Satellite network switching

• US 10,200,922 B2
• Filed: 06/09/2017
• Issued: 02/05/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/09/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Maxar Space LLC (Galileo Parent, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Space Systems/Loral Incorporated (Loral Space and Communications Incorporated)
• Inventors: Fang, Jun
• Primary Examiner(s): Trinh, Tan H
• Application Number:
  US15/618,897
• Publication Number:
  US 20180359670A1
• Time in Patent Office: 606 Days
• Field of Search: 455 121, 455 132, 455427, 455428, 455430, 455426, 455188, 455431, 455 302, 4554141, 701214, 701208, 701213, 701 3, 701200, 701 22, 370235, 370412, 370316, 370323, 370254, 370331
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/00837 Determination of triggering parameters for hand-off
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/08 Reselecting an access point
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/32 by location or mobility data, e.g. speed data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/385 of the core network
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/06 Airborne or Satellite Networks space-based or airborne stations H04B7/185
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/16 Gateway arrangements

Abstract

A satellite network comprises networks nodes including multiple satellites, multiple gateways, additional servers and a mobile vehicle (e.g., an aircraft). All of (or a subset) of the network nodes include switches. The network implements a software defined network that includes a mobility manager as part of the management plane, a network controller as part of the control plane, and the switches on the network nodes as the data plane. In one embodiment, the switches communicate using an Open Flow communications protocol and make routing decisions based on flow tables. The mobility manager communicates with, and manages, the switches via the network controller. The mobility manager proactively generate updates to flow tables based on satellite ephemeris data for the multiple satellites and itinerary data for the aircraft, and pushes the updates to the switches in response to determining that the aircraft needs to be handed off between satellites.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a wireless interface configured to wirelessly communicate with a satellite that is part of a satellite network;

a processor in communication with the interface in order to communicate with a first switch via the interface and the satellite, the first switch is part of the satellite network, the processor includes a network controller configured to manage the satellite network and communicate with the first switch, the network controller includes an application interface configured to receive new flow table data and an instruction to update an existing flow table in the satellite network with the new flow table data; and

a mobility manager in communication with the network controller, the mobility manager configured to initiate a handover for the mobile vehicle by sending new flow table data and instructions to the controller for transmission to the first switch.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

the instruction to update the existing flow table in the satellite network with the new flow table data is based on satellite ephemeris data and mobile vehicle itinerary data.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

the mobility manager sends the instruction to update the existing flow table in the satellite network with the new flow table data based on satellite ephemeris data and mobile vehicle itinerary data.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

the mobility manager configured to continuously monitor satellite ephemeris data and mobile vehicle itinerary data, the mobility manager configured to make a handover prediction for the mobile vehicle based on the monitored satellite ephemeris data and mobile vehicle itinerary data and initiate the handover based on the handover prediction, the first switch is part of a sub-network on the mobile vehicle.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein:

the mobility manager configured to initiate the handover by calculating a new path between a new gateway and the mobile vehicle, generating one or more new flow table records to implement the new path, and sending a command to the new gateway to start using the one or more new flow table records to implement the handover, subsequent to sending the command the mobility manager releases a previous gateway from its connection with the mobile vehicle.

6. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein:

the wireless interface and the processor comprise a ground based gateway, the mobility manager and the network controller are implemented on the gateway.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

the network controller configured to communicate with the first switch using Open Flow communications protocol.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

the instruction to update the existing flow table in the satellite network with the new flow table data comprises a request to replace an old flow table with a new flow table.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

the instruction to update the existing flow table in the satellite network with the new flow table data is based on satellite ephemeris data and mobile vehicle itinerary data;

the wireless interface and the processor comprise a ground based gateway;

the mobile vehicle is an aircraft; and

the first switch is on the aircraft.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a network interface in communication with the processor and a terrestrial network; and

one or more flow tables for routing communication between the terrestrial network and the satellite network;

the wireless interface, the processor and the network interface comprise a ground based gateway, the one or more flow tables are stored on the ground based gateway.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

the network controller configured to communicate with a second switch on the satellite and send new flow tables to the second switch in response to satellite ephemeris data.