AR-Guided ONT Repair Using Direct Short-Range Diagnostics
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional PON troubleshooting requires extensive technician experience, and locating and diagnosing network failures in PONs is time-consuming and challenging due to the need for direct optical fiber communication, which is hindered by network failures.
Innovation Solution
A client device connects directly to ONT via short-range communication (Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, NFC) to receive real-time diagnostic information, provides geospatial tagging, and overlays AR features on a transparent display for step-by-step repair instructions, enabling non-technical users to diagnose and repair PON issues.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of time
If a technician directly connects to ONT via short-range communication to obtain diagnostic information, then the time to diagnose network failures is reduced, but the complexity of the repair process increases due to the need for additional devices and communication protocols
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a mobile device as an intermediary between the technician and the ONT. The mobile device establishes short-range communication with the ONT, retrieves diagnostic information, and presents it to the technician. This intermediary approach allows direct access to ONT diagnostics without requiring the technician to have specialized equipment or extensive expertise, thus reducing diagnosis time while managing complexity through a user-friendly interface.
Solution Approach 2:
The system enables self-service diagnostics by allowing the mobile device to automatically connect to the ONT and retrieve diagnostic information without requiring manual configuration or specialized technical knowledge. The ONT provides its own diagnostic data directly to the mobile device, empowering users to perform basic troubleshooting independently.
2Measurement precision
If extensive technician experience and training are required to troubleshoot PON failures, then the accuracy of problem identification is improved, but the availability of repair services is reduced due to the scarcity of qualified technicians
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism where the mobile device receives diagnostic information from the ONT and presents it in a structured, easy-to-understand format. The system provides step-by-step guidance and recommendations based on the diagnostic data, enabling technicians with varying levels of expertise to accurately identify problems. This feedback loop compensates for lack of extensive experience by providing expert-level analysis through the software interface.
Solution Approach 2:
The system copies and reproduces expert diagnostic capabilities in software form. Instead of relying solely on human expertise, the patent creates a digital replica of troubleshooting knowledge embedded in the mobile application, which can be accessed by any user with a mobile device. This democratizes access to expert-level diagnostic skills.
3Reliability
If technicians need to locate network equipment within customer residences, then the completeness of the repair process is improved, but the time required to complete repairs increases due to the difficulty of locating equipment
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical approach of physically searching for equipment with an electronic location system. The mobile device uses sensors and communication protocols to automatically detect and locate the ONT and other network equipment within the customer premises. This substitution of mechanical searching with electronic detection dramatically reduces the time required to locate equipment while ensuring complete coverage of the repair process.
Data Source
AI summary
Techniques for augmenting repair of a network failure in a Passive Optical Network (PON) include receiving sensor data at a client device indicating a current environment that includes an optical network terminal (ONT) in a PON. The PON includes an optical line terminal (OLT) optically connected to the ONT via one or more optical fibers. The client device analyzes the current environment to detect a cause of a network failure corresponding to the ONT, and generates a set of instructions for repairing the ONT based on the detected cause of the network failure. Then the client device provides the set of instructions for a user to follow to repair the ONT. The set of instructions are provided as the user repairs the ONT.