# US 2019/0173743 A1 · System for generating topology information and methods thereof > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2019/0173743 A1 - Document ID: US20190173743A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 16/273,674 - Filed: 2019-02-12 - Published: 2019-06-06 - Earliest claimed: 2014-11-20 - Assignees: AT&T Intellectual Property I, L.P. - Applicants: AT&T Intellectual Property I, L.P. - Inventors: Irwin Gerszberg; Farhad Barzegar; Paul Shala Henry; Robert Bennett; Donald J. Barnickel; Thomas M. Willis, III - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20190173743A1 ## CPC - H04L 41/0677: Localisation of faults - H04B 3/54: Systems for transmission via power distribution lines - H04B 10/25752: {Optical arrangements for wireless networks} - H04L 41/12: Discovery or management of network topologies - Y04S 40/00: Systems for electrical power generation, transmission, distribution or end-user application management characterised by the use of communication or information technologies, or communication or information technology specific aspects supporting them - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) - H04B: TRANSMISSION - Y04S: SYSTEMS INTEGRATING TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO POWER NETWORK OPERATION, COMMUNICATION OR INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES FOR IMPROVING THE ELECTRICAL POWER GENERATION, TRANSMISSION, DISTRIBUTION, MANAGEMENT OR USAGE, i.e. SMART GRIDS ## Abstract Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, for example, a system for receiving topology information from a plurality of waveguide systems or other transmission devices, the topology information identifying one or more transmission media available to each waveguide system for transmitting or receiving electromagnetic waves, and updating a topology of a communication system from the topology information provided by the plurality of waveguide systems. Other embodiments are disclosed. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method, comprising: receiving, by a processing system comprising a processor, local network topology information of a communication system from a plurality of transmission devices, wherein the local network topology information describes a topology of a plurality of transmission media available for use by each transmission device of the plurality of transmission devices, wherein the plurality of transmission media comprises a primary link for use by a corresponding transmission device of the plurality of transmission devices and a plurality of backup links for use by the corresponding transmission device of the plurality of transmission devices when the primary link is experiencing a fault, wherein the plurality of transmission devices transmits or receives guided electromagnetic waves that propagate along the primary link without requiring an electrical return path, and wherein at least one of the plurality of backup links utilizes a different transmission medium than the primary link; and generating, by the processing system, a macro network topology of the communication system from a plurality of local network topologies included in the local network topology information of the plurality of transmission devices, wherein the macro network topology includes each of the plurality of local network topologies obtained from the corresponding transmission device of the plurality of transmission devices. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the macro network topology includes an aggregation of the primary link and the plurality of backup links of the plurality of transmission devices. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of transmission devices transmits or receives the guided electromagnetic waves that propagate along a first one of the plurality of backup links without requiring an electrical return path. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The method of claim 3, wherein a second one of the plurality of backup links utilizes a different transmission medium than either the primary link or the first one of the plurality of backup links. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving telemetry information from at least one of the plurality of transmission devices. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The method of claim 5, further comprising: detecting the fault according to the telemetry information; and identifying a location of the fault according to the macro network topology. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, wherein the identifying the location of the fault comprises transmitting one or more messages to one or more of the plurality of transmission devices in proximity to the at least one of the plurality of transmission devices providing the telemetry information. ### Claim 8 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, wherein the identifying the location of the fault further comprises receiving test results from the one or more of the plurality of transmission devices to identify the location of the fault in the macro network topology. ### Claim 9 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, further comprising receiving updated local network topology information from at least one transmission device of the plurality of transmission devices responsive to a mitigation of the fault. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9, further comprising generating an updated macro network topology according to the updated local network topology information. ### Claim 11 A device comprising: a processing system including a processor; and a memory coupled to the processing system that stores executable instructions that, when executed by the processing system, facilitate performance of operations comprising: receiving local network topology information of a communication system from a plurality of transmission devices, wherein the local network topology information describes a topology of a plurality of transmission media available for use by each transmission device of the plurality of transmission devices, wherein the plurality of transmission media comprises a primary link for use by a corresponding transmission device of the plurality of transmission devices and a plurality of backup links for use by the corresponding transmission device of the plurality of transmission devices when the primary link is experiencing a fault, wherein the plurality of transmission devices transmits or receives guided electromagnetic waves that propagate along the primary link without requiring an electrical return path, and wherein at least one of the plurality of backup links utilizes a different transmission medium than the primary link; generating a macro network topology of the communication system from a plurality of local network topologies included in the local network topology information of the plurality of transmission devices, wherein the macro network topology includes each of the plurality of local network topologies obtained from the corresponding transmission device of the plurality of transmission devices; and identifying a location of the fault according to the macro network topology. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The device of claim 11, wherein the macro network topology includes an aggregation of the primary link and the plurality of backup links of the plurality of transmission devices. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The device of claim 11, wherein the operations further comprise receiving telemetry information from at least one of the plurality of transmission devices. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The device of claim 13, wherein the operations further comprise detecting the fault according to the telemetry information. ### Claim 15 (depends on 11) The device of claim 11, wherein the operations further comprise identifying a location of the fault according to the macro network topology. ### Claim 16 (depends on 11) The device of claim 11, wherein the operations further comprise receiving updated local network topology information from at least one transmission device of the plurality of transmission devices responsive to a mitigation of the fault. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The device of claim 16, wherein the operations further comprise generating an updated macro network topology according to the updated local network topology information. ### Claim 18 A machine-readable medium comprising executable instructions that, when executed by a processing system of a first device including a processor, facilitate performance of operations comprising: receiving local network topology information of a communication system from a plurality of transmission devices, wherein the local network topology information describes a topology of a plurality of transmission media available for use by each transmission device of the plurality of transmission devices, wherein the plurality of transmission media comprises a primary link for use by a corresponding transmission device of the plurality of transmission devices and a plurality of backup links for use by the corresponding transmission device of the plurality of transmission devices when the primary link is experiencing a fault, and wherein at least one of the plurality of backup links utilizes a different transmission medium than the primary link; generating a macro network topology of the communication system from a plurality of local network topologies included in the local network topology information of the plurality of transmission devices, wherein the macro network topology includes each of the plurality of local network topologies obtained from the corresponding transmission device of the plurality of transmission devices; and identifying a location of the fault according to the macro network topology. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The machine-readable medium of claim 18, wherein the plurality of transmission devices transmits or receives guided electromagnetic waves that propagate along the primary link without requiring an electrical return path. ### Claim 20 (depends on 18) The machine-readable medium of claim 18, wherein the operations further comprise: receiving telemetry information from at least one of the plurality of transmission devices; and detecting the fault according to the telemetry information.