Patent Application
20070286397
Further advantages are described in the dependent claims.
The advantages of the inventions are describes in the figures as:
The invention has the intention to configure an access device, at the end user side and/or the network side according the application, which should run. Applications are therefore defined in several levels of data signal quality requests as for example a high level quality for IP-TV application (level1), a lower level for a business application (level2) etc.
The levels defined for the application either include the maximum allowed link quality degradation before a resynch should occur, or information on how long the link must be maintained without a retrain event when the transmission fails or a time schedule when the next retrain sequence will be allowed.
In the following description the CPE is used without limitation for a subscriber DSL modem, but a CPE can also be a set-top box or an in-house gateway.
The management module is in addition linked to the management station 43, which controls the network 44.
The management modules 47 are connected via a signaling channel 50 with each others and finally with the management station 43.
When the communication starts the physical laxer module PHY takes care of starting up and maintaining the communication on the communication channel. It receives its configuration from the management module 47 and reports status and events to the management module 47 and resync trigger calculator 48.
The management module 47 takes care of all network management issues as fault management, configuration management, performance and security management for the communication channel 45 and the system. The resync trigger calculator receives its configuration (resync policy) from the management module 47. Based on this policy information and the status of the link, it triggers the PHY to execute a resync.
The modules as described can be realized as separate modules or as a common module using one or several processors.
During the configuration of the DSL communication line, the resync triggers for Central Office equipment 42 and CPE 40 are configured in line with the general targeted service. The management station 43 controls the parameters set for the specific use according the required application.
This service can be the content of a contract with the end-user for a IP TV connection. The Central Office equipment 42 passes the signaling of configuration to the CPE modem 40 during initialization. The Central Office equipment 42 and the remote CPE 40 receive configuration signaling according application during show time. Via the physical layer module PHY the management module 47 receives the signaling and transfer the information to the Resynch trigger calculator 48.
As a result the criteria for starting a resynchronization are relaxed or strengthened depending on the application. The signaling to adapt the Resynch function is in one embodiment transferred using the embedded operation channel EOC that is used to transfer information about in service and out of service maintenance and to retrieve status information and performance monitoring. This solution is an in-band solution.
Another possibility is to provide the signalling out of band by multiplexing the signalling in the management information stream with data information streams. Another possibility is to use the management interface of central office to transfer the signalling to the remote CPE 40.
The necessary link status information (LOF, LOS, error seconds, . . . ) is retrieved by the remote CPE 40 and the central office equipment 42. This information is used in the resync trigger calculator 48 that has control over the resync process.
There is a freedom to use the link status information to adapt the devices. The invention can be realized without use of the link status information and with the use of link status information. Solution using link status information improves the robustness of the invention.
Another embodiment of the invention is a solution, which allows the modem to amend in an autonomous way. Again the necessary link status information (LOF, LOS, errored seconds, etc.) is retrieved by the remote CPE 40 and the central office equipment 42.
In the resynch trigger module the information is evaluated. In addition the application level is taken into account and the resynch trigger calculator calculates autonomous the resynch event.
The management station 43 implements adaptable near-end and far-end resynch triggers to handle the communication between all remote CPE and near end equipment.
To get the full information about network management station 43 must steer those adaptable triggers at the central office depending on the running applications at that time on that line, or related to contract of that end-user.
Another embodiment of the invention is not explicitly described in a figure. Herein the management station 43 is not positioned in the network but in the end user device. This end user device can be an in-house gateway or set-top-box STB. This alternative devices are available in a subscriber environment and are used to access networks according the quality requested for an application.
Another more detailed embodiment is described in
A remote CPE 40 is connected to Central Office 42 via communication channels 45. In the CPE 40 and the central office equipment 42 the physical layer module PHY realizes the connection in between. The CPE 40 and the central office equipment 42 contain a line quality monitor 57, a local resynchronization decision module 56, a resynch conditions storage mean 55 and a communication controller 54. The communication controller 54 is connected via a resynch control path 53 with the physical layer PHY. The communication controllers are linked to a central management station 43 including a central resynch control module 59, a storage mean 52 and a service monitor 51.
The central management station stores knowledge on to be supported services for the actual line e.g. end-user contracts about offered applications including used underlying error mitigation/concealment methods. This information is used either with the information extracted from the service monitor 51 or alternative to the information of the service monitor. The service monitor extracts running applications and their applied error mitigation and concealments techniques from the line. The information of both sources is basis for the central resynch control module 59 to generate an information signal for the access devices CO equipment 42 and CPE 40 to control resynchronization.
In the CPE 40 the information is received by the PHY and transferred to the communication controller 54. The information is forwarded to the resynch condition storage mean 55 and to the local resynch decision module 56 which generate the resynch event according the information received from the central management.
The invention is not limited to the embodiments described. Any possible solution an expert can apply can be used to realize the adoption process in an access device. So the parts described in the embodiment, as calculators of controller can be one module or several modules and realized either in hard- or in software.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 06300570.6 | Jun 2006 | EP | regional |
