NETWORK EVENT DETECTION

• US 20110176598A1
• Filed: 01/15/2010
• Published: 07/21/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/15/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Landis+Gyr Inc. (Landis+Gyr Group AG)
• Original Assignee: Hunt Technologies LLC (Landis+Gyr Group AG)
• Inventors: Kohout, Rodney, McHann, Stanley E. JR.
• Granted Patent: US 8,666,355 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 375/227
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/04 Arrangements for maintaining operational condition

Abstract

Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for identifying network events. In one aspect, a method includes monitoring signal characteristic values for signals transmitted over a communications channel of a power line communications system and determining that a signal level value for the channel is less than a threshold signal level value for the channel. In response to determining that the signal level value for the channel is less than the threshold signal level value for the channel, computing a signal to noise ratio for the communications channel and determining that the signal to noise ratio for the channel exceeds a threshold value. In response to determining that the signal to noise ratio for the communications channel exceeds the threshold value, storing data received over the communications channel as valid data.

Claims

1. A method performed by data processing apparatus, the method comprising:

for each of a plurality of communications channels of a power line communications system implemented in a power distribution system;

monitoring, by a data processing apparatus, signal characteristic values for signals transmitted over the channel;

determining, by the data processing apparatus and based on the monitored signal characteristic values, that a signal level value for the channel is less than a threshold signal level value for the channel;

in response to determining that the signal level value for the channel is less than the threshold signal level value for the channel;

computing, by the data processing apparatus, a signal to noise ratio for the communications channel;

determining, by the data processing apparatus, that the signal to noise ratio for the channel exceeds a threshold value; and

in response to determining that the signal to noise ratio for the communications channel exceeds the threshold value, storing, by the data processing apparatus, data received over the communications channel as valid data.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein monitoring signal characteristic values comprises monitoring signal level values and noise floor measures for signals transmitted over the channel.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein determining that a signal level value for the channel is less than a threshold signal level value comprises detecting a signal amplitude for signals transmitted over the channel that are at least fifty percent less than a baseline signal level for the channel.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

computing baseline signal characteristics for each of the communications channels, the baseline signal characteristics representing normal operating characteristics for the channels; and

specifying the threshold signal level for the channel based on a baseline signal level.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein computing baseline signal characteristics for each of the communications channels comprises computing, for each of the communications channels, a baseline signal level of the channel based on signal level values that have been measured for the channel over a specified time.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein monitoring signal characteristic values for signals transmitted over the channel comprises monitoring signal characteristic values for a signals transmitted over a channel of a power line communications system.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

in response to determining that the signal level value for the channel is less than the threshold signal level value and that the signal to noise ratio for the channel is greater than the threshold signal to noise ratio;

determining that a capacitor bank has been activated in the power distribution system; and

providing a notification that the capacitor bank has been activated in the power line distribution system.

8. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

for each of a plurality of communications channels of a power line communications system implemented in a power distribution system;

monitoring, by a data processing apparatus, signal characteristic values for signals transmitted over the channel;

determining, by the data processing apparatus and based on the monitored signal characteristic values, that a signal level value for the channel is less than a threshold signal level value for the channel;

computing, by the data processing apparatus, a signal to noise ratio for the communications channel;

determining, by the data processing apparatus, whether the signal to noise ratio for the channel is less than a threshold value;

in response to determining that the signal to noise ratio for the communications channel is less than the threshold value, preventing, by the data processing apparatus, storage of data received over the communications channel as valid data; and

in response to determining that the signal to noise ratio for the communications channel is not less than the threshold value, storing, by the data processing apparatus, data received over the communications channel as valid data.

9. A computer storage medium encoded with a computer program, the program comprising instructions that when executed by data processing apparatus cause the data processing apparatus to perform operations comprising:

for each of a plurality of communications channels of a power line communications system implemented in a power distribution system;

monitoring, by a data processing apparatus, signal characteristic values for signals transmitted over the channel;

determining, by the data processing apparatus and based on the monitored signal characteristic values, that a signal level value for the channel is less than a threshold signal level value for the channel;

in response to determining that the signal level value for the channel is less than the threshold signal level value for the channel;

computing, by the data processing apparatus, a signal to noise ratio for the communications channel;

determining, by the data processing apparatus, whether the signal to noise ratio for the channel is less than a threshold value;

in response to determining that the signal to noise ratio for the communications channel is less than the threshold value, preventing, by the data processing apparatus, storage of data received over the communications channel as valid data; and

in response to determining that the signal to noise ratio for the communications channel is not less than the threshold value, storing, by the data processing apparatus, data received over the communications channel as valid data.

10. A system, comprising:

a data store storing channel characteristics for a plurality of communications channels of a power line communications system, the channel characteristics including signal level measurements and noise floor measurements for the channels over one or more specified time periods; and

a status subsystem coupled to the data store, the status subsystem including one or more processors configured to determine whether to store data received over each of the channels of the power line communications system, the determination for each channel being based on a signal level value for the channel and a signal to noise ratio for the channel.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the status subsystem is operable to compute a baseline signal level for each channel and specify a threshold signal level value for each channel based on the baseline signal level for the channel.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the status subsystem is operable to monitor a signal level value for a channel and determine that the monitored signal level value for the channel is less than the threshold signal level value for the channel.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the status subsystem is operable to determine that the signal to noise ratio for the channel is greater than a threshold signal to noise ratio and cause data received over the channel to be stored as valid data.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the status subsystem is operable to generate a notification that a capacitor bank has been activated in response to the determination that the signal level for the channel is less than the threshold signal level for the channel and the determination that the signal to noise ratio for the channel is greater than the threshold signal to noise ratio for the channel.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the status subsystem is operable to determine that the signal to noise ratio for the channel is less than a threshold signal to noise ratio and prevent data received over the channel from being stored as valid data.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein the status subsystem is operable to specify the threshold signal level value for a channel based on signal level values for the channel that have been measured over a specified time.

17. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

for each of a plurality of communications channels of a power line communication system implemented in a power distribution system;

monitoring, by a data processing apparatus, signal characteristic values for signals transmitted over the channel of the power line communications system;

determining, by the data processing apparatus and based on the monitored signal characteristic values, that a capacitor bank has been activated in the power distribution system based on a signal level value for the channel being less than a threshold signal level value for the channel and the signal to noise ratio for the channel being greater than a threshold signal to noise ratio for the channel; and

providing a notification that the capacitor bank has been activated.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

determining that the signal level value of the channel increases above the threshold signal level value for the channel; and

providing a notification that the capacitor bank has been deactivated.