WO2014105094A1

WO2014105094A1 - Operational network information generated by synthesis of baseline cpe data

Info

Publication number: WO2014105094A1
Application number: PCT/US2013/000283
Authority: WO
Inventors: Foad Towfiq
Original assignee: Promptlink Communications, Inc.
Priority date: 2012-12-28
Filing date: 2013-12-26
Publication date: 2014-07-03

Abstract

Baseline device operations data regarding customer premise equipment (CPE) devices is generated within a controlled environment during screening of the CPE devices prior to deployment within an operational network. Device status and operations data regarding the CPE devices is generated within the operational network after deployment of the CPE therein. Operational information regarding the operational network is generated and output by synthesizing the baseline device operations data together with the device status and operations data.

Description

OPERATIONAL NETWORK INFORMATION GENERATED BY SYNTHESIS OF

BASELINE CPE DATA

RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] The present patent application claims priority to the previously filed and presently pending provisional patent application filed on December 28, 2012, and assigned patent application number 61/848,256.

BACKGROUND

[0002] Communications, connectivity, and content service providers

(cumulatively called service providers) provide multimedia services, such as video, audio, telephony, data communications, wireless networking and related services to their subscribers by deploying devices at their customers' premises, and then connecting this equipment to the service provider's network and infrastructure. The deployed devices are generally called CPE - the acronym for Customer Premise Equipment. For example, cable companies, more commonly known as multiple system operators (MSOs), deliver their service to customers by connecting a device, such as a Set-Top-Box or a Cable Modem, to their network, and this CPE device acts the service delivery mechanism for the subscriber.

[0003] The logistics of managing deployment of CPE devices is a key operational business process for service providers (for example, ISPs, Wi-Fi network providers,

MSOs, satellite TV companies, DSL vendors, telecommunications companies, etc.). CPE devices are selected by providers based on the technical qualifications of the CPE devices, and providers literally purchase millions of them each year to use for delivering their subscription services to their customers. The devices can be TV set-top boxes, cable modems, telephone adapters (EMTAs), wireless gateways, DSL modems, or devices that combine any of these capabilities (and more) in an integrated package. Not only are there huge quantities of devices, the devices are growing more complex as they aim to deliver more valuable services.

SUMMARY

[0004] An example method includes receiving, by a processor, baseline device operations data regarding customer premise equipment (CPE) devices. The baseline device operations data is generated within a controlled environment during screening of the CPE devices prior to deployment within an operational network. The method includes receiving, by the processor, device status and operations data regarding the CPE devices. The device status and operations data is generated within the operational network after deployment of the CPE therein. The method includes generating and outputting, by the processor, operational information regarding the operational network by synthesizing the baseline device operations data together with the device status and operations data.

[0005] An example non-transitory computer-readable data storage medium stores a computer program executable by a computing device to perform a method. The method includes receiving baseline device operations data regarding CPE devices. The baseline device operations data is generated within a controlled environment during screening of the CPE devices prior to deployment within an operational network. The method includes receiving device status and operations data regarding the CPE devices. The device status and operations data is generated within the operational network after deployment of the CPE therein. The method includes generating and outputting operational information regarding the operational network by synthesizing the baseline device operations data together with the device status and operations data.

[0006] An example system includes an operational network of CPE devices deployed therein. The CPE devices generate device status and operations data. The system includes a database to store the device status and operations device generated by the CPE devices, and to store baseline device operations data of the CPE devices generated within a controlled environment during screening of the CPE devices prior to deployment within the operational network. The system includes a computing device to generate and output operational information regarding the operational network by synthesizing the baseline device operations data together with the device status and operations data.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

[0007] The drawings referenced herein form a part of the specification.

Features shown in the drawing illustrate only some embodiments of the disclosure, and not of all embodiments of the disclosure, unless the detailed description explicitly indicates otherwise, and readers of the specification should not make implications to the contrary.

[0008] FIG. 1 is a flowchart of an example method for generating operational information regarding an operational network in which customer premise equipment (CPE) devices have been deployed. |0009] FIG. 2 is a diagram of an example system including an operational network in which CPE devices have been deployed and that generates operational information regarding the operational network.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0010] The following detailed description of exemplary embodiments of the disclosure refers to the accompanying drawings that form a part of the description. The drawings illustrate specific exemplary embodiments in which the disclosure may be practiced. The detailed description, including the drawings, describes these embodiments in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the disclosure. Those skilled in the art may further utilize other embodiments of the disclosure, and make logical, mechanical, and other changes without departing from the spirit or scope of the disclosure.

