British Telecommunications Public Limited Company

British Telecommunications Corporation

Trevor Philip Linney

Ian Horsley

Christopher Marcus Croot

Ashley Pickering

Leslie Derek Humphrey

Anas Al Rawi

Philip Antony Everett

Philip Anthony Everett

Gary John Dalby

John Wolsey Cook

Trevor Morsman

Norwin Simms

Andrew David Wallace

Ian Robert Cooper

Arman Shojaeifard

Nicholas J Medlen

Peter A Sharples

Liam Stigant

David J Thorne

Peter Bell

Ian Cooper

David Julian Thorne

Nicholas Medlen

Ian Edwin Horsley

Peter Sharples

A method of processing a plurality of multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) signals for transmission over a plurality of communication channels can include precoding the plurality of signals prior to transmission, the precoding incorporating channel state information in relation to the plurality of communication channels, the precoding further incorporating: a priority ranking of a first channel of the plurality of communication channels relative to a second channel of the plurality of communication channels; and/or an error rate required by a channel of the plurality of communication channels; and/or an amount of noise experienced by a channel of the plurality of communication channels.

MIMO systems

A method and apparatus for transmitting data in a communication system including a transmitter and receivers, each receiver being connected to the transmitter via a communication channel, the method including: precoding the data for transmission on the channels to provide first precoded data; using the first precoded data, for each channel, computing a number of bits to be allocated to that channel; determining that the bit allocation does not satisfy one or more criteria; ranking the channels in an order based on channel properties; discarding for use as a direct channel, one or more channels based on the ranking; precoding the data for transmission on the channels accounting for the discarded channels to provide second precoded data; and transmitting, by the transmitter, the second precoded data on the channels.

Method and apparatus for transmitting data in a communication system

A system for transmitting data to a first and a second user device within a user's premises, the system including a distribution point having an aggregation device comprising a plurality of access network modems and having a plurality of lines connected thereto, a splitter device connected to the aggregation pointvia one of the lines connected thereto and being located within the user's premises, a first connection between the splitter device and a first customer premises equipment modem, the first customer premises equipment modem being connected to the first user device, and a second connection between the splitter device and a second customer premises equipment modem, the second customer premises equipment modem being connected to the second user device, wherein the aggregation device is operable to transmit data for the first device via a first one of the plurality of modems in the aggregation device, the splitter device and the first customer premises equipment modem using a Digital Subscriber Line protocol and is operable to transmit data for the second device via the first one of the plurality of modems in the aggregation device, the splitter device and the second customer premises equipment modem using a Digital Subscriber Line protocol.

Method and apparatus for operating a digital subscriber line arrangement

A method and apparatus for transmitting data from a transmitter device to one or more receiver devices connected to the transmitter device via a respective wire connection, the transmitter device being operable to transmit signals onto the wire connections and a further wire connection at different tones, the method comprising: for each tone, measuring electromagnetic coupling between the further wire connection and each of the wire connections and using the measurements, identifying a wire connection that most strongly receives crosstalk interference from the further wire connection; based on the identifications, for each tones, allocating signals transmitted on the further wire connection as supporting signals for a particular wire connection; transmitting a first signal onto the particular wire connection that has been allocated a supporting signal; and transmitting a second signal onto the further wire connection, thereby to cause crosstalk interference in the particular wire connection transmitting the first signal.

Method and apparatus for transmitting signals over wire connections

A method and apparatus for transmitting data from a transmitter device to one or more receiver devices connected to the transmitter device via a respective wire connection, the transmitter device being operable to transmit signals onto the wire connections and a further wire connection at different tones, the method comprising: for each tone, allocating signals transmitted on the further wire connection as supporting signals for a particular wire connection, and measuring electromagnetic coupling between the further wire connection and that particular wire connection; using the measurements, determining a power allocation for transmitting a supporting signal on the further wire connection; for one or more of the tones: transmitting a signal onto the particular wire connection, and transmitting a supporting signal onto the further wire connection at the determined transmission power, thereby to cause crosstalk interference in the particular wire connection.

A method for selection of a digital subscriber line (DSL) technology for use by a first DSL transceiver in transferring data over a communications line between the first DSL transceiver and a second DSL transceiver. For the selection, an indication of attenuation in the communications line between the DSL transceivers is obtained and a DSL technology for use by the first DSL transceiver is selected from a plurality of DSL technologies supported by the first DSL transceiver. Selection of the DSL technology is determined on the basis of the indication of attenuation. Optionally, selection of the DSL technology may, in addition, be based on other parameters comprising an indication of the power spectral density mask limiting the power output onto the line by the DSL transceiver; an indication of the noise environment of the communications line; an indication of the highest discrete multitone modulation tone transmitted by the first DSL transceiver over the communications line.

