Splitter bypass architecture for testing multiple ports

Details Splitter bypass architecture for testing multiple ports Splitter bypass architecture for testing multiple ports

2001-04-25

2003-07-15

Tieu, Binh (Department: 2643)

Telephonic communications

Diagnostic testing, malfunction indication, or electrical...

C379S009000, C379S027060, C379S029010

Reexamination Certificate

active

06594343

ABSTRACT:

FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a splitter bypass system and method for monitoring, testing and maintaining copper loops and lines. More particularly, the present invention is directed to a system and method for actuating bypass functions to bypass a splitter or portions thereof for enabling pure metallic access to the loop, digital equipment, voice equipment, and/or test equipment. Switching devices are implemented in the present invention to bypass a low pass filter and/or a high pass filter in the splitter.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
In the telecommunications industry, Plain Old Telephone Service (POTS) or voice services are ubiquitous. As is well known, POTS is analog in nature and is implemented over copper loops. Class
5
switches generally provide this type of service and lines or copper loops are used to connect the. Class
5
switch to the customer premise.
FIG. 1A
illustrates a conventional system implementing POTS. The system includes a central office (CO) having a voice switch such as a Class
5
switch
2
connected to a telephone
4
in a customer premise. As known, the Class
5
switch
2
is connected to the telephone
4
via a local loop
6
.
POTS typically requires a battery voltage on the copper loop
6
. The battery voltage is used for signaling, and this type of loop is known as a “wet” loop. For detecting faults/problems or for routine testing, the copper loop
6
connecting the Class
5
switch
2
to the customer premise is tested using test equipment
8
having pure metallic access to the loop
6
, as illustrated in FIG.
1
B. Pure metallic test access allows accurate testing on the copper loop
6
and is implemented through the Class
5
switch
2
.
Recently, the need for increased bandwidth has resulted in the emergence of digital services on the existing copper loops. These emerging digital service use non-voice frequency bandwidth. This has placed increased requirements on the copper loops to provide the digital services. As can be expected, some of the loop design rules used to deploy voice only services are no longer valid when digital services are added. Many of these digital services have been provided on “dry” copper, loops (i.e., loops without battery voltage), providing a data only circuit.
In 1999, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) adopted rules to promote competition between local telephone companies and providers of high speed data services by directing the local telephone companies to share their telephone lines with such providers. With these rules, many companies can deploy new technologies on a faster, more cost-effective basis, thereby allowing residential and business customers to access broadband and POTS services from a choice of different providers.
Digital Subscriber Line or xDSL is one of the most promising new technologies for delivering superior service and higher speed connections over existing infrastructure. In addition, the growing demand for faster, more reliable Internet access has increased the demand for technologies that deliver higher speed connections over existing infrastructure. As known, different competing forms of digital subscriber line technologies are collectively designated as xDSL technologies with the “x” representing various one or more letter combinations, which are used in front of the “DSL” acronym to designate the type of technology being used. Some of the more prevalent xDSL technologies include HDSL, ADSL, SDSL, RADSL, VADSL, and VDSL. xDSL uses the existing copper loop that is traditionally used for conventional telephony to deliver data at high bandwidth.
Currently, the transmission rates for xDSL technologies are dependent on factors such as the distance between the central office and a particular customer, etc. Also, xDSL uses packet switching technology that operates independently of the voice telephone system, allowing telephone companies to provide Internet service and not lock up circuits for telephone calls. The copper loop can carry both voice and data signals simultaneously, in both directions, allowing the customer to log onto the. Internet and make a telephone call at the same time. Thus, it is easy to understand why xDSL is becoming the preferred system and method for sending/receiving analog and digital data/signals in the telecommunications industry.
The FCC line sharing ruling, along with the need to maximize the utilization of copper pairs, has brought about larger deployment of both voice and digital (data) services on the same copper loop. This has introduced the concept of a splitter in the local loop environment. The function of the splitter is to segregate the low frequency (voice) and high frequency (data) to the appropriate equipment. These splitters allow the voice equipment (e.g., Class
5
switches) and digital equipment (generally referred to as Digital Subscriber Loop Access Multiplexers or DSLAMs) to provide service simultaneously to a single subscriber.
FIG. 2
illustrates a simplified diagram of a conventional system implementing both voice and digital services. In the conventional system, the central office (CO) is connected to the customer's telephone
4
and a computing device
10
or similar unit at the customer's premise (home, office, etc.) using the copper loop
6
. In the CO, the Class
5
switch
2
and a DSLAM
12
are connected to a CO splitter
20
. As known, the Class
5
switch
2
includes circuitry for providing POTS (voice) service and the DSLAM
12
includes circuitry for providing digital service to the customer.
In greater detail, the CO splitter
20
is used to isolate the voice service from the digital service, or stated alternatively, to segregate low frequency (e.g., voice) and high frequency (e.g., data) to the appropriate equipment. The isolation generated by the CO splitter
20
is important for minimizing interference between the two types of services. The CO splitter
20
separates voice and data band signals received from the copper loop
6
and provides the respective signals to the Class
5
switch
2
and the DSLAM
12
. The CO splitter
20
also combines the voice and data band signals received from the Class
5
switch
2
and the DSLAM
12
and provides the combined signals to the copper loop
6
. The CO splitter
20
allows the voice equipment (Class
5
switch
2
) and the digital equipment (DSLAM
12
) to provide service simultaneously to a single subscriber.
The CO splitter
20
includes a low pass filter (LPF)
22
connected to the Class
5
switch
2
and a high pass filter (HPF)
24
connected to the DSLAM
12
. The LPF
22
filters out higher band digital signals and prevents such signals from interfering with the Class
5
switch
2
. Likewise, the HPF
24
filters out low band voice signals and prevents such signals from interfering with the DSLAM
12
. In other words, the high frequency signals generated by the DSLAM
12
will not interfere with the Class
5
switch
2
because of the presence of the LPF
22
, and the low frequency signals generated by the Class
5
switch
2
will not interfere with the DSLAM
12
because of the presence of the HPF
24
.
A second remote (RT) splitter
30
having a LPF
32
and HPF
34
can be optionally installed at the customer's premise based on the type of xDSL service. The LPF
32
is connected to the telephone
4
for filtering out high band signals, while the HPF
34
is connected to the computing device
10
for filtering out low band signals.
Again,
FIG. 2
illustrates an overlay configuration where digital services are added on top of the existing voice services. As a result of this configuration, complexity and problems result in the deployment and testing of the system. As described above, testing from the voice equipment is performed with metallic access to the loop
6
. With the introduction of the CO splitter
20
, pure metallic access is lost. Access to the loop
6
is through the LPF
22
, and the voice equipment is no longer the last element in the circuit looking out from the central office. In other words, the CO

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