[0011] As noted in the background section, service providers deploy customer premise equipment (CPE) devices within an operational network, for the use by their customers. Service providers typically screen CPE devices after purchase from

manufacturers and prior to deployment to customers. They also screen returned devices as they attempt to re-use them. The screening process includes visual inspection and functional testing by a screening system or test platform. Upon passing the screening tests, the devices are repackaged and deployed, usually with the addition of asset management tags and other identification so that the service provider can keep track of their assets and manage the asset life-cycle costs. This asset identification is important, since CPE devices are often returned to the service provider as customers change or cancel their subscription, move, or if the customer reports problems with the CPE devices. At the same time as device deployment is occurring, network operators and network service providers create the infrastructure to deliver services. and operate their business by deploying large networks of cabling, communications equipment, and of course, the devices located at their subscriber's locations. The network is the backbone of the business, and must be monitored and managed continuously for the service provider to profit from their work.

[0012] Current network management technology seeks to simply monitor the currently deployed network equipment and devices in the network. With such tools, device status polling is used to generate a composite view of the network status. The polling uses SNMP and MIB methods that have been used for many years. This device status polling (of current status, device operation, or performance values) leads to graphical presentation of the polling results, as the whole and complete "current status" of the network.

[0013] To monitor the health of the network the CPE devices in the network are generally used as a probe. However, due to the complex interaction of devices in a network, it is difficult to monitor and manage dynamic network properties or

characteristics. Service providers face an operational issue of managing their stock of new and used CPE devices, and to maximize the investment in these CPE devices. One aspect of this issue is that literally thousands of CPE devices must be tested on a daily basis in order to maintain adequate supplies in stock for deployment. To meet the need for high-volume screening, the screening process and functional testing is kept as short as possible to support the most devices possible being processed. [0014] However, techniques disclosed herein postulate that within the screening test process, device behavior can be recorded, and this information can be used to better manage deployed devices, of course, and also to benefit the network management of the whole network by using screened devices as well-understood probes within the network that can be leveraged for whole-network performance monitoring.

[0015] Via these techniques, device behavior that has been measured when the customer premise devices are tested is captured with a device functional verification and screening system (test platform) in a controlled network environment. Due to the complex interaction of devices in a network, it is difficult to monitor and manage dynamic network properties or characteristics. For example, it is difficult to identify and isolate noise in the cable plant because various network elements contribute to the cable plant noise levels. These techniques make it easier to find the source of noise, and isolate it to specific network elements that can then simply be repaired or replaced.

[0016] The disclosed techniques further uses many CPEs that have been screened by a test platform, and are subsequently deployed in an operational network, to indicate that the network itself has noise or power level issues, or that other equipment attached to the network is introducing the noise or power problems. By combining device test screening data with new operational status data gathered from the (newly) deployed devices, the techniques highlight network paths for consideration, while eliminating consideration of network paths immediately adjacent to (newly) deployed devices. Thus, the disclosed techniques permit identifying dynamic operations issues in the network, while supplying indications of the source of the issues in order to isolate the fault and return the network operation to normal. [0017] These techniques can employ software logic that uses many screened network devices as qualified network probes to measure network-level characteristics such as power levels or signal-to-noise ratios in order to identify the dynamic location of noise or power level issues in the network. This software logic combines current operations data with "qualified network probe" data that comes from the device screening process of the test platform. The software logic distinguishes network-level information (e.g., noise affecting many devices) as opposed to device-level data (e.g., status, performance values).

[0018] The disclosed techniques employ the behavior captured from screened devices to make these devices into pseudo-calibrated devices, which can be used to overcome one of the challenges of isolating noise problems in any network - networks inherently connect devices together with adjacent or nearby devices, and these connections can supply an unknown impact on overall network performance with respect to network parameters such as power levels or noise. The techniques use many pseudo- calibrated devices to gather relevant, trusted noise and power level values from larger areas of the network, and use software logic to correlate network segment noise levels and represent the identified and isolated location of the noise or power level problem.

[0019] FIG. 1 shows an example method 100. The method 100 may be performed by the processor of a computing device. For instance, the method 100 can be implemented as a computer program stored on a non-transitory computer-readable data storage medium. The processor executes the program to perform the method 100. The method 100 can be said to enhance a device and network management system through the use of screened devices deployed in the network once their behavior have been captured and stored.

[0020] The method 100 receives baseline device operations data regarding CPE devices (102). The baseline device operations data is generated within a controlled environment during screening of the CPE devices prior to deployment within an operational network. It is noted that "prior to deployment" herein means prior to a current deployment, in that a CPE device may be deployed at an end customer location, returned to a service provider, and then redeployed at the same or different end customer location in what is thus the current deployment. The controlled environment can be a test network to which the CPE devices are connected for screening to ensure proper operation thereof prior to deployment within the actual operational network. The baseline device operations data is thus generated by testing the CPE devices within this test network, or other controlled environment. The baseline device operations data is thus pseudo- calibration values for each device.

