Home Wiring Test System Missing Filter Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing techniques for testing communication wiring at customer premises are insufficient for detecting faults, particularly noise or interference problems at high frequencies, leading to costly technician dispatches and customer frustration.
Innovation Solution
A test device connected to communication network conductors measures spectra to detect deviations, indicating a missing filter when the second spectrum information differs significantly from the first, allowing for the identification of service-affecting conditions and facilitating troubleshooting by customers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a technician is dispatched to the customer's premises to diagnose wiring faults, then the problem can be resolved, but the service provider incurs high costs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements self-service by enabling customers to autonomously diagnose wiring faults using a test device at their premises. The system automatically detects faults such as missing filters, high impedance conditions, and noise issues without requiring technician intervention, thereby resolving problems while eliminating dispatch costs.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical system of manual technician inspection with an automated electronic test device that uses signal injection and spectral analysis to detect wiring faults. The system substitutes human expertise with automated diagnostic algorithms that analyze electrical characteristics of the wiring.
2Loss of energy
If remote testing methods are used to diagnose wiring faults, then technician dispatch costs are reduced, but high frequency noise and interference problems cannot be detected
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from traditional single-frequency or narrow-band testing to multi-frequency spectral analysis. By measuring the wiring characteristics across a broad frequency spectrum, the system can detect high-frequency noise and interference that single-frequency methods miss, while still performing remote diagnostics.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the testing parameter from single-frequency measurement to multi-frequency spectral analysis. The test device injects signals at multiple frequencies and analyzes the response spectrum, enabling detection of high-frequency noise, interference, and filtering issues that cannot be detected by conventional single-frequency testing.
3Loss of energy
If automated diagnostic systems are implemented, then technician dispatch is reduced, but the system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a universal test device that can diagnose multiple types of wiring faults including missing filters, high impedance conditions, noise issues, and connectivity problems through a single integrated system. The device performs various diagnostic functions using a common hardware platform and software algorithms, avoiding the need for multiple specialized devices.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses a communication network as an intermediary to connect the test device at customer premises with the service provider's diagnostic system. This intermediary enables remote monitoring and analysis of test results without requiring direct physical access or complex local processing, simplifying the overall system architecture.
4Productivity
If customers are empowered to diagnose their own issues, then technician visits are reduced, but the diagnostic accuracy may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements feedback by having the test device automatically analyze test results and provide diagnostic information to both the customer and the service provider. The system compares measured parameters against known fault signatures and communicates findings through the communication network, ensuring accurate fault identification without requiring customer expertise.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution reduces service provider costs by enabling customers to diagnose and potentially resolve issues independently, reducing unnecessary technician visits and improving customer satisfaction by providing a cost-effective and efficient method for detecting faults in communication networks.
Implementation Method 1
measuring a spectrum on the conductor to determine first spectrum information
Data Source
AI summary
A system for testing a conductor of a structure can include a test device connected to the conductor. The test device is configured to test an electrical characteristic of the conductor and to produce a test result based at least in part on the electrical characteristic. A service provider network may be configured to communicate with the test device to initiate a test and/or to obtain the test result. A customer may use a computing device to obtain information regarding the test result, as well as guidance for troubleshooting and resolving a problem detected with the electrical conductor, such as a fault.