GB2423904A - Identifying the connections of legitimate cable users and switching off the connections of illegal users - Google Patents

Identifying the connections of legitimate cable users and switching off the connections of illegal users Download PDF

Info

Publication number
GB2423904A
GB2423904A GB0523381A GB0523381A GB2423904A GB 2423904 A GB2423904 A GB 2423904A GB 0523381 A GB0523381 A GB 0523381A GB 0523381 A GB0523381 A GB 0523381A GB 2423904 A GB2423904 A GB 2423904A
Authority
GB
United Kingdom
Prior art keywords
signal
network
subscriber
electronic
outlet
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Granted
Application number
GB0523381A
Other versions
GB0523381D0 (en
GB2423904B (en
Inventor
Jan Ariesen Dirk
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Technetix Group Ltd
Original Assignee
Technetix Group Ltd
Technetix Ltd
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Technetix Group Ltd, Technetix Ltd filed Critical Technetix Group Ltd
Publication of GB0523381D0 publication Critical patent/GB0523381D0/en
Publication of GB2423904A publication Critical patent/GB2423904A/en
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of GB2423904B publication Critical patent/GB2423904B/en
Expired - Fee Related legal-status Critical Current
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical

Links

Classifications

    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04H—BROADCAST COMMUNICATION
    • H04H20/00—Arrangements for broadcast or for distribution combined with broadcast
    • H04H20/65—Arrangements characterised by transmission systems for broadcast
    • H04H20/76—Wired systems
    • H04H20/77—Wired systems using carrier waves
    • H04H20/78—CATV [Community Antenna Television] systems
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
    • H04N21/00—Selective content distribution, e.g. interactive television or video on demand [VOD]
    • H04N21/20—Servers specifically adapted for the distribution of content, e.g. VOD servers; Operations thereof
    • H04N21/25—Management operations performed by the server for facilitating the content distribution or administrating data related to end-users or client devices, e.g. end-user or client device authentication, learning user preferences for recommending movies
    • H04N21/258—Client or end-user data management, e.g. managing client capabilities, user preferences or demographics, processing of multiple end-users preferences to derive collaborative data
    • H04N21/25808—Management of client data
    • H04N21/25816—Management of client data involving client authentication
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
    • H04N21/00—Selective content distribution, e.g. interactive television or video on demand [VOD]
    • H04N21/20—Servers specifically adapted for the distribution of content, e.g. VOD servers; Operations thereof
    • H04N21/25—Management operations performed by the server for facilitating the content distribution or administrating data related to end-users or client devices, e.g. end-user or client device authentication, learning user preferences for recommending movies
    • H04N21/258—Client or end-user data management, e.g. managing client capabilities, user preferences or demographics, processing of multiple end-users preferences to derive collaborative data
    • H04N21/25808—Management of client data
    • H04N21/2585—Generation of a revocation list, e.g. of client devices involved in piracy acts
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
    • H04N21/00—Selective content distribution, e.g. interactive television or video on demand [VOD]
    • H04N21/40—Client devices specifically adapted for the reception of or interaction with content, e.g. set-top-box [STB]; Operations thereof
    • H04N21/41—Structure of client; Structure of client peripherals
    • H04N21/426—Internal components of the client ; Characteristics thereof
    • H04N21/42684—Client identification by a unique number or address, e.g. serial number, MAC address, socket ID
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
    • H04N7/00—Television systems
    • H04N7/16—Analogue secrecy systems; Analogue subscription systems
    • H04N7/166—Passage/non-passage of the television signal, e.g. jamming, band suppression
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
    • H04N7/00—Television systems
    • H04N7/16—Analogue secrecy systems; Analogue subscription systems
    • H04N7/167—Systems rendering the television signal unintelligible and subsequently intelligible
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
    • H04N7/00—Television systems
    • H04N7/16—Analogue secrecy systems; Analogue subscription systems
    • H04N7/173—Analogue secrecy systems; Analogue subscription systems with two-way working, e.g. subscriber sending a programme selection signal
    • H04N7/17309—Transmission or handling of upstream communications

Abstract

There is provided a method for determining signal pats within a cable network (10) connected by way of a plurality of tap units (18) to a plurality of subscriber outlets with unique electronic addresses. The method comprises sending an electronic signal such as a PING, throughout the network (10), the signal being configured to be automatically returned by a target subscriber outlet having a specific electronic address; switching off subscriber outlets in a path upstream from a one tap unit (18) which has returned the signal; re-sending the signal to the one tap unit and analysing the returning signal to identify the outlet having the electronic address corresponding to the signal; and noting a physical connection on the subscriber feed supplying the electronic address of the outlet. This allows identification of the connections of legitimate users and enables switching off of the connection to the network for illegal users.

