Fault location
First Claim
1. A method of operating a telecommunications network wherein a plurality of nodes are connected to a network control center through a branched hierarchical network having a plurality of levels, and also have the capability to form a second, ad hoc, network by making direct connections with other nodes, said method comprising:
- on receipt of an attempt to establish communication over the ad hoc network, causing each node to respond by identifying its position in the branched hierarchical network,if a first node detects a failure of its network connection through the branched hierarchical network, it attempts communication over the ad hoc network to reach a second node whose connection to the network control center through the branched hierarchical network has not failed,wherein the first node initially attempts to establish communication over the ad hoc network with a node connected to the same point in the next level of the branched hierarchical network towards the network control center, and then at levels in the hierarchical network progressively closer to the network control center, until a second node is identified which has not experienced a network failure, andwherein the first node generates a report for transmission to the network control center indicative of the level in the branched hierarchical network at which the first and second nodes have a common point of connection, andtransmitting the report from the first node to the network control center by way of the ad hoc network.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Each node in a hierarchical network regularly checks to determine whether its network connection is intact. If not, it autonomously communicates with other nodes in the physical neighborhood, using wireless capability also included at each node. It first searches for a wireless path to its immediate neighbors in the hierarchy attempting to reach a working node connected to the same distribution point. The nodes collect, store and exchange connectivity data on neighboring nodes. One member of a group of nodes that have exchanged connectivity information is selected to transmit a connectivity report to network control center. If not itself connected to the hierarchical network, the selected node can use the connection to the closest working node and its broadband connection to the network control center to inform the network operator of the fault and its likely location.
19 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method of operating a telecommunications network wherein a plurality of nodes are connected to a network control center through a branched hierarchical network having a plurality of levels, and also have the capability to form a second, ad hoc, network by making direct connections with other nodes, said method comprising:
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on receipt of an attempt to establish communication over the ad hoc network, causing each node to respond by identifying its position in the branched hierarchical network, if a first node detects a failure of its network connection through the branched hierarchical network, it attempts communication over the ad hoc network to reach a second node whose connection to the network control center through the branched hierarchical network has not failed, wherein the first node initially attempts to establish communication over the ad hoc network with a node connected to the same point in the next level of the branched hierarchical network towards the network control center, and then at levels in the hierarchical network progressively closer to the network control center, until a second node is identified which has not experienced a network failure, and wherein the first node generates a report for transmission to the network control center indicative of the level in the branched hierarchical network at which the first and second nodes have a common point of connection, and transmitting the report from the first node to the network control center by way of the ad hoc network. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A telecommunications network comprising:
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a plurality of nodes connected to a network control center through a branched hierarchical network having a plurality of levels, wherein the nodes also have the capability to form ad hoc connections between each other, each node having; connectivity identification means for responding to an attempt to establish communication over the ad hoc network by identifying its position in the branched hierarchical network, failure detection means for detecting a failure of its network connection through the branched hierarchical network, and paging means for attempting to establish communication with the network control center by forming an ad hoc connection through other nodes to a second node whose connection to the network control center through the branched hierarchical network has not failed, wherein the paging means is arranged to initially attempt connection with a second node connected to the same point at the next level of the branched hierarchical network towards the network control center, and then at levels in the hierarchical network progressively closer to the network control center, until a node is identified which has not experienced a network failure, and reporting means for generating a report for transmission to the network control center indicative of the level in the branched hierarchical network at which the first and second nodes have a common point of connection. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A communications device comprising:
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first connection means for connection to a network control center system through a first communications network comprising a branched hierarchical network, second connection means for forming connections with similar communications devices over a second, ad hoc, communications network, reception means to receive a request from a similar device to establish communication with the network control center, transmission means for responding with data relating to its own position in the first communications network, failure detection means for detecting a failure of the network connections through the first communications network, and paging means for attempting to establish communication with other communications devices over the second communications network, wherein the paging means is arranged to initially attempt connection with a second node connected to the same point at a next level of the branched hierarchical network, and then at levels in the hierarchical network progressively closer to the network control center, until a node is identified which has not experienced a network failure, and reporting means for generating a report for transmission to the network control center indicative of the level in the branched hierarchical network at which the first and second nodes have a common point of connection. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification