Patent · US Expired

Fault detection in a frequency duplexed system

US5883882A · kind A · utility

126Cited by
4References
32Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateJan 30, 1997
Grant dateMar 16, 1999
Priority date
Expiry dateJan 30, 2017

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH04L5/143
  • WIPO fieldDigital communication
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A frequency band, or test band, located between the uplink and downlink frequency bands of a distributed, frequency duplexed network is used in a novel way to isolate block-level faults within the network. A test signal having frequencies within the test signal band is generated and fed into a downlink path of a branch of the communication network. When the test signal encounters a remote station having duplexing means, the test signal leaks through the duplexing means into an uplink path of the remote station. This occurs because the real filters of the duplexing means do not work perfectly, frequencies outside of the uplink and downlink bands, especially those in the test signal band, will leak through its components. The amount of attenuation of the test signal in leaking through the communication station indicates the operability status of the components therein. By monitoring the power level of the test signal in the uplink and downlink paths of the branch, faults can be quickly isolated.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.