Description

Title: Method and Apparatus for Determining Signal Paths within a Cable
Network
Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a method for determining signal paths within a cable network, and also to apparatus used in such a method.
Background to the Invention
Cable networks supply subscribers with analogue or digital data signals, such as for example cable television and broadband Internet access. Signals are transmitted to and received from a cable provider by way of an antenna and passed to a head-end which is in two-way communication with one or more hubs. Each hub has a number of paths to separate nodes which are in turn connected to distribution points or cabinets from which run a large number of signal paths or drops, each drop communicating with a set-top box associated with a cable subscriber. Connection of each subscriber to the system occurs through a tap unit which has a plurality of tap ports, each tap port being available for connection to a subscriber.
Unauthorised connection of electrical equipment can allow users access to the cable network without payment, losing revenue for the network operator. These unauthorised connections also cause problems with radio frequency (RF) ingress, adding noise to the network and causing interference which degrades signals received by the paying subscriber and the network operator. It is difficult to locate a specific subscriber installation causing an RE ingress as there is no way of identifying which signal path connects to which consumer, particularly in high-rise, multiple dwelling units (MDUs) such as apartment blocks.
Further, it is difficult to locate faults suffered by legitimate users as the route of their signals to the provider, and in particular which tap units and distribution points their signals pass through, is not known.
It is an aim of the present invention to provide a method and apparatus for determining signal paths within a cable network so as to reduce the problems encountered with unauthorjsed access to the network and faults in the network.
Summary of the Invention
In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for determining signal paths within a cable network connected by way of a plurality of subscriber feeds to a plurality of subscriber outlets with unique electronic addresses, the method comprising: sending a signal throughout a network, the signal being configured to be automatically returned by a target subscriber outlet having a specific electronic address; switching off subscriber outlets in a path upstream from a one subscriber feed which has returned the signal; re-sending the signal to the one subscriber feed and analysing the returning signal to identify the outlet having the electronic address corresponding to the signal; and noting a physical connection on the subscriber feed supplying the electronic address of the outlet.
Using this method, the network provider can target known consumer electronic addresses.
A subscriber feed, typically in the form of a tap unit with a plurality of tap ports, has one port connected to a consumer outlet with a known electronic address and each tap port can be interrogated in turn to identify which tap port is connected to which electronic address, and thus which consumer.
The signal may be any electronic signal such as a PING or any other signal that requires a response from an electronic device connecting the subscriber to the outlet. A PING is a data packet with an IP address which returns automatically on being sent from one computer to another.
Preferably the method is performed in 90 milliseconds or less, and more preferably in 10 milliseconds or less to ensure that consumers notice no interruption in the provision of their cable service.
The one subscriber feed may comprise a plurality of tap ports each connecting to a different outlet, and the outlet with the target electronic address may be identified by resending the signal as each tap port is switched off in turn. When the signal fails to return, then the tap port last switched off is connected to the outlet with the target electronic address.
The method preferably further comprises sending a signal to each electronic address throughout the network, consumers with a known electronic address being legitimate and non-legitimate users not having a known electronic address, thereby to identify all legitimate consumer connections to the network.
The method may further comprise compiling a database of the customer's physical address, i.e. billing address or street name and number, correlated with electronic address and with connection point to the network. This allows the network provider to know exactly where each electronic address is connected to the network, i.e. which tap port, tap unit and cabinet the consumer outlet is connected to.
The method may further comprise switching off access to the network for unauthorised users. This is typically done by sending a further signal to a subscriber feed so as to switch off a tap port. Being able to identify the connections of legitimate users and to switch off the connection to the network for illegal users not only avoids providing a service to parties who are not willing to pay for it, but also substantially reduces RF ingress in the network, so improving signal quality for both the provider and the authorised users.
Preferably the method is carried out remotely by the cable provider, typically interrogation of the legitimate electronic addresses being done from the head-end of the network. This remote interrogation allows the customer database to be built-up quickly, and allows for remote faultfinding.
