FAULT TOLERANT MODEM REDUNDANCY

• US 20090296847A1
• Filed: 05/27/2009
• Published: 12/03/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/27/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: ViaSat Incorporated
• Original Assignee: ViaSat Incorporated
• Inventors: Lee, Fred
• Application Number:
  US12/472,955
• Publication Number:
  US 20090296847A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 375/267
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18589 Arrangements for controlling an end to end session, i.e. for initialising, synchronising or terminating an end to end link

Abstract

A fault tolerant modem system is provided according to some embodiments of the invention. A modem can include modulators and/or demodulators that provide redundancy in the event one of the modulators and/or demodulators fail. Connectivity between modulators and demodulators, for example, can be used to propagate TDMA timing to connected modulators and/or demodulators. Moreover, redundancy can be provided using modulators and/or demodulators with three or more input/output ports.

Claims

1. A communication controller comprising:

a first modulator;

a redundant modulator;

a first demodulator coupled with the first modulator and the redundant modulator, wherein the first demodulator is configured to receive timing information from the first modulator or the redundant modulator; and

a second demodulator coupled with the first modulator, and the first demodulator, wherein the second demodulator is configured to receive timing information from the first demodulator or the first modulator.

2. The communication controller according to claim 1, wherein the second demodulator is coupled with a redundant modulator and configured to receive timing information from the redundant modulator.

3. The communication controller according to claim 1 further comprising:

a second modulator;

a third demodulator coupled with the second modulator and the redundant modulator, wherein the third demodulator is configured to receive timing information from the second modulator or the redundant modulator; and

a fourth demodulator coupled with the second modulator, and the third demodulator, wherein the fourth demodulator is configured to receive timing information from the third demodulator or the second modulator.

4. The communication controller according to claim 3, wherein the fourth modulator is coupled with the first modulator and configured to receive timing information from the first modulator.

5. The communication controller according to claim 3, wherein the second modulator is coupled with the second modulator and configured to receive timing information from the second modulator.

6. A communication controller comprising:

a first modulator;

a redundant modulator; and

a first group demodulators comprising three or more demodulators, wherein each demodulator is coupled to at least one other demodulator within the first group of demodulators, wherein at least one demodulator is coupled with the first modulator and is configured to receive timing information from the first modulator, and wherein at least one demodulator is coupled with the redundant modulator and is configured to receive timing information from the redundant modulator.

7. The communication controller according to claim 6, wherein two demodulators within the first group of demodulators are coupled with the first modulator and is configured to receive timing information from the first modulator.

8. The communication controller according to claim 6, wherein two demodulators within the first group of demodulators are coupled with the redundant modulator and is configured to receive timing information from the redundant modulator.

9. The communication controller according to claim 6, wherein each demodulator within the first group of demodulators is coupled with two other demodulators within the first group of demodulators.

10. The communication controller according to claim 6, further comprising:

a second modulator; and

a second group of demodulators comprising three or more demodulators, wherein each demodulator is coupled to at least one other demodulator within the second group of demodulators, wherein at least one demodulator within the second group of demodulators is coupled with the second modulator and is configured to receive timing information from the second modulator, and wherein at least one demodulator within the second group of demodulators is coupled with the redundant modulator and is configured to receive timing information from the redundant modulator.

11. The communication controller according to claim 10, wherein at least one demodulator within the second group of demodulators is coupled with the first modulator and is configured to receive timing information from the first modulator.

12. The communication controller according to claim 10, wherein at least one demodulator within the first group of demodulators is coupled with the second modulator and is configured to receive timing information from the second modulator.

13. The communication controller according to claim 10, further comprising:

a third modulator; and

a third group of demodulators comprising three or more demodulators, wherein each demodulator is coupled to at least one other demodulator within the third group of demodulators, wherein at least one demodulator within the third group of demodulators is coupled with the third modulator and is configured to receive timing information from the third modulator, and wherein at least one demodulator within the third group of demodulators is coupled with the redundant modulator and is configured to receive timing information from the redundant modulator.

