British Telecommunications Public Limited Company

British Telecommunications Corporation

Ashley Pickering

Trevor Philip Linney

Christopher Marcus Croot

Philip Anthony Everett

Philip Antony Everett

Gary John Dalby

John Wolsey Cook

Norwin Simms

Ian Horsley

David M Rohlfing

Alan Edson Cooper

Philipp Anthony Everett

David Michael Rohlfing

The invention measures the rates of a whole population of existing lines together with a line characteristic, such as capacitance, that can be measured prior to provisioning. Using these measures, a rating we refer to as a 'quality figure' is generated for each distribution point by looking at the rate of the lines running through that distribution point, and comparing those rates to the rates of other lines having the same line characteristic across the whole population of lines. Distribution points that have lines operating better (faster) than the average for their given line characteristic will have higher quality figures. To estimate the rate of a new line, the quality figure of the distribution point that the new line passes through is used in conjunction with the measured line characteristic as a look up on the whole population of lines.

Estimating line rate

A method and corresponding device for determining a data connection profile for a data connection () between one of a plurality of end-user devices () and an aggregation transceiver device (), the data connection belonging to one of a plurality of predetermined categories, each category being associated with one of a plurality of service providing entities (), the method comprising receiving performance data indicative of the performance of a data connection; receiving an entity identifier indicative of one of said plurality of service providing entities, and determining in dependence thereon the category to which the data connection belongs; and determining a data connection profile for the data connection in dependence on the performance data and on the category so-determined, the data connection profile specifying a set of values for one or more parameters associated with the data connection.

Data communication

A management device is used in an access network including a plurality of data connections between end user devices and an aggregation transceiver device where the connections are aggregated for onward connection through the access network. The access network stores a plurality of different profiles, each of which specifies a set of values for a plurality of parameters associated with each data connection. The device applies one of the stored profiles to each connection, and receives a notification in the event of one of a predetermined set of notifiable events occurring on the connection. It is determined if more than a predetermined number of notifications are received within a predetermined period for a respective connection and, in the event of such a determination being made, a different one of the profiles is caused to be applied to the connection.

A management device () for use in an access network () including a plurality of data connections () between end user devices () and an aggregation transceiver device () where the connections () are aggregated for onward connection through the access network (), the access network storing in association with each data connection a Dynamic Line Management, DLM, profile which specifies a set of values for a plurality of parameters associated with the respective data connection. The device includes initial profile selection means for, when a line is to be caused to operate in a rate adaptive mode, selecting an initial profile for the line from among the plurality of stored different profiles in dependence upon one or more measurements, or a parameter or parameters derived from one or more measurements, made in respect of the connection while operating in another mode.

A method of operating an access network including a plurality of data connections () between end-user devices () and an aggregation transceiver device () at which the connections () are aggregated for onward connection through the access network, the method comprising storing a plurality of different profiles, each profile specifying values for parameters associated with each connection (); and, for each connection, obtaining connection data relating to a monitoring period, said monitoring period comprising a plurality of shorter periods, said connection data comprising, for each of said shorter periods, an indication of whether said connection has experienced instability during said shorter period, and an indication of user activity on said connection during said shorter period; monitoring the performance of the connection in dependence on said connection data; selecting one of said stored profiles to be applied to the connection in dependence on the results of said monitoring; and applying the selected profile to the connection.

A management device () for use in an access network () including a plurality of data connections () between end user devices () and an aggregation transceiver device () where the connections () are aggregated for onward connection through the access network (), the access network storing in association with each data connection a Dynamic Line Management, DLM, profile which specifies a set of values for a plurality of parameters associated with the respective data connection, together with a stability level specifying a desired level of stability for the data connection. The device comprises means for receiving monitoring data specifying the stability of each respective data connection over a predetermined period of time; means for selecting a DLM profile to be applied to the connection in dependence on both the monitoring data and the stored stability level associated with the data connection; and means for requesting an OSS system of the access network to apply the selected profile to the data connection.

Data communication in an access network

A management device for use in an access network including a plurality of data connections between end user devices and an aggregation transceiver device where the connections are aggregated for onward connection through the access network, the access network storing in association with each data connection a Dynamic Line Management, DLM, profile which specifies a set of values for a plurality of parameters associated with the respective data connection, together with a stability level specifying a desired level of stability for the data connection. The device includes means for receiving monitoring data specifying the stability of each respective data connection over a predetermined period of time; means for selecting a DLM profile to be applied to the connection in dependence on both the monitoring data and the stored stability level associated with the data connection; and means for requesting an OSS system of the access network to apply the selected profile to the data connection. The DLM profile selection means disregards any resynchronizations or errors estimated to have occurred as a result of an area wide event such as a thunderstorm. It performs this estimation by detecting a large number of retrains and or errors occurring within a predetermined short test period.