The invention will now be described by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a cable distribution network in which subscribers are connected to the network through cable tap units; Figure 2 shows a schematic diagram illustrating connection of authorised subscribers and unauthorised users to a cable tap unit; Figure 3 illustrates a schematic diagram of a cable tap unit when being interrogated in accordance with the method of the present invention; and Figure 4 shows a schematic diagram illustrating how the method notes authorised consumers and disconnects unauthorised users.
Description
In Figure 1, a cable distribution provider transmits signals to and receives signals from consumers using a network 10. A head-end receiver 12 controlled by the cable provider is in two-way communication with one or more hubs, each hub having a number of paths to separate nodes 14 which are in turn connected to distribution points or cabinets 16 from which run a large number of signal paths to switchable tap units 18 which are connected to a number of cable subscribers 20.
Each cable tap unit 18 provides for a maximum of 12 consumers, see Figure 2, each consumer being connected to the network by way of a tap port 22. Typically all the tap ports on one tap unit will not be used and illegal connections can be made to unused tap ports to allow an unauthorised user access to the network, for example by using an illegal set-top box 24. The unauthorised connections generally produce a large amount of noise in their return signal to the network, causing substantial RF ingress resulting in interference and so degrading signals wanted by legitimate consumers.
Whilst the name and mail address of a legitimate consumer is known from the provider's billing system, the point at which the consumer connects to the network, i.e. the exact tap port they connect to on a specific tap unit associated with a certain street cabinet, is not known. Similarly it is not known where unauthorised users connect into the network.
The method of the present invention traces signal paths throughout the network so as to identify the point where any given user connects into the network.
The network provider knows the electronic address of each consumer, and by way of example two such addresses might be a MAC address 123.123.123 known to reside at Main Street 1, and a second MAC address 456.456.456 known to reside at Main Street 4.
Legitimate consumers have electronic addresses which are known from the billing system, the electronic addresses being allocated when the consumer requests to he connected to the network. Unauthorised users have no electronic address known to the cable provider.
To identify the point at which authorised users connect into the network, the network provider performs the following method, which may be done by way of an algorithm within software run remotely from the head-end.
Firstly the provider switches on all upstream and downstream connections for all connection points in the network. This is done remotely from the head-end via software.
A known electronic address of a consumer is selected and the provider sends an automatically returnable signal, such as a signal having a broadband RF spectrum incorporating, for example, a PING, to that address. At this point the cable provider does not know whereabouts in the network this target electronic address might be.
The return signal is received and all connections upstream of that signal are switched off one by one and after a short period switched back on again.
The target cable tap unit 18 is switched internally, which can be done by way of software from the head-end, so as to switch off tap port 1, see Figure 3. The PING signal is sent again to the same address 123.123.123, and if returned, it is known that port 1 is not that electronic address. Tap port 1 is switched back on, port 2 is switched off, and the PING signal sent once again. Each tap port of the target tap unit is switched off in sequence until the PING signal no longer returns. It is then known that the tap port last switched off corresponds to the target electronic address, and in the example given, see Figure 4, electronic address 123. 123.123 associated with the consumer's home address of Main Street 1 relates to tap port 3 on tap unit MT1 at street cabinet 9876-4321.
This process is repeated for all other electronic addresses, usually on a street cabinet by street cabinet basis, until it is known to which street cabinet, which tap unit and which tap port each authorised consumer is connected to.
Each cable tap unit 18 can then be switched internally by remote command from the head- end so that only authorised users remain connected, see Figure 4 where the internal switches for tap ports 1, 2 and 4 have been switched to disconnect those tap ports. Thus the unauthorised users are disconnected, reducing RF ingress into the network signal and improving the quality of the signal.
Identifying the physical location of each electronic address within the system takes a maximum of 90 milliseconds, avoiding noticeable interruption to the consumer.
By having identified the signal path to each consumer and the point at which they connect to the network, a database can be compiled in which each customer's electronic address and home address is correlated to a specific street cabinet supplying them, and to a specific multi-tap unit and tap port associated with that cabinet. This allows integration of the billing system with a network management system and makes it easier to identify where RF ingress is occurring, where authorised consumers are connected and assists with fault- finding. Illegal customers can be disconnected remotely from the head-end by switching individual tap ports off to terminate both upstream and downstream signals. The ability to locate legitimate consumers and to disconnect unauthorised users is also useful for high- rise, multiple dwelling units which act as funnels for RF ingress.