Data communication

In an FTTDP optical fibre network, Distribution point units are reverse powered by customer premises equipment and therefore liable to power failure. When the distribution point unit loses power it is unavailable to respond to requests for performance or metric data. A persistent manager agent functions as a proxy for the distribution point unit, gathering metric and performance data from the distribution point unit using at least one EOC channel and handling requests for performance and metric data issued from other network devices. The persistent manager can also schedule downloads of firmware and configuration data to the distribution point unit.

Fibre network proxy

An access network includes a twisted metallic pair connection over which data may be transmitted in accordance with a digital subscriber line protocol of transmission. The access network further includes an access network modem connected to the twisted metallic pair connection which is operable to transmit and receive signals thereover, in accordance with a digital subscriber line protocol of transmission. The access network further comprises a broadband speed estimation tool including a web server and/or an order processing sub-systemand a line length, further deployment factors and speed determiner module. The access network further comprises a line management subsystem which determines an appropriate value for each of one or more configuration parameters associated with the operation of the access network modem in dependence upon an estimated data rate and causes the access network modem to operate in accordance with the determined value or values of the configuration parameters.

Method and apparatus for operating a telecommunications access network

An aggregation device is arranged to receive a plurality of lines each of which is connected to a user premises and wherein one of the user premises is a multi-terminating-point enabled premises and includes a splitter device connected to the line and at least two distinct terminating points each of which is connected to the splitter device via an in-premises connection and is operable to terminate a two part connection between the respective terminating point and the aggregation device via the splitter device, and the aggregation device includes a transmitter portion, a memory, determination means, and selection means.

A network node for use in a hybrid fiber-copper access network, wherein the node includes DSL and reverse-power feed functionality. The node has a substantially cylindrical shape such that it receives an input metallic cable at a first end, an output metallic cable at a second end and an optical fiber cable which is received at a point along the body of the node.

Network node

The disclosure includes a method of controlling an Access Network including a plurality of Digital Subscriber Line, DSL, connections, and an Access Network node for performing the method, wherein the method includes: receiving data relating to an event on a DSL connection, the data indicating a factor contributing to the event; and a Dynamic Line Management, DLM, engine, residing in the Access Network, responding to the event, wherein the DLM engine response is dependent on the factor contributing to the event.

Dynamic line management engine residing in the access network

Currently, under bitstream access, communications providers are only given limited control over the services they offer. In order to prevent customers being accidently or maliciously reconfigured by a competitor, each communications provider's circuit is isolated from the other communications providers, and dynamic line management profile choice is maintained by the network operator. The present invention proposes allowing greater access to communications providers to configure physical layer configuration parameters associated with a line, through the use of an adaptation gateway. The adaptation gateway is used to manage configuration requests to digital subscriber lines from the communications providers. The adaptation gateway allows configuration of certain DSL line, channel or data path parameters (such as those listed in ITU-T Recommendation G.997.1), but prevents modification to any of those parameters that might affect or cause harm to the service of another line.

Access network management

A method and device are provided for allocating resources in a DSL network, comprising the steps of a first-tier DSL network element receiving a resource requirement of a second-tier DSL subscriber line, the first-tier DSL network element determining a resource requirement of a first-tier DSL subscriber line, and the first-tier DSL network element allocating resources to the first-tier DSL subscriber line based on the resource requirements of the first and second tier DSL subscriber lines.

Resource allocation in a DSL network

A digital subscriber line arrangement includes a first downstream Access Node (AN) modem, a first upstream Customer Premises Equipment (CPE) modem, a second AN modem, a second CPE modem and first and second metallic pairs connected between the first and second modems, respectively. The first AN modem includes a length estimation module and a PSD mask selection module which together with a PSD mask store operate to select upstream and downstream PSD masks for use by the first CPE modem and the first AN modem, respectively. Selection of the masks depends upon the estimated line length and the manner in which neighboring communication link is operating. Additionally, a central controller is operable to perform selection or generation of such masks in a similar manner when centralized control over the PSD mask generation is desired.

Methods and apparatus are disclosed for allocating resources in a Digital Subscriber Line network, the network comprising at least one lower-tier digital subscriber line carrying signals according to a first protocol between a transceiver device at a lower-tier network node and a subscriber transceiver device and further comprising at least one higher-tier digital subscriber line carrying signals according to a second protocol between a transceiver device at a higher-tier network node and a subscriber transceiver device, the first protocol permitting signals to be carried at frequencies in a range having a higher upper limit than the second protocol.

Growing community of inventors

Stowmarket, United Kingdom

Trevor Philip Linney