The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Nov. 30, 1999
Filed:
Dec. 02, 1997
Douglas J Franchville, Indianapolis, IN (US);
Wavetek Corporation, Indianapolis, IN (US);
Abstract
Frequency domain reflectometer and method of locating faults in a transmission line utilized by the reflectometer are disclosed. The reflectometer suppresses harmonics that may be interpreted as faults that in actuality do not exist. In general, the reflectometer applies a sweep signal to the transmission line in order to obtain a reflected sweep response signal. Then, the reflectometer obtains a sweep response spectrum from the reflected sweep response signal. The reflected sweep response signal includes a plurality of spectral peaks which represent the frequency components of the reflected sweep response signal. Then, the reflectometer mathematically determines which spectral peaks of the reflected sweep response spectrum were generated due to harmonics in the reflected sweep response signal. After determining that a spectral peak is a harmonic of a fundamental spectral peak, the reflectometer subtracts a percentage of the fundamental spectral peak from the harmonic spectral peak, thereby suppressing a harmonic of the reflected sweep response signal. The reflectometer then obtains from the adjusted sweep response spectrum a location of an impedance mismatch in the transmission line.