# US 2020/0396104 A1 · A method of operating a network node > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2020/0396104 A1 - Document ID: US20200396104A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 15/733,154 - Filed: 2018-10-15 - Published: 2020-12-17 - Earliest claimed: 2017-11-29 - Assignees: British Telecommunications public limited company - Applicants: British Telecommunications Public Limited Company - Inventors: David TOWNEND; Malcolm HUBERT; Keith BRIGGS - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20200396104A1 ## CPC - H04L 12/5692: {Selection among different networks} - H04L 12/2898: {Subscriber equipments (DSL modems H04M11/062; cable modems H04L12/2801)} - H04L 41/5009: Determining service level performance parameters or violations of service level contracts, e.g. violations of agreed response time or mean time between failures [MTBF] - H04L 41/5025: by proactively reacting to service quality change, e.g. by reconfiguration after service quality degradation or upgrade - H04W 36/302: {due to low signal strength} - H04W 88/06: adapted for operation in multiple networks {or having at least two operational modes}, e.g. multi-mode terminals - H04L 45/28: using route fault recovery - H04W 36/14: Reselecting a network or an air interface - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) - H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72) ## Abstract This disclosure provides a network node, and a method of operating the network node, having one or more communications interfaces connectable to a first communications network and to a second communications network, the method including the network node accessing a service using the first communications network; analyzing data relating to the first communications network to identify a plurality of fault-indicative events; determining a rate of the plurality of fault-indicative events per unit time; and the network node accessing the service using the second communications network in response to a first trigger, wherein the first trigger is based on the rate of the plurality of fault-indicative events per unit time. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of operating a network node having a first communications interface connectable to a first communications network and a second communications interface connectable to a second communications network, the method comprising: the network node accessing a service using the first communications network; analyzing data relating to the first communications network to identify a plurality of fault-indicative events; determining a rate of the plurality of fault-indicative events per unit time; and the network node accessing the service using the second communications network in response to a first trigger, wherein the first trigger is varied as a function of the rate of the plurality of fault-indicative events per unit time. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising: determining a first count of the plurality of fault-indicative events in a first time period; wherein the first trigger for the network node accessing the service using the second communications network is the first count of the plurality of fault-indicative events in the first time period satisfying a first threshold, wherein the first threshold is varied as a first function of the rate of the plurality of fault-indicative events per unit time. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising: following the network node accessing the service using the second communications network, the network node accessing the service using the first communications network in response to a second trigger, wherein the second trigger is varied as a function of the rate of the plurality of fault-indicative events per unit time. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The method as claimed in claim 3, further comprising: determining a second count of the plurality of fault-indicative events in a second time period, wherein the second trigger for the network node accessing the service using the first communications network is the second count of the plurality of fault-indicative events satisfying a second threshold, wherein the second threshold is varied as a second function of the rate of the plurality of fault-indicative events per unit time. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The method as claimed in claim 4, wherein the network node accessing the service using the second communications network is in response to the first count of the plurality of fault-indicative events in the first time period being greater than the first threshold and the network node accessing the service using the first communications network is in response to the second count of the plurality of fault-indicative events in the second time period being less than the second threshold. ### Claim 6 (depends on 3) The method as claimed in claim 3, further comprising: determining a time between a subset of the plurality of fault-indicative events; wherein at least one of the first trigger or the second trigger for the network node accessing the service using the second communications network is a time between the subset of the plurality of fault-indicative events satisfying a first or second threshold respectively, wherein at least one of the first threshold or the second threshold are varied as a first function of the rate of the plurality of fault-indicative events per unit time. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first communications network is a Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) access network, and the one or more communications interfaces includes a DSL communications interface. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The method as claimed in claim 7, wherein at least one of the first threshold or the second threshold is varied as a function of the rate of the plurality of fault-indicative events per unit time and of a property of the network node. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The method as claimed in claim 7, wherein each fault-indicative event of the plurality of fault-indicative events is one of a group comprising: a loss of service, a loss of a physical layer, a loss of a logical layer, a retrain, a threshold elapsed time between retrains, a threshold mean time between retrains, a threshold count of errored seconds, a threshold count of severely errored seconds, and a threshold synchronization speed. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second communications network is a cellular communications network. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the network node is a Customer Premises Equipment (CPE). ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first communications network and the second communications network are access networks. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) A computer program comprising instructions which, when the program is executed by a computer, cause the computer to carry out the method of claim 1. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) A non-transitory computer-readable data carrier having stored thereon the computer program of claim 13. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) A network node comprising a first communications interface for communicating with a first communications network and a second communications interface for communicating with a second communications network, memory for storing data relating to the first communications network, and a processor adapted to perform the method of claim 1.