Fault characterization using information indicative of echo

A telecommunication device, comprising:

• an interface adapted to couple the telecommunication device to an analyzed communication medium;
• and
• wherein the telecommunication device is adapted to:
• correlate a first set of information indicative of echo associated with the analyzed communication medium with a second set of information indicative of echo;
• characterize an analyzed fault associated with the analyzed communication medium based on the correlation between the first set of information and the second set of information;
• and
• wherein the second set of information comprises information indicative of echo associated with a reference fault.

A method of analyzing an analyzed fault associated with an analyzed twisted-pair telephone line, comprising:

• receiving an echo canceller profile, wherein the echo canceller profile includes at least one set of profile echo canceller coefficients;
• correlating a set of first echo canceller coefficients from an echo canceller with at least one of the sets of profile echo canceller coefficients included in the echo canceller profile;
• determining if there is a first correlation between the set of first echo canceller coefficients and at least one of the sets of profile echo coefficients included in the echo canceller profile;
• and
• when there is the first correlation between the set of first echo canceller coefficients and at least one of the sets of profile echo coefficients included in the echo canceller profile, determining that the analyzed fault has an attribute associated with the at least one set of profile echo coefficients included in the echo canceller profile with which the set of first echo canceller coefficients has the first correlation.

A line interface unit, comprising:

• a first interface adapted to couple the line interface unit to a first communication link;
• a second interface, coupled to the first interface, adapted to couple the line interface unit to a second communication link;
• an echo canceller coupled to the first communication link;
• and
• a controller, coupled to the echo canceller, adapted to:
• correlate a set of first echo canceller coefficients with a second set of echo canceller coefficients to create a correlation between the first set and the second set;
• characterize an analyzed fault associated with the first communication link based on the correlation between the first set and the second set;
• and
• wherein the second set of information comprises information indicative of echo associated with a reference fault.

A method of analyzing an analyzed fault associated with an analyzed communication medium, comprising:

• correlating a first set of information indicative of echo associated with the analyzed communication medium with a second set of information indicative of echo;
• and
• characterizing the analyzed fault based on the correlation between the first set of information and the second set of information;
• wherein the first set of information includes a first set of echo canceller coefficients generated by an echo canceller;
• wherein the second set of information includes a second set of echo canceller coefficients associated with a second fault;
• and
• wherein correlating the first set of information with the second set of information includes correlating the first set of echo canceller coefficients with the second set of echo canceller coefficients to create a correlation coefficient.

A telecommunication device, comprising:

• an interface adapted to couple the telecommunication device to an analyzed communication medium;
• wherein the telecommunication device is adapted to:
• correlate a first set of information indicative of echo associated with the analyzed communication medium with a second set of information indicative of echo;
• and
• characterize an analyzed fault associated with the analyzed communication medium based on the correlation between the first set of information and the second set of information;
• further comprising an echo canceller, coupled to the interface, that is adapted to reduce echo;
• wherein the first set of information includes a first set of echo canceller coefficients generated by the echo canceller;
• wherein the second set of information includes a second set of echo canceller coefficients associated with a second fault;
• and
• wherein the telecommunication device is adapted to correlate the first set of echo canceller coefficients with the second set of echo canceller coefficients to create a correlation coefficient.