[0021] The method 100 makes use of the CPE screening process to establish baseline data about a large number of network devices (CPE) that will be returned to service and will be deployed in the operational network. Device screening is conducted offline, usually at a warehouse or other facility that is wholly separate from the operational network, and in order to provide accurate testing and screening, the mini- network of the screening environment must be carefully controlled and maintained in what amounts to a calibration environment. Screening is conducted as new devices are acquired, or as old devices return from being deployed (when customers terminate or change their service). Properly screened devices can be said to have been pseudo- calibrated - where "pseudo" is used only because commodity CPE devices are not able to be tuned or optimized, and rather, the screening process verifies that each device operates within the specified thresholds of electrical and communications parameters per the network standards.

[0022] The method 100 receives current device status and operations data regarding the CPE devices upon their having been (currently) deployed within the operational network (104). This data can be generated by polling the CPE devices as deployed to the customers within the network. For instance, existing technology, like the Promptlink, Inc. Cable Plant Monitoring (CPM) software product, uses device polling to read and present the operational status of the cable plant.

[0023] The method 100 then generates and outputs operational information regarding the operational network by synthesizing the baseline device operations data and the device status and operations data (106). That is, the method 100 creates a synthesis of this baseline device data (from the screening process) and the active, monitored network and device status in the operational network. The synthesis of historical and current data provides more information, and more valuable information for use in troubleshooting and diagnosing dynamic problems. This synthesis happens for specific devices that have been screened and then subsequently deployed or re-deployed into the operational network. In effect, each such device becomes a point of enhanced monitoring or a focal point for viewing network performance and network operations health/status.

[0024] The method 100 thus innovates and refines the process of fault isolation that currently exists, specifically by adding known historic data from the test platform to the active operations data, while the software logic makes comparisons of historic to current noise and power level values in order to identify non-conforming behavior.

Existing technologies, by comparison, use device status polling to generate a composite view of the network status. The polling uses SNMP and MIB techniques.

[0025] Existing technologies use status polling of current status and device operation or performance values, and presentation of the polling results, as the whole and complete "current status" of the network. By comparison, the method 100 introduces historic and essential calibration information about devices attached to the network, and by comparing current measured values with calibration values, the method 100 focuses attention on out-of-tolerance operational parameters in the network, thereby pointing out (or isolating) the location of a network issue. Any modern communications network is prone to noise and power level issues, but yet these issues are almost impossible to isolate using existing technologies, such that the method 100 provides a heretofore unknown way to troubleshoot dynamic network operations issues.

[0026] In one implementation, the method 100 generates and outputs the operational information regarding the operational network as follows. For each CPE device, the device status and operations data thereof is compared to baseline device operations data thereof (108). This permits determination of CPE device-specific operational information regarding the operational network as indicated the CPE device, on a per-CPE device basis. As such, non-confirming behavior can be determined, as has been noted above.

[0027] Furthermore, the CPE device-specific operational information of a number of each of a number of CPE devices that are located near one another within the operational network can be compared (1 10). For instance, such CPE devices may be in the same logical domain or subnet, may be physically located as being connected to the same physical communication medium (e.g., fiber or copper wire), or may be physically located within a predetermined area. This permits a relative comparison among devices in a given network neighborhood.

[0028] The method 100 can then generate and display a graphical representation of the operational network, including generating and displaying graphical representations of network segments thereof in which operational faults are graphically identified (1 12). The graphical representation of the operational network can be said to be an overlay network, with the CPE devices acting as monitoring stations therein apart from the usage by customers to employ the services offered by the service provider over the operational network. The network segments are generated and displayed based on the locations of the CPE devices within the operational network. The operational information regarding the operational network indicates the operational faults.

[0029] The method 100 thus the pseudo-calibrated devices into an overlay network that represents a network of noise/power-level monitoring stations throughout the operational network, and the method 100 uses this overlay network to represent network segment and network-wide operations faults and issues. The graphical representation of the overlay network is a valuable innovation, because it represents a visualization of the network as a whole, rather than as just a set of connected network elements.

[0030] It can be said that existing technologies perform network monitoring by monitoring the status of network elements (devices), while the method 100 improves that method by representing and visualizing the network itself as various network segments (each consisting of tens and hundreds or thousands of devices), and even as a whole network (of many segments), while presenting network- wide noise monitoring with the ability to isolate lesser or greater noise into specific segments, and even full isolation to specific devices.

