Process for keeping and/or restoring communication links in a planned network with mobile components

• US 20020041582A1
• Filed: 09/25/2001
• Published: 04/11/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Thales SA
• Original Assignee: Thales SA
• Inventors: Lete, Ghislain
• Granted Patent: US 7,224,667 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/337
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/04 Arrangements for maintaining operational condition
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/32 for defining a routing cluster membership
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/04 Wireless resource allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/19 Connection re-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/047 using dedicated repeater stations

Abstract

Process and system for keeping and/or restoring communications within a network with planned resources, the said network comprising at least several stations Si distributed in subgroups, each of the said subgroups comprising at least one or several groups {Gi} each composed of at least two stations Si connected together, the link between these two stations possibly changing with time.

Le process comprises the following steps, within a sub-group:

a) associate a dummy station FGi to a group {Gi}, the dummy station comprising different resources RGi, allocated to stations in the group {Gi},

b) starting from information about how the structure of the group {Gi} changes:

c) set up one or several relays Ri adapted to keep and/or restore communications between the different elements of the group {Gi},

d) reallocate resources of the dummy station FGi to all relay stations Ri set up.

Claims

1. - Process for keeping and/or restoring communications within a network with planned resources, said network comprising at least several stations Si distributed in subgroups, each of the said subgroups comprising at least one or several groups {Gi} each composed of at least two stations Si connected together, the link between these two stations possibly changing with time, wherein it comprises at least the following steps:

within a subgroup,

a) associate a dummy station FGi to a group {Gi}, the dummy station comprising different resources RGi, allocated to stations in the group {Gi},

b) starting from information about how the structure of the group {Gi} changes;

c) set up one or several relays Ri adapted to keep and/or to restore communications between the different elements of the group {Gi},

d) reallocate resources of the dummy station FGi to all relay stations Ri set up.

2. - Process according to claim 1, wherein step d) is made starting from a main station adapted for network design and allocation of resources such as an NCS station.

3. - Process according to either of claims 1 and 2, wherein a relay Ri is used for several groups {Gi}, {Gj} when the resources RGi, RGj are separate.

4. - Process according to either of claims 1 and 2 wherein a station Si associated with the resources RGi not belonging to the group {Gi} is used to receive the resources RGj on a dummy station FGj, when the resources RGi and RGj are separate.

5. - Process according to either of claims 1 and 2 wherein relay stations Ri may be provided with one communication plan for each group {Gi}, and resources of the dummy station may be allocated by local activation.

6. - Process according to any one of the previous claims, wherein step d) to reallocate resources comprises time reallocation steps dedicated to communications of the group {Gi} and/or PG numbers and/or route numbers.

10. - Use of the process according to any one of claims 1 to 6 and the system according to one of claims 7 to 9, for deployments of L16 MIDS land networks.

7. - System to keep and/or restore communications within a network with planned resources, the said network comprising at least several stations Si distributed in several subgroups, each of the said subgroups comprising one or several groups {Gi} each comprising at least two stations Si connected to each other, the connection between these two stations possibly varying with time, wherein it comprises at least the following within a subgroup:

a dummy station FGi in connection with a group {Gi} and comprising resources RGi allocated to stations in the group {Gi},

a device suitable for determining how the structure of the group changes,

one or several relays Ri adapted to keep and/or restore communications between the different elements of the group {Gi},

a device for reallocating resources of the dummy station FGi to all installed relay stations Ri.

8. - System according to claim 7, wherein the device adapted to reallocate resources is a station adapted for network design and for allocation of resources such as an NCS station.

9. - System according to either of claims 7 and 8, wherein the relay stations Ri are provided with one communication plan for each group {Gi}.