14. The communication controller according to claim 13, wherein at least one demodulator within the third group of demodulators is coupled with the first modulator and is configured to receive timing information from the first modulator.

15. A communication controller comprising:

a redundant modulator;

a one or more modulators; and

one or more groups of demodulators, wherein each group of demodulators comprises one or more demodulators, wherein at least one demodulator within each group of demodulators is coupled with the redundant modulator and configured to receive timing information from the redundant modulator, and wherein at least one demodulator within each group of demodulators is coupled with at least one of the one or more modulators and is configured to receive time of data information from the at least one of the one or more modulators.

16. The communication controller according to claim 15, wherein at least one group of demodulators comprises a first demodulator coupled with a first modulator of the one or more modulators and is configured to receive timing information from the first modulator, and a second demodulator coupled with a second modulator of the one or more modulators distinct from the first modulator and is configured to receive timing information from the second modulator.

17. The communication controller according to claim 15, wherein each group of demodulators comprises two or more demodulators, wherein each demodulator of the two or more demodulators is coupled with another demodulator within the group of demodulators.

18. The communication controller according to claim 15, wherein each group of demodulators comprises three or more demodulators, wherein each demodulator of the three or more demodulators is coupled with two demodulators within the group of demodulators.

19. A communication controller comprising:

a redundant modulator;

a first modulator;

a first group of demodulators comprising two or more demodulators, wherein a demodulator within the first group of demodulators is coupled with the first modulator and configured to receive timing information from the first modulator, wherein a demodulator within the first group of demodulators is coupled with the redundant modulator and configured to receive timing information from the redundant modulator, wherein each demodulator within the first group of demodulators is coupled another demodulator within the group of demodulators; and

a second group of demodulators comprising two or more demodulators, wherein a demodulator within the second group of demodulators is coupled with a demodulator in the first group of demodulators, wherein each demodulator within the second group of demodulators is coupled with another demodulator within the second group of demodulators.

20. The communication controller according to claim 19 further comprising a second modulator, wherein the second modulator is coupled with at least one demodulator within the first group of demodulators.

21. The communication controller according to claim 20 further comprising a third modulator, wherein the third modulator is coupled with at least one demodulator within the first group of demodulators.

22. The communication controller according to claim 19 comprising a third group of demodulators comprising two or more demodulators, wherein a demodulator within the third group of demodulators is coupled with a demodulator in the second group of demodulators, wherein each demodulator within the third group of demodulators is coupled with another demodulator within the third group of demodulators

23. The communication controller according to claim 19 wherein the first modulator is coupled with the redundant modulator.

24. A communication controller comprising:

a first modulator and a redundant modulator, wherein the first modulator is coupled with the redundant modulator and configured to receive time of day data from the redundant modulator;

a first group of three or more demodulators, wherein each of the demodulators is coupled with two other demodulators within the first group of demodulators and is configured to receive timing information from the two other demodulators, and at least one of the demodulators is coupled with the first modulator and is configured to receive timing information from the first modulator; and

a second group of demodulators wherein each of the demodulators is coupled with two other demodulators within the second group of demodulators and is configured to receive timing information from the two other demodulators, and at least one of the demodulators is coupled with a demodulator within the first group of demodulators and is configured to receive timing information from a demodulator within the first group of demodulators.

25. The communication controller according to claim 24, further comprising a second modulator.

26. The communication controller according to claim 25, wherein at least one demodulator within the first group of demodulators is coupled with the second modulator and configured to receive time of day data from the second demodulator.

27. The communication controller according to claim 25 further comprising:

a third group of demodulators wherein each of the demodulators is coupled with two other demodulators within the third group of demodulators and is configured to receive timing information from the two other demodulators, and at least one of the demodulators is coupled with the second modulator and is configured to receive timing information from the second modulator; and

a fourth group of demodulators wherein each of the demodulators is coupled with two other demodulators within the fourth group of demodulators and is configured to receive timing information from the two other demodulators, and at least one of the demodulators is coupled with a demodulator within the third group of demodulators and is configured to receive timing information from a demodulator within the third group of demodulators.