System for generating topology information and methods thereof

• US 10,243,784 B2
• Filed: 11/20/2014
• Issued: 03/26/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 11/20/2014
• 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: Gerszberg, Irwin, Barzegar, Farhad, Henry, Paul Shala, Bennett, Robert, Barnickel, Donald J, Willis, III, Thomas M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cosme, Natasha W
• Application Number:
  US14/548,456
• Publication Number:
  US 20160149753A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,587 Days
• Field of Search: 370225, 370254, 709223, 709224
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/25752 Optical arrangements for wireless networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 3/54 Systems for transmission via power distribution lines
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0677 Localisation of faults
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/00 Systems for electrical power generation, transmission, distribution or end-user application management characterised by the use of communication or information technologies, or communication or information technology specific aspects supporting them

Abstract

Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, for example, a system for receiving topology information from a plurality of waveguide systems or other transmission devices, the topology information identifying one or more transmission media available to each waveguide system for transmitting or receiving electromagnetic waves, and updating a topology of a communication system from the topology information provided by the plurality of waveguide systems. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving, by a system comprising a processor, local network topology information of a communication system from a plurality of transmission devices, wherein the local network topology information comprises a plurality of local network topologies, wherein each local network topology of the plurality of local network topologies is obtained from a corresponding transmission device of the plurality of transmission devices, wherein the local network topology information describes a topology of a plurality of transmission media available for use by each transmission device of the plurality of transmission devices, wherein the plurality of transmission media comprises a primary link for use by a corresponding transmission device of the plurality of transmission devices and a plurality of backup links for use by the corresponding transmission device of the plurality of transmission devices when the primary link is experiencing an operational fault, wherein the plurality of transmission devices transmits or receives guided electromagnetic waves that propagate along the primary link without requiring an electrical return path, wherein the plurality of transmission devices transmits or receives the guided electromagnetic waves that propagate along a first one of the plurality of backup links without requiring an electrical return path, and wherein a second one of the plurality of backup links utilizes a different transmission media than either the primary link or the first one of the plurality of backup links; and

generating, by the system, a macro network topology of the communication system from the plurality of local network topologies included in the local network topology information of the plurality of transmission devices, wherein the macro network topology includes each local network topology of the plurality of local network topologies obtained from the corresponding transmission device of the plurality of transmission devices, and wherein the macro network topology includes an aggregation of the primary link and the plurality of backup links of the plurality of transmission devices.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein each transmission device of the plurality of transmission devices determines a local network topology of the communication system by exchanging messages with one or more other of the plurality of transmission devices over the plurality of transmission media.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving telemetry information from at least one of the plurality of transmission devices.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

detecting a fault in the communication system according to the telemetry information; and

identifying a location of the fault according to the macro network topology.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the identifying the location of the fault comprises transmitting one or more messages to one or more of the plurality of transmission devices in proximity to the at least one of the plurality of transmission devices providing the telemetry information, wherein the one or more messages instruct the one or more of the plurality of transmission devices to test the plurality of transmission media to determine the location of the fault.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the identifying the location of the fault further comprises receiving test results from the one or more of the plurality of transmission devices to identify the location of the fault in the macro network topology.

7. The method of claim 4, further comprising sending a notice to field personnel equipment, wherein the notice comprises information associated with the fault.

8. The method of claim 4, further comprising receiving updated local network topology information from at least one transmission device of the plurality of transmission devices responsive to a mitigation of the fault.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising generating an updated macro network topology according to the updated local network topology information.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

comparing the macro network topology to a prior macro network topology; and

detecting a fault in the communication system based on the comparing.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a message from at least one of the plurality of transmission devices, wherein the message indicates a detection of a fault in the communication system by the at least one of the plurality of transmission devices; and

validating the fault according to the macro network topology.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the validating the fault comprises determining whether the fault is based on an impairment of the communication system or an activity associated with maintenance of the communication system.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of transmission media comprises one of a plurality of power lines of a power grid for transport of content via the guided electromagnetic waves.

14. A system, comprising:

a memory to store instructions; and

a processor coupled to the memory, wherein responsive to executing the instructions, the processor performs operations, the operations comprising;

receiving local network topology information associated with a communication system from a plurality of waveguide systems, wherein the local network topology information comprises a plurality of local network topologies, wherein each local network topology of the plurality of local network topologies is obtained from a corresponding waveguide system of the plurality of waveguide systems, wherein the local network topology information is based on an availability for use of one or more transmission media by each waveguide system of the plurality of waveguide systems for transmitting and receiving electromagnetic waves signals, wherein the one or more transmission media comprise a primary link for use by a corresponding waveguide system of the plurality of waveguide systems and a plurality of backup links for use by the corresponding waveguide system of the plurality of waveguide systems when the primary link is experiencing an operational fault, and wherein the electromagnetic wave signals propagate along the primary link without requiring an electrical return path, and wherein at least one of the plurality of backup links utilizes a different transmission media than the primary link; and

identifying a macro network topology of the communication system from the plurality of local network topologies included in the local network topology information provided by each waveguide system of the plurality of waveguide systems, wherein the macro network topology includes each local network topology of the plurality of local network topologies obtained from the corresponding waveguide system of the plurality of waveguide systems, and wherein the macro network topology includes an aggregation of the primary link and the plurality of backup links of the plurality of waveguide systems.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the operations further comprise detecting a fault in the communication system based on a comparison of the macro network topology to a prior macro network topology, and wherein the processor comprises a plurality of processors operating in a distributed computing environment.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the operations further comprise receiving telemetry information from at least one of the plurality of waveguide systems.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the operations further comprise:

detecting a fault in a transmission medium of the one or more transmission media used by the at least one of the plurality of waveguide systems according to the telemetry information; and

validating the fault by identifying a location of the fault in the macro network topology and determining whether the location of the fault is associated with a maintenance activity.

18. A non-transitory, machine-readable storage device, comprising instructions, wherein responsive to a circuit executing the instructions, the circuit performs operations, the operations comprising:

receiving topology information from a plurality of waveguide systems, wherein the topology information comprises a plurality of topologies, wherein each topology of the plurality of topologies is obtained from a corresponding waveguide system of the plurality of waveguide systems, wherein the topology information identifies a plurality of transmission media available for use by each waveguide system of the plurality of waveguide systems for transmitting or receiving electromagnetic waves, wherein the plurality of transmission media comprises a primary link for use by a corresponding waveguide system of the plurality of waveguide systems and a backup link for use by the corresponding waveguide system of the plurality of waveguide systems when the primary link is experiencing an operational fault, wherein the electromagnetic waves propagate along the primary link without requiring an electrical return path, and wherein the backup link utilizes a different transmission media than the primary link; and

updating a macro network topology of a communication system from the topology information provided by the plurality of waveguide systems, wherein the macro network topology includes each topology of the plurality of topologies obtained from the corresponding waveguide system of the plurality of waveguide systems, and wherein the macro network topology includes an aggregation of the primary link and the backup link of the plurality of waveguide systems.

19. The non-transitory, machine-readable storage device of claim 18, wherein the operations further comprise detecting a fault in the communication system based on the updating of the macro network topology of the communication system, and wherein the circuit comprises a plurality of processors operating in a distributed computing environment.

20. The non-transitory, machine-readable storage device of claim 18, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving information from a waveguide system of the plurality of waveguide systems indicating a presence of a fault in the communication system; and

validating the fault by identifying a location of the fault in the macro network topology of the communication system.