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   processing circuitry that is coupled to the communication interface, wherein at least one of the communication interface or the processing circuitry configured to:
 receive at least one signal from at least one other communication device via a communication channel that includes one or more upstream (US) channels and one or more downstream (DS) channels within a communication system; 
 process the at least one signal to generate first spectrum analysis (SA) information based on a first full bandwidth of an US usable frequency spectrum for the one or more US channels within the communication system; 
 process the at least one signal to generate second SA information based on a second full bandwidth of a DS usable frequency spectrum for the 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 to be used by the another communication device to determine a performance characteristic of at least one of the one or more US channels or at least one of the one or more DS channels within the communication system. 
   
     
     
         2 . The communication device of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one of the communication interface or the processing circuitry is further configured to:
 process the at least one signal that is received from the at least one other communication device via the communication channel to identify a plurality of pilot tones therein;   process the plurality of pilot tones therein based on expected values of the plurality of pilot tones to determine at least one other performance characteristic of the communication channel that includes the one or more US channels and the one or more DS channels within the communication system; and   generate at least one of the first SA information or the second SA information based on the at least one other performance characteristic of the communication channel that includes the one or more US channels and the one or more DS channels within the communication system.   
     
     
         3 . The communication device of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one of the communication interface or the processing circuitry is further configured to:
 process the at least one signal that is received from the at least one other communication device via the communication channel based on equalization using a plurality of equalizer coefficients;   process at least one of the plurality of equalizer coefficients or changes of the plurality of equalizer coefficients made during the equalization to determine at least one other performance characteristic of the communication channel that includes the one or more US channels and the one or more DS channels within the communication system; and   generate at least one of the first SA information or the second SA information based on the at least one other performance characteristic of the communication channel that includes the one or more US channels and the one or more DS channels within the communication system.   
     
     
         4 . The communication device of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one of the communication interface or the processing circuitry is further configured to:
 process the at least one signal that is received from the at least one other communication device via the communication channel to identify an internal frequency response of the communication device; and   process the internal frequency response of the communication device to determine at least one other performance characteristic of the communication channel that includes the one or more US channels and the one or more DS channels within the communication system; and   generate at least one of the first SA information or the second SA information based on the at least one other performance characteristic of the communication channel that includes the one or more US channels and the one or more DS channels within the communication system.   
     
     
         5 . The communication device of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of:
 the first SA information includes a first frequency response of the first full bandwidth of the US usable frequency spectrum for the one or more US channels within the communication system;   the second SA information includes a second frequency response of the second full bandwidth of the DS usable frequency spectrum for the one or more DS channels within the communication system;   the first SA information includes at least one of first interference or first noise detected on the first full bandwidth of the US usable frequency spectrum for the one or more US channels within the communication system;   the second SA information includes at least one of second interference or second noise detected on the second full bandwidth of the DS usable frequency spectrum for the one or more DS channels within the communication system;   the first SA information includes at least one of first reflections on the first full bandwidth of the US usable frequency spectrum for the one or more US channels within the communication system;   the second SA information includes at least one of second reflections on the second full bandwidth of the DS usable frequency spectrum for the one or more DS channels within the communication system;   the first SA information includes at least one of first frequency nulls on the first full bandwidth of the US usable frequency spectrum for the one or more US channels within the communication system; or   the second SA information includes at least one of second frequency nulls on the second full bandwidth of the DS usable frequency spectrum for the one or more DS channels within the communication system;   at least one of the first SA information or the second SA information includes an internal frequency response of the communication device; or   at least one of the first SA information or the second SA information includes at least one of a change, a trend, or a degradation associated with at least one other performance characteristic of the communication channel that includes the one or more US channels and the one or more DS channels within the communication system.   
     
     
         6 . The communication device of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one of the communication interface or the processing circuitry is further configured to:
 support communications within at least one of a wireless communication system, a wired communication system, or a fiber-optic communication system.   
     
     
         7 . 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. 
     
     
         8 . The communication device of  claim 1  further comprising:
 a cable modem or a set-top box (STB), wherein the another communication device includes a cable headend transmitter or a cable modem termination system (CMTS). 
 
