Task transfer among satellite devices

• US 10,250,319 B2
• Filed: 06/04/2018
• Issued: 04/02/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 10/19/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation (Martin Marietta Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Vector Launch, Inc.
• Inventors: Coleman, Shaun, Garber, Darren D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, John J
• Application Number:
  US15/996,845
• Publication Number:
  US 20180351637A1
• Time in Patent Office: 302 Days
• Field of Search: 455427, 455 301, 455 302, 455428, 455 121, 455 132
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2009/4557 Distribution of virtual machine instances; Migration and load balancing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/45533 Hypervisors; Virtual machine monitors
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/95 structured as a network, e.g. client-server architectures
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/13 Satellite images
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/30 in albums, collections or shared content, e.g. social network photos or video
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18519 Operations control, administration or maintenance
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18521 Systems of inter linked satellites, i.e. inter satellite service for optical links between satellites H04B10/118
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1068 Discovery involving direct consultation or announcement among potential requesting and potential source peers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416

Abstract

Systems, methods, and software described herein provide enhancements for deploying applications in satellites. In one example, a satellite device includes a communication interface and a virtualized execution system. The virtualized execution system is configured to receive state information via the communication interface from at least a peer satellite device related to execution of one or more software payloads by the peer satellite device, and execute one or more virtual nodes based at least on the state information.

Claims

1. A satellite device, comprising:

communication interface; and

a virtualized execution system configured to;

receive task information via the communication interface from at least a further device related to execution of one or more software payloads by the satellite further device; and

execute one or more virtual nodes to at least capture and process sensor data collected from one or more sensors systems present on the satellite device based at least on the task information.

2. The satellite device of claim 1, further comprising:

the one or more sensor systems; and

the virtualized execution system further configured to employ the one or more sensor systems to capture imaging data in accordance with at least the task information.

3. The satellite device of claim 2, wherein the task information comprises initial imaging information captured for a geographic region, and wherein the imaging data comprises further imaging information for at least a portion of the geographic region.

4. The satellite device of claim 1, comprising:

the virtualized execution system further configured to execute the one or more virtual nodes to perform at least part of a positional tracking process for at least one object of interest based at least on initial imaging data and subsequent processing of the initial imaging data as defined in the task information.

5. The satellite device of claim 1, comprising:

the virtualized execution system further configured to execute the one or more virtual nodes to perform at least part of an object recognition process for at least one object of interest based at least on initial imaging data and subsequent processing of the initial imaging data as defined in the task information.

6. The satellite device of claim 1, comprising:

the virtualized execution system further configured to monitor an operational state of the further device.

7. The satellite device of claim 6, comprising:

the virtualized execution system further configured to;

detect a fault related to the operational state of the further device; and

establish the one or more virtual nodes for execution of a software payload associated with the fault, wherein the one or more virtual nodes at least continue execution of the software payload by the one or more virtual nodes.

8. The satellite device of claim 1, comprising:

based at least on an operational state of the further device indicated by state information included in the task information, the virtualized execution system further configured to execute the one or more virtual nodes for continuing at least one activity performed by the further device indicated in the task information.

9. The satellite device of claim 1, comprising:

based at least on a geographic location of the satellite device, the virtualized execution system further configured to execute the one or more virtual nodes for continuing at least one activity indicated by the task information as performed by the further device with relation to the geographic location.

10. A method of operating a satellite device, the method comprising:

receiving task information via a communication interface from at least a further device, wherein the task information is related to execution of one or more software payloads by the further device; and

executing one or more virtual nodes to at least capture and process sensor data collected from one or more sensors systems present on the satellite device based at least on the task information.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

employing the one or more sensor systems to capture imaging data in accordance with at least the task information received from the further device.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the task information comprises initial imaging information captured for a geographic region, and wherein the imaging data comprises further imaging information for at least a portion of the geographic region.

13. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

executing the one or more virtual nodes to perform at least part of a positional tracking process for at least one object of interest based at least on initial imaging data and subsequent processing of the initial imaging data as defined in the task information.

14. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

executing the one or more virtual nodes to perform at least part of an object recognition process for at least one object of interest based at least on initial imaging data and subsequent processing of the initial imaging data as defined in the task information.

15. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

monitoring an operational state of the further device.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

detecting a fault related to the operational state of the further device; and

establishing the one or more virtual nodes for execution of a software payload associated with the fault, wherein the one or more virtual nodes at least continue execution of the software payload by the one or more virtual nodes.

17. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

based at least on an operational state of the further device indicated by state information included in the task information, executing the one or more virtual nodes for continuing at least one activity performed by the further device indicated in the task information.

18. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

based at least on a geographic location of the satellite device, executing the one or more virtual nodes for continuing at least one activity indicated by the task information as performed by the further device with relation to the geographic location.

19. A satellite computing apparatus comprising:

one or more non-transitory computer readable storage media;

a processing system operatively coupled with the one or more non-transitory computer readable storage media; and

program instructions stored on the one or more non-transitory computer readable storage media, that when executed by the processing system, direct the processing system to at least;

receive task information from a further device; and

execute one or more virtual nodes in accordance with the task information received from the further device to at least capture and process sensor data collected from one or more sensors systems present on the satellite device.

20. The satellite computing apparatus of claim 19, comprising further program instructions, when executed by the processing system, direct the processing system to at least:

execute the one or more virtual nodes for continuing at least one activity indicated by the task information as performed by the further device with relation to a geographic location.