2Wire, Inc.

Tdk Systems, Inc.

Broadcom Corporation

James T Schley-May

Andrew L Norrell

Brian L Hinman

Brian Robert Wiese

Michael John Henderson

Richard Barry Angell

Hossein Sedarat

Kevin Dean Fisher

Carl H Alelyunas

Paul Martell Trethewey

Steve Maher

Thomas J Glad

Gregory S Gillespie

David R Kissinger

Andrew Norell

Douglas J Artman

William L Harris

Brian R Wiese

A method, apparatus, and system in which one embodiment includes a network interface device (NID) located outside a building and a power supply unit located inside the building. The power supply unit has an electrical isolation component and one or more ports that couple via a first phone line and a second phone line to the NID to provide isolated DC power to the NID.

Method and apparatus for providing power to a network interface device via telephone lines

A method and apparatus to generate a common-mode reference signal. A common-mode current is received at a common-mode current sensing circuit. The common-mode current is sampled at a node between the common-mode current sensing circuit and a shunt resistor. The resulting voltage across the shunt resistor from the applied common-mode current is used as a common-mode reference signal.

Method and apparatus for generating a common-mode reference signal

Various methods, apparatuses, and systems in which a back up power supply is provided to a network interface device are described. In one embodiment, an apparatus includes a network interface device (NID) located outside a building and a power supply unit located inside the building. The power supply unit has one or more ports that couple via a phone line to the NID to provide a power signal to the NID. The apparatus further includes a direct current (DC) back up power unit located in the NID. The DC back up power unit provides back up power to the NID. The NID is configured to periodically switch between receiving the power signal from the power supply unit and the DC back up power unit even when no fault condition exists in the power supply unit.

Methods and apparatuses to provide a back up power supply for a network interface device

Methods and apparatuses for reducing effects of impulse noise in a DSL transmitter receiver device are described. According to certain embodiment, the method includes using a periodicity associated with the impulse noise affecting a DSL transmitter receiver device to determine data frames that are affected by the impulse noise, and sending a reduced data rate during those frames. In certain embodiments, no data is sent during those frames. The method further includes using a high margin bits and gain table, instead of a normal bits and gain table.

Various methods and apparatuses for impulse noise mitigation

In an embodiment, a DSL communication device comprising a line interface circuit is disclosed. The line interface circuit includes a hybrid circuit to interface the communication device to a communication line, a lowpass transmit filter to pass signals in a first frequency band, and a highpass transmit filter to pass signals in a second frequency band, where the second frequency band is higher in frequency than the first frequency band. The outputs of the highpass and lowpass filters are coupled in parallel to the communication line. The lowpass and highpass filters as well as the low and highpass transformers are optimized for their frequency bands. Further, the edges of the low and high frequency bands are sufficiently separated to reduce interference from the other frequency band. These factors, in part, allow a multiple tone communication device to be capable of operating in multiple modes of operation with multiple DSL varieties.

Dual-band line interface circuit capable of multi-band communication

A line interface circuit with line side cancellation of a communication device is described herein. In one embodiment, a communication device includes a line interface circuit for interfacing a communication line. The line interface circuit includes a driver for driving multiple transmitting signals onto the communication line over multiple transmitting frequency bands. The line interface circuit further includes multiple transmitting filters each corresponding to one of the transmitting frequency bands. Other methods and apparatuses are also described.

Multi-band line interface circuit with line side cancellation

Various methods, apparatuses, and systems in which a residential gateway is located at the network interface device and is powered with a remote power source inside the residence. In another embodiment, bi-directional data communication between the residential gateway and the remote power source is also enabled.

Network interface device with a remote power source

In general, various methods, apparatuses, and systems for a surge protection circuit for a Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) are disclosed. The surge protection circuit includes a first voltage protection device coupled to a first wire of the PSTN. A voltage protection device conducts when voltage applied across the voltage protection device at least meets a set voltage threshold. The surge protection circuit includes a second voltage protection device coupled to a second wire of the PSTN. The second voltage protection device is coupled to the first voltage protection device in series. The surge protection circuit includes a voltage divider device to cause a voltage applied differentially across the first wire and second wire to divide evenly across the first voltage protection device and the second voltage protection device.

Various methods and apparatuses for a surge protection scheme

Various methods, apparatuses, and systems are described in which devices having no common electrical ground communicate. In at least certain embodiments, an apparatus includes a transformer block to communicate a plurality of data signals and a synchronous clock signal between a first device with a first ground reference and a second device with a second ground reference over a data communication link. The first device sends the plurality of data signals to a modulator block having one or more Boolean logic gates that receive each data signal in combination with the synchronous clock signal. The modulator block sends a plurality of modulated data signals corresponding to the plurality of data signals to the transformer block. The transformer block sends the plurality of modulated data signals and the synchronous clock signal to the second device to provide the data communication link between devices having different ground references.

