Return link prioritization of selective events on a mobile platform

• US 10,701,713 B2
• Filed: 04/11/2017
• Issued: 06/30/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 04/11/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ViaSat Incorporated
• Original Assignee: ViaSat Incorporated
• Inventors: Sullivan, William F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bednash, Joseph A
• Application Number:
  US15/484,780
• Publication Number:
  US 20180295638A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,176 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/569 of the traffic information

Abstract

Methods, systems, and devices are described for providing prioritization of real-time data involving forward and return communication links of a vehicle. In embodiments, a multi-user network access terminal serving multiple communication devices on a vehicle via a communication link receives an indication associated with a pre-defined triggering event from a triggering device on a vehicle, identifies real-time data associated with the pre-defined triggering event for transmission via the communication link, prioritizes the real-time data relative to other data associated with the multiple communication devices for transmission via the communication link, and transmits the prioritized real-time data via the communication link. In embodiments, methods, systems, and devices are also described for data prioritization involving network controllers.

Claims

1. A method for communication at a multi-user network access terminal serving multiple communication devices on a vehicle, the multi-user network access terminal coupled with a gateway of a communication network via a shared communication link, the communication network providing network access service to a plurality of multi-user network access terminals, the method comprising:

receiving an indication associated with a pre-defined triggering event from a triggering device on the vehicle;

identifying first return link data associated with the pre-defined triggering event for transmission via the shared communication link;

identifying second return link data associated with one or more communication devices of the multiple communication devices for transmission via the shared communication link, wherein the one or more communication devices are associated with user-specific traffic policies;

determining an amount of requested resources for each of a plurality of service ranks based at least in part on the second return link data and the user-specific traffic policies;

transmitting, to the gateway, a resource request for return link resources of the shared communication link, wherein the resource request comprises a prioritized resource request indicating an amount of requested resources associated with the first return link data and at least one service rank resource request associated with the second return link data, the at least one service rank resource request indicating an amount of requested resources for each of the plurality of service ranks, and wherein the prioritized resource request is independent of the user-specific traffic policies;

receiving from the gateway, a grant of return link resources of the shared communication link for serving the triggering device and the one or more communication devices of the multiple communication devices;

prioritizing the first return link data relative to the second return link data, wherein prioritizing the first return link data comprises scheduling packets of a prioritized traffic queue associated with the first return link data prior to scheduling packets from at least one service rank traffic queue associated with the second return link data; and

transmitting, to the gateway, the scheduled packets associated with the prioritized first return link data and the scheduled packets associated with the second return link data via the shared communication link.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving verification from the triggering device that a user has authorized the indication associated with the pre-defined triggering event via a Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) compliant authorization procedure.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the pre-defined triggering event comprises activation of a HIPAA compliant computing device or activation of a HIPAA compliant application on the triggering device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first return link data comprises video teleconference data, biometric data, flight recorder data, messaging data, and/or flight status information.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the pre-defined triggering event is associated with a detected mechanical abnormality of equipment of the vehicle or an emergency state for the vehicle.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the pre-defined triggering event is automatically or manually activated.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the prioritizing comprises reducing a data rate associated with the second return link data of at least one of the multiple communication devices for transmission via the shared communication link.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving prioritized forward link data associated with the transmitted first return link data.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the shared communication link comprises one or more satellite beams of a multi-beam satellite system.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

prioritizing, prior to receiving the indication associated with the pre-defined triggering event, the second return link data associated with the one or more communication devices of the multiple communication devices based at least in part on the user-specific traffic policies.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying the pre-defined triggering event based at least in part on a signature of the first return link data matching one of one or more stored signatures associated with one or more triggering events.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the pre-defined triggering event is associated, at the multi-user network access terminal prior to receiving the indication associated with the pre-defined triggering event, with a real-time data stream for prioritization over the second return link data associated with the one or more communication devices of the multiple communication devices.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the indication associated with the pre-defined triggering event comprises communications opening a session between the triggering device and a network external to the multi-user network access terminal that is associated with a pre-defined network address.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the prioritizing comprises determining a traffic queue of the at least one service rank traffic queue for the packets of the second return link data based at least in part on a service rank factor.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the service rank factor comprises a time period the packets of the second return link data have been in the at least one service rank traffic queue, a quality of service (QoS) level associated with the packets of the second return link data, a protocol type of the packets of the second return link data, or a combination thereof.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the grant of return link resources is less than the sum of the prioritized resource request and the at least one service rank resource request.

