Method and apparatus that provides fault tolerance in a communication network

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9615269-B2
Application number	US-201414504773-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 2, 2014
Priority date	Oct 2, 2014
Publication date	Apr 4, 2017
Grant date	Apr 4, 2017

Abstract

A system for detecting a fault in a first wire of a power grid that affects a transmission or reception of electromagnetic waves that transport data and that propagate along a surface of the first wire, selecting a backup communication medium from one or more backup communication mediums according to one or more selection criteria, and redirecting the data to the backup communication medium to circumvent the fault. Other embodiments are disclosed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A waveguide system, comprising:
a first waveguide, wherein the first waveguide is positioned with respect to a first wire of a power grid, wherein the first waveguide facilitates transmission or reception of first electromagnetic waves that propagate along a first surface of the first wire, wherein the first electromagnetic waves transport data, and wherein the first wire corresponds to a primary communication link;
a second waveguide, wherein the second waveguide is positioned with respect to a second wire of the power grid;
a memory that stores instructions; and
a processor coupled to the memory, wherein responsive to executing the instructions, the processor performs operations comprising:
detecting a fault in the primary communication link; and
responsive to detecting the fault, redirecting the data to a secondary communication link.

2. The waveguide system of claim 1 , wherein the data is redirected to the secondary communication link by transmitting or receiving of the first electromagnetic waves on the secondary communication link via the second waveguide.

3. The waveguide system of claim 1 , wherein the data is redirected to the secondary communication link by transmitting or receiving second electromagnetic waves on the secondary communication link via the second waveguide, the second electromagnetic waves transporting the data.

4. The waveguide system of claim 1 , wherein the first wire comprises a first power line of the power grid, wherein the second wire comprises a second power line of the power grid, wherein the first and second power lines are used for electric power distribution to residential or commercial establishments, and wherein the first power line is located above the second power line.

5. The waveguide system of claim 1 , wherein the secondary communication link has a lower bandwidth capacity than the primary communication link, and wherein the operations further comprise adjusting a bandwidth of the data prior to the redirecting.

6. The waveguide system of claim 1 , further comprising a sensor that facilitates sensing the fault in the primary communication link, wherein the operations further comprise reporting the fault to a network management system.

7. The waveguide system of claim 1 , wherein the redirecting of the data to the secondary communication link is further responsive to receiving instructions from a network management system requesting a redirection of the data to the secondary communication link.

8. The waveguide system of claim 1 , further comprising a communications interface for reporting the fault to a network management system over a wireless or wired interface.

9. The waveguide system of claim 1 , wherein the operations further comprise sending via the second waveguide over the secondary communication link a message to a downstream waveguide system that instructs the downstream waveguide system to redirect the data from the secondary communication link to a portion of the primary communication link that is not affected by the fault.

10. The waveguide system of claim 1 , wherein the secondary communication link is shared with other waveguide systems for transmission or reception of third electromagnetic waves having a first operating frequency for transport of second data, wherein the second waveguide of the waveguide system transmits or receives second electromagnetic waves on the secondary communication link at a second operating frequency, and wherein the first operating frequency and the second operating frequency are chosen to prevent a communications conflict between the second electromagnetic waves originating from the second waveguide of the waveguide system and the third electromagnetic waves originating from the other waveguide systems.

11. The waveguide system of claim 1 , wherein the secondary communication link is shared with other waveguide systems for transmission or reception of third electromagnetic waves during a first plurality of time slot assignments for transport of second data, wherein the second waveguide of the waveguide system transmits or receives second electromagnetic waves on the secondary communication link during a second plurality of time slot assignments, and wherein the first plurality of time slot assignments and the second plurality of time slot assignments are chosen to prevent a communications conflict between the second electromagnetic waves originating from the second waveguide of the waveguide system and the third electromagnetic waves originating from the other waveguide systems.

12. The waveguide system of claim 1 , wherein the operations further comprise transmitting electromagnetic wave test signals on the secondary communication link via the second waveguide, wherein the redirecting of the data to the secondary communication link is further responsive to determining from the test signals that the secondary communication link is suitable for backup communications.

13. The waveguide system of claim 12 , wherein the electromagnetic wave test signals are received by a downstream waveguide system coupled to the secondary communication link, and wherein the operations further comprise receiving test results from the downstream waveguide system for determining whether the secondary communication link is suitable for the backup communications.

14. The waveguide system of claim 12 , further comprising a wireless interface for communicating with a wireless base station, wherein the operations further comprise redirecting the data to a wireless communication link connecting the wireless interface of the waveguide system to the wireless base station responsive to determining from the test signals that the secondary communication link is not suitable for the backup communications.

15. A communication system, comprising:
a plurality of waveguide systems, each of the plurality of waveguide systems facilitating transmission or reception of electromagnetic waves that propagate along a surface of a first wire or a second wire of a power grid, wherein the electromagnetic waves transport data directed to a recipient device, wherein the first wire of the power grid is used as a primary communication link, and wherein the second wire of the power grid is used as a backup communication link;
a memory that stores instructions; and
a processor coupled to the memory and the plurality waveguide systems, wherein responsive to executing the instructions, the processor performs operations comprising instructing a first waveguide system of the plurality of waveguide systems to redirect the data to the backup communication link responsive to detecting a fault in the primary communication link.

16. The communication system of claim 15 , wherein the data is redirected to the backup communication link by redirecting the transmission or reception of the electromagnetic waves on the primary communication link to the backup communication link, or by transmitting or receiving second electromagnetic waves that transport the data via the backup communication link.

17. The communication system of claim 15 , wherein the operations further comprise verifying a suitability of the backup communication link for backup communication services, and wherein the instructing the first waveguide system to redirect the data to the backup communication link is further responsive to the verifying.

18. The communication system of claim 17 , wherein the suitability of the backup communication link is verified by sending electromagnetic wave test signals on the backup communication link.

1

Assignees

• At & T Ip I Lp
• At & T Ip I Lp

Inventors

• Henry Paul Shala
• Bennett Robert
• Gerszberg Irwin
• Barzegar Farhad
• Barnickel Donald J
• Willis Iii Thomas M

Classifications

• G01R31/58

  Testing of lines, cables or conductors (testing of electric windings G01R31/72) · CPC title

• H04B3/54

  Systems for transmission via power distribution lines · CPC title

• H04B3/58

  Repeater circuits · CPC title

• H04B2203/5458

  Monitor sensor; Alarm systems · CPC title

• H04B3/46 Primary

  Monitoring; Testing · CPC title