Intelligent power level adjustment for cable modems in presence of noise

A method of controlling the power at which a cable modem sends data upstream on a cable network, wherein at or proximate a cable network head-end, the cable network periodically determines the power of upstream signals from the cable modem, the method comprising:

• (a) during execution of a ranging protocol in the cable network, adjusting the cable modem power by an amount calculated based on a first technique that does not average recent cable modem power measurements;
• (b) determining that upstream signals from cable modem contain more than a threshold level of noise or fluctuation;
• and
• (c) from the head-end and during the ranging protocol, sending instructions for adjusting the cable modem power by an amount calculated based upon a second technique that averages recent cable modem power measurements.

A cable modem termination system comprising:

• (a) a receiver arranged to detect received power levels from transmissions of a cable modem;
• (b) means for implementing a cable network ranging to protocol that (i) uses a plurality of the detected power levels taken over a plurality of ranging requests to determine that cable modem signals fluctuate at the cable modem termination system by more than a defined amount and (ii) calculates a single power level adjustment for the cable modem based upon the plurality of the detected power levels;
• and
• (c) means for generating instructions, as part of the ranging protocol, to the cable modem to make the calculated power adjustment.

A computer program product comprising a machine readable medium on which are provided program instructions for adjusting the power of a cable modem on a cable network, the program instructions comprising instructions for:

• (a) during execution of a ranging protocol in the cable network, determining that cable modem signals received at or proximate a head-end of the cable network fluctuate in power by more than a defined amount;
• (b) at the head-ed, calculating a power adjustment using a plurality of recent power measurement of signals taken over a plurality of ranging requests from the cable modem taken at or proximate the head-end of the cable network;
• and
• (c) from the head-end and during the ranging protocol instructing the cable modem to adjust its power based upon the calculated power adjustment.

A computer program product comprising a machine readable medium on which are provided program instructions for controlling the power at which a cable modem sends data upstream on a cable network, wherein at or proximate a cable network head-end, the cable network periodically determines the power of upstream signals from the cable modem, the program instructions comprising instructions for:

• (a) dung execution of a ranging protocol in the cable network, adjusting the cable modem power by an amount calculated based on a first technique that does not average recent cable modem power measurements;
• (b) determining that upstream signals from the cable modem contain more than a threshold level of noise or fluctuation;
• and
• (c) from the head-end and during the ranging protocol, sending instructions for adjusting the cable modem power by an amount calculated based upon a second technique that averages recent cable modem power measurements.

Apparatus for adjusting the power of a cable modem on a cable network, the apparatus being located in a head-end of the cable network and comprising:

• (a) means for determining, during execution of a ranging protocol in the cable network, that cable modem signals received at or proximate a head-end of the cable network fluctuate in power by more than a defined amount;
• (b) means for instructing a power adjustment using a plurality of recent power measurements of signals taken over a plurality of ranging requests from the cable modem taken at or proximate the head-end of the cable network;
• and
• (c) means for instructing the cable modem, from the head end and during the ranging protocol, to adjust its power based upon the calculated power adjustment.

Apparatus for controlling the power at which a cable modem sends data upstream on a cable network, wherein at or proximate a cable network heads the cable network periodically determines the power of upstream signals from the cable modem, the apparatus comprising:

• (a) means for adjusting the cable modem power, during execution of a ranging protocol in the cable network, by an amount calculated based on a first technique that does not average recent cable modem power measurements;
• (b) means for determining that upstream signals from the cable modem contain more than a threshold level of noise or fluctuation;
• and
• (c) means for sending instructions for adjusting the cable modem power from the head-end and during the ranging protocol, by an amount calculated based upon a second technique that averages recent cable modems power measurements.