Anomaly Location Estimation in Communication Networks

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Solution Overview

Problem

In communication networks, accurately identifying the source of anomalies such as failures is challenging due to flaws in topology or alarm detection conditions, requiring significant time and effort from maintenance personnel to determine whether alarms are caused by faults or setting flaws.

Innovation Solution

An anomaly location estimation apparatus and method that acquires topology and event information to estimate failure factor locations, automatically determining whether events are caused by faults or other anomalies, reducing the need for manual maintenance personnel intervention.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If manual determination by maintenance personnel is used to identify alarm causes, then accuracy in distinguishing fault-related from setting-flaw-related issues can be achieved, but time and effort required for anomaly location estimation increases significantly

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveaccuracy in identifying alarm causesVSAvoidtime and effort for anomaly location estimation

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs self-diagnosis by automatically analyzing alarm information and topology data to determine whether alarms are caused by faults or setting flaws, eliminating the need for maintenance personnel to manually determine alarm causes. The anomaly location estimation apparatus independently completes the analysis and provides automated anomaly location estimation results.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

2Productivity

If automated anomaly location estimation is implemented, then time and effort required for anomaly location estimation is reduced, but the system requires complex processing of topology information and event information to accurately distinguish between fault causes and setting flaw causes

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvespeed of anomaly location estimationVSAvoidcomplexity of information processing system

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system segments the anomaly identification process into distinct processing stages: acquiring topology information representing apparatus connections, acquiring event information representing alarm occurrences, analyzing the relationship between topology and events, and generating anomaly location estimation results. This segmentation simplifies the overall complex processing by breaking it into manageable functional modules.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The system introduces topology information as an intermediary data structure that represents the connection relationships between apparatuses. This intermediary representation enables automated analysis by providing a structured model that links alarm events to potential anomaly sources, simplifying the complex task of distinguishing fault causes from setting flaw causes.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Extent of automation

If the system automatically isolates alarm causes, then reliance on maintenance personnel determination is reduced, but the system must accurately process relationships between multiple apparatuses and events to avoid mis-detection

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvelevel of automated alarm cause isolationVSAvoidaccuracy in distinguishing fault causes from setting flaw causes

Core Design Contradiction:

Extent of automationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system uses feedback mechanisms by analyzing the relationships between topology information and event information to validate anomaly location estimations. The apparatus cross-checks alarm events against the known topology structure to confirm whether identified anomaly locations are consistent with the observed alarm patterns, thereby improving reliability and reducing mis-detection.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Data Source

PatentUS12056033B2Anomaly location estimating apparatus, method, and program

Publication Date: 2024.08.06 NIPPON TELEGRAPH & TELEPHONE CORP

AI summary

An aspect of the present disclosure acquires topology information representing a connection configuration between a plurality of apparatuses constituting a communication network and event information representing occurrence statuses of an event by the plurality of apparatuses, estimates, based on the topology information and the event information, a first apparatus corresponding to a failure factor location from among the plurality of apparatuses, estimates, based on an occurrence status of the event by a second apparatus whose connection relationship with the first apparatus estimated is defined by the topology information, whether an occurrence of the event by the second apparatus is caused by the failure factor location or by another anomaly, and estimates, based on a relationship between an occurrence status of the event by the first apparatus and an occurrence status of the event by a third apparatus whose connection relationship with the first apparatus is not defined by the topology information, whether an occurrence of the event by the third apparatus is caused by the failure factor location or by another anomaly.