17. A multi-user network access terminal serving multiple communication devices on a vehicle, the multi-user network access terminal coupled with a gateway of a communication network via a shared communication link, the communication network providing network access service to a plurality of multi-user network access terminals, the multi-user network access terminal comprising:

a first receiver configured to receive an indication associated with a pre-defined triggering event from a triggering device on the vehicle;

a triggering event manager configured to identify first return link data associated with the pre-defined triggering event for transmission via the shared communication link;

a return link (RL) packet parser/sorter configured to identify second return link data associated with one or more communication devices of the multiple communication devices for transmission via the shared communication link, wherein the one or more communication devices are associated with user-specific traffic policies;

a return link traffic shaper configured to determine an amount of requested resources for each of a plurality of service ranks based at least in part on the second return link data and the user-specific traffic policies;

a transmitter configured to transmit, to the gateway, a resource request for return link resources of the shared communication link, wherein the resource request comprises a prioritized resource request indicating an amount of requested resources associated with the first return link data and at least one service rank resource request associated with the second return link data, the at least one service rank resource request indicating an amount of requested resources for each of the plurality of service ranks, and wherein the prioritized resource request is independent of the user-specific traffic policies;

a second receiver configured to receive from the gateway, a grant of return link resources of the shared communication link for serving the triggering device and the one or more communication devices of the multiple communication devices; and

a return link queue manager configured to prioritize the first return link data relative to other return link data associated with the multiple communication devices via the shared communication link, wherein prioritizing the first return link data comprises scheduling packets of a prioritized traffic queue associated with the first return link data prior to scheduling packets from at least one service rank traffic queue associated with the second return link data,

wherein the transmitter is configured to transmit to the gateway, the scheduled packets associated with the prioritized first return link data and the scheduled packets associated with the second return link data via the shared communication link.

18. The multi-user network access terminal of claim 17, the first receiver further configured to:

receive verification from the triggering device that a user has authorized the pre-defined triggering event via a Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) compliant authorization procedure.

19. The multi-user network access terminal of claim 18, wherein the pre-defined triggering event comprises activation of a HIPAA compliant computing device or activation of a HIPAA compliant application on the triggering device.

20. The multi-user network access terminal of claim 17, wherein the first return link data comprises video teleconference data, biometric data, flight recorder data, messaging data, and/or flight status information.

21. The multi-user network access terminal of claim 17, wherein the pre-defined triggering event is associated with a detected mechanical abnormality of equipment of the vehicle or an emergency state for the vehicle.

22. The multi-user network access terminal of claim 21, wherein the pre-defined triggering event is automatically or manually activated.

23. The multi-user network access terminal of claim 17, wherein the return link queue manager is further configured to prioritize the first return link data relative to second return link data by reducing a data rate of at least one of the multiple communication devices utilizing the shared communication link.

24. The multi-user network access terminal of claim 17, the second receiver further configured to:

receive prioritized first forward link data associated with the transmitted first return link data via a forward link of the shared communication link.

25. The multi-user network access terminal of claim 17, wherein the shared communication link comprises one or more satellite beams of a multi-beam satellite system.

26. The multi-user network access terminal of claim 17, wherein the return link queue manager is further configured to:

prioritize, prior to receiving the indication associated with the pre-defined triggering event, the second return link data associated with the one or more communication devices of the multiple communication devices based at least in part on the user-specific traffic policies.

27. The multi-user network access terminal of claim 17, wherein the triggering event manager is further configured to:

identify the pre-defined triggering event based at least in part on a signature of the first return link data matching one of one or more stored signatures associated with one or more triggering events.

28. The multi-user network access terminal of claim 17, wherein the pre-defined triggering event is associated, at the multi-user network access terminal prior to the first receiver receiving the indication associated with the pre-defined triggering event, with a real-time data stream for prioritization over the second return link data associated with the one or more communication devices of the multiple communication devices.

29. The multi-user network access terminal of claim 17, wherein the indication associated with the pre-defined triggering event comprises communications opening a session between the triggering device and a network external to the multi-user network access terminal that is associated with a pre-defined network address.

30. The multi-user network access terminal of claim 17, wherein the return link queue manager is configured to determine a traffic queue of the at least one service rank traffic queue for the packets of the second return link data based at least in part on a service rank factor.

31. The multi-user network access terminal of claim 30, wherein the service rank factor comprises time periods the packets of the second return link data have been in the at least one service rank traffic queue, a quality of service (QoS) level associated with the packets of the second return link data, a protocol type of the packets of the second return link data, or a combination thereof.

32. The multi-user network access terminal of claim 17, wherein the grant of return link resources is less than the sum of the prioritized resource request and the at least one service rank resource request.