Monitoring and mitigating conditions in a communication network

• US 10,063,280 B2
• Filed: 09/17/2014
• Issued: 08/28/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/17/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Fuchs, Mitchell Harvey, Gerszberg, Irwin
• Primary Examiner(s): Aziz, Adnan
• Application Number:
  US14/488,346
• Publication Number:
  US 20160080839A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,441 Days
• Field of Search: 34087001
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 23/06 through light guides, e.g. optical fibres
• CPC Class Codes: H01P 3/10 Wire waveguides, i.e. with a single solid longitudinal conductor
• CPC Class Codes: H01P 3/16 Dielectric waveguides, i.e. without a longitudinal conductor
• CPC Class Codes: H01P 5/087 Transitions to a dielectric waveguide
• CPC Class Codes: H01P 5/103 Hollow-waveguide/coaxial-line transitions
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/46 Electric supply lines or communication lines
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/345 Interference values signal-to-interference ratio [SIR] or carrier-to-interference ratio [CIR] H04B17/336
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/5458 Monitor sensor; Alarm systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/5495 having measurements and testing channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 3/46 Monitoring; Testing
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 3/52 Systems for transmission between fixed stations via waveguides
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 3/546 Combination of signalling, telemetering, protection circuits for remote indication of supply or distribution network condition H02J13/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/30 using a wired architecture
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/60 for transmitting utility meters data, i.e. transmission of data from the reader of the utility meter
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 9/00 Arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station, in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom

Abstract

Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, for example, a system for receiving telemetry information from an apparatus that induces electromagnetic waves on a wire surface of a wire of a power grid for delivery of communication signals to a recipient communication device coupled to the power grid, and detecting a condition from the telemetry information that is adverse to a delivery of the communication signals to the recipient communication device. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory that stores executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, facilitate performance of operations, comprising;

receiving telemetry information from a waveguide system coupled to a sensor, wherein the waveguide system comprises a dielectric coupler positioned with respect to a wire of a power grid that facilitates delivery of electric energy to devices, wherein the dielectric coupler facilitates transmission or reception of electromagnetic waves along an outer surface of the wire wherein the electromagnetic waves propagate along the dielectric coupler without requiring an electrical return path, wherein the electromagnetic waves at least partially surround the outer surface of the wire, wherein the sensor facilitates sensing from the electromagnetic waves one or more conditions adverse to the transmission or the reception of the electromagnetic waves along the outer surface of the wire, and wherein the electromagnetic waves are sensed by the sensor via the dielectric coupler;

detecting from the telemetry information a condition that is adverse to one of operations of the waveguide system, or the transmission or the reception of the electromagnetic waves along the outer surface of the wire; and

generating information associated with the condition that is detected from the telemetry information; and

facilitating access to or delivery of the information for reporting.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the condition comprises a future condition that is predicted from the telemetry information, and wherein the processor comprises a plurality of processors operating in a distributed processing environment.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise reporting the condition to equipment of an enterprise to address the condition, and wherein the equipment of the enterprise manages the power grid.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise reporting the condition to equipment of an enterprise to address the condition, and wherein the equipment of the enterprise manages a network of other waveguide systems distributed in the power grid.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise:

determining a location of the condition in the power grid based on the telemetry information, or a type of condition; and

facilitating delivery of instructions to the waveguide system, or other waveguide systems to adjust a route for the transmission or the reception of the electromagnetic waves based upon the determining of the location of the condition or the type of condition.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving information indicating the condition has been mitigated; and

directing the waveguide system, or the other waveguide systems to reroute the electromagnetic waves.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the electromagnetic waves are rerouted according to the route used prior to the condition.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise receiving location information from one of the waveguide system or the sensor, wherein the location information identifies an approximate location of the condition, an approximate location of the waveguide system, an approximate location of the sensor, or any combination thereof.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving maintenance information associated with a scheduled maintenance to take place in a portion of the power grid;

determining from the maintenance information that a maintenance-based condition will occur when maintenance is performed during the scheduled maintenance; and

instructing the waveguide system, or other waveguide systems to adjust a route for the transmission or the reception of the electromagnetic waves to avoid a location of the maintenance-based condition during the scheduled maintenance.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the operations further comprise instructing the waveguide system, or the other waveguide systems to reroute the electromagnetic waves after completion of the scheduled maintenance.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the electromagnetic waves are rerouted according to the route used before the maintenance-based condition occured.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus comprises a wireless base station.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the sensor facilitates sensing reflections of the electromagnetic waves on the wire, temperature changes on the wire, a loss of electric energy in the wire, an electromagnetic noise on the wire, a corona emitted by the wire, a vibration on the wire surface, a defective joint between the wire and another wire, a corrosion on the wire, a power grid device coupled to the wire that adversely affects propagation of the electromagnetic waves along on the outer surface of the wire, or weather conditions in a vicinity of the wire.

14. A method, comprising:

receiving, by a network element comprising a processor, telemetry information from a waveguide system, wherein the waveguide system facilitates transmission of electromagnetic waves along an outer surface of a first wire of a power grid via a dielectric coupler and sensing from the electromagnetic waves characteristics associated with one or more conditions adverse to the transmission of the electromagnetic waves, wherein the electromagnetic waves at least partially surround the outer surface of the first wire, wherein the electromagnetic waves propagate along the dielectric coupler without requiring an electrical return path, wherein the electromagnetic waves are sensed via the dielectric coupler, and wherein the telemetry information comprises sensing data;

determining, by the network element, a condition of the one or more conditions from the sensing data; and

transmitting, by the network element, instructions to the waveguide system for adjusting a route of the electromagnetic waves to avoid the condition.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising instructing the waveguide system to restore the route of the electromagnetic waves responsive to mitigating the condition.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the adjusting comprises routing the electromagnetic waves to a second wire of the power grid, wherein the waveguide system is coupled to the second wire for backup communications.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the adjusting comprises changing an address header of packet data embedded in the electromagnetic waves.

18. A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium, comprising executable instructions that, when executed by a processor, facilitate performance of operations, comprising:

receiving telemetry information from an apparatus that induces electromagnetic waves on an outer surface of a wire of a power grid via a dielectric coupler for delivery of communication signals to a recipient communication device coupled to the power grid, wherein the electromagnetic waves at least partially surround the outer surface of the wire, wherein the electromagnetic waves propagate along the dielectric coupler without requiring an electrical return path, wherein the apparatus further generates sensing data by sensing the electromagnetic waves via the dielectric coupler, and wherein the sensing data is included in the telemetry information; and

detecting, based on the sensing data included in the telemetry information, a condition that is adverse to the delivery of the communication signals to the recipient communication device.

19. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein the operations further comprise reporting the condition to first equipment that manages the power grid, second equipment that manages a communication network of a plurality of apparatuses coupled to the power grid for inducing other electromagnetic waves on other wires of the power grid for delivery of other communication signals, or a combination thereof.

20. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein the operations further comprise directing at least one apparatus of the plurality of apparatuses to adjust a route of the electromagnetic waves to avoid the condition, and wherein the processor comprises a plurality of processors operating in a distributed processing environment.