# US 2014/0156208 A1 · Network event detection > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2014/0156208 A1 - Document ID: US20140156208A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 14/172,143 - Filed: 2014-02-04 - Published: 2014-06-05 - Earliest claimed: 2010-01-15 - Assignees: Landis+Gyr Technologies, LLC - Applicants: Landis+Gyr Technologies, LLC - Inventors: Rodney Kohout; Stanley E. McHann, JR. - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140156208A1 ## CPC - H04W 24/04: Arrangements for maintaining operational condition - H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72) ## Abstract Various aspects of the disclosure are directed to methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for identifying network events. In one aspect, a method includes monitoring signal characteristic values for signals transmitted over a communications channel of a power line communications system and determining that a signal level value for the channel is less than a threshold signal level value for the channel. In response to determining that the signal level value for the channel is less than the threshold signal level value for the channel, a signal to noise ratio for the communications channel is computer and it is determined that the signal to noise ratio for the channel exceeds a threshold value. In response to determining that the signal to noise ratio for the communications channel exceeds the threshold value, storing data received over the communications channel is stored as valid data. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method performed by data processing apparatus, the method comprising: for each of a plurality of communications channels of a power line communications system implemented in a power-line distribution system: monitoring, by logic circuitry, signal characteristic values for signals transmitted over one of the communications channels and determining, based on the monitored signal characteristic values, whether a signal level value for said one of the communications channels is below a threshold level and a noise parameter is less than another threshold level; in response to the step of determining, storing, by the data processing apparatus, data received over said one of the communications channels as valid data, and providing an update that a circuit in the power-line distribution system has changed. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein monitoring signal characteristic values comprises monitoring signal level values and noise floor measures for signals transmitted over said one of the communications channels. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein determining that a signal level value for said one of the communications channels is below a threshold level comprises detecting a signal amplitude for signals transmitted over the channel that are at least fifty percent less than a baseline signal level for the channel. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: computing baseline signal characteristics for said one of the communications channels, the baseline signal characteristics representing normal operating characteristics for the communications channel; and specifying the threshold signal level for the said one of the communications channels based on a baseline signal level. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The method of claim 4, wherein computing baseline signal characteristics said one of the communications channels comprises computing, for each communications channel, a baseline signal level of the communications channel based on signal level values that have been measured for the communications channel over a specified time. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein monitoring signal characteristic values for signals transmitted over said one of the communications channels comprises monitoring signal characteristic values for a signal transmitted over a channel of a power line communications system. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: in response to the step of determining: determining that a capacitor bank has been activated in the power-line distribution system; and providing a notification that the capacitor bank has been activated in the power-line distribution system. ### Claim 8 A tangible computer storage medium encoded with a computer program, the program comprising instructions that when executed by data processing apparatus causes the data processing apparatus to perform operations comprising: for each of a plurality of communications channels of a power line communications system implemented in a power-line distribution system: monitoring, by a data processing apparatus, signal characteristic values for signals transmitted over a communications channel; determining, by the data processing apparatus and based on the monitored signal characteristic values, that a signal level value for the communications channel is less than a threshold signal level value for the communications channel; in response to determining that the signal level value for the communications channel is less than the threshold signal level value for the communications channel: computing, by the data processing apparatus, a signal to noise ratio for the communications channel; determining, by the data processing apparatus, whether the signal to noise ratio for the communications channel is less than a threshold value; in response to determining that the signal to noise ratio for the communications channel is less than the threshold value, preventing, by the data processing apparatus, storage of data received over the communications channel as valid data; and in response to determining that the signal to noise ratio for the communications channel is not less than the threshold value, storing, by the data processing apparatus, data received over the communications channel as valid data. ### Claim 9 A system, comprising: a data store storing channel characteristics for a plurality of communications channels of a power line communications system, the channel characteristics including signal level measurements and noise floor measurements for the plurality of communications channels over one or more specified time periods; and a status subsystem coupled to the data store, the status subsystem including one or more processors configured and arranged to determine whether to store data received over each channel of the plurality of communications channels of the power line communications system, the determination for each channel being based on a signal level value for the channel and a signal to noise ratio for the channel. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The system of claim 9, wherein the status subsystem is configured and arranged to compute a baseline signal level for each channel and specify a threshold signal level value for each channel based on the baseline signal level for the channel. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The system of claim 10, wherein the status subsystem is configured and arranged to monitor a signal level value for each channel and determine that the monitored signal level value for the channel is less than the threshold signal level value for the channel. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, wherein the status subsystem is configured and arranged to determine that the signal to noise ratio for the channel is greater than a threshold signal to noise ratio and cause data received over the channel to be stored as valid data. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The system of claim 12, wherein the status subsystem is configured and arranged to generate a notification that a capacitor bank has been activated in response to a determination that the signal level for the channel is below the threshold signal level for the channel and the determination that the signal to noise ratio for the channel is greater than the threshold signal to noise ratio for the channel. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The system of claim 13, wherein the status subsystem is configured and arranged to determine that the signal to noise ratio for the channel is less than a threshold signal to noise ratio and prevent data received over the channel from being stored as valid data. ### Claim 15 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, wherein the status subsystem is configured and arranged to specify the threshold signal level value for the channel based on signal level values for the channel that have been measured over a specified time.