Method and apparatus to identify a remote communication apparatus and enhance communication performance based on the identification

Abstract

A type or brand of remote communication device is identified by measuring one or more characteristics associated with one or more signals sent by the remote communication device. The measured characteristics differ among different devices and/or manufacturers and are compared to known characteristics of one or more signals associated with known communication devices. Once the remote communication device is identified, the local communication device can enable one or more performance enhancing or deficiency compensation features based on the identity of the remote communication device.

1 . (canceled)  
     
     
         2 . A method for identifying a remote data communications equipment communicating with a local data communications equipment in a data communications network, the method comprising: 
 evaluating a signal transmitted by the remote data communications equipment to the local data communications equipment, the signal being transmitted according to a first implementation of a communications protocol, the communications protocol allowing differing implementations of the protocol by differing data communications equipments;    comparing the first implementation against implementations of the protocol by known data communications equipments;    identifying the remote data communications equipment based on the comparison; and    enabling a communications feature or not based on the identification.    
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the identification is at least one of brand, type, and model of the remote data communications equipment.  
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the evaluating, comparing, identifying, and enabling is performed by the local data communications equipment.  
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the local data communications equipment is an analog modem and the remote data communications equipment is a digital modem.  
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the communications feature is spectral shaping.  
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 2  further comprising: 
 searching a database for information on implementations of the protocol by known data communications equipments.    
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the first implementation of the communications protocol transmits the signal for a particular duration of time, and the comparing compares the particular duration of time against durations of time used by known data communications equipments based on implementations of the communications protocol by the known data communications equipments.  
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the duration is measured in terms of a number of symbols transmitted.  
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the signal is a training signal transmitted during a modem training session.  
     
     
         11 . A modem identifying a remote data communications equipment, the modem comprising: 
 a computer readable medium comprising: 
 instructions for evaluating a signal received from the remote data communications equipment, the signal being transmitted according to a first implementation of a communications protocol, the communications protocol allowing differing implementations of the protocol by differing data communications equipments;  
 comparing the first implementation against implementations of the protocol by known data communications equipments;  
 identifying the remote data communications equipment based on the comparison; and  
 enabling a communications feature or not based on the identification; and  
   a data store storing information on the implementations of the protocol by the known data communications equipments.    
     
     
         12 . The modem of  claim 11 , wherein the identification is at least one of brand, type, and model of the remote data communications equipment.  
     
     
         13 . The modem of  claim 11 , wherein the modem is an analog modem and the remote data communications equipment is a digital modem.  
     
     
         14 . The modem of  claim 11 , wherein the communications feature is spectral shaping.  
     
     
         15 . The modem of  claim 11 , the computer readable medium further comprising instructions for searching the database for information on implementations of the protocol by known data communications equipments.  
     
     
         16 . The modem of  claim 11 , wherein the first implementation of the communications protocol transmits the signal for a particular duration of time, and the comparing compares the particular duration of time against durations of time used by known data communications equipments based on implementations of the communications protocol by the known data communications equipments.  
     
     
         17 . The modem of  claim 16 , wherein the duration is measured in terms of a number of symbols transmitted.  
     
     
         18 . The modem of  claim 11 , wherein the signal is a training signal transmitted during the modem training session.