Method and apparatus that provides fault tolerance in a communication network

• US 10,257,725 B2
• Filed: 05/09/2018
• Issued: 04/09/2019
• 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:
  US15/975,356
• Publication Number:
  US 20180262929A1
• Time in Patent Office: 335 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 waveguide system, comprising:

a first physical transmission medium that facilitates propagation of first electromagnetic waves, wherein the first electromagnetic waves convey data;

a second physical transmission medium;

a memory that stores instructions; and

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

detecting a fault that adversely affects the propagation of at least a portion of the first electromagnetic waves along the first physical transmission medium conveying at least a portion of the data; and

responsive to the detecting the fault, generating second electromagnetic waves that propagate along the second physical transmission medium, wherein the second electromagnetic waves convey the at least a portion of the data.

2. The waveguide system of claim 1, wherein the first electromagnetic waves propagate along a first surface of the first physical transmission medium and the second electromagnetic waves propagate along a second surface of the second physical transmission medium.

3. The waveguide system of claim 1, further including an antenna, wherein the operations further comprise generating a wireless signal based on the first electromagnetic waves.

4. The waveguide system of claim 3, wherein the wireless signal is directed to a communication device, and wherein the wireless signal includes in whole or in part the data previously conveyed by the first electromagnetic waves.

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

6. The waveguide system of claim 1, wherein the first physical transmission medium is utilized as a primary communication link, wherein the second physical transmission medium is utilized as a secondary communication link, wherein the secondary communication link has a lower bandwidth availability than the primary communication link, and wherein the operations further comprise adjusting a bandwidth of the data prior to the data being conveyed in whole or in part in the second electromagnetic waves.

7. The waveguide system of claim 1, further comprising a sensor that facilitates the detecting the fault.

8. The waveguide 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 first physical transmission medium.

9. The waveguide 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 waveguide system of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise sending a message to a downstream waveguide system that instructs the downstream waveguide system to redirect the data from the second physical transmission medium to a portion of the first physical transmission medium unaffected by the fault.

11. The waveguide system of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise transmitting electromagnetic wave test signals on the second physical transmission medium, wherein the generating the second electromagnetic waves is further responsive to determining from the electromagnetic wave test signals that the second physical transmission medium is suitable for backup communications.

12. The waveguide system of claim 11, wherein the electromagnetic wave test signals are received by a downstream waveguide system coupled to the second physical transmission medium, and wherein the operations further comprise receiving test results from the downstream waveguide system for determining whether the second physical transmission medium is suitable for the backup communications.

13. A method, comprising:

detecting, by a processing system including a processor, a fault that adversely affects propagation of at least a portion of first electromagnetic waves along a first physical transmission medium, wherein the first electromagnetic waves convey data; and

responsive to the detecting the fault, generating, by the processing system, second electromagnetic waves that propagate along a second physical transmission medium, wherein the second electromagnetic waves convey at least a portion of the data.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the first physical transmission medium comprises a first wire and wherein the second physical transmission medium comprises a second wire.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising adjusting a bandwidth of the data prior to the data being conveyed in whole or in part in the second electromagnetic waves.

16. The method of claim 13, further comprising sending a message to a downstream waveguide system that instructs the downstream waveguide system to redirect the data from the second physical transmission medium to a portion of the first physical transmission medium unaffected by the fault.

17. A non-transitory, machine-readable medium, comprising executable instructions that, when executed by a processing system including a processor, facilitate performance of operations, the operations comprising:

detecting a fault that adversely affects propagation of first electromagnetic waves along a first physical transmission medium, wherein the first electromagnetic waves convey data; and

responsive to the detecting the fault, generating second electromagnetic waves that propagate along a second physical transmission medium, wherein the second electromagnetic waves convey at least a portion of the data.

18. The non-transitory, machine-readable medium of claim 17, the operations further comprising generating a wireless signal based on the first electromagnetic waves.

19. The non-transitory, machine-readable medium of claim 17, the operations further comprising adjusting a bandwidth of the data prior to the data being conveyed in whole or in part in the second electromagnetic waves.

20. The non-transitory, machine-readable medium of claim 17, the operations further comprising sending a message to a downstream waveguide system that instructs the downstream waveguide system to redirect the data from the second physical transmission medium to a portion of the first physical transmission medium unaffected by the fault.