Heterogeneous network topology management and control

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10892838-B2
Application number	US-201816185903-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 9, 2018
Priority date	Nov 9, 2017
Publication date	Jan 12, 2021
Grant date	Jan 12, 2021

Abstract

In one aspect, the present disclosure may provide devices or systems configured to receive indications of geographic areas, each corresponding to distribution networks, and determine whether the distribution networks overlap. The processor(s) may also be configured to receive parameter value(s) obtained by a device within one distribution network at a location within an overlapping area, and cause device(s) within another distribution network to modify operation based on the parameter value(s). In another aspect, the present disclosure may provide devices that include a voltage sensor to measure a voltage of a power distribution network at a power consumption location that corresponds to the device. The device may be configured to provide at least one cable service to the power consumption location via a cable television (CATV) distribution network and output an indication the measured voltage value.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system comprising:
at least one cable service device comprising a processor and a voltage sensor, wherein:
the at least one cable service device corresponds to a respective at least one power consumption location that is connected to a power distribution network, and
the at least one cable service device is configured to:
provide at least one cable service to the power consumption location via a cable television (CATV) distribution network;
determine a voltage value representing a voltage of the power distribution network at the at least one power consumption location; and
output the voltage value;

a heterogenous network topology management and control (HNTMC) device comprising a processor and configured to:
receive an indication of the voltage value; and
cause at least one device within the power distribution network to modify operation based on the voltage value, wherein:

the HNTMC device is further configured to:
receive an indication of a first geographic area corresponding to a first distribution network;
receive an indication of a second geographic area corresponding to a second distribution network; and
determine, based on the first geographic area and the second geographic area, that at least a portion of the first distribution network and at least a portion of the second distribution network overlap in an overlapping geographic area; and

causing the at least one device within the power distribution network to modify operation comprises:
determining whether the at least one power consumption location is within the overlapping geographic area; and
responsive to determining that the at least one power consumption location is within the overlapping geographic area:
converting the voltage value to a converted voltage value that is understandable by a power distribution network management system; and
outputting the converted voltage value.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein:
the at least one cable service device is further configured to:
determine a frequency value representing a frequency of the power distribution network at the at least one power consumption location; and
output the frequency value, and

the HNTMC device is further configured to:
receive an indication of the frequency value; and
cause the at least one device within the power distribution network to modify operation based further on the frequency value.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein:
the cable service device comprises one of: a cable modem, a cable set-top box, or multimedia terminal adapter (MTA), and
the at least one cable service comprises at least one of television programming, internet connectivity, or voice over IP (VoIP) services.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the HNTMC device is further configured to:
receive at least one of a second voltage value representing a voltage of the power distribution network at a second location, the second location being different from the at least one power consumption location or a frequency value representing a frequency of the power distribution network at the second location from a power distribution device; and
cause the at least one device within the power distribution network to modify operation based further on the at least one of the second voltage value or the frequency value.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein:
the HNTMC device is further configured to generate, responsive to determining that at least a portion of the first distribution network and at least a portion of the second distribution network overlap, a communication interface that converts power quality parameter information between a first schema that is interpretable by a manager of the first distribution network and a second schema that is interpretable by a manager of the second distribution network, and
converting the voltage value comprises converting the voltage value using the communication interface.

6. A device comprising:
at least one processor configured to:
receive an indication of a first geographic area corresponding to a first distribution network;
receive an indication of a second geographic area corresponding to a second distribution network;
determine, based on the first geographic area and the second geographic area, that at least a portion of the first distribution network and at least a portion of the second distribution network overlap in an overlapping geographic area;
receive at least one parameter value obtained by a device within the second distribution network, the at least one parameter value corresponding to a location within the overlapping geographic area; and
cause at least one device within the first distribution network to modify operation based on the at least one parameter value of the second distribution network, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:
responsive to determining that the at least a portion of the first distribution network and the at least a portion of the second distribution network overlap, generate a communication interface for the overlapping geographic area, wherein the communication interface translates parameter values received from the second network into translated parameter values that are interpretable by a distribution network management system of the first distribution network.

7. The device of claim 6 , wherein the first distribution network comprises a power distribution network and wherein the second distribution network comprises a cable television (CATV) distribution network.

8. The device of claim 6 , wherein the at least one parameter value comprises at least one second network parameter value and wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:
receive at least one first network parameter value of the first distribution network, the at least one first network parameter value corresponding to a location within the overlapping geographic area; and
cause at least one device within the second distribution network to modify operation based on the at least one first network parameter value of the first distribution network.

9. The device of claim 6 , wherein causing the at least one device within the first distribution network to modify operation comprises:
translating, using the communication interface for the overlapping geographic area, the at least one parameter value into at least one translated parameter value; and
outputting, to the distribution network management system, the at least one translated parameter value.

10. The device of claim 6 , wherein causing the at least one device within the first network to modify operation comprises:
determining whether or not the at least one parameter value exceeds a threshold;
responsive to determining that the at least one parameter value exceeds the threshold, translating, using the communication interface for the overlapping geographic area, the at least one parameter value into at least one translated parameter value; and
outputting, to the distribution network management system, the at least one translated parameter value.

11. The device of claim 10 , wherein the threshold comprises at least one of: a value representing a maximum allowable limit; a value representing a minimum allowable limit; or a value representing a maximum deviation from a previous parameter value.

12. The device of claim 6 , wherein:
the first distribution network comprises a power distribution network,
the at least one parameter value comprises a first at least one parameter value,
the location comprises a first location, and
the at least one processor is further configured to:
receive a second at least one parameter value, the second at least one parameter va

Assignees

• Alliance Sustainable Energy
• Univ Colorado Regents

Inventors

• Cruickshank Iii Robert Fraser
• Hodge Bri-Mathias Scott
• Florita Anthony Reed

Classifications

• H04H60/78 Primary

  characterised by source locations or destination locations · CPC title

• H04H60/97

  using uplink of the CATV systems · CPC title

• H04H60/51

  of receiving stations · CPC title

• H04H20/12

  Arrangements for observation, testing or troubleshooting · CPC title

• H04H60/70

  using geographical information, e.g. maps, charts or atlases · CPC title