System for generating topology information and methods thereof

• US 10,616,047 B2
• Filed: 02/12/2019
• Issued: 04/07/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 11/20/2014
• 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: Gerszberg, Irwin, Barzegar, Farhad, Henry, Paul Shala, Bennett, Robert, Barnickel, Donald J., Willis, III, Thomas M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cosme, Natasha W
• Application Number:
  US16/273,674
• Publication Number:
  US 20190173743A1
• Time in Patent Office: 420 Days
• Field of Search: 370225, 370254, 709223, 709224
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/25752 Optical arrangements for wireless networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 3/54 Systems for transmission via power distribution lines
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0677 Localisation of faults
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/00 Systems for electrical power generation, transmission, distribution or end-user application management characterised by the use of communication or information technologies, or communication or information technology specific aspects supporting them

Abstract

Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, for example, a system for receiving topology information from a plurality of waveguide systems or other transmission devices, the topology information identifying one or more transmission media available to each waveguide system for transmitting or receiving electromagnetic waves, and updating a topology of a communication system from the topology information provided by the plurality of waveguide systems. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving, by a processing system comprising a processor, local network topology information of a communication system from a plurality of transmission devices,

wherein the local network topology information describes a topology of a plurality of transmission media available for use by each transmission device of the plurality of transmission devices,

wherein the plurality of transmission media comprises a primary link for use by a corresponding transmission device of the plurality of transmission devices and a plurality of backup links for use by the corresponding transmission device of the plurality of transmission devices when the primary link is experiencing a fault,

wherein the plurality of transmission devices transmits or receives guided electromagnetic waves that propagate along the primary link without requiring an electrical return path, and

wherein at least one of the plurality of backup links utilizes a different transmission medium than the primary link; and

generating, by the processing system, a macro network topology of the communication system from a plurality of local network topologies included in the local network topology information of the plurality of transmission devices,

wherein the macro network topology includes each of the plurality of local network topologies obtained from the corresponding transmission device of the plurality of transmission devices.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the macro network topology includes an aggregation of the primary link and the plurality of backup links of the plurality of transmission devices.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of transmission devices transmits or receives the guided electromagnetic waves that propagate along a first one of the plurality of backup links without requiring an electrical return path.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein a second one of the plurality of backup links utilizes a different transmission medium than either the primary link or the first one of the plurality of backup links.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving telemetry information from at least one of the plurality of transmission devices.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

detecting the fault according to the telemetry information; and

identifying a location of the fault according to the macro network topology.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the identifying the location of the fault comprises transmitting one or more messages to one or more of the plurality of transmission devices in proximity to the at least one of the plurality of transmission devices providing the telemetry information.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the identifying the location of the fault further comprises receiving test results from the one or more of the plurality of transmission devices to identify the location of the fault in the macro network topology.

9. The method of claim 6, further comprising receiving updated local network topology information from at least one transmission device of the plurality of transmission devices responsive to a mitigation of the fault.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising generating an updated macro network topology according to the updated local network topology information.

11. A device comprising:

a processing system including a processor; and

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

receiving local network topology information of a communication system from a plurality of transmission devices,

wherein the local network topology information describes a topology of a plurality of transmission media available for use by each transmission device of the plurality of transmission devices,

wherein the plurality of transmission media comprises a primary link for use by a corresponding transmission device of the plurality of transmission devices and a plurality of backup links for use by the corresponding transmission device of the plurality of transmission devices when the primary link is experiencing a fault,

wherein the plurality of transmission devices transmits or receives guided electromagnetic waves that propagate along the primary link without requiring an electrical return path, and

wherein at least one of the plurality of backup links utilizes a different transmission medium than the primary link;

generating a macro network topology of the communication system from a plurality of local network topologies included in the local network topology information of the plurality of transmission devices,

wherein the macro network topology includes each of the plurality of local network topologies obtained from the corresponding transmission device of the plurality of transmission devices; and

identifying a location of the fault according to the macro network topology.

12. The device of claim 11, wherein the macro network topology includes an aggregation of the primary link and the plurality of backup links of the plurality of transmission devices.

13. The device of claim 11, wherein the operations further comprise receiving telemetry information from at least one of the plurality of transmission devices.

14. The device of claim 13, wherein the operations further comprise detecting the fault according to the telemetry information.

15. The device of claim 11, wherein the operations further comprise identifying a location of the fault according to the macro network topology.

16. The device of claim 11, wherein the operations further comprise receiving updated local network topology information from at least one transmission device of the plurality of transmission devices responsive to a mitigation of the fault.

17. The device of claim 16, wherein the operations further comprise generating an updated macro network topology according to the updated local network topology information.

18. A machine-readable medium comprising executable instructions that, when executed by a processing system of a first device including a processor, facilitate performance of operations comprising:

receiving local network topology information of a communication system from a plurality of transmission devices,

wherein the local network topology information describes a topology of a plurality of transmission media available for use by each transmission device of the plurality of transmission devices,

wherein the plurality of transmission media comprises a primary link for use by a corresponding transmission device of the plurality of transmission devices and a plurality of backup links for use by the corresponding transmission device of the plurality of transmission devices when the primary link is experiencing a fault, and

wherein at least one of the plurality of backup links utilizes a different transmission medium than the primary link;

generating a macro network topology of the communication system from a plurality of local network topologies included in the local network topology information of the plurality of transmission devices,

wherein the macro network topology includes each of the plurality of local network topologies obtained from the corresponding transmission device of the plurality of transmission devices; and

identifying a location of the fault according to the macro network topology.

19. The machine-readable medium of claim 18, wherein the plurality of transmission devices transmits or receives guided electromagnetic waves that propagate along the primary link without requiring an electrical return path.

20. The machine-readable medium of claim 18, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving telemetry information from at least one of the plurality of transmission devices; and

detecting the fault according to the telemetry information.