     
     
         9 . A communication device comprising:
 a communication interface; and   processing circuitry that is coupled to the communication interface, wherein at least one of the communication interface or the processing circuitry configured to:
 receive at least one signal from at least one other communication device via a communication channel that includes one or more upstream (US) channels and one or more downstream (DS) channels within a communication system that includes at least one of a wireless communication system, a wired communication system, or a fiber-optic communication; 
 process the at least one signal to generate first spectrum analysis (SA) information based on a first full bandwidth of an US usable frequency spectrum for the one or more US channels within the communication system; 
 process the at least one signal to generate second SA information based on a second full bandwidth of a DS usable frequency spectrum for the 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, wherein the full bandwidth of the usable frequency spectrum in the communication system has an upper bound of approximately 1008 MHz; and 
 transmit the first SA information and the second SA information to another communication device to be used by the another communication device to determine a performance characteristic of at least one of the one or more US channels or at least one of the one or more DS channels within the communication system. 
   
     
     
         10 . The communication device of  claim 9 , wherein the at least one of the communication interface or the processing circuitry is further configured to:
 process the at least one signal that is received from the at least one other communication device via the communication channel to identify a plurality of pilot tones therein;   process the plurality of pilot tones therein based on expected values of the plurality of pilot tones to determine at least one other performance characteristic of the communication channel that includes the one or more US channels and the one or more DS channels within the communication system; and   generate at least one of the first SA information or the second SA information based on the at least one other performance characteristic of the communication channel that includes the one or more US channels and the one or more DS channels within the communication system.   
     
     
         11 . The communication device of  claim 9 , wherein the at least one of the communication interface or the processing circuitry is further configured to:
 process the at least one signal that is received from the at least one other communication device via the communication channel based on equalization using a plurality of equalizer coefficients;   process at least one of the plurality of equalizer coefficients or changes of the plurality of equalizer coefficients made during the equalization to determine at least one other performance characteristic of the communication channel that includes the one or more US channels and the one or more DS channels within the communication system; and   generate at least one of the first SA information or the second SA information based on the at least one other performance characteristic of the communication channel that includes the one or more US channels and the one or more DS channels within the communication system.   
     
     
         12 . The communication device of  claim 9 , wherein the at least one of the communication interface or the processing circuitry is further configured to:
 process the at least one signal that is received from the at least one other communication device via the communication channel to identify an internal frequency response of the communication device; and   process the internal frequency response of the communication device to determine at least one other performance characteristic of the communication channel that includes the one or more US channels and the one or more DS channels within the communication system; and   generate at least one of the first SA information or the second SA information based on the at least one other performance characteristic of the communication channel that includes the one or more US channels and the one or more DS channels within the communication system.   
     
     
         13 . The communication device of  claim 9 , wherein at least one of:
 the first SA information includes a first frequency response of the first full bandwidth of the US usable frequency spectrum for the one or more US channels within the communication system;   the second SA information includes a second frequency response of the second full bandwidth of the DS usable frequency spectrum for the one or more DS channels within the communication system;   the first SA information includes at least one of first interference or first noise detected on the first full bandwidth of the US usable frequency spectrum for the one or more US channels within the communication system;   the second SA information includes at least one of second interference or second noise detected on the second full bandwidth of the DS usable frequency spectrum for the one or more DS channels within the communication system;   the first SA information includes at least one of first reflections on the first full bandwidth of the US usable frequency spectrum for the one or more US channels within the communication system;   the second SA information includes at least one of second reflections on the second full bandwidth of the DS usable frequency spectrum for the one or more DS channels within the communication system;   the first SA information includes at least one of first frequency nulls on the first full bandwidth of the US usable frequency spectrum for the one or more US channels within the communication system; or   the second SA information includes at least one of second frequency nulls on the second full bandwidth of the DS usable frequency spectrum for the one or more DS channels within the communication system;   at least one of the first SA information or the second SA information includes an internal frequency response of the communication device; or   at least one of the first SA information or the second SA information includes at least one of a change, a trend, or a degradation associated with at least one other performance characteristic of the communication channel that includes the one or more US channels and the one or more DS channels within the communication system.   
     
