Harmonic, Inc.

Harmonie, Inc.

Adi Bonen

David Piehler

Ariel Zaltsman

Leon Korsunsky

Moshe Nazarathy

Amir Leventer

Boris Brun

LiPing Chen

Jumin (Jerry) Liu

Yehezkel Menashe

Ilan Kepten

Processing a signal originating from a node port experiencing ingress. A node that provides service to a plurality of cable modems will generally have a plurality of node ports. The node may be a Remote PHY Node or a Remote MACPHY node (RMN) for example. A detection is made that a particular node port of the node is experiencing ingress. In response, an upstream signal originating from the particular node port is analyzed to dynamically determine an amount to attenuate the upstream signal. The upstream signal is attenuated the dynamically determined amount prior to the signal being processed at an active device upstream from the particular node port experiencing the ingress. Distortion and/or saturation of the signal at the active device is advantageously prevented.

Processing a signal originating from a node port experiencing ingress

Identifying a Node Port Experiencing Ingress. An element receives an indication that ingress noise may be present in one or more upstream channels. The one or more upstream channels may be supported by a cable node, such as a Remote PHY node or a Remote MACPHY node. In response, the element may obtain upstream spectrum data that describes an upstream spectrum received power over an interval of time having no transmissions carried by the one or more upstream channels for two or more different states in one or more of RF attenuation and upstream port/node port coupling or receive information about the SNR experienced by a RPD receiver of the upstream channels for different states in one or more of RF attenuation and upstream port/node port coupling for the node. The element processes the upstream spectrum data to deduce from which one or more node ports the ingress noise originates.

Identifying a node port that is experiencing ingress

A single hardware device ('unified NDR core') that supports a narrowband digital return (NDR) channel for a plurality of remote PHY devices. The unified NDR core may be located within a cable headend. The unified NDR core comprises a single digital-to-analog converter (DAC) which converts digital payloads carried by digital packets received from the plurality of Remote PHY devices into a RF signal. The unified NDR core further comprises a transmitter for sending the RF signal to an Out-of-Band (OOB) Termination System. The unified NDR core supports a plurality of narrowband digital return (NDR) channels for the plurality of remote PHY devices.

Remote PHY narrowband digital return (NDR)

Approaches for bracket for strand mounted equipment. The bracket comprises a body having a first end and a second end opposing the first end. The first end comprises one or more resting hooks sized to be positioned over a strand. The resting hooks allow for resting the strand mounted equipment temporarily onto the strand in a position that readily accommodates the permanent attachment of the strand mounted equipment to the strand. The first end of the bracket also comprises a clamp for securing the bracket to the strand, while the second end comprises a securing mechanism for securing the bracket to the strand mounted equipment. The bracket may be formed from a single piece of shaped metal. The strand mounted equipment may be a variety of equipment, such as CATV outdoor equipment and Internet access equipment.

Bracket for stand mounted outdoor equipment

Approaches for dynamic assignment of a MAC address. An article of manufacture may comprise a non-volatile memory and a network element that comprises a CPU. The network element may be a remote PHY device, an Ethernet switch, a Remote MACPHY Device (RMD), a Passive Optical Network (PON) Optical Line Terminal (OLT), a Passive Optical Network (PON) Optical Network Unit (ONU), a Wi-Fi hot spot router, a Long-Term Evolution (LTE) device, an O-Ran device, or a Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR) routing device. A communication link exists between the CPU of the network element and the non-volatile memory of the article of manufacture. A module on the network element causes the network element to retrieve, across the communication link, at least one MAC address from the non-volatile memory of the remote PHY node and adopt a MAC address to identify itself any time that the article of manufacture reboots.

MAC address dynamic assignment for a network element

Detecting an imminent failure of a power supply. An internal computerized component periodically reads a set of measurements from one or more sensors affixed to a power supply. The internal computerized component and power supply may reside in a variety of different technical contexts. The internal computerized component analyzes the set of measurements using, at least in part, a weighted set of factors, to detect the imminent failure in the power supply. The weighted set of factors may be updated or revised over time and may be specifically tailored for use with specific types of power supplies.

Detecting imminent failure in a power supply

Propagating a downstream (DS) Out-of-Band (OOB) signal at a frequency receivable by a set of legacy set-top boxes (STBs) while supporting enhanced upstream peak data rates. At an input of an amplifier of a physical device, a portion of the DS-OOB signal is tapped to create a tapped DS-OOB signal, which comprises both the DS-OOB signal and all other downstream signals and channels sent from a head-end to a set of customer premises equipment (CPE) via the physical device. The tapped DS-OOB signal is introduced to a band-pass filter that passes the DS-OOB signal and attenuates all other radio frequency (RF) signals to create a filtered DS-OOB signal. The filtered DS-OOB signal is amplified and coupled to a low-pass side of a high-split diplex filter to propagate onto a transmission medium coupled to the CPE. The physical device may be a high-split RF amplifier or a high-split node.

Retaining legacy STB support with HFC plant migration to high split

Preventing RF signal distortion and signal error producing memory events in a Radio Frequency (RF) power amplifier (RFPA). An element, disposed prior to the Radio Frequency (RF) power amplifier (RFPA) in a signal path of a RF signal input to the RFPA, may enforce a maximum allowable amplitude in a high PAPR instantaneous high peak of the RF signal. An element may also increase or supplement a bias of the Radio Frequency (RF) power amplifier (RFPA) when a high PAPR instantaneous high peak is detected in the RF signal prior to receipt by the RFPA. Additionally, a first element operable detects when an instantaneous output voltage of the Radio Frequency (RF) power amplifier (RFPA) is below a predetermined voltage, and in response, a second element supplies additional current to prevent the output voltage of the RFPA from falling below a predetermined threshold voltage.

