Communication Node Operable to Estimate Faults in an Ad Hoc Network and Method of Performing the Same

• US 20140355454A1
• Filed: 09/04/2012
• Published: 12/04/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/02/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Telcordia Technologies Incorporated (Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson)
• Original Assignee: Telcordia Technologies Incorporated (Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson)
• Inventors: Serban, Constantin, Vashist, Akshay, Izmailov, Rauf, Chadha, Ritu, Manousakis, Kyriakos, Chiang, Cho-Yu Jason
• Granted Patent: US 9,167,463 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/245
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0631 using root cause analysis; using analysis of correlation between notifications, alarms or events based on decision criteria, e.g. hierarchy, tree or time analysis
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/142 using statistical or mathematical methods
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/16 using machine learning or artificial intelligence
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/04 Arrangements for maintaining operational condition
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/08 Testing, supervising or monitoring using real traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/10 Scheduling measurement reports ; Arrangements for measurement reports
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

A communication node operable to estimate faults in a mobile ad hoc network and method of performing the same. In one embodiment, the communication node includes a processor and memory including computer program code configured to, with the processor, cause the communication node to monitor a set of observable parameters at the communication node, produce a fault estimate at the communication node from the set of observable parameters, and provide the fault estimate to a global fault detector at another communication node.

Claims

1. A method operable at a communication node in a mobile ad hoc network, comprising:

monitoring a set of observable parameters at said communication node;

producing a fault estimate at said communication node from said set of observable parameters; and

providing said fault estimate to a global fault detector at another communication node.

2. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein said fault estimate is conditioned with off-line training.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

estimating distance of said fault estimate from said communication node;

determining distances of said communication node to peer communication nodes; and

associating said location for said fault estimate with at least one of said peer communication nodes.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

collecting communication statistics at a link layer of said communication node;

abstracting and synthesizing topology-dependent information for said communication statistics;

detecting changes in said communication statistics indicative of said fault estimate; and

normalizing said communication statistics into scalars over an interval.

5. The method as recited in claim 4 wherein said communication statistics comprise:

incoming and outgoing packets received or sent on a radio interface of said communication node;

queue lengths for outgoing sending queues; and

signal-to-noise ratio measurements associated with peer communication nodes.

6. The method as recited in claim 4 wherein normalizing said communication statistics into said scalars over said interval is based on respective values of a selected range of said communication statistics.

7. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein said fault estimate is a meta-fault estimate comprising a comprehensive failure, an out-of-range communication node movement of a peer communication node or congestion of said peer communication node.

8. A communication node, comprising:

a processor; and

memory including computer program code, said memory and said computer program code configured to, with said processor, cause said communication node to perform at least the following;

monitor a set of observable parameters at said communication node;

produce a fault estimate at said communication node from said set of observable parameters; and

provide said fault estimate to a global fault detector at another communication node.

9. The communication node as recited in claim 8 wherein said memory and said computer program code are further configured to, with said processor, cause said communication node to condition said fault estimate with off-line training.

10. The communication node as recited in claim 8 wherein said memory and said computer program code are further configured to, with said processor, cause said communication node to:

estimate distance of said fault estimate from said communication node;

determine distances of said communication node to peer communication nodes; and

associate said location for said fault estimate with at least one of said peer communication nodes.

11. The communication node as recited in claim 8 wherein said memory and said computer program code are further configured to, with said processor, cause said communication node to:

collect communication statistics at a link layer of said communication node;

abstract and synthesize topology-dependent information for said communication statistics;

detect changes in said communication statistics indicative of said fault estimate; and

normalize said communication statistics into scalars over an interval.

12. The communication node as recited in claim 11 wherein said communication statistics comprise:

incoming and outgoing packets received or sent on a radio interface of said communication node;

queue lengths for outgoing sending queues; and

signal-to-noise ratio measurements associated with peer communication nodes.

13. The communication node as recited in claim 11 wherein said memory and said computer program code are further configured to, with said processor, cause said communication node to normalize said communication statistics into said scalars over said interval based on respective values of a selected range of said communication statistics.

14. The communication node as recited in claim 8 wherein said fault estimate is a meta-fault estimate comprising a comprehensive failure, an out-of-range communication node movement of a peer communication node or congestion of said peer communication node.

15. A method operable in a mobile ad hoc network, comprising:

receiving fault estimates from local fault detectors at respective communication nodes in said mobile ad hoc network;

producing a meta-fault estimate from at least ones of said fault estimates; and

determining communication nodes as fault locations for said meta-fault estimate.

16. The method as recited in claim 15 further comprising providing a fault state and said meta-fault estimate with said associated fault locations to a network communication node.

17. The method as recited in claim 15 wherein said meta-fault estimate comprises an out-of-range communication node movement, a comprehensive communication node failure or congestion of another communication node.

18. The method as recited in claim 17 further comprising interpreting said out-of-range communication node movement trailed by said comprehensive communication node failure as an out-of-range partition.

19. The method as recited in claim 15 further comprising combining said fault estimates to produce said meta-fault estimate.

20. The method as recited in claim 15 further comprising combining said fault estimates to produce said meta-fault estimate by using selected fault estimates from said local fault detectors over time and ranking said selected fault estimates according to a likelihood that a respective communication node is said fault location.

21. The method as recited in claim 15 wherein said meta-fault estimate is a transitory meta-fault and further comprising filtering said transitory meta-fault estimate.

22. A communication node, comprising:

a processor; and

memory including computer program code, said memory and said computer program code configured to, with said processor, cause said communication node to perform at least the following;

receive fault estimates from local fault detectors at respective communication nodes in a mobile ad hoc network;

produce a meta-fault estimate from at least ones of said fault estimates; and

determine communication nodes as fault locations for said meta-fault estimate.

23. The communication node as recited in claim 22 wherein said memory and said computer program code are further configured to, with said processor, cause said communication node to provide a fault state and said meta-fault estimate with said associated fault locations to a network communication node.

24. The communication node as recited in claim 22 wherein said meta-fault estimate comprises an out-of-range communication node movement, a comprehensive communication node failure or congestion of another communication node.

25. The communication node as recited in claim 24 wherein said memory and said computer program code are further configured to, with said processor, cause said communication node to interpret said out-of-range communication node movement trailed by said comprehensive communication node failure as an out-of-range partition.

26. The communication node as recited in claim 22 wherein said memory and said computer program code are further configured to, with said processor, cause said communication node to combine said fault estimates to produce said meta-fault estimate.

27. The communication node as recited in claim 22 wherein said memory and said computer program code are further configured to, with said processor, cause said communication node to combine said fault estimates to produce said meta-fault estimate by using selected fault estimates from said local fault detectors over time and rank said selected fault estimates according to a likelihood that a respective communication node is said fault location.

28. The communication node as recited in claim 22 wherein said meta-fault estimate is a transitory meta-fault and wherein said memory and said computer program code are further configured to, with said processor, cause said communication node to filter said transitory meta-fault estimate.