Dynamic line management

A telecommunications access network includes a plurality of telecommunications lines (), a plurality of aggregation devices (-), a plurality of data collector modules (-) and a line provisioning and de-provisioning system (), wherein each line is connected between customer premises equipment (----) and a line aggregation device (-). The access network is operable to provide data connections through at least a first sub-set of the lines () to a core network whereby network services may be provided over the network to the customer premises equipment. The access network further includes a management module () for managing at least a second sub-set of the lines () within the access network, the management module () being operable to receive aggregated data from a plurality of data collector modules, each data collector module (-) being operable to receive data from a plurality of the line aggregation devices. The network further comprises a file check module having a line status database () for storing information about the lines which are managed by the management module including the identity of the line aggregation device to which each line is connected and means for receiving information from the line provisioning and de-provisioning system and means for using the information received from the line-provisioning and de-provisioning system to maintain the file check module's database current. The file check module further comprises means () for receiving received data information from the management module specifying what data it has received and means () for comparing the received data information with data from the database () to generate comparison data, and output means () for outputting the generated comparison data.

Data collection in an access network

A Digital Subscriber Line Access Multiplexor (DSLAM) for operation within an access network includes a plurality of digital subscriber line modems for terminating a plurality of corresponding digital subscriber lines and aggregating them for onward connection through the access network. The DSLAM is operable, each time a data connection is established or re-established over one of the digital subscriber lines, to generate line data about the data connection at the DSLAM, to store the line data, to wait a predetermined period of time, to determine if the data connection is still operating successfully since the establishment of the connection without having suffered loss of connection during the predetermined period and then to transmit the line data to a management device which performs dynamic line management based on the data.

Dynamic line management of digital subscriber line connections

In a method and system for operating an ADSL access network which has a plurality of data connections () between the access network and end user devices (), and in which the access network controls the rate at which data is transferred between the user devices and an onward connection (), the access network stores a plurality of capped profiles each of which specifies a respective upper data rate to which the connection is limited and which is below the maximum achievable rate for the connection. The access network operates using a Dynamic Line Management (DLM) algorithm which, for a given data connection, operates to enable data transfer at a variable data rate up to the maximum rate, monitors the error performance and signal to noise margin variation for different data rates and, in the event that one or both are outside respective limits for a predetermined period, selects and applies one of the capped profiles to limit the upper data rate, selection being determined by the highest data rate achieved for which the error performance was within acceptable limits.

Data communications

A Digital Subscriber Line Access Multiplexer (DSLAM) is modified to monitor when a line synchronizes (i.e. sets up a DSL connection) and to automatically generate a notification to be sent to a management device of the access network if the rate has changed from the last time the line synchronized.

Method and apparatus for communicating data over a data network

Providing an interface device interfacing between an access network and a back-bone network comprises: providing a management device, receiving data readings from a transceiver device indicative of the current or recent line rate of a DSL connection of the access network, and providing the interface device to restrict data flowing to the DSL connection to a new maximum rate selected in accordance with the received data readings from the transceiver device indicative of the current or recent line rate of the DSL connection. When the new maximum rate is greater than the existing maximum rate for the DSL connection at which the interface device is currently provided, the interface device is provisioned (or re-provisioned) only after a delay period. The delay period depends upon the increase amount of in the new maximum rate compared to the existing maximum rate so that the greater the increase, the shorter the delay period.

Method and apparatus for communicating data over a data network including controlling bandwidth over a DSL line

A management device for automatically provisioning a Broadband Remote Access Server (BRAS) for use in connecting Customer Premises Equipment (CPE) to an Internet Protocol (IP) network via a Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) a Digital Subscriber Line Access Multiplexor (DSLAM) and the BRAS, the management device comprising: a first interface for receiving from time to time data readings from the DSLAM indicative of the current or recent line rate of the DSL; a processor unit for calculating from the received data readings a consistent rate indicative of a consistent line rate of the DSL based on a plurality of data readings for the DSL from the DSLAM; and a second interface for transmitting provisioning messages to the BRAS for provisioning the BRAS to restrict data flowing to the DSL to a maximum rate selected by the management device in accordance with the calculated consistent rate.

Method and apparatus for communicating data over a data network and controlling an amount of bandwidth a user can transmit or receive over a DSL connection

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Ipswich, United Kingdom

Ashley Pickering