Network Status Detection via Channel Data Normalization

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Service providers face significant revenue loss and customer dissatisfaction due to the time and resources required to identify and rectify network outages in distributed networks, as existing methods often lead to inefficient allocation of resources based on potentially false indications of network events.

Innovation Solution

A computer-implemented method that utilizes status scores generated from channel data to reliably detect network events by normalizing and monitoring channel characteristics, allowing for accurate identification of network status changes and reducing the likelihood of false alarms, thereby enabling more efficient resource allocation.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If service providers access nodes in the network and dispatch workers to identify network outages, then the network problem can be remedied, but the time and resources required result in significant revenue loss

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvenetwork service continuityVSAvoidtime to identify and remedy network outage
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary actions by continuously monitoring channel characteristics and generating status scores before network outages occur. Reference status scores are captured during normal operation, enabling the system to detect anomalies and identify outages automatically without waiting for customer reports or manual node access, thus reducing the time to identify and remedy network problems.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The network monitoring system performs self-service by automatically detecting network outages through status score comparisons and generating alerts without requiring human intervention. The system autonomously monitors channel characteristics, compares current status against reference status, and identifies outages independently, eliminating the need to dispatch workers for routine monitoring tasks.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

2Productivity

If service providers rely on customer feedback to detect network events, then resource allocation can be triggered, but false indications may lead to inefficient resource allocation

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveresource allocation efficiencyVSAvoidaccuracy of network event detection
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system replaces the mechanical approach of relying on customer feedback with an automated electronic monitoring system that continuously measures channel characteristics and computes status scores. This substitution eliminates false indications by using objective technical measurements rather than subjective customer reports, improving both the reliability of detection and the efficiency of resource allocation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The system implements continuous feedback monitoring by constantly measuring channel characteristics, generating status scores, and comparing them against reference status scores. This closed-loop feedback mechanism enables real-time detection of network events with high accuracy, reducing false indications and enabling timely, efficient resource allocation based on reliable detection data.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Data Source

PatentEP2409242B1Network status detection
Publication Date: 2018.03.07 LANDIS & GYR TECHNOLOGIES LLC
  • EP2409242B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2409242B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2409242B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A network status is determined based on channel data specifying at least one channel characteristic of a communications channel. Changes in various channel characteristics are indicative of changes in a status of a distributed network. Therefore, these channel characteristics can be monitored over time to identify changes to the status of the distributed network. Changes to channel characteristics can be identified based on normalized channel data that is normalized relative to reference channel data. Status scores are generated based on the normalized channel data. The status scores are, in turn, normalized for channels that are identified as valid channels. The normalized status scores are adjusted based on variations of the channel data and the network status is identified based on status score variations. Status data identifying the network status is generated based on the status of the network.