Spectrum analysis capability in network and/or system communication devices

Abstract

Spectrum analysis (SA) capability is included in various communication devices within a communication network. One or more of the devices use the SA information from other devices in the system to determine status of various communication links were devices in the system. One or more processors within one or more devices can identify any actual/existing or expected failure or degradation of the various components within the system. Such components may include communication devices, communication channels or links, interfaces, interconnections, etc. When an actual/existing or expected failure or degradation is identified, the affected components may be serviced or devices within the system may operate to mitigate any reduction in performance caused by such problems. Such SA functionality/capability may be implemented in one communication device or in a distributed manner across a number of devices in a communication system.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A communication device comprising:
 a communication interface; and   a processor, the processor and the communication interface configured to:
 generate first spectrum analysis (SA) information based on a first full bandwidth of an upstream (US) usable frequency spectrum for one or more US channels within a communication system; 
 generate second SA information based on a second full bandwidth of a downstream (DS) usable frequency spectrum for one or more DS channels within the communication system, wherein full bandwidth of a usable frequency spectrum in the communication system spans both the first full bandwidth and the second full bandwidth; and 
 transmit the first SA information and the second SA information to another communication device for use to determine a performance characteristic of at least one of the one or more US channels and at least one of the one or more DS channels within the communication system. 
   
     
     
         2 . The communication device of  claim 1 , wherein the processor and the communication interface are further configured to:
 observe the full bandwidth of the usable frequency spectrum in the communication system to generate the first SA information and the second SA information.   
     
     
         3 . The communication device of  claim 1 , wherein the processor and the communication interface are further configured to:
 determine interference or noise on the at least one of the one or more US channels or the at least one of the one or more DS channels within the communication system.   
     
     
         4 . The communication device of  claim 1 , wherein the processor further comprises:
 a first component configured to determine first interference or first noise on the at least one of the one or more US channels within the communication system; and   a second component configured to determine second interference or second noise on the at least one of the one or more DS channels within the communication system   
     
     
         5 . The communication device of  claim 1 , wherein the processor and the communication interface are further configured to:
 transmit the first SA information and the second SA information to the another communication device for use to determine one or more performance characteristics of the at least one of the one or more US channels and the at least one of the one or more DS channels within the communication system and to identify, based on the one or more performance characteristics, a degradation of communication associated with the at least one of the one or more US channels or the at least one of the one or more DS channels.   
     
     
         6 . The communication device of  claim 1 , wherein the full bandwidth of the usable frequency spectrum in the communication system has an upper bound of approximately 1008 MHz. 
     
     
         7 . The communication device of  claim 1  further comprising:
 a cable modem, wherein the another communication device is a cable headend transmitter or a cable modem termination system (CMTS). 
 
     
     
         8 . The communication device of  claim 1 , wherein the processor and the communication interface are further configured to:
 support communications within at least one of a wireless communication system, a wired communication system, or a fiber-optic communication system.   
     
     
         9 . A communication device comprising:
 a communication interface; and   a processor, the processor and the communication interface configured to:
 generate spectrum analysis (SA) information based on full bandwidth of a usable frequency spectrum in a communication system, wherein a first portion of the full bandwidth is for one or more upstream (US) channels within the communication system, and a second portion of the full bandwidth is for one or more downstream (DS) channels within the communication system; and 
 transmit the SA information to another communication device for use to determine a performance characteristic of at least one of the one or more US channels and at least one of the one or more DS channels within the communication system. 
   
     
     
         10 . The communication device of  claim 9 , wherein the processor and the communication interface are further configured to:
 determine interference or noise on the at least one of the one or more US channels or the at least one of the one or more DS channels within the communication system.   
     
     
         11 . The communication device of  claim 9 , wherein the processor and the communication interface are further configured to:
 transmit the SA information to the another communication device for use to determine one or more performance characteristics of the at least one of the one or more US channels and the at least one of the one or more DS channels within the communication system and to identify, based on the one or more performance characteristics, a degradation of communication associated with the at least one of the one or more US channels or the at least one of the one or more DS channels.   
     
     
         12 . The communication device of  claim 9 , wherein the full bandwidth of the usable frequency spectrum in the communication system has an upper bound of approximately 1008 MHz. 
     
     
         13 . The communication device of  claim 9 , wherein the processor and the communication interface are further configured to:
 support communications within at least one of a wireless communication system, a wired communication system, or a fiber-optic communication system.   
     
     
         14 . A method for execution by a communication device, the method comprising:
 generating first spectrum analysis (SA) information based on a first full bandwidth of an upstream (US) usable frequency spectrum for one or more US channels within a communication system;   generating second SA information based on a second full bandwidth of a downstream (DS) usable frequency spectrum for one or more DS channels within the communication system, wherein full bandwidth of a usable frequency spectrum in the communication system spans both the first full bandwidth and the second full bandwidth; and   transmitting, via a communication interface of the communication device, the first SA information and the second SA information to another communication device for use to determine a performance characteristic of at least one of the one or more US channels and at least one of the one or more DS channels within the communication system.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14  further comprising:
 observing the full bandwidth of the usable frequency spectrum in the communication system to generate the first SA information and the second SA information. 
 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 14  further comprising:
 determining interference or noise on the at least one of the one or more US channels or the at least one of the one or more DS channels within the communication system. 
 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 14  further comprising:
 transmitting the first SA information and the second SA information to the another communication device for use to determine one or more performance characteristics of the at least one of the one or more US channels and the at least one of the one or more DS channels within the communication system and to identify, based on the one or more performance characteristics, a degradation of communication associated with the at least one of the one or more US channels or the at least one of the one or more DS channels. 
 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein, wherein the full bandwidth of the usable frequency spectrum in the communication system has an upper bound of approximately 1008 MHz. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the communication device is a cable modem, and the another communication device is a cable headend transmitter or a cable modem termination system (CMTS). 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 14  further comprising:
 operating the communication interface of the communication device to support communications within at least one of a wireless communication system, a wired communication system, or a fiber-optic communication system.