Method and apparatus for communicating between devices having no common electrical ground

In accordance with the present invention, a loop extender for improving the transmission of digital subscriber line (DSL) signals over a local loop is disclosed. The loop extender includes selectable line termination and equalization (SLTE) DSL amplification circuitry capacitively coupled to the local loop via bypass relay switches, a plain old telephone service (POTS) loading coil adapted to be coupled to the local loop for improving transmission of POTS band signals over the local loop, and a diagnostic/control unit (DCU) coupled to the local loop for receiving and processing control signals from a central office, coupled to the bypass relay switches via a bypass relay for controlling the bypass relay switches, and coupled to the SLTE DSL amplification circuitry via a plurality of switch control lines for controlling the SLTE DSL amplification circuitry.

Loop extender with selectable line termination and equalization

In accordance with the present invention, a Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) network for improving the transmission of DSL signals over a local loop is disclosed. The DSL network includes a loop extender with communications, control, and diagnostic functionality, and a central office including a Digital Subscriber Line Access Multiplexer (DSLAM) and a central office controller coupled to the loop extender via the local loop for controlling the loop extender.

Loop extender with communications, control, and diagnostics

A Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) network for improving the transmission of DSL signals includes a plurality of local loops for transmission of upstream and downstream DSL signals, control signals, and Direct Current (DC) power, a plurality of loop extenders with communications, control, and diagnostic functionality for amplifying the DSL signals, a loop extender communications/power supply for receiving the DC power and control signals, providing DC power to the plurality of loop extenders, and broadcasting the received control signals to the plurality of loop extenders, and a central office controller/power supply for controlling access to the plurality of local loops and controlling the plurality of loop extenders.

Line powered loop extender with communications, control, and diagnostics

Systems and methods are disclosed for improving DSL performance, including ADSL and VDSL performance, over a local loop between a telephone company central office and a customer premises. In particular, a DSL repeater is coupled to the local loop and amplifies downstream and upstream DSL signals to at least partially compensate for DSL signal attenuation that occurs as DSL signals pass over the local loop. Pursuant to one embodiment, the DSL repeater includes a POTS load coil to improve the POTS, or voice band, transmission over the local loop. According to this embodiment, the DSL repeater provides both improved POTS band signal transmission and DSL service. One embodiment of the load coil includes a coupled inductor having compensating capacitors coupled thereto for counter-balancing the inter-winding capacitance of the coupled inductor. In another embodiment, the load coil includes a high intra-winding capacitance for counter-balancing the inter-winding capacitance of a coupled inductor. Pursuant to yet another embodiment, the load coil comprises a pair of discrete, uncoupled inductors and a low intra-winding capacitance. Still another embodiment includes a pair of discrete, uncoupled inductors having a pair of compensating capacitors coupled thereto for counter-balancing the intra-winding capacitance of the uncoupled inductors. Reducing, eliminating, or counter-balancing the capacitance of the load coil improves the impedance of the load coil to DSL signals improved, thereby permitting sufficient gain to be developed across the load coil.

Load coil and DSL repeater including same

A system and method are disclosed to implement fault detection in DSL loop extenders. The system of the invention includes a plurality of loop extenders coupled to a local loop, a loop extender (LE) test box coupled to the local loop, and fault detection circuitry coupled to each of the plurality of loop extenders. The LE test box sends a tone pair associated with a loop extender over the local loop, the loop extender associated with the tone pair processes the tone pair to generate a response tone and sends the response tone to the LE test box via the local loop. Then, the LE test box determines functionality of the loop extender based upon the received response tone.

System and method for fault isolation for DSL loop extenders

Systems and methods are disclosed for improving DSL performance, including ADSL and VDSL performance, over a local loop between a telephone company central office and a customer premises. In particular, a loop extender is coupled to the local loop and differentially amplifies downstream and upstream DSL signals to at least partially compensate for DSL signal attenuation that occurs as DSL signals pass over the local loop. Pursuant to one embodiment, the loop extender includes an upstream filter/amplifying equalizer, a downstream filter/amplifying equalizer, a differential amplifier pair, an inverting amplifier, and a pair of electromagnetic hybrids, which couple the loop extender to the loop and provide upstream and downstream signal amplification. In another embodiment, the loop extender includes POTS loading coils to improve the POTS or voice band transmission over the local loop. According to this embodiment, the loop extender provides both improved POTS band signal transmission and DSL service.

Growing community of inventors

Nevada City, CA, United States of America

James T Schley-May