Systems, methods, and apparatus for communicating messages of distributed private networks over multiple public communication networks

• US 10,116,560 B2
• Filed: 10/16/2015
• Issued: 10/30/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/20/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Causam Enterprises, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Causam Energy, Inc.
• Inventors: Forbes, Jr., Joseph W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Baig, Adnan
• Application Number:
  US14/885,525
• Publication Number:
  US 20160112310A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,110 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/72 Routing based on the source address

Abstract

Systems and methods for communicating messages of distributed private network (DPN) over a plurality of communication networks including an inter-network interface and a message coordinator communicatively coupled. The inter-network interface is operable to receive a packetized message from a first DPN network element over a first communication network. The message coordinator receives the packetized message from the inter-network interface, assigns at least a transport route for the packetized message; and communicates the packetized message to a second DPN network element based on the assigned transport route over a second communication network. The message coordinator is further operable to assign priority protocol and security protocol to the packetized message.

Claims

1. A system for communicating messages of a distributed private network (DPN) over a plurality of communication networks for critical infrastructure, the system comprising:

at least one of an inter-network interface and a message coordinator;

wherein the inter-network interface comprises at least one network interface, a processing function and a memory; and

wherein the message coordinator comprises at least one network interface, a processing device and a memory;

wherein the inter-network interface is part of a service area of a first electric utility;

wherein the inter-network interface is communicatively coupled to the message coordinator;

wherein the inter-network interface is operable to receive a packetized message from a first DPN network element of the service area of the first electric utility over a first communication network;

wherein the packetized message utilizes a complete Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) protocol stack, including physical, data link, network, transport with an aggregation sublayer, session, presentation, and application layers, wherein the protocol stack identifies the packetized message as being a message communicated within the DPN;

wherein the inter-network interface is operable to process the packetized message from lowest to highest OSI layer using only physical, data link, network, and transport layers with aggregation sublayer;

wherein the inter-network interface is operable to communicate the packetized message to the message coordinator;

wherein the message coordinator is operable to;

receive the packetized message from the inter-network interface;

assign a transport route for the packetized message;

assign a priority and a security protocol to the packetized message based on a prioritization protocol for the DPN, wherein the prioritization protocol is based on a class of service to a second DPN network element of a second service area of a second electric utility; and

return the packetized message to the inter-network interface;

wherein the inter-network interface is operable to determine whether the assigned transport route is available;

wherein the inter-network interface is operable to communicate the packetized message to the second DPN network element over a second communication network based on the assigned transport route or an alternative transport route when the assigned transport route is unavailable; and

wherein the first DPN network element has a lower class of service than the inter-network interface.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the prioritization protocol further includes several levels of priority based on various parameters including a function and/or participation of the first and second DPN network elements, a type of the packetized message, a current state of the DPN, a time of day, or environmental conditions.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the inter-network interface is controlled by a first communication server provider or an independent private network message aggregator;

wherein the first communication network is operated by a second communication service provider; and

wherein the second communication network is operated by a third communication service provider.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the inter-network interface further comprises at least one packetized message point of interface.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the inter-network interface further comprises at least one Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) point of interface for supporting VoIP services.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the at least one VoIP point of interface is operable to determine whether the packetized message is a VoIP message and add the determined VoIP message to a quantity, size, and/or duration for periodically reporting VoIP call data to a billing system of the first communication network.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the billing system of the first communication network is operable to compute a regulatory payment of the first communication network into a USF fund or another rural telephony service assistance fund under applicable communications regulations.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the inter-network interface includes the message coordinator.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the message coordinator and the inter-network interface are co-located.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the inter-network interface and the message coordinator is implemented at least partially as a cloud-based service.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the DPN is a large composite DPN including multiple subnetworks, wherein the inter-network interface is operable to support multiple independent and dictated subnetworks based on prioritization and security requirements of each of a multiplicity of supported DPNs.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein assignment of the transport route is a fixed assignment as stored in routing tables stored in the memory of the inter-network interface.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein assignment of the transport route is based on at least one of (a) a state of the DPN at a time when the packetized message is received at the inter-network interface and (b) at least one of a function and a participation of the second DPN network element within the DPN.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the first DPN network element is in a first DPN and the second DPN network element is in a second distributed private network.

15. A method for communicating messages of a distributed private network (DPN) over a plurality of public communication networks, comprising:

providing an inter-network interface of a first service area communicatively coupled to a message coordinator;

a first DPN network element of a first service area generating raw data based on a participation in the DPN and transforming the raw data into revenue grade data;

the inter-network interface receiving a packetized message from the first DPN network element over a first public communication network, wherein the packetized message includes the revenue grade data;

wherein the first DPN network element has a lower class of service than the inter-network interface;

wherein the packetized message utilizes a complete Open Systems interconnection (OSI) protocol stack, including physical, data link, network, transport with an aggregation sublayer, session, presentation, and application layers, wherein the protocol stack identifies the packetized message as being a message communicated within the DPN;

the inter-network interface processing the packetized message from lowest to highest OSI layer using only physical, data link, network, and transport layers with aggregation sublayer;

the inter-network interface communicating the packetized message to the message coordinator;

the message coordinator receiving the packetized message from the inter-network interface;

the message coordinator assigning a transport route for the packetized message;

the message coordinator further assigning a priority and a security protocol to the packetized message based on a prioritization protocol for the DPN, wherein the prioritization protocol is based on a class of service to the second DPN network element;

the message coordinator returning the packetized message to the inter-network interface;

the inter-work interface communicating the packetized message to a second DPN network element of a second service area based on the assigned transport route over a second public communication network.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the prioritization protocol includes several levels of priority based on various parameters including a function and/or participation of the first and second DPN network elements, a type of the packetized message, a current state of the DPN, a time of day, and/or environmental conditions.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising the inter-network interface determining whether the packetized message is a Voice over IP (VoIP) message and adding the VoIP message to a quantity, size, and/or duration for periodically reporting VoIP call data to a billing system of the first public communication network.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising the inter-network interface communicating the packetized message to the message coordinator if the packetized message is determined not to be a VoIP message.