RF power amplifier performance by clipping prevention of large PAPR signals

Performing distributed Remote PHY scheduling operations. A low latency scheduler is disposed within or in proximity to a Remote PHY node. Upon identifying that a particular data flow qualifies for processing by the low latency scheduler, the low latency scheduler performs upstream Remote PHY scheduling operations for the particular data flow using a one or more dedicated channels that are designated as low latency channels. The Remote PHY upstream scheduling operations define when data may be transmitted by a Cable Modem (CM) to a Converged Cable Access Platform (CCAP) Core. A centralized scheduler is also located at the CCAP Core. The centralized scheduler performs Remote PHY upstream scheduling operations for all data flows which have not been identified as qualifying for processing by the low latency scheduler.

Distributed scheduling in remote PHY

Recovering a hardware component, such as a Remote MACPHY node (RMN), a wireless base station, a CATV amplifier, a Wi-Fi hotspot, a microcell, or a PON switch, after a power interruption. A hardware component, upon detecting that input power to the R-PHY device will be imminently interrupted, provides an alarm signal to a central processing unit (CPU) in the R-PHY device. The CPU, in response to receiving the alarm, stores running parameter data for the R-PHY device in a non-volatile memory. The running parameter data is normally obtained through network communications during a boot operation of the R-PHY device. If certain conditions are satisfied, then the R-PHY device recovers from the interruption in input power using the stored running parameter data without obtaining the running parameter data through a normal boot operation, thus shortening the boot time.

CATV equipment fast boot after power interruption

A Remote PHY (R-PHY) node having a specialized Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS). A R-PHY node comprises a coaxial cable input, one or more Remote PHY (R-PHY) devices, a node power supply designed to supply an entirety of the R-PHY node with power continuously while there is Quasi Square Wave (QSW) AC power supplied to the R-PHY node over the coaxial cable input, and an UPS for supplying power to either the entirety of the R-PHY node or a set of the one or more R-PHY devices when the R-PHY node is not supplied QSW power over the coaxial cable input. The internal UPS adjusts how power is supplied in response to determining that a configurable amount of time has passed since the interruption in QSW power to the R-PHY node.

R-PHY node with UPS to address cable service interruptions due to short power interruptions

A directional coupler having coupling variability at separate portions of an operational frequency band. A frequency selective coupler comprises an input port, an output port, a coupled port, a termination port, a first RF filter coupled to the coupled port, and a second RF filter coupled to the termination port. The first and second RF filters yield a first coupling value at a first portion of the operational frequency band of the coupler and a second coupling value at a second portion of the operational frequency band. The first portion of the band corresponds to a range of frequencies at which higher coupling for the coupler is desired and greater loss in the signal is tolerable. The second portion of the band corresponds to a range of frequencies at which lower coupling for the coupler is tolerable and lower loss in the signal is desirable.

Frequency selective RF directional coupler

Propagating a leakage test signal at a frequency receivable by traditional leakage test systems while supporting enhanced upstream peak data rates. At an input of an amplifier of a device, a portion of the leakage test signal is tapped to create a tapped signal, which comprises both the leakage test signal and all other downstream signals and channels sent from a head-end to a set of customer premises equipment (CPE) via the device. The tapped signal is introduced to a filter that passes the leakage test signal and attenuates all other radio frequency (RF) signals to create a filtered leakage test signal. The filtered leakage test signal is amplified and coupled to a low-pass side of a high-split diplex filter to propagate onto a transmission medium coupled to the HFC plant receivable by a traditional leakage test system. The device may be a high-split RF amplifier or a high-split node.

Aeronautical band leakage assessment in high split HFC plant

Increasing an analog to digital converter (ADC) dynamic range for a communications device. In the communications device, a reference threshold is established for a peak to average power ratio (PAPR) improvement factor for RF signals received by the communications device. A digital to analog converter (DAC) adjustment factor is established for a DAC to account for inaccuracies of a pre-cancellation DAC and fine tuning of an analog gain of received RF signals. A peak amplitude separation element evaluates an absolute value of a portion of a particular RF signal against the reference threshold. Upon the peak amplitude separation element determining that the portion is smaller than the reference threshold, the element assigns a zero value to a DAC signal current sample; otherwise, the element assigns a quantized value of the sample to the DAC signal current sample, used in adjusting a post-cancellation signal sample.

Increasing ADC dynamic range by time domain selective cancellation of predictable large PAPR signals

Approaches for bracket for strand mounted CATV outdoor equipment. The bracket comprises a body having a first end and a second end opposing the first end. The first end comprises one or more resting hooks sized to be positioned over a strand. The resting hooks allow for resting the CATV outdoor equipment temporarily onto the strand in a position that readily accommodates the permanent attachment of the CATV outdoor equipment to the strand. The first end of the bracket also comprises a clamp for securing the bracket to the strand, while the second end comprises a securing mechanism for securing the bracket to the CATV outdoor equipment. The bracket may be formed from a single piece of shaped metal.

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Belle Mead, NJ, United States of America

Adi Bonen