[0031] From the baseline device operations data, the device status and operations data, and the operational information generated, part 1 12 of the method 100 thus prepares textual and graphical representations of the overlay network (with textual and graphic "tags" regarding noise diagnostic data at each of the pseudo-calibrated devices) showing network noise conditions. This overlay network showing noise enables the network operator to quickly isolate noise issues and to initiate work to resolve the noise problem.

[0032] FIG. 2 shows an example system 200 including an operational network of

CPE devices 204 that are deployed therein after having successfully been tested within a test network 206 or other controlled environment, as indicated by arrow 208. During testing in this controlled environment, baseline device operations data regarding the CPE devices 204 is generated and stored in a database 214, as indicated by the arrow 210. Once the CPE devices 204 have been actually deployed to customers within the operational network 202, the polling of the devices 202 yields device status and operations data regarding them, which is also stored in the device 214.

[0033] That is, the baseline device operations data is device data from the screening process, representing pseudo-calibrated device information or qualified operational parameters for devices. The device status and operations data is operational device data showing the device operating under operational conditions in the context of the operational network 202 with which it must necessarily participate. The operational network 202 is thus a collection of the CPE devices 204 deployed at subscriber/customer locations, which are referred to as customer premises as well. A CPE device 204 is thereby network equipment that resides at the customer location to present the

operator/service provider's service to its customers.

[0034] The system 200 includes a computing device 216, such as a general- purpose computer having hardware like memory, storage devices, and a processor to execute a computer program. The computing device 216 is communicatively connected to the database 214 to access the baseline device operations data and the device status and operations data that is stored in the database 214. From this information, the computing device 216 generates operational information regarding the operational network, as indicated by the arrow 218. The computing device 216 thus performs the method 100 that has been described, in relation to the operational network 202 of the CPE devices 204.

[0035] The innovative techniques disclosed herein have been applied to cable plant network management, where hybrid-fiber-coax (HFC) cable plants are used as the network to allow cable operators to deliver data, voice and video services to the cable operators' customers (who receive the service through use of CPEs). In addition, the techniques make use of many devices that have been screened in a controlled test environment and have subsequently been deployed for use in the operational cable plant. The ability to use many pseudo-calibrated devices overcomes one of the challenges of isolating noise problems in any network - networks inherently connect devices together with adjacent or nearby devices, and these connections can supply an unknown positive or negative impact on overall network performance with respect to noise. The techniques disclose herein use many pseudo-calibrated devices to gather relevant, trusted noise and power level values from larger areas of the network, and use software logic (via the computing device 216) to correlate network segment noise levels and represent the identified and isolated location of the noise or power level problem.

[0036] Existing technology just supplies good determination of operation problems for specific devices, whereas the inventive techniques disclosed herein re-frame the operations monitoring to place emphasis on the performance of the connected network of modern-day HFC plants. This innovation makes use of thousands and thousands of modems cycling through the operational network and the staging area for deployment (typically the network provider's warehouse). Novelly, the techniques that have been disclosed store, retrieve and "mine" the screening information of the devices and use this device screening information as qualified data about the network - using the device screening information as pseudo-calibrated levels for the operational network.

[0037] As such, the techniques that have been disclosed herein have at least the following three novel aspects. First, the techniques make use of the device screening process to establish baseline data about the device. This is a novel approach to network monitoring, because device screening is conducted offline, usually at a warehouse or other facility that is wholly separate from the operational cable plant. Screening is conducted as new devices are acquired, or as old devices return from being deployed (when customers terminate or change their cable subscription service).

[0038] Second, the techniques create a synthesis of this baseline device data

(from the screening process) and the active, monitored network and device status in the operational cable plant. The synthesis of historical and current data provides more information, and more valuable information for use in troubleshooting and diagnosing dynamic problems. This synthesis happens for specific devices that have been screened and then subsequently deployed or re-deployed into the operational cable plant. In effect, each such device becomes a point of enhanced monitoring or a focal point for viewing network performance and network operations health/status.

[0039] Third, the techniques aggregate the pseudo-calibrated devices into an overlay network that represents a network of noise/power-level monitoring stations throughout the operational cable plant, and use this overlay network to represent network segment and network-wide operations faults and issues. The graphical representation of the overlay network is advantageous, because it represents a visualization of the network as a whole, rather than as just a set of connected network elements. By having this accurate information of the network, the disclosed techniques can present network hot-spots as areas (as opposed to specific devices) that require more detailed

diagnostic attention.

[0040] It is noted that, although specific embodiments have been illustrated and described herein, it will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art that any arrangement calculated to achieve the same purpose may be substituted for the specific embodiments shown. This application is thus intended to cover any adaptations or variations of embodiments of the present invention. As such and therefore, it is manifestly intended that this invention be limited only by the claims and equivalents thereof.

