US 11,719,735 B1
Systems and methods for break detection
Thomas Holtzman Williams, Longmont, CO (US)
Assigned to Cable Television Laboratories, Inc., Louisville, CO (US)
Filed by CABLE TELEVISION LABORATORIES, INC., Louisville, CO (US)
Filed on Feb. 15, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/175,901.
Application 17/175,901 is a continuation of application No. 16/155,866, filed on Oct. 9, 2018, granted, now 10,921,363.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/569,645, filed on Oct. 9, 2017.
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. G01R 31/08 (2020.01); H04B 3/462 (2015.01); B64C 39/02 (2023.01); B64U 101/00 (2023.01)
CPC G01R 31/085 (2013.01) [B64C 39/024 (2013.01); H04B 3/462 (2013.01); B64U 2101/00 (2023.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An apparatus for detecting a failure along a transmission line of a cable plant, comprising:
a receiver in operable communication with the transmission line upstream from a location of the failure, the receiver including a processor; and
a memory device configured to store computer-executable instructions, which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:
receive (i) a continuous wave (CW) radio frequency (RF) test signal from the transmission line, the CW RF test signal transmitted from a remote mobile vehicle disposed proximate the cable plant at a separation distance substantially perpendicular to a lengthwise span of the transmission line and ingressing the transmission line at the location of the failure, and (ii) an information signal from the mobile vehicle, the information signal being different from the CW RF test signal and containing location and velocity data of the mobile vehicle; and
analyze the received CW RF test signal for frequency spectrum information over time for phase shift information and Doppler frequency information with respect to the separation distance from the vehicle to the cable plant.