Method and apparatus that provides fault tolerance in a communication network

• US 9,998,932 B2
• Filed: 06/07/2016
• Issued: 06/12/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/02/2014
• 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: Henry, Paul Shala, Bennett, Robert, Gerszberg, Irwin, Barzegar, Farhad, Barnickel, Donald J, Willis, III, Thomas M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Neyzari, Ali
• Application Number:
  US15/175,279
• Publication Number:
  US 20160295431A1
• Time in Patent Office: 735 Days
• Field of Search: 340 1232
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/08 Locating faults in cables, transmission lines, or networks
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/58 Testing of lines, cables or conductors testing of electric windings G01R31/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/5458 Monitor sensor; Alarm systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/5487 cables
• 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 3/54 Systems for transmission via power distribution lines
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 3/56 Circuits for coupling, blocking, or by-passing of signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 3/58 Repeater circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0668 by dynamic selection of recovery network elements, e.g. replacement by the most appropriate element after failure
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0677 Localisation of faults
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/02 Topology update or discovery
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/22 Alternate routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/28 using route fault recovery
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/25 with rate being modified by the source upon detecting a change of network conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/04 Arrangements for maintaining operational condition
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/06 Testing, supervising or monitoring using simulated traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0446 Resources in time domain, e.g. slots or frames

Abstract

A system for detecting a fault in a first wire of a power grid that affects a transmission or reception of electromagnetic waves that transport data and that propagate along a surface of the first wire, selecting a backup communication medium from one or more backup communication mediums according to one or more selection criteria, and redirecting the data to the backup communication medium to circumvent the fault. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a first waveguide system coupled to a first transmission medium, wherein the first waveguide system facilitates reception of first electromagnetic waves that propagate along a first surface of the first transmission medium, wherein the first electromagnetic waves include first data, and wherein the first transmission medium corresponds to a primary communication link;

a second waveguide system coupled to a second transmission medium, wherein the second waveguide system facilitates reception of second electromagnetic waves that propagate along a second surface of the second transmission medium, wherein the second waveguide system is configurable to transport in the second electromagnetic waves at least a portion of the first data transported in the first electromagnetic waves when a fault is detected that adversely affects a propagation of the first electromagnetic waves along the first surface of the first transmission medium, and wherein the second transmission medium corresponds to a secondary communication link;

an antenna coupled to the first waveguide system and the second waveguide system;

a processing system including a processor; and

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

detecting the fault in the primary communication link;

responsive to detecting the fault, switching to the secondary communication link for reception of the second electromagnetic waves;

receiving the second electromagnetic waves from the secondary communication link; and

generating, by the antenna, a wireless signal based on the second electromagnetic waves received from the secondary communication link.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the wireless signal is directed to a communication device, and wherein the wireless signal includes in whole or in part the first data previously transported by the first electromagnetic waves.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the communication device comprises a base station.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein a third waveguide system redirects the first data in whole or in part to the second electromagnetic waves, and ceases to transport the first data in the first electromagnetic waves.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the first transmission medium comprises a first wire, and wherein the second transmission medium comprises a second wire.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the secondary communication link has a lower bandwidth capacity than the primary communication link, and wherein the operations further comprise adjusting a bandwidth of the first data prior to the first data being transported in whole or in part in the second electromagnetic waves.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising a sensor that facilitates sensing the fault in the primary communication link.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the detecting the fault is responsive to receiving instructions from a network management system requesting a suspension of use of the primary communication link.

9. The system of claim 1, further comprising a communications interface for reporting the fault to a network management system over a wireless or wired interface.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise sending via the second waveguide system over the secondary communication link a message to a downstream waveguide system that instructs the downstream waveguide system to redirect a transport of the first data from the secondary communication link to a portion of the primary communication link unaffected by the fault.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the secondary communication link is shared with other waveguide systems for transmission or reception of third electromagnetic waves having a first operating frequency for transport of second data, wherein the second electromagnetic waves operate at a second operating frequency, and wherein the first operating frequency and the second operating frequency are chosen to prevent a communications conflict between the second electromagnetic waves originating from the second waveguide system and the third electromagnetic waves originating from the other waveguide systems.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the secondary communication link is shared with other waveguide systems for transmission or reception of third electromagnetic waves during a first plurality of time slot assignments for transport of second data, wherein the second electromagnetic waves are transmitted or received on the secondary communication link during a second plurality of time slot assignments, and wherein the first plurality of time slot assignments and the second plurality of time slot assignments do not overlap in time to prevent a communications conflict.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise transmitting electromagnetic wave test signals on the secondary communication link via the second waveguide system, wherein the switching to the secondary communication link is further responsive to determining from the electromagnetic wave test signals that the secondary communication link is suitable for backup communications.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the electromagnetic wave test signals are received by a downstream waveguide system coupled to the secondary communication link, and wherein the operations further comprise receiving test results from the downstream waveguide system for determining whether the secondary communication link is suitable for the backup communications.

15. A communication system, comprising:

a processing system including a processor; and

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

detecting a fault in a first transmission medium utilized for receiving a first electromagnetic wave that includes data;

responsive to detecting the fault, switching to a second transmission medium for receiving a second electromagnetic wave;

receiving the second electromagnetic wave from the second transmission medium, the second electromagnetic wave including in whole or in part the data; and

generating, by an antenna, a wireless signal based on the second electromagnetic wave received from the second transmission medium.

16. The communication system of claim 15, wherein the wireless signal is directed to a communication device, and wherein the wireless signal includes in whole or in part the data previously transported by the first electromagnetic wave.

17. The communication system of claim 16, wherein the communication device comprises a base station.

18. The communication system of claim 15, wherein a waveguide system redirects the data in whole or in part to the second electromagnetic wave, and ceases to transport the data in the first electromagnetic wave.

19. A method, comprising:

receiving, by a processing system including a processor, a wireless signal from a communication device, the wireless signal including a modulated signal;

generating, by the processing system, an electromagnetic wave for propagation on a first surface of a first transmission medium or a second surface of a second transmission medium, the electromagnetic wave including a frequency converted signal generated from a frequency conversion of the modulated signal;

detecting a fault in the first transmission medium that adversely affects the propagation of the electromagnetic wave on the first surface of the first transmission medium; and

responsive to detecting the fault, redirecting the electromagnetic wave for propagation on the second surface of the second transmission medium.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the electromagnetic wave is directed to a waveguide system coupled to the second transmission medium.