Methods, devices, and systems for load balancing between a plurality of waveguides

• US 10,687,124 B2
• Filed: 11/21/2018
• Issued: 06/16/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 11/23/2016
• 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: Lubranski, Leon, Van Brakle, Tracy, Blandino, George, Gerszberg, Irwin
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, David Q
• Application Number:
  US16/198,434
• Publication Number:
  US 20190098376A1
• Time in Patent Office: 573 Days
• Field of Search: 455453, 455436, 455424, 4554561, 3405391, 333239
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0087 Network testing or monitoring arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0091 Congestion or overload control
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/04 Arrangements for maintaining operational condition
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/08 Testing, supervising or monitoring using real traffic

Abstract

Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, for example, identifying an overload event according to monitoring signals received from a group of source devices over a network. Other aspects can include receiving load information from each of a plurality of waveguides resulting in a plurality of load information. Further aspects can include analyzing the plurality of load information resulting in a load analysis of the plurality of waveguides. Additional aspect can include identifying a recipient waveguide from the plurality of waveguides based on the load analysis. Also, aspects can include identifying a first source device, and notifying the first source device to provide communications to the recipient waveguide and not to the waveguide device to mitigate the overload event. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

transmitting, by a first waveguide device including a processor, communication signals to a second waveguide device, wherein the second waveguide device receives the communication signals as electromagnetic waves at a physical interface of a physical transmission medium, wherein the electromagnetic waves propagate without requiring an electrical return path, and wherein the electromagnetic waves are guided by the physical transmission medium; and

receiving, by the first waveguide device, a first notification to provide the communication signals to a third waveguide device and not to the second waveguide device to mitigate an overload event, wherein the overload event is determined according to monitoring signals received from a group of source devices over a network, wherein a load analysis is performed according to load information received from each of a plurality of waveguide devices, and wherein the third waveguide device is selected from the plurality of waveguide devices based on the load analysis.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the second waveguide device identifies the overload event based on a comparison with a capacity threshold.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the second waveguide device identifies the third waveguide device by determining that the third waveguide device is operating at a capacity below a capacity threshold.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the second waveguide device sends the first notification to the first waveguide device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein a network server:

receives a first capacity from the third waveguide device and a second capacity from the second waveguide device;

determines that the third waveguide device is operating below a first capacity threshold and the second waveguide device is operating above a second capacity threshold; and

sends the first notification to the first waveguide device.

6. The method of claim 1, comprising providing, by the first waveguide device, communications to the third waveguide device according to the first notification.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, by the first waveguide device, a second notification to provide the communication signals to the second waveguide device according to the overload event being mitigated; and

providing, by the first waveguide device, the communication signals to the second waveguide device according to the second notification.

8. A first waveguide device, 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;

transmitting electromagnetic waves to a second waveguide device, wherein the second waveguide device receives the electromagnetic waves at a physical interface of a physical transmission medium, wherein the electromagnetic waves propagate without requiring an electrical return path, and wherein the electromagnetic waves are guided by the physical transmission medium; and

receiving a first notification to redirect at least a portion of the electromagnetic waves to a third waveguide device to mitigate an overload event at the second waveguide device, wherein a load analysis is performed according to load information received from each of a plurality of waveguide devices including the second waveguide device and the third waveguide device, and wherein the third waveguide device is selected from the plurality of waveguide devices based on the load analysis.

9. The first waveguide device of claim 8, wherein a network server detects the overload event and generates the first notification.

10. The first waveguide device of claim 8, wherein the first waveguide device receives a second notification to redirect the at least the portion of the electromagnetic waves back to the second waveguide device responsive to detecting a change in the overload event.

11. The first waveguide device of claim 8, wherein the second waveguide device detects the overload event and generates the first notification.

12. The first waveguide device of claim 11, wherein the second waveguide device identifies the third waveguide device by determining that the third waveguide device is able to receive and process the at least the portion of the electromagnetic waves.

13. The first waveguide device of claim 11, wherein the second waveguide device sends the first notification to the first waveguide device.

14. The first waveguide device of claim 8, wherein the first waveguide device provides the at least the portion of the electromagnetic waves to the third waveguide device according to the first notification.

15. A machine-readable storage medium, comprising executable instructions that, when executed by a network server including a processor, facilitate performance of operations, the operations comprising:

receiving first performance metrics from a first waveguide device and second performance metrics from a second waveguide device;

determining from the first performance metrics that the first waveguide device is affected by an overload event;

determining from the second performance metrics that the second waveguide device is able to mitigate the overload event; and

sending a first notification to a third waveguide device in communication with the first waveguide device to redirect to the second waveguide device at least a portion of electromagnetic waves transmitted to the first waveguide device via a physical transmission medium to mitigate the overload event at the first waveguide device, wherein the electromagnetic waves propagate along the physical transmission medium without requiring an electrical return path, and wherein the electromagnetic waves are guided by the physical transmission medium.

16. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the overload event is determined according to monitoring signals received by the first waveguide device.

17. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the first performance metrics includes a capacity.

18. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the determining the first waveguide device is affected by the overload event is responsive to the capacity exceeding a threshold.

19. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the second performance metrics includes a capacity.

20. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein the determining the second waveguide device is able to mitigate the overload event is responsive to the capacity being below a threshold.