System and method for providing network addresses to mobile platforms

• US 20030045232A1
• Filed: 06/11/2002
• Published: 03/06/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Parkman, David S.
• Granted Patent: US 6,757,535 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/12.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18508 with satellite system used as relay, i.e. aeronautical mobile satellite service
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5084 Providing for device mobility network addressing or numbering for mobility support in wireless networks H04W8/26; mobile IP H04W80/04
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13097 Numbering, addressing
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13098 Mobile subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13141 Hunting for free outlet, circuit or channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13166 Fault prevention
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13174 Data transmission, file transfer
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13204 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13216 Code signals, frame structure
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13333 Earth satellites
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13389 LAN, internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/06 Airborne or Satellite Networks space-based or airborne stations H04B7/185

Abstract

A system and method for assigning network addresses to mobile platforms using a satellite communications link. The network address information is transmitted from a ground station only upon request by the mobile platform, with the mobile platform transmitting a confirmation signal after receiving the network address information. Bi-directional communication is thereby provided between the ground system and specific mobile platforms. The network address information is maintained on-board the mobile platform within a plurality of components to avoid losing the information in the event of a failure of one or more on-board components operating on a network on the mobile platform.

Claims

1. A system for assigning a network address to a mobile platform for use in providing bi-directional communication with the mobile platform via at least one satellite, the system comprising:

a ground-based system having a transmitter for transmitting to a plurality of mobile platforms via the satellite a unique network address assigned to one of the plurality of mobile platforms requesting the unique network address; and

a communications system having a receiver provided on-board each of the plurality of mobile platforms for receiving the unique network address from the ground-based system via the satellite assigned to the requesting mobile platform.

2. The system according to claim 1 wherein the communications system further comprises a transmitter for transmitting the request for a unique network address via the satellite;

and

wherein the ground based system further comprises a ground-based receiver adapted for receiving the request from the mobile platform via the satellite.

3. The system according to claim 2 wherein the bi-directional communication is provided via a forward communication path and return communication path, and the ground-based transmitter is configured for multicast transmission of a signal having the unique network address and a mobile platform identifier via the forward communication path.

4. The system according to claim 3 wherein the mobile platform is an aircraft with the identifier uniquely identifying a specific aircraft, and the on-board receiver of the specific aircraft is adapted to recognize and receive the signal from the ground-based transmitter having the identifier associated with the specific aircraft.

5. The system according to claim 3 wherein the satellite comprises a plurality of transponders and wherein the ground-based transmitter transmits the signal using at least one transponder.

6. The system according to claim 2 wherein the communications system comprises at least one storage member on-board the mobile platform for storing the unique network address.

7. The system according to claim 6, wherein the communications system further comprises at least one server and at least one antenna, each having a storage member for storing the unique network address.

8. The system according to claim 7, wherein the communications system further comprises a controller for communicating the unique network address to at least one of the server and antenna.

9. The system according to claim 6 wherein the on-board transmitter is configured to transmit the request for a unique network address only when the unique network address is not otherwise available from the at least one storage member.

10. The system according to claim 3 wherein the unique network address comprises an Internet protocol address having a network address portion and a sub-network address portion.

11. The system according to claim 10 wherein the ground-based transmitter is configured for transmitting data to specific components on-board the mobile platform based upon the unique network address assigned to the mobile platform.

12. The system according to claim 11 wherein the signal having the unique network address comprises additional data relating to bi-directional communication with the mobile platform, and the unique network address is configured for transmission with the additional data.

13. The system according to claim 2 wherein the on-board transmitter is configured to automatically transmit the request for a unique network address upon initial activation.

14. The system according to claim 1 wherein the ground-based transmitter further comprises a router for controlling the transmission of data to the on-board receiver of the mobile platform based upon the unique network address assigned to the mobile platform.

15. The system according to claim 2 wherein the on-board transmitter is adapted to transmit a confirmation signal indicating the reception of the unique assigned network address.

16. The system according to claim 15 wherein the confirmation signal comprises further communication control data relating to bi-directional communication via the satellite.

17. The system according to claim 1 wherein the ground based transmitter is adapted to transmit a plurality of unique network addresses, each assigned to a specific one of a plurality of mobile platforms.

18. The system according to claim 1 wherein the ground-based transmitter is adapted to transmit the unique network address a plurality of times.

19. The system according to claim 15 wherein the ground-based transmitter is adapted to continue to transmit the unique network address at predetermined time intervals until the confirmation signal is received by the ground-based receiver.

20. A method for assigning a unique network address to a mobile platform for use in communicating with the mobile platform via a satellite system, the method comprising the steps of:

using a transmitter of a ground-based system to transmit at least one unique network address via the satellite system to a plurality of mobile platforms with at least one of the plurality of mobile platforms requesting the unique network address; and

using a receiver on-board each of the mobile platforms to receive the unique network address, each of the receivers adapted to recognize the unique network address assigned to its associated said mobile platform requesting the unique network address.

21. The method according claim 20 further comprising the steps of:

using a transmitter on-board each of the mobile platforms to transmit a request for the unique network address to the ground-based system; and

using a receiver of the ground-based system to receive the requests for the unique network address.

22. The method according to claim 21 further comprising processing the request for the unique network address to determine the unique network address for the requesting mobile platform.

23. The method according to claim 21 wherein the unique network address comprises a mobile platform identifier and the step of using the ground-based system to transmit the unique network address further comprises multicasting the unique network address one time after the request for the unique network address has been received.

24. The method according to claim 23 wherein the step of using a transmitter on-board the mobile platforms further comprises transmitting a confirmation signal indicating reception of the unique network address by the receiver on-board the mobile platform associated with the mobile platform identifier.

25. The method according to claim 24 wherein the step of using the ground-based system to transmit the unique network address further comprises multicasting the unique network address a plurality of times at predetermined intervals until the confirmation signal is received by the receiver of the ground-based system.

26. The method according to claim 20 wherein the unique network address comprises a mobile platform identifier and the step of using a transmitter of the ground-based system to transmit the unique network address further comprises multicasting the address a plurality of times.

27. The method according to claim 20 further comprising storing the unique network address in at least one storage member on-board the mobile platform.

28. The method according to claim 20 where the step of using a transmitter of the ground-based system to transmit the unique network address further comprises transmitting a sub-network address as part of the unique network address.

29. The method according to claim 20 wherein the satellite system comprises at least one satellite having a plurality of transponders and further comprising the step of using at least one transponder to transmit the unique network address.

30. A method for transmitting a signal having network address assignment data from a stationary transmitter to a receiver on-board a mobile platform, the method comprising the steps of:

using the stationary transmitter to transmit the signal to a satellite system for multicasting to a plurality of mobile platforms, the signal including a mobile platform identifier;

using the receiver on-board the mobile platform associated with the mobile platform identifier to receive the signal; and

providing the network address assignment data to at least one other component on-board the mobile platform besides the receiver.

31. The method according to claim 30 further comprising the step of using a transmitter on-board the mobile platform to request a network address assignment before using the stationary transmitter to transmit the signal.