Claims (11)

  1. Claims 1. A method for determining signal paths within a cable network
    connected by way of a plurality of subscriber feeds to a plurality of subscriber outlets with unique electronic addresses, the method comprising: sending a signal throughout a network, the signal being configured to be automatically returned by a target subscriber outlet having a specific electronic address; switching off subscriber outlets in a path upstream from a one subscriber feed which has returned the signal; re-sending the signal to the one subscriber feed and analysing the returning signal to identify the outlet having the electronic address corresponding to the signal; and noting a physical connection on the subscriber feed supplying the electronic address of the outlet.
  2. 2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the signal is any electronic signal that requires a response from an electronic device connecting the subscriber to the outlet.
  3. 3. A method according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the electronic signal is a PING.
  4. 4. A method according to claim I or claim 2, wherein the method is performed in 90 milliseconds or less to ensure that consumers notice no interruption in the provision of their cable service.
  5. 5. A method according to claim 4 performed in 10 milliseconds or less.
  6. 6. A method according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the one subscriber feed comprises a plurality of tap ports each connecting to a different outlet, and the outlet with the target electronic address is identified by re-sending the signal as each tap port is switched off in turn.
  7. 7. A method according to any of the preceding claims, further comprising sending a signal to each electronic address throughout the network thereby to identify all legitimate consumer connections to the network.
  8. 8. A method according to any of the preceding claims, further comprising compiling a database of the customer's physical address, correlated with electronic address and with connection point to the network.
  9. 9. A method according to any of the preceding claims, further comprising switching off access to the network for unauthorjsed users.
  10. 10. A method according to any of the preceding claims, carried out remotely by the cable provider.
  11. 11. A method for determining signal paths within a cable network substantially as herein particularly described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
GB0523381A 2005-03-05 2005-11-17 Method and apparatus for determining signal paths within a cable network Expired - Fee Related GB2423904B (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB0504632A GB0504632D0 (en) 2005-03-05 2005-03-05 Method and apparatus for determining signal paths within a cable network

Publications (3)

Publication Number Publication Date
GB0523381D0 GB0523381D0 (en) 2005-12-28
GB2423904A true GB2423904A (en) 2006-09-06
GB2423904B GB2423904B (en) 2007-06-27

Family

ID=34451908

Family Applications (2)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
GB0504632A Ceased GB0504632D0 (en) 2005-03-05 2005-03-05 Method and apparatus for determining signal paths within a cable network
GB0523381A Expired - Fee Related GB2423904B (en) 2005-03-05 2005-11-17 Method and apparatus for determining signal paths within a cable network

Family Applications Before (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
GB0504632A Ceased GB0504632D0 (en) 2005-03-05 2005-03-05 Method and apparatus for determining signal paths within a cable network

Country Status (1)

Country Link
GB (2) GB0504632D0 (en)

Cited By (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US8132222B2 (en) 2007-11-20 2012-03-06 Commscope, Inc. Of North Carolina Addressable tap units for cable television networks and related methods of remotely controlling bandwidth allocation in such networks
US10659170B2 (en) * 2017-12-14 2020-05-19 Technetix B.V. Electrical tap

Citations (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
WO1981003583A1 (en) * 1980-06-05 1981-12-10 Sersen Method for manufacturing electrodes for electrochemical apparatus using an aqueous solution or the like
EP0809383A2 (en) * 1996-05-17 1997-11-26 Sun Microsystems, Inc. Apparatus and method for discovering active devices using IP
JPH10322335A (en) * 1997-05-14 1998-12-04 Toshiba Corp Device for preventing unauthorized use of cable communication system
US6104814A (en) * 1996-09-13 2000-08-15 Telefonaktiebolaget Lm Ericsson Method and apparatus for jamming different television channels using an oscillator circuit oscillating at different frequency bands
JP2004112527A (en) * 2002-09-19 2004-04-08 Matsushita Electric Ind Co Ltd Redrive device and redrive system

