Patent ID: 7023963
Filing Date: 2006-04-04
Classification: H04M

Abstract:
1. A method of determining the location of a fault along a wireline, serving digital subscriber equipment at a location remote with respect to a central office facility, said location of said fault being determined relative to a DSL line card installed in said central office facility, said method comprising the steps of: (a) applying a line card electrical stimulus to said wireline from said central office facility; (b) at said DSL line card, measuring a response of said wireline to said electrical stimulus applied in step (a), and generating an output from which the distance from said DSL line card to said fault is determined; and (c) processing said output generated by said DSL line card in step (b) to determine in which portion of said wireline said fault is located; and wherein step (b) comprises establishing attributes of a digital echo canceler, and step (c) comprises analyzing attributes of said digital echo canceler to derive a measure of distance from said DSL line card to said fault.