Message faults are likely to be common in the noisy, high-density wireless environments planned for 5G and 6G. Disclosed is a method for a receiver to recover the correct message from one or more corrupted message copies, by (a) measuring the modulation quality of each message element, and (b) determining which message elements of two corrupted copies are “inconsistent”, that is, the corresponding message elements are different. The modulation quality can be determined according to how close the message element's modulation is to the predetermined modulation levels of the modulation scheme. The receiver can assemble a merged message by selecting whichever message elements of the two copies have the best modulation quality, and determine whether the merged message is still corrupted. If so, the receiver can sequentially replace the inconsistent message elements with those of the other copy, singly or in a comprehensive nested search, testing each version until successful.

An apparatus and method: access repeated copies of an OFDM output signal produced by a device in response to corresponding repeated copies of an OFDM input signal; for each copy of the OFDM output signal, time align the OFDM output symbols to the OFDM input symbols, and de-rotate a phase of the OFDM output signal with respect to the OFDM input signal; coherently sum and average the copies of the OFDM output signal; determine a variance of each copy of the OFDM output signal, and an ensemble variance of all of the copies of the OFDM output signal; discard copies of the OFDM output signal whose variance differs from the ensemble variance by more than a threshold amount to produce a qualified set of copies; determine a mean value of the qualified set of copies; and determine a total noise power of the qualified set of copies from the mean value.

Disclosed are methods for avoiding, detecting, and mitigating message faults. Due to the expected large increase in electromagnetic background energy in in dense 5G and 6G networks, message faults are likely to dramatically increase, along with their costs. To avoid intermittent interference, a user device can monitor the noise level and request that the base station store incoming messages while the noise level is too high. Likewise, if a user device receives a faulted message while the noise level is high, the user device can delay the retransmission until the noise subsides. If the user device has received two faulted messages (a likely scenario in crowded urban/industrial/sporting environments), the user device can merge the two versions while selecting the message elements with the best quality (based on modulation, SNR, stability, and other criteria) and may thereby obtain a corrected message version, without resorting to a third transmission of the message.

An antenna system is provided. In one example, the system includes a modal antenna having a driven element and a parasitic element. The system includes a radio frequency circuit. The system includes a transmission line coupling the radio frequency circuit to the modal antenna. The radio frequency circuit is configured to modulate a control signal onto an RF signal to generate a transmit signal for communication over the transmission line to the tuning circuit. The control signal can include a frame having a plurality of bits associated with the selected mode of the antenna. The radio frequency circuit is configured to encode the plurality of bits associated with the selected mode in accordance with a coding scheme. The coding scheme specifies a unique code for each mode of the plurality of modes. The unique code for each mode of the plurality of modes differs by at least two bits relative to the unique code for each other mode of the plurality of modes.

Detecting a leak of an OFDM signal from an HFC network, where the HFC network extends over a network area. The OFDM signal includes a first continuous pilot subcarrier having a first harmonic. The first harmonic is defined by a pre-determined first frequency. The method or apparatus comprises the steps of or means for: (a) moving a leakage detector through the network area; (b) tuning the leakage detector to receive the first harmonic of the OFDM signal, based on the pre-determined first frequency of the first harmonic; (c) with the leakage detector, receiving over-the-air, at a received first frequency, the first harmonic of the OFDM signal leaked from the HFC network; and (d) with the leakage detector, detecting the first harmonic received in step (c), whereby the leak of the OFDM signal is detected based on the detection of the first harmonic.

A apparatus or method for detecting CPD in an HFC network, comprising: (a) acquiring digital RF downstream signals from a CMTS or CM; (b) emulating even and odd order IM distortion products from the downstream signals; (c) acquiring RF upstream signals from the CMTS during a quiet period; (d) cross-correlating the RF upstream signals with the emulated even and odd order IM products to produce even and odd order cross-correlation functions, respectively; (e) accumulating, separately, a multiplicity of even and odd order cross-correlation functions; (f) calculating even and odd order cross-correlation envelopes from the accumulated even and odd order cross-correlation functions, respectively; and (g) detecting a CPD source from either or both of the even and odd order cross-correlation envelopes by the presence of a peak in either or both of the envelopes.

Embodiments described herein include a receiver, a method, and a plurality of high-pass filters for demodulating a radio frequency (RF) signal. An example receiver includes a plurality of high-pass filters. The receiver includes a demodulator configured to demodulate an RF signal received at an input of the demodulator and configured to output a demodulated signal. The receiver also includes a plurality of high-pass filters connected to an output of the demodulator. The plurality of high-pass filters are configured to receive the demodulated signal and configured to high-pass filter the demodulated signal. The plurality of high-pass filters are configured to operate with a first set of filter responses during a first time period of the demodulated signal and configured to operate with a second set of filter responses during a second time period of the demodulated signal.

A fully functional spectrum analyzer is integrated into an outdoor communications unit of a point-to-point communication system. The spectrum analyzer of the outdoor unit provides for remote spectral diagnostics for network planning and wideband operation and is operable to capture signals outside of the signal bandwidth. With the spectrum analyzer integrated into the outdoor unit, accessing spectral diagnostic information is conducted without having to disrupt the normal operation of the communications network.

Methods and systems for analyzing data are disclosed. An example method can comprise receiving a first data signal, decoding the first data signal, determining a second data signal based on the decoded first data signal, and determining a modulation error ratio based on a difference between the first data signal and the second data signal.

With increasingly dense wireless traffic in 5G and 6G networks, the incidence of message faults due to interference is increasing, leading to wasted time and energy on multiple re-transmissions. Disclosed are procedures for assembling a fault-free copy of a message from two corrupted copies. First, measure the modulation quality of each message element. A faulted message element usually has poor modulation quality. Then, select the best message elements from each of the two corrupted copies, and test the merged version against an embedded error-detection code. If the merged copy still fails the test, select each of the message elements that are different in the two faulted copies since they are all suspicious, and test each version with the error-detection code. By recovering a message despite reception errors, another transmission is avoided, saving time and energy, and avoiding contributing yet further to the background noise. Many additional aspects are disclosed.