Multi-modem user terminal and policy-based management for satellite transport resiliency

• US 10,433,208 B2
• Filed: 10/05/2017
• Issued: 10/01/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 10/05/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hughes Network Systems LLC (Echostar Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Hughes Network Systems LLC (Echostar Corporation)
• Inventors: Gopal, Rajeev, Eagling, Trevor
• Primary Examiner(s): Phung, Luat
• Application Number:
  US15/725,883
• Publication Number:
  US 20180098247A1
• Time in Patent Office: 726 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18519 Operations control, administration or maintenance
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18584 Arrangements for data networking, i.e. for data packet routing, for congestion control data switching networks H04L12/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/28 using route fault recovery
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/122 by diverting traffic away from congested entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/125 by balancing the load, e.g. traffic engineering
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/25 Routing or path finding in a switch fabric
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/08 Testing, supervising or monitoring using real traffic

Abstract

A method comprises monitoring, by a control module of a wireless communications terminal, factors related to a first data path for transmission/reception of data communications by the wireless communications terminal over a wireless data communications network. The control module then determines that the first data path is affected by condition(s), by determining that at least one of the factors satisfies a predetermined state reflecting the condition(s) affecting the first data path. The control module then determines a second data path, wherein the second data path is not affected by the conditions affecting the first data path. The control module then switches from the first data path to the second data path for the transmission/reception of the data communications by the wireless communications terminal over the wireless data communications network.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

monitoring, by a control module of a wireless communications terminal, one or more factors that indicate operational characteristics of data communications via a first data path between the wireless communications terminal and a remote gateway node over a first network of a plurality of available wireless data communications networks;

determining, by the control module of the wireless communications terminal, that the data communications via the first data path are affected by one or more conditions, based on a determination that at least one of the one or more factors satisfies a respective predetermined state of the first data path, wherein each predetermined state reflects at least one of the one or more conditions affecting the data communications via the first data path;

determining, by the control module of the wireless communications terminal, a second data path for the data communications between the wireless communications terminal and the remote gateway node over a second network of the plurality of available wireless data communications networks, wherein the second data path is not affected by the one or more conditions affecting the first data path; and

determining, by the control module of the wireless communications terminal, to switch the data communications between the wireless communications terminal and the remote gateway node from the first data path to the second data path; and

wherein the determination to switch the data communications from the first data path to the second data path is based on an evaluation of one or more policy-based rules applicable to the data communications in view of the one or more conditions, and

wherein the policy-based rules are controlled by a unified network management system based on a global view of the plurality of available wireless communications networks and overall objectives of respective service providers operating the plurality of available wireless data communications networks and optimization considerations for the plurality of available wireless data communications networks.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the wireless communications terminal utilizes a first modem for the first data path and utilizes a second modem for the second data path, and wherein the switching from the first data path to the second data path comprises switching from the first modem to the second modem.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the first modem is configured to communicate with a first satellite for the first data path over the first network, and the second modem is configured to communicate with a second satellite for the second data path over the second network.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein an operational data path of the wireless communications terminal is configured to communicate with a first satellite of the wireless communications network utilizing a first modem of the wireless communications terminal for the first data path, and wherein the switching from the first data path to the second data path comprises switching the operational data path from the first modem to a second modem of the wireless communications terminal, and configuring the operational data path to communicate with a second satellite of the wireless communications network utilizing the second modem of the wireless communications terminal for the second data path.

5. The method according to claim 1 wherein inputs considered in the evaluation of the one or more policy-based rules comprise one or more of identification of one or more permitted satellites, identification of one or more approved service providers, identification of one or more appropriate transport services for the data communications, cyber state of one or more modems of the wireless communications terminal, radio frequency (RF) state of one or more links associated with respective satellites, time of day, a respective priority of each rule, a start time for each rule, and an end time for each rule.

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, by the control module of the wireless communications terminal, one or more external factors related to the first data path, wherein the one or more external factors are received from a remote node of the wireless data communications network located remotely from the wireless communications terminal; and

wherein the determination that the first data path is affected by the one or more conditions comprises determining that at least one of the one or more external factors satisfies a respective predetermined state, wherein each predetermined state reflects at least one of the one or more conditions affecting the first data path.

7. A wireless communications terminal comprising:

a control processor configured to (i) monitor one or more factors that indicate operational characteristics of data communications via a first data path between the wireless communications terminal and a remote gateway node over a first network of a plurality of available wireless data communications networks, (ii) determine that the data communications via the first data path are affected by one or more conditions, based on a determination that at least one of the one or more factors satisfies a respective predetermined state of the first data path, wherein each predetermined state reflects at least one of the one or more conditions affecting the data communications via the first data path, (iii) determine a second data path for the data communications between the wireless communications terminal and the remote gateway node over a second network of the plurality of available wireless data communications networks, wherein the second data path is not affected by the one or more conditions affecting the first data path, and (iv) determine to switch the data communications between the wireless communications terminal and the remote gateway node from the first data path to the second data path; and

wherein the determination to switch the data communications from the first data path to the second data path is based on an evaluation of one or more policy-based rules applicable to the data communications in view of the one or more conditions, and

wherein the policy-based rules are controlled by a unified network management system based on a global view of the plurality of available wireless communications networks and overall objectives of respective service providers operating the plurality of available wireless data communications networks and optimization considerations for the plurality of available wireless data communications networks.

