System for fault detection in an internet protocol television communication system

摘要

A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, an Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) network element can have a wireless transceiver, a wireline transceiver, and a controller. The controller can be adapted to process multimedia signals received from an upstream IPTV network element, transmit the processed multimedia signals to one or more downstream IPTV network elements, monitor communications on a wireline interface capable of accessing a fault management system (FMS), and cause the wireless access transceiver to wirelessly transmit to the FMS telemetry information collected responsive to detecting one or more faults in the wireline interface. The controller can also cause the wireline transceiver to transmit to the FMS over the wireline interface the telemetry information responsive to detecting no fault in the wireline interface that impedes communication with the FMS over the wireline interface. Other embodiments are disclosed.

主权项

1. An interactive television network element operating in an interactive television communication system, the interactive television network element corresponding to a headend element of a plurality of connected interactive television network elements, the network element comprising:
a first wireless transceiver; a wireline interface for accessing a fault management system; a wireline transceiver; a memory to store instructions; and a controller coupled to the memory, wherein responsive to executing the instructions, the controller performs operations comprising:
processing multimedia signals received from a media service provider to generate processed multimedia signals;transmitting the processed multimedia signals to another network element corresponding to a downstream interactive television network element of the plurality of connected interactive television network elements, the downstream element located downstream from the headend element;monitoring communications on the wireline interface, wherein the monitoring includes monitoring for a first message of a periodic test cycle to the interactive television network element from the fault management system via the wireline interface, wherein the periodic test cycle comprises the first message and a second message, responsive to the first message, from the interactive television network element to the fault management system, wherein the downstream element comprises a second wireless transceiver for accessing the fault management system, wherein the downstream element communicates with the wireline interface only via the headend element, and wherein the fault management system monitors the downstream element via the wireline interface;monitoring for internal faults in the interactive television network element;monitoring for faults in the wireline interface;monitoring for faults in the multimedia signals;registering a fault condition in accordance with:
failing to detect the first message of the periodic test cycle,detecting an internal fault in the interactive television network element,detecting a fault in the wireline interface by testing components of the interactive television network element, ordetecting a fault in the multimedia signals;causing the first wireless transceiver to wirelessly transmit to the fault management system telemetry information collected responsive to the fault condition; andcausing the wireline transceiver to transmit to the fault management system over the wireline interface the telemetry information responsive to detecting no fault in the wireline interface that impedes communication with the fault management system over the wireline interface,wherein the downstream element transmits to the fault management system telemetry information associated with an internal fault of the downstream element or a fault in the processed multimedia signal, the telemetry information transmitted via the second wireless transceiver in case of a previous detection of a fault in the wireline interface.