Patent ID: 7577977

Claim:
An open cable diagnosing system configured to communicate with a head end, comprising: a point of deployment (POD) module configured to output a diagnostic request object through a central processing unit (CPU) interface in accordance with a diagnostic resource; and a host device configured to receive the diagnostic request object and to output a diagnostic confirmation object to the POD module in accordance with the diagnostic resource, wherein the host device comprises: a receiver configured to receive a diagnostic command signal from the head end through an out-of-band (OOB) channel; a transmitter configured to transmit diagnostic information corresponding to the diagnostic confirmation object to the head end through the OOB channel; and a first microprocessor configured to perform a set of diagnostic functions according to the diagnostic request object and to output the diagnostic confirmation object including a result of the performed functions to the POD module through the CPU interface, wherein the POD module comprises a second microprocessor configured to transmit the diagnostic request object through the CPU interface in accordance with the diagnostic resource to the first microprocessor, wherein the CPU interface defines a resource layer between an application layer and a session layer, the resource layer including the diagnostic resource, wherein the diagnostic resource defines the diagnostic request object and the diagnostic confirmation object, wherein the diagnostic request object includes a plurality of identifiers, each identifier being assigned to one of plural functional units in the host device to be checked for a corresponding diagnostic status, wherein the diagnostic confirmation object includes state information about each of the functional units, and wherein the CPU interface defines a data channel between the second microprocessor of the POD module and the first microprocessor of the host device, wherein the diagnostic request object and the diagnostic confirmation object are exchanged between the host device and the POD module through the data channel.