8. The wireless communications terminal according to claim 7, further comprising:

a first modem configured to facilitate the one or more of the transmission and reception of the data communications via the first data path; and

a second modem configured to facilitate the one or more of the transmission and reception of the data communications via the second data path; and

wherein the switching from the first data path to the second data path comprises switching from the first modem to the second modem.

9. The wireless communications terminal according to claim 8, wherein the first modem is configured to communicate with a first satellite for the first data path over the first network, and the second modem is configured to communicate with a second satellite for the second data path over the second network.

10. The wireless communications terminal according to claim 7, further comprising:

a first modem; and

a second modem; and

wherein the control processor is further configured to control an operational data path of the wireless communications terminal to communicate with a first satellite of the wireless communications network utilizing the first modem for the first data path, and

wherein the control processor is configured to switch from the first data path to the second data path by switching the operational data path from the first modem to the second modem and configuring the operational data path to communicate with a second satellite of the wireless communications network utilizing the second modem for the second data path.

11. The wireless communications terminal according to claim 7, wherein inputs considered in the evaluation of the one or more policy-based rules comprise one or more of identification of one or more permitted satellites, identification of one or more approved service providers, identification of one or more appropriate transport services for the data communications, cyber state of one or more modems of the wireless communications terminal, radio frequency (RF) state of one or more links associated with respective satellites, time of day, a respective priority of each rule, a start time for each rule, and an end time for each rule.

12. The wireless communications terminal according to claim 7, wherein the control processor is further configured to receive one or more external factors related to the first data path, wherein the one or more external factors are received from a remote node of the wireless data communications network located remotely from the wireless communications terminal, wherein the determination that the first data path is affected by the one or more conditions comprises determining that at least one of the one or more external factors satisfies a respective predetermined state, wherein each predetermined state reflects at least one of the one or more conditions affecting the first data path.

13. The wireless communications terminal according to claim 10, further comprising:

a digital intermediate frequency (IF) switch connected to the first and second modems, wherein the digital IF switch is configured to perform a component function of the switching of the operational data path from the first modem to the second modem under control of the control processor.

14. The wireless communications terminal according to claim 10, further comprising:

a packet switch connected to the first and second modems, wherein the packet switch is configured to perform a component function of the switching of the operational data path from the first modem to the second modem under control of the control processor.

15. The wireless communications terminal according to claim 10, further comprising:

an antenna; and

an antenna controller connected to the antenna; and

wherein the antenna controller is configured to control the antenna to switch from pointing to the first satellite to pointing to the second satellite, under control of the control processor.

16. The wireless communications terminal according to claim 10, further comprising:

a data network interface;

a packet switch;

a digital intermediate frequency (IF) switch; and

a radio frequency transmitter/receiver; and

wherein the packet switch is connected between each of the first and second modems and the data network interface, and, as a function of the switch from the first data path to the second data path, the packet switch is configured to switch the data network interface from the first modem to the second modem, under control of the control processor, and

wherein the digital IF switch is connected between each of the first and second modems and the radio frequency transmitter/receiver, and, as a function of the switch from the first data path to the second data path, the digital IF switch is configured to switch the radio frequency transmitter/receiver from the first modem to the second modem, under control of the control processor.

17. The wireless communications terminal according to claim 16, further comprising:

an antenna; and

an antenna controller connected to the antenna; and

wherein, as a function of the switch from the first data path to the second data path, the antenna controller is configured to control the antenna to switch from pointing to the first satellite to pointing to the second satellite, under control of the control processor.

18. A system comprising:

a plurality of satellites;

a gateway node (GW);

a global network operations center (GNOC); and

a satellite terminal (ST), comprising a control processor configured to monitor one or more local factors that indicate operational characteristics of data communications via a first data path between the ST and the GW via a first of the plurality of satellites; and

wherein the control processor of the ST is further configured to determine that the data communications via the first data path are affected by one or more conditions, based on a determination that at least one of the one or more local factors satisfies a respective predetermined state of the first data path, wherein each predetermined state reflects at least one of the one or more conditions affecting the data communications via the first data path,

wherein the control processor of the ST is further configured to determine a second data path the data communications between the ST and the GW via a second of the plurality of satellites, wherein the second data path is not affected by the one or more conditions affecting the first data path,

wherein the control processor of the ST is further configured to determine to switch the data communications between the ST and the GW from the first data path to the second data path,

wherein the GW and the GNOC are located remote from the ST,

wherein the determination to switch the data communications from the first data path to the second data path is based on an evaluation of one or more policy-based rules applicable to the data communications in view of the one or more conditions, and

wherein the GNOC includes a unified network management system configured to control the policy-based rules based on a global view of the plurality of available wireless communications networks and overall objectives of respective service providers operating the plurality of available wireless data communications networks and optimization considerations for the plurality of available wireless data communications networks.

19. The system according to claim 18, wherein:

the GNOC comprises a network management processor configured to monitor one or more external factors related to the first data path, and to transmit the monitored one or more external factors to the ST; and

the control processor is further configured to receive the one or more external factors from the NOC, and wherein the determination that the first data path is affected by the one or more conditions comprises determining that at least one of the one or more external factors satisfies a respective predetermined state, wherein each predetermined state reflects at least one of the one or more conditions affecting the first data path.

20. The system according to claim 18, wherein the ST further comprises a first modem and a second modem, and wherein the control processor of the ST is further configured to control an operational data path of the ST to communicate with the first satellite utilizing the first modem for the first data path, and wherein the control processor ST is further configured to switch from the first data path to the second data path by switching the operational data path from the first modem to the second modem and configuring the operational data path to communicate with the second satellite utilizing the second modem for the second data path.