     
         14 . The communication device of  claim 9  further comprising:
 a cable modem or a set-top box (STB), wherein the another communication device includes a cable headend transmitter or a cable modem termination system (CMTS). 
 
     
     
         15 . A method for execution by a communication device, the method comprising:
 receiving, via a communication interface of the communication device, at least one signal from at least one other communication device via a communication channel that includes one or more upstream (US) channels and one or more downstream (DS) channels within a communication system;   processing the at least one signal to generate first spectrum analysis (SA) information based on a first full bandwidth of an US usable frequency spectrum for the one or more US channels within the communication system;   processing the at least one signal to generate second SA information based on a second full bandwidth of a DS usable frequency spectrum for the 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 the communication interface of the communication device, the first SA information and the second SA information to another communication device to be used by the another communication device to determine a performance characteristic of at least one of the one or more US channels or at least one of the one or more DS channels within the communication system.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15  further comprising:
 processing the at least one signal that is received from the at least one other communication device via the communication channel to identify a plurality of pilot tones therein; 
 processing the plurality of pilot tones therein based on expected values of the plurality of pilot tones to determine at least one other performance characteristic of the communication channel that includes the one or more US channels and the one or more DS channels within the communication system; and 
 generating at least one of the first SA information or the second SA information based on the at least one other performance characteristic of the communication channel that includes the one or more US channels and the one or more DS channels within the communication system. 
 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 15  further comprising:
 processing the at least one signal that is received from the at least one other communication device via the communication channel based on equalization using a plurality of equalizer coefficients; 
 processing at least one of the plurality of equalizer coefficients or changes of the plurality of equalizer coefficients made during the equalization to determine at least one other performance characteristic of the communication channel that includes the one or more US channels and the one or more DS channels within the communication system; and 
 generating at least one of the first SA information or the second SA information based on the at least one other performance characteristic of the communication channel that includes the one or more US channels and the one or more DS channels within the communication system. 
 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 15  further comprising:
 processing the at least one signal that is received from the at least one other communication device via the communication channel to identify an internal frequency response of the communication device; and 
 processing the internal frequency response of the communication device to determine at least one other performance characteristic of the communication channel that includes the one or more US channels and the one or more DS channels within the communication system; and 
 generating at least one of the first SA information or the second SA information based on the at least one other performance characteristic of the communication channel that includes the one or more US channels and the one or more DS channels within the communication system. 
 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein at least one of:
 the first SA information includes a first frequency response of the first full bandwidth of the US usable frequency spectrum for the one or more US channels within the communication system;   the second SA information includes a second frequency response of the second full bandwidth of the DS usable frequency spectrum for the one or more DS channels within the communication system;   the first SA information includes at least one of first interference or first noise detected on the first full bandwidth of the US usable frequency spectrum for the one or more US channels within the communication system;   the second SA information includes at least one of second interference or second noise detected on the second full bandwidth of the DS usable frequency spectrum for the one or more DS channels within the communication system;   the first SA information includes at least one of first reflections on the first full bandwidth of the US usable frequency spectrum for the one or more US channels within the communication system;   the second SA information includes at least one of second reflections on the second full bandwidth of the DS usable frequency spectrum for the one or more DS channels within the communication system;   the first SA information includes at least one of first frequency nulls on the first full bandwidth of the US usable frequency spectrum for the one or more US channels within the communication system; or   the second SA information includes at least one of second frequency nulls on the second full bandwidth of the DS usable frequency spectrum for the one or more DS channels within the communication system;   at least one of the first SA information or the second SA information includes an internal frequency response of the communication device; or   at least one of the first SA information or the second SA information includes at least one of a change, a trend, or a degradation associated with at least one other performance characteristic of the communication channel that includes the one or more US channels and the one or more DS channels within the communication system.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the full bandwidth of the usable frequency spectrum in the communication system has an upper bound of approximately 1008 MHz.