Patent ID: 6724859
Filing Date: 2004-04-20
Classification: H04B,H04L,H04M

Abstract:
A method for identifying the makeup of a subscriber loop including a cable having discontinuities thereon, said method comprising the steps of:transmitting a probing pulse on the loop and acquiring data based on receiving echoes there from caused by the discontinuities on the loop; hypothesizing a representative set of topologies of the loop based on the acquired data resulting from the discontinuities; computing a corresponding waveform for each of the hypothesized topologies; comparing each computed corresponding waveform to the acquired data and choosing the topology whose corresponding waveform best matches the acquired data; subtracting the waveform corresponding to the chosen topology from the acquired data to produce compensated data; finding a next echo present in the compensated data; iteratively repeating said hypothesizing, computing, comparing, subtracting, and finding steps for each discontinuity of the loop until no echoes are found; and identifying the presence or absence and location of one or more gauge changes and bridged taps, the length of the loop including the length of each bridged tap, and the gauge of each loop section.