Daniel Keith Chappell

US Patent:

6425132, Jul 23, 2002

Filed:

Apr 6, 1998

Appl. No.:

09/055664

Inventors:

Daniel K. Chappell - Fishers IN

Assignee:

Wavetek Corporation

International Classification:

H04N 7173

US Classification:

725107, 725106, 725124, 725125, 348180, 348192, 348193, 324500, 324512, 324522, 324528, 324750, 324731, 379 1, 379 2, 379 6, 379 12, 379 19, 379 26, 379 27, 379 34, 455 671, 455 673, 455 674

Abstract:

A CATV system in which a technician in the field requests via a field client that a node of the CATV system be tested for ingress. The CATV system includes a headend facility that is coupled to a CATV distribution network. The CATV distribution network includes a plurality of nodes through which upstream signals are transmitted to the headend facility. A method of ingress testing for use in the CATV system includes one step of receiving at the headend facility a first reverse telemetry signal transmitted by a first field client that is coupled to the CATV distribution network at a first location downstream from the headend facility. Another step of the method includes selecting at the headend facility a first test node from the plurality of nodes of the CATV distribution network, wherein the selection is based upon the received first reverse telemetry signal. The method also includes the step of measuring first upstream signals from the selected first test node to obtain a first plurality of measurement values for the first upstream signals. Finally, the method includes transmitting from the headend facility via the CATV distribution network a forward telemetry signal that includes the first plurality of measurement values.

US Patent:

6961370, Nov 1, 2005

Filed:

Mar 29, 2001

Appl. No.:

09/821582

Inventors:

Daniel K. Chappell - Fishers IN, US

Assignee:

Acterna - Indianapolis IN

International Classification:

H04B017/00
H04Q001/20

US Classification:

375224, 375316, 329371, 348726, 348731, 455 6711

Abstract:

An apparatus, system, and method, for determining the total frequency response of a communication system, include one or more testers each having a tuner, digital demodulation circuitry, and a controller that measures an absolute power level at the tester location for a particular channel and that measures a relative frequency response for the channel based on the tap weight coefficients from the digital demodulation circuitry. The absolute and relative measurements are combined and then recorded by each tester. The combined values of two or more testers are compared to determine the total frequency response of the communication system. The relative response measurements are converted from time domain to frequency domain by fast Fourier transformation. The controllers maintain a channel plan for sequencing the sweeping of consecutive channels.

US Patent:

7944848, May 17, 2011

Filed:

Jun 2, 2008

Appl. No.:

12/131700

Inventors:

Daniel K. Chappell - Greenwood IN, US
David Hering - Greenwood IN, US
Michael J. Kunczt - Greenwood IN, US
Kelly Watts - Indianapolis IN, US
Adam D. Gray - McCordsville IN, US
David W. Jones - Pittsboro IN, US

Assignee:

Acterna LLC - Germantown MD

International Classification:

H04L 12/26

US Classification:

370252, 370480, 370332

Abstract:

The problem is that a measurement of the average signal quality (average modulation error ratio), does not identify poor quality signals that may be originating from an individual cable modem. The device of the present invention displays the modulation error ratio (MER) for each packet received. Since the media access control (MAC) address is associated with a packet received from an individual cable modem, a graph displaying the MER for each packet received is also displaying the MER for signals from the individual cable modems. Thus a technician viewing the display will be able to identify whether a low MER is a result of an impairment in the network or the from an individual cable modem.

US Patent:

7961719, Jun 14, 2011

Filed:

Aug 15, 2006

Appl. No.:

11/464628

Inventors:

Daniel K. Chappell - Greenwood IN, US

Assignee:

Acterna LLC - Germantown MD

International Classification:

H04L 12/66
H04L 12/28
H04B 1/38

US Classification:

370352, 370402, 375222

Abstract:

The invention relates to a system for end-of-line monitoring of HFC networks by using a main tuner dedicated to receiving measurement requests from a network monitoring server via a DOCSIS downstream channel, and an auxiliary tuner used for the purpose of performing measurements of the downstream channel by analogue and digital measurement circuits. A cable modem is used to transmit measurement results to the server over a DOCSIS upstream channel. The addition of the auxiliary tuner, permits faster measurements to be performed by the EOL monitoring system and reported back to the server, thereby affording real-time remote testing and diagnostics.

US Patent:

8154303, Apr 10, 2012

Filed:

Oct 10, 2008

Appl. No.:

12/249494

Inventors:

Ben Maxson - Beech Grove IN, US
Daniel K. Chappell - Greenwood IN, US

International Classification:

G01R 31/08
G01R 31/02
G01R 31/28
H04N 17/00

US Classification:

324532, 324528, 324531, 324535, 324543, 348192, 725107

Abstract:

Methods are disclosed for identifying and locating points of impairment in a cable plant, such as that used for cable television (CATV). The methods utilize both known characteristics of signals as well as propagation times in free space and within the cable in conjunction with accurate determination of locations at which measurements are taken. The methods can be applied to both RF cable leaks as well as points of ingress of interference.

US Patent:

8184684, May 22, 2012

Filed:

Sep 30, 2008

Appl. No.:

12/241823

Inventors:

Walter Miller - Greenwood IN, US
Daniel K. Chappell - Greenwood IN, US
Pingnan Shi - Greenwood IN, US

International Classification:

H04B 3/46

US Classification:

375224, 375228, 375316, 375345, 73627

Abstract:

The testing equipment of the present invention calculates a single “AGC stress” value, which provides an indication of the stability of the level of a digital carrier based on the change in gain required to stabilize the power of an incoming cable signal over time. Ideally the AGC stress value is rated on a scale, e. g. 1 to 10 or 0 to 5, and is fed into the DQI measurement system as a new data model.

US Patent:

8189651, May 29, 2012

Filed:

Mar 27, 2009

Appl. No.:

12/413086

Inventors:

Pingnan Shi - Greenwood IN, US
Daniel K. Chappell - Greenwood IN, US
Walter Miller - Greenwood IN, US
Gregory W. Massey - Greenfield IN, US

International Classification:

H04B 3/46
H04B 17/00
H04Q 1/20

US Classification:

375224, 702 58, 324 7611

Abstract:

The invention relates to a method for measuring Hum on a digital QAM carrier using a testing device for testing digital TV signals including a QAM demodulator therein, and to a testing device implementing the method. A micro-controller is used to sample a register associated with an AGC circuit in the QAM demodulator, and to process the collected register values to obtain one or more Hum characteristics.

US Patent:

8310940, Nov 13, 2012

Filed:

Jun 3, 2010

Appl. No.:

12/793643

Inventors:

Richard Earl Jones - Plainfield IN, US
Ching-Chang Liao - Fishers IN, US
Daniel K. Chappell - Greenwood IN, US

Assignee:

JDS Uniphase Corporation - Milpitas CA

International Classification:

H04L 12/28
H04B 3/46
H04N 7/173
H04N 17/00

US Classification:

370241, 370431, 375224, 725107, 348192

Abstract:

In order to measure the performance of a DOCSIS upstream channel as well as to locate impairments, a special test signal is transmitted in a time slot of the upstream channel by a test instrument positioned anywhere within the CATV plant. A second test instrument, located at the termination point of the upstream plant, then detects, recovers, and processes the test signal in order to complete the measurement. The typical methods used to detect and recover bursted signals within a DOCSIS upstream channel use precise timing information transmitted in a corresponding DOCSIS downstream channel. Unfortunately, the downstream channel and thus the precise timing information are not always available to the secondary test instrument. The present invention also describes an apparatus and method for detecting a bursted test signal without the use of the DOCSIS upstream channel timing.