CPE Secondary Transceiver for Out-of-Band Remote Troubleshooting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Customer premises equipment (CPE) for Internet access may be defective or improperly set up, hindering remote troubleshooting by technicians due to the absence of a connection, which often requires costly and inconvenient on-site visits.
Innovation Solution
Equipping CPE with a secondary transceiver for a low-power, out-of-band connection to an Internet service provider, allowing remote telemetry and configuration, and enabling a mesh network for redundant data paths.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a primary transceiver is used to connect CPE to ISP, then Internet access is provided, but remote troubleshooting is hampered when the connection is defective or improperly set up
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the communication function into two independent transceivers: a primary transceiver for Internet access and a secondary transceiver for telemetry and troubleshooting. This segmentation allows the secondary transceiver to provide a separate communication path that remains operational even when the primary connection fails, enabling remote diagnostics without being dependent on the primary connection's reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The secondary transceiver acts as an intermediary communication channel between the CPE and the ISP. It provides an alternative path for telemetry data and troubleshooting commands, mediating the communication when the primary transceiver fails or is improperly configured, thus resolving the contradiction between connection reliability and troubleshooting capability.
2Ease of repair
If a secondary transceiver is added for out-of-band connection, then remote troubleshooting is enabled, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The secondary transceiver is designed with multi-functionality, serving both as a telemetry transmission device and as a troubleshooting communication channel. It can send device state information to the ISP and receive diagnostic commands, consolidating multiple functions into a single component rather than requiring separate dedicated devices for each function.
Solution Approach 2:
The CPE system enables self-service troubleshooting by automatically using the secondary transceiver to send telemetry data and receive diagnostic instructions from the ISP. The system can self-diagnose and self-configure issues without requiring technician intervention, thereby justifying the added complexity through automated maintenance capabilities.
3Measurement precision
If telemetry is sent continuously via secondary transceiver, then device state monitoring is improved, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of continuous transmission, the secondary transceiver sends telemetry data periodically or event-driven. The transceiver monitors device state changes and transmits information only when state changes occur or at scheduled intervals, reducing unnecessary transmissions and energy consumption while maintaining adequate monitoring precision for troubleshooting purposes.
Data Source
AI summary
Customer premises equipment, such as a gateway device, for making a connection to an Internet service provider (ISP) may on occasion be defective or improperly set up, and in such circumstances remote troubleshooting by a technician employed by the Internet service provider may be hampered by the absence of a connection to the customer premises equipment. As such, a system and method for providing a secondary link to customer premises equipment are provided.