Frame relay protocol-based multiplex switching scheme for satellite mesh network

• US 20040240406A1
• Filed: 06/30/2004
• Published: 12/02/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/17/1993
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gilat Satellite Networks Limited
• Original Assignee: Gilat Satellite Networks Limited
• Inventors: Gross, Todd W., Fielding, Dennis E.
• Granted Patent: US 7,321,572 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/316
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/1858 Arrangements for data transmission on the physical system, i.e. for data bit transmission between network components
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18582 Arrangements for data linking, i.e. for data framing, for error recovery, for multiple access

Abstract

A frame relay protocol-based earth station interface architecture provides full mesh connectivity for a relatively small number of network stations. The fundamental component of the architecture is a frame relay protocol-based switch, which employs a network interface ‘frame relay’ standard to define the multiplexing of multiple virtual ports across single physical communications port. Through address and control fields of its connectivity control software, the frame relay protocol-based switch can be dynamically configured to provide multilayer addressing and device selectivity, thereby enabling point-to-point connectivity of multiple terminal devices, such as a plurality of audio circuits, to be effected via a single port. Dial codes on the station side of an audio signal multiplexer link are translated into frame relay addresses (data link connection identifiers) that are added to each frame of data for routing through the network. With this additional layer of routing information, audio (voice) connectivity is now available between any two audio circuits (e.g. trunks) in the network.

Claims

1-20. -20. Cancel

21. A first earth station for use in a system having earth stations interconnected via a satellite, the first earth station comprising:

a satellite antenna,

a transceiver coupled to the satellite antenna for sending signals to and receiving signals from the satellite antenna,

a switching module comprising;

a server module connecting a plurality of terminal devices, and

a router module inputting data from the plurality of terminal devices, packetizing the data into data packets having an address field, a data field, and control bytes for elementary error detection, and routing packets.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein the server module provides point to point connectivity between the plurality of terminal devices.

23. The method of claim 21 wherein the server module is configured to store data.

24. The method of claim 21 wherein the server module processes video.

25. The method of claim 21 wherein the server module processes data.

26. The method of claim 21 wherein the server module processes video teleconferencing data.