Patent Citations (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
WO1981003583A1 (en) * 1980-06-05 1981-12-10 Sersen Method for manufacturing electrodes for electrochemical apparatus using an aqueous solution or the like
EP0809383A2 (en) * 1996-05-17 1997-11-26 Sun Microsystems, Inc. Apparatus and method for discovering active devices using IP
US6104814A (en) * 1996-09-13 2000-08-15 Telefonaktiebolaget Lm Ericsson Method and apparatus for jamming different television channels using an oscillator circuit oscillating at different frequency bands
JPH10322335A (en) * 1997-05-14 1998-12-04 Toshiba Corp Device for preventing unauthorized use of cable communication system
JP2004112527A (en) * 2002-09-19 2004-04-08 Matsushita Electric Ind Co Ltd Redrive device and redrive system

Cited By (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US8132222B2 (en) 2007-11-20 2012-03-06 Commscope, Inc. Of North Carolina Addressable tap units for cable television networks and related methods of remotely controlling bandwidth allocation in such networks
US10659170B2 (en) * 2017-12-14 2020-05-19 Technetix B.V. Electrical tap

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
GB0523381D0 (en) 2005-12-28
GB2423904B (en) 2007-06-27
GB0504632D0 (en) 2005-04-13

Similar Documents

Publication Publication Date Title
US9419862B2 (en) System and method for discovering and verifying a hybrid fiber-coaxial topology in a cable network environment
US6704288B1 (en) Arrangement for discovering the topology of an HFC access network
US8891544B1 (en) Multimedia over coaxial cable access protocol
US7796025B2 (en) Power line communication device and method
EP1717991B1 (en) Data connection quality analysis and methods
US8498294B1 (en) Multimedia over coaxial cable access protocol
US6728887B1 (en) Arrangement for providing mediated access in an HFC access network
US20060286927A1 (en) Hybrid power line communications digital broadcast system
US20120044361A1 (en) Tap Units Having Reverse Path Burst Mode Detection Circuits and Related Methods of Identifying Reverse Path Noise Sources and Reducing Reverse Path Noise Funneling
CN101371578A (en) Software definable transceiver apparatus and method
RU2241315C2 (en) Data transfer method and device
EP2680453A1 (en) Method and system for fault identifications using pre-equalization coefficients
EP1236355A1 (en) Method and system for automatically locating set-top terminals within a cable television system
US20060029090A1 (en) Method and system for distributing wireless communication signals in an HFC network
CA2536103A1 (en) Method and system for internet protocol provisioning of customer premises equipment
GB2423904A (en) Identifying the connections of legitimate cable users and switching off the connections of illegal users
US7839794B2 (en) System and method for determining whether DOCSIS-enabled devices in a HFC cable network are co-located
WO2011138761A1 (en) Source selection by routers
US8077631B2 (en) Method and terminal for transmitting uplink data
US10536667B2 (en) Techniques for detecting the location of a cable modem using radio frequency channel signature and power level
US20100043032A1 (en) Electronic Device for Supporting Multimedia Over Coax Alliance Standard
US20040203431A1 (en) Method and apparatus for determining the topology of a hybrid-fiber coaxial cable plant
US20050271086A1 (en) System and method for an intelligent load center with integrated powerline communications network switching and network management capabilities
US20230268956A1 (en) Docsis radio frequency (rf) leakage management
US20090150955A1 (en) Apparatus and method for switch operation of downstream terminal platform for ip data transmission using legacy transmission system in hfc network

Legal Events

Date Code Title Description
COOA Change in applicant's name or ownership of the application

Owner name: TECHNETIX GROUP LIMITED

Free format text: FORMER APPLICANT(S): TECHNETIX LIMITED

PCNP Patent ceased through non-payment of renewal fee

Effective date: 20181117