Claims

We claim:

1. A method comprising:

receiving, by a processor, baseline device operations data regarding a plurality of customer premise equipment (CPE) devices, the baseline device operations data generated within a controlled environment during screening of the CPE devices prior to deployment within an operational network;

receiving, by the processor, device status and operations data regarding the CPE devices, the device status and operations data generated within the operational network after deployment of the CPE therein; and

generating and outputting, by the processor, operational information regarding the operational network by synthesizing the baseline device operations data together with the device status and operations data.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein generating and outputting the operational information comprises generating and displaying a graphical representation of the operational network in which the CPE devices act as monitoring stations.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein generating and displaying the graphical representation of the operational network comprises generating and displaying graphical representations of a plurality of operational network segments of the operational network based on locations of the CPE devices within the operational network.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein generating and displaying the graphical representations of the operational network segments comprises graphically identifying operational faults within the operational network segments as indicated by the operational information.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein generating and outputting the operational information comprises comparing device status and operations data regarding each CPE device to the baseline device operations data for the CPE device to determine CPE device-specific operational information regarding the operational network as indicated by the CPE device.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein generating and outputting the operational information further comprises comparing the CPE device-specific operational

information of each CPE device that are located near one another within the operational network.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the controlled environment is a test network to which the CPE devices are connected for screening to ensure proper operation thereof prior to deployment within the operational network,

and wherein the baseline device operations data is generated by testing of the CPE devices within the test network.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the device status and operations data is generated by polling the CPE devices as deployed to customers within operational the operational network.

9. A non-transitory computer-readable data storage medium storing a computer program executable by a computing device to perform a method comprising:

receiving baseline device operations data regarding a plurality of customer premise equipment (CPE) devices, the baseline device operations data generated within a controlled environment during screening of the CPE devices prior to deployment within an operational network;

receiving device status and operations data regarding the CPE devices, the device status and operations data generated within the operational network after deployment of the CPE therein; and

generating and outputting operational information regarding the operational network by synthesizing the baseline device operations data together with the device status and operations data.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable data storage of claim 9, wherein generating and outputting the operational information comprises generating and displaying a graphical representation of the operational network in which the CPE devices act as monitoring stations.

1 1. The non-transitory computer-readable data storage of claim 10, wherein generating and displaying the graphical representation of the operational network comprises generating and displaying graphical representations of a plurality of operational network segments of the operational network based on locations of the CPE devices within the operational network.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable data storage of claim 1 1 , wherein generating and displaying the graphical representations of the operational network segments comprises graphically identifying operational faults within the operational network segments as indicated by the operational information.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable data storage of claim 9, wherein generating and outputting the operational information comprises:

comparing device status and operations data regarding each CPE device to the baseline device operations data for the CPE device to determine CPE device-specific operational information regarding the operational network as indicated by the CPE device; and

comparing the CPE device-specific operational information of each CPE device that are located near one another within the operational network.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable data storage of claim 9, wherein the controlled environment is a test network to which the CPE devices are connected for screening to ensure proper operation thereof prior to deployment within the operational network,

wherein the baseline device operations data is generated by testing of the CPE devices within the test network, and wherein the device status and operations data is generated by polling the CPE devices as deployed to customers within the operational network.

15. A system comprising:

an operational network of a plurality of customer premise equipment (CPE) devices deployed therein, the CPE devices to generate device status and operations data; a database to store the device status and operations device generated by the CPE devices, and to store baseline device operations data of the CPE devices generated within a controlled environment during screening of the CPE devices prior to deployment within the operational network; and

a computing device to generate and output operational information regarding the operational network by synthesizing the baseline device operations data together with the device status and operations data.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the computing device is to generate and output the operational information comprises generating and displaying a graphical

representation of the operational network in which the CPE devices act as monitoring stations.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the computing device generating and displaying the graphical representation of the operational network includes the computing device generating and displaying graphical representations of a plurality of operational network segments of the operational network based on locations of the CPE devices within the operational network.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the computing device generating and displaying the graphical representations of the operational network segments includes the computing device graphically identifying operational faults within the operational network segments as indicated by the operational information.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein the computing device is to generate and output the operational information by:

20. The system of claim 15, wherein the controlled environment is a test network to which the CPE devices are connected for screening to ensure proper operation thereof prior to deployment within the operational network,

wherein the baseline device operations data is generated by testing of the CPE devices within the test network,

and wherein the device status and operations data is generated by polling the CPE devices as deployed to customers within the operational network.