Monitoring and mitigating conditions in a communication network

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10135491-B2
Application number	US-201816018184-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 26, 2018
Priority date	Sep 17, 2014
Publication date	Nov 20, 2018
Grant date	Nov 20, 2018

Abstract

Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, for example, a system for receiving telemetry information from an apparatus that induces electromagnetic waves on a wire surface of a wire of a power grid for delivery of communication signals to a recipient communication device coupled to the power grid, and detecting a condition from the telemetry information that is adverse to a delivery of the communication signals to the recipient communication device. Other embodiments are disclosed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus, 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, the operations comprising:
receiving telemetry information from a waveguide system comprising a coupler, wherein the coupler facilitates transmission, by the waveguide system, of first electromagnetic waves that propagate along the coupler without requiring an electrical circuit, and wherein the coupler couples the first electromagnetic waves to a transmission medium coupled to the waveguide system to generate second electromagnetic waves, wherein the second electromagnetic waves have an electromagnetic field structure that lies at least in part on an outer surface of the transmission medium; and
detecting from the telemetry information a condition that is adverse to propagation of the second electromagnetic waves along the transmission medium.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the second electromagnetic waves are directed to an antenna to transmit first wireless signals.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the condition further adversely affects transmission of the first wireless signals by the antenna.

4. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the coupler further facilitates reception of third electromagnetic waves that propagate along the transmission medium without requiring the electrical circuit, and wherein the third electromagnetic waves are generated by the antenna responsive to the antenna receiving second wireless signals.

5. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the antenna and the transmission medium are components of a distributed antenna system.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the operations further comprise:
determining a location in a path of the transmission medium associated with the condition that is detected; and
directing the waveguide system or other waveguide systems to adjust a route for propagation of the second electromagnetic waves.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the operations further comprise:
receiving information indicating the condition has been mitigated; and
directing the waveguide system or the other waveguide systems to restore an original route of propagation of the second electromagnetic waves.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first electromagnetic waves and the second electromagnetic waves are substantially equivalent.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the operations further comprise receiving location information from the waveguide system to determine a location of the condition in a path of the transmission medium.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the transmission medium comprises a dielectric transmission medium, wherein the second electromagnetic waves are guided by the dielectric transmission medium, and wherein the apparatus comprises a wireless base station that facilitates network connectivity with a plurality of wireless devices.

11. A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium, comprising executable instructions that, when executed by a processing system including a processor, facilitate performance of operations, the operations comprising:
receiving telemetry information from an apparatus comprising a coupler that transmits first electromagnetic waves that propagate along the coupler without requiring an electrical circuit, wherein the first electromagnetic waves couple to a transmission medium thereby forming second electromagnetic waves that propagate along the transmission medium, wherein the second electromagnetic waves have an electromagnetic field structure that lies at least in part on an outer surface of the transmission medium; and
detecting, according to the telemetry information, a condition that is adverse to propagation of the second electromagnetic waves along the transmission medium.

12. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 11 , wherein the second electromagnetic waves are directed to an antenna to transmit wireless signals to a recipient device.

13. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 11 , wherein the operations further comprise:
receiving a maintenance schedule; and
determining from the maintenance schedule that the condition is due to a maintenance activity occurring during the maintenance schedule.

14. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 13 , wherein the operations further comprise directing the apparatus or other apparatus to adjust a route for propagation of the second electromagnetic waves to avoid a location of the maintenance activity during the maintenance schedule.

15. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 14 , wherein the operations further comprise directing the apparatus or the other apparatus to restore an original route of the propagation of the second electromagnetic waves after the maintenance activity is completed.

16. A method, comprising:
receiving, by a network element comprising a processing system including a processor, telemetry data generated by a waveguide system comprising a coupler, the coupler facilitating reception of first electromagnetic waves that propagate along the coupler without requiring an electrical circuit, the first electromagnetic waves generated from second electromagnetic waves propagating on a transmission medium coupled to the coupler, wherein the second electromagnetic waves have an electromagnetic field structure that lies at least in part on an outer surface of the transmission medium;
determining, by the network element, from the telemetry data a condition adverse to an operation of the waveguide system; and
transmitting, by the network element, instructions to the waveguide system to adjust a route of the second electromagnetic waves to mitigate the condition.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the waveguide system comprises an antenna, the antenna facilitating generation of the second electromagnetic waves responsive to the antenna receiving free space wireless signals.

18. The method of claim 16 , wherein the coupler is positioned with respect to the transmission medium.

19. The method of claim 16 , further comprising instructing, by the network element, the waveguide system to restore the route of the second electromagnetic waves responsive to the condition being mitigated.

Assignees

• At & T Ip I Lp

Inventors

• Fuchs Mitchell Harvey
• Gerszberg Irwin

Classifications

• H01P3/16

  Dielectric waveguides, i.e. without a longitudinal conductor · CPC title

• H04B3/52 Primary

  Systems for transmission between fixed stations via waveguides · CPC title

• H04Q2209/60

  for transmitting utility meters data, i.e. transmission of data from the reader of the utility meter · CPC title

• H04B3/546 Primary

  Combination of signalling, telemetering, protection (circuits for remote indication of supply or distribution network condition H02J13/00) · CPC title

• H04B2203/5495

  having measurements and testing channel · CPC title