Configuration state management system, method and apparatus

• US 20050165954A1
• Filed: 12/16/2004
• Published: 07/28/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: St Engineering Idirect
• Original Assignee: iDirect, Inc.
• Inventors: Burdick, Christopher Robert, Ray, David Edward
• Granted Patent: US 7,694,001 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/238
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18517 Transmission equipment in earth stations
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/082 the condition being updates or upgrades of network functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0856 by backing up or archiving configuration information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0883 Semiautomatic configuration, e.g. proposals from system
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/18 Multiprotocol handlers, e.g. single devices capable of handling multiple protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

A communication system, method, computer program product, and apparatus include common equipment shared between multiple independently administered networks. The common equipment is reconfigurable and expandable and provides changed communication capacity and functions when additional elements are added or reconfigured. Configurable features include, for example, communication bandwidth, Quality of Service, and a number of communication satellites included in the communication system. The common equipment includes expandable elements including, for example, a single hub modem chassis that can expand to communicate with more than one communication satellite and a protocol processor that can share a protocol processing task with another protocol processors.

Claims

1. A communication system, comprising:

a first user station configured to communicate with a second user station using a common equipment in a single housing having a communication capability, a portion of the communication capability of the common equipment being allocated to the first user station, and a performance parameter of the first user station being based on the portion of the communication capability allocated to the first user station; and

a memory that hosts a database configured to store an indication of the portion of the communication capability allocated to the first user station, and a portion changing mechanism configured to change the portion of the communication equipment capability being allocated to the first user station.

2. The communication system of claim 1, wherein said portion changing mechanism is configured to change the portion of the communication capability of the common equipment allocated to the first user station based on an information received from the second user station.

3. The communication system of claim 2, wherein said information received from the second user station is an approval information that grants approval of a requested portion change and wherein the portion changing mechanism is configured to change the portion of the communication capability of the common equipment allocated to each of the plural users by

storing a portion change request in the database,

sending the portion change request to the second user,

receiving the approval from the second user station, and

applying the portion change to the common equipment.

4. The communication system of claim 2, wherein:

said information received from the second user station is a portion change request that requests a portion change and wherein the portion changing mechanism is configured to change the portion of the communication capability of the common equipment allocated to each of the plural users by

receiving a portion change request from the second user,

storing the portion change request in the database, and

sending an approval to the second user station.

5. The communication system of claim 3, wherein the portion changing mechanism is further configured to:

calculate a projected change in the performance parameter of the first user station based on the portion change request; and

store the projected change in the database.

6. The communication system of claim 4, wherein the portion changing mechanism is further configured to:

calculate a projected change in the performance parameter of the first user station based on the portion change request; and

store the projected change in the database.

7. The communication system of claim 1, wherein the performance parameter of the user station includes at least one of a Quality of Service and a communication bandwidth.

8. A communication method, comprising steps of:

communicating between a first user station and a second user station using a common equipment in a single housing having a communication capability;

allocating a portion of the communication capability of the common equipment to the first user station, a performance parameter of the first user station being based on the portion of the communication capability allocated to the first user station;

storing an indication of the portion of the communication capability allocated to the first user station in a database; and

changing the portion of the communication equipment capability being allocated to the first user station.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

receiving an information from the second user station, and said changing the portion is based on the information received.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein said information received from the second user station is an approval information that grants approval of a requested portion change and wherein the changing the portion further comprises

storing a portion change request in the database,

sending the portion change request to the second user,

receiving the approval from the second user station, and

applying the portion change to the common equipment.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein:

said information received from the second user station is a portion change request that requests a portion change and wherein the changing the portion further comprises

receiving a portion change request from the second user,

storing the portion change request in the database, and

sending an approval to the second user station.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the changing the portion further comprises:

calculating a projected change in the performance parameter of the first user station based on the portion change request; and

storing the projected change in the database.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

calculating a projected change in the performance parameter of the first user station based on the portion change request; and

storing the projected change in the database.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein the performance parameter of the user station includes at least one of a Quality of Service and a communication bandwidth.

15. A computer program product storing computer program instructions which when executed by a computer cause the computer to perform the following steps:

communicating between a first user station and a second user station using a common equipment in a single housing having a communication capability;

allocating a portion of the communication capability of the common equipment to the first user station, a performance parameter of the first user station being based on the portion of the communication capability allocated to the first user station;

storing an indication of the portion of the communication capability allocated to the first user station in a database; and

changing the portion of the communication equipment capability being allocated to the first user station.

16. The computer program product of claim 15, further comprising:

receiving an information from the second user station, and said changing the portion is based on the information received.

17. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein said information received from the second user station is an approval information that grants approval of a requested portion change and wherein the changing the portion further comprises

storing a portion change request in the database,

sending the portion change request to the second user,

receiving the approval from the second user station, and

applying the portion change to the common equipment.

18. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein:

said information received from the second user station is a portion change request that requests a portion change and wherein the changing the portion further comprises

receiving a portion change request from the second user,

storing the portion change request in the database, and

sending an approval to the second user station.

19. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein the changing the portion further comprises:

calculating a projected change in the performance parameter of the first user station based on the portion change request; and

storing the projected change in the database.

20. The computer program product of claim 18, further comprising:

calculating a projected change in the performance parameter of the first user station based on the portion change request; and

storing the projected change in the database.

21. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the performance parameter of the user station includes at least one of a Quality of Service and a communication bandwidth.

22. A configuration changing device, comprising:

a portion changing mechanism configured to change a portion of a communication equipment capability being allocated to a first user station; and

a memory that hosts a database configured to store an indication of the portion of the communication capability allocated to the first user station,

wherein the first user station is configured to communicate with a second user station using a common equipment in a single housing having the communication capability, and a performance parameter of the first user station is based on the portion of the communication capability allocated to the first user station.

23. The device of claim 22, wherein said portion changing mechanism is configured to change the portion of the communication capability of the common equipment allocated to the first user station based on an information received from the second user station.

24. The device of claim 23, wherein said information received from the second user station is an approval information that grants approval of a requested portion change and wherein the portion changing mechanism is configured to change the portion of the communication capability of the common equipment allocated to each of the plural users by

storing a portion change request in the database,

sending the portion change request to the second user,

receiving the approval from the second user station, and

applying the portion change to the common equipment.

25. The device of claim 22, wherein:

said information received from the second user station is a portion change request that requests a portion change and wherein the portion changing mechanism is configured to change the portion of the communication capability of the common equipment allocated to each of the plural users by

receiving a portion change request from the second user,

storing the portion change request in the database, and

sending an approval to the second user station.

26. The device of claim 24, wherein the portion changing mechanism is further configured to:

calculate a projected change in the performance parameter of the first user station based on the portion change request; and

store the projected change in the database.

27. The device of claim 25, wherein the portion changing mechanism is further configured to:

calculate a projected change in the performance parameter of the first user station based on the portion change request; and

store the projected change in the database.

28. The device of claim 22, wherein the performance parameter of the user station includes at least one of a Quality of Service and a communication bandwidth.

29. A communication system, comprising:

means for communicating between a first user station and a second user station using a common equipment in a single housing having a communication capability;

means for allocating a portion of the communication capability of the common equipment to the first user station, a performance parameter of the first user station being based on the portion of the communication capability allocated to the first user station;

means for storing an indication of the portion of the communication capability allocated to the first user station in a database; and

means for changing the portion of the communication equipment capability being allocated to the first user station.