysis - H04L 41/0654: using network fault recovery (ring fault isolation or reconfiguration in loop networks without recovery actions by a network management system H04L12/437) - H04L 41/22: comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI] - H04M 3/306: {for frequencies above the voice frequency, e.g. xDSL line qualification (test methods, test equipment and test arrangements for subscriber lines using xDSL modems H04M3/304; systems modifying transmission characteristics according to link quality H04L1/0001; monitoring and/or testing of line transmission systems H04B3/46)} - G01R 31/58: Testing of lines, cables or conductors (testing of electric windings G01R31/72) - H04M 3/08: Indicating faults in circuits or apparatus - G01R: MEASURING ELECTRIC VARIABLES; MEASURING MAGNETIC VARIABLES (indicating correct tuning of resonant circuits H03J3/12) - H04B: TRANSMISSION - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) - H04M: TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION (circuits for controlling other apparatus via a telephone cable and not involving telephone switching apparatus G08) ## Abstract A test instrument connectable to a network to provide copper impairment testing and remediation in a digital subscriber line (DSL) service is provided. The test instrument may comprise a port connectable to a test point in a network. The test instrument may also comprise a processing circuit to perform tests in the following categories: (i) shorts, grounds, and opens, (ii) true length, (iii) balance, and (iv) series fault, wherein the combination of these tests may determine copper impairment. Once tests are conducted, one or more remediation recommendations may be provided based at least in part on failure in one of the test categories. The test results and remediation recommendations may then be presented at an output, such as a display at a test instrument or user device. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A test instrument connectable to a network to provide copper impairment testing, the test instrument comprising: a port connectable to a test point in a network; a processing circuit to: perform tests in at least two of the following categories: (i) shorts, grounds, and opens, (ii) true length, (iii) balance, and (iv) series fault, wherein the combination of these tests may determine copper impairment used for prequalification; generate a remediation recommendation based at least in part on test results of at least one of the categories, wherein the remediation recommendation comprises a specific solution to fix the copper impairment; and an output interface to present results of copper impairment tests. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The test instrument of claim 1, wherein the network is a digital subscriber line (DSL) service network. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The test instrument of claim 1, wherein the network is a plain old telephone service (POTS) network. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The test instrument of claim 1, wherein the results of copper impairment tests are presented, by the output interface, in at least one of the following ways: visually, textually, graphically, aurally, and multimodally. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The test instrument of claim 1, wherein the test for (i) shorts, grounds, and opens comprises at least one of: a voltage test, a copper pair validation test, a capacitance balance test, a resistance test, a battery fault test, a ground test, and a leakage test. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The test instrument of claim 1, wherein the test for (ii) true length is based on at least one of opens, time domain reflectometry (TDR), and resistance to strap. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The test instrument of claim 1, wherein the test for (iii) balance comprises at least one of: a capacitive balance test, a longitudinal balance test, a voltage balance test, a resistive leg balance test, and a leakage resistance balance test. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The test instrument of claim 1, wherein the test for (iv) series fault comprises measurements for at least one of: resistive fault locate (RFL) leg resistance, longitudinal balance to open, and longitudinal balance to short. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The test instrument of claim 1, wherein: the output interface to present remediation recommendations in at least one of the following ways: visually, textually, graphically, aurally, and multimodally. ### Claim 10 A method to provide copper impairment testing, comprising: connecting a test instrument to a test point in a network, wherein a processing circuit of the test instrument to: perform tests in at least two of the following categories: (i) shorts, grounds, and opens, (ii) true length, (iii) balance, and (iv) series fault, wherein the combination of these tests may determine copper impairment used for prequalification; generate a remediation recommendation based at least in part on test results of at least one of the categories, wherein the remediation recommendation comprises a specific solution to fix the copper impairment; and present results of copper impairment tests via an output interface of the test instrument. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein the network is a digital subscriber line (DSL) service network. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein the network is a plain old telephone service (POTS) network. ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein the results of copper impairment tests are presented, by the output interface, in at least one of the following ways: visually, textually, graphically, aurally, and multimodally. ### Claim 14 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein the test for (i) shorts, grounds, and opens comprises at least one of: a voltage test, a copper pair validation test, a capacitance balance test, a resistance test, a battery fault test, a ground test, and a leakage test. ### Claim 15 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein the test for (ii) true length is based on at least one of opens, time domain reflectometry (TDR), and resistance to strap. ### Claim 16 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein the test for (iii) balance comprises at least one of: a capacitive balance test, a longitudinal balance test, a voltage balance test, a resistive leg balance test, and a leakage resistance balance test. ### Claim 17 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein the test for (iv) series fault comprises measurements for at least one of: resistive fault locate (RFL) leg resistance, longitudinal balance to open, and longitudinal balance to short. ### Claim 18 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, further comprising: presenting, via the output interface, remediation recommendations in at least one of the following ways: visually, textually, graphically, aurally, and multimodally. ### Claim 19 (depends on 10) A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having an executable stored thereon, which when executed instructs a processor to perform the method of claim 10. ### Claim 20 A method to provide copper impairment testing and remediation in a digital subscriber line (DSL) service, comprising: performing, by a processing circuit of a test instrument, tests in at least two of the following categories: (i) shorts, grounds, and opens, (ii) true length, (iii) balance, and (iv) series fault, wherein the combination of these tests may determine copper impairment used for prequalification; generating at least one remediation recommendation based at least in part on test results in at least one of the categories, wherein the remediation recommendation comprises a specific solution to fix the copper impairment; and outputting test results of copper impairment tests and remediation recommendations to an output interface.