Apparatus for controlling operations of a communication device and methods thereof

• US 9,800,327 B2
• Filed: 11/20/2014
• Issued: 10/24/2017
• 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): Rachedine, Mohammed
• Application Number:
  US14/548,494
• Publication Number:
  US 20160149636A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,069 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/00 Arrangements for testing electric properties; Arrangements for locating electric faults; Arrangements for electrical testing characterised by what is being tested not provided for elsewhere measuring superconductive properties G01R33/1238; testing or measuring semiconductors or solid state devices during manufacture H01L22/00; testing line transmission systems H04B3/46
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/44 Testing lamps
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/46 Electric supply lines or communication lines
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00 Circuit arrangements for providing remote indication of network conditions, e.g. an instantaneous record of the open or closed condition of each circuitbreaker in the network; Circuit arrangements for providing remote control of switching means in a power distribution network, e.g. switching in and out of current consumers by using a pulse code signal carried by the network
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00017 using optical fiber
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00022 using wireless data transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00024 by means of mobile telephony
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00026 involving a local wireless network, e.g. Wi-Fi, ZigBee or Bluetooth
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/038 using bypasses
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/5425 improving S/N by matching impedance, noise reduction, gain control
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/5491 using filtering and bypassing
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 3/56 Circuits for coupling, blocking, or by-passing of signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0002 by adapting the transmission rate
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/04 Arrangements for maintaining operational condition
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/00 Enabling technologies; Technologies with a potential or indirect contribution to GHG emissions mitigation
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/121 using the power network as support for the transmission
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/124 using wired telecommunication networks or data transmission busses
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/126 using wireless data transmission

Abstract

Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, for example, a transmission system having a coupling device, a bypass circuit, a memory and a processor. The coupling device can facilitate transmission or reception of electromagnetic waves that propagate along a surface of a transmission medium. The memory can store instructions, which when executed by the processor, causes the processor to perform operations including restarting a timer to prevent the bypass circuit from disabling the transmission or reception of electromagnetic waves by the coupling device. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

detecting, by a waveguide system comprising a processing circuit, a fault in operations of the waveguide system, wherein the detecting comprises determining a timer has expired before receiving a signal from the processing circuit of the waveguide system; and

enabling, by the waveguide system, a bypass mode of a bypass circuit responsive to the detecting the fault, wherein subsequent to the bypass mode being enabled, electromagnetic waves propagating along a surface of a transmission medium bypass the waveguide system, wherein during the bypass mode the waveguide system is disabled from processing the electromagnetic waves propagating along the surface of the transmission medium, and wherein the bypass mode is enabled upon expiration of the timer.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the waveguide system comprises a coupling device that facilitates transmission or reception of the electromagnetic waves that propagate along the surface of the transmission medium.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the bypass circuit disables the coupling device by relocating the coupling device to a position away from the transmission medium.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the bypass circuit comprises an electromechanical device.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein transmission or reception of the electromagnetic waves by the waveguide system is disabled by the bypass circuit when the timer expires.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising ceasing to send a message to one or more other waveguide systems responsive to detecting the fault, wherein the message indicates to the one or more other waveguide systems that the waveguide system is operating properly.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the one or more other waveguide systems adjust a transmission of the electromagnetic waves responsive to not receiving the message from the waveguide system during a predetermined schedule.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the one or more other waveguide systems adjust a transmission of the electromagnetic waves by modifying a transmission rate of data transported by the electromagnetic waves.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising ceasing to send a message to a network management system responsive to the detecting the fault, wherein the message indicates to the network management system that the waveguide system is operating properly.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the network management system detects the fault in the waveguide system responsive to not receiving the message from the waveguide system during a predetermined schedule.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the network management system determines a mitigation strategy to remedy the fault in the waveguide system responsive to not receiving the message from the waveguide system during a predetermined schedule.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising disabling, by the waveguide system, the bypass mode responsive to the waveguide system completing a power cycle or reset cycle of the waveguide system.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising disabling, by the waveguide system, the bypass mode responsive to receiving instructions from a network management system that manages operations of a plurality of waveguide systems including the waveguide system.

14. A machine-readable storage medium, comprising executable instructions that, when executed by a processing system of a waveguide system, facilitate performance of operations, the operations comprising A method, comprising:

detecting a fault in operations of the waveguide system, wherein the detecting comprises determining a timer has expired before receiving a signal from the processing system of the waveguide system; and

enabling a bypass mode of a bypass circuit responsive to the detecting the fault, wherein subsequent to the bypass mode being enabled, electromagnetic waves propagating along a surface of a transmission medium bypass the waveguide system, wherein during the bypass mode the waveguide system is disabled from processing the electromagnetic waves propagating along the surface of the transmission medium, and wherein the bypass mode is enabled upon expiration of the timer.

15. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein the waveguide system comprises a coupling device that facilitates transmission or reception of the electromagnetic waves that propagate along the surface of the transmission medium.

16. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the bypass circuit disables the coupling device by relocating the coupling device to a position away from the transmission medium.

17. A transmission system, comprising:

a coupling device that facilitates transmission or reception of electromagnetic waves that propagate along a surface of a transmission medium;

a bypass circuit for disabling the transmission or reception of electromagnetic waves by the coupling device;

a memory that stores instructions; and

a processor coupled to the memory, wherein responsive to executing the instructions, the processor performs operations comprising restarting a timer to prevent the bypass circuit from disabling the transmission or reception of electromagnetic waves by the coupling device, wherein when the processor fails to restart the timer the bypass circuit enables a bypass mode that disables the transmission or reception of the electromagnetic waves by the coupling device, wherein during the bypass mode the processor is disabled from processing the electromagnetic waves propagating along the surface of the transmission medium, and wherein the bypass mode is enabled upon expiration of the timer.

18. The transmission system of claim 17, wherein the bypass circuit disables the coupling device by relocating the coupling device to a position that reduces interference by the coupling device on the electromagnetic waves propagating along the surface of the transmission medium.

19. The transmission system of claim 17, wherein the bypass circuit disables the coupling device by configuring the coupling device to redirect the electromagnetic waves received by the coupling device onto the surface of the transmission medium.

20. The transmission system of claim 17, wherein the restarting the timer reinitiates a countdown cycle by the timer, and wherein expiration of the timer signals the bypass circuit that a fault has occurred affecting operations of the transmission system.