IP Library Granted Patent US 10,075,212
Granted Patent B2
US 10,075,212 · App. 15/868,618 · Granted Sep 11, 2018

Monitoring and mitigating conditions in a communication network

Inventors: Mitchell Harvey Fuchs (Toms River, NJ); Irwin Gerszberg (Kendall Park, NJ)
Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I, L.P.
H04B3/52G08C23/06H01Q1/46H04B3/46H04B3/546H04B17/345H04Q9/00H04B2203/5458H04B2203/5495H04Q2209/30H04Q2209/60
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,075,212
App. No.
15/868,618
Granted
Sep 11, 2018
Kind
B2
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.

Claims (35)

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, comprising:

receiving telemetry information from a waveguide system comprising a dielectric coupler, wherein the dielectric coupler facilitates transmission, by the waveguide system, of first electromagnetic waves that propagate along the dielectric coupler without requiring an electrical circuit, and wherein the dielectric coupler couples the first electromagnetic waves to a transmission medium coupled to the waveguide system to generate second electromagnetic waves; 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 dielectric 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 condition comprises a future condition that is predicted from the telemetry information.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the second electromagnetic waves have an electromagnetic field structure that lies at least in part on an outer surface of the transmission medium.

10. 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.

11. 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.

12. A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium, comprising executable instructions that, when executed by a processing system including a processor, facilitate performance of operations, comprising:

receiving telemetry information from an apparatus comprising a dielectric coupler that transmits first electromagnetic waves that propagate along the dielectric coupler without requiring an electrical circuit, wherein the first electromagnetic waves coupled to a transmission medium, thereby forming second electromagnetic waves that propagate along 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.

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

14. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 12 , 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.

15. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 14 , 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.

16. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 15 , 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.

17. A method, comprising:

receiving, by a network element comprising a processing system including a processor, telemetry data generated by a waveguide system comprising a dielectric coupler, the dielectric coupler facilitating reception of first electromagnetic waves that propagate along the dielectric coupler without requiring an electrical circuit, the first electromagnetic waves generated from second electromagnetic waves propagating on a transmission medium coupled to the dielectric coupler;

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.

18. The method of claim 17 , 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.

19. The method of claim 17 , wherein the dielectric coupler is positioned with respect to the transmission medium.

20. The method of claim 17 , 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.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 30, 2018
From: FUCHS, MITCHELL HARVEY; GERSZBERG, IRWIN
To: AT&T INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY I, L.P.
Reel/Frame 045394/0110 →
Continuity (3)
Continuation 15156470 · May 17, 2016
Continuation 14488346 · Sep 17, 2014
Related Publication 20180138944A1 · May 17, 2018