TRANSPORT CHANNEL FLEXIBILITY OVER SATELLITE BACKHAUL LINKS

• US 20130077562A1
• Filed: 09/27/2011
• Published: 03/28/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Swardh, Richard, Boltz, David, Sundstedt, Bo
• Granted Patent: US 9,014,083 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/316
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18534 for enhancing link reliablility, e.g. satellites diversity
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/1856 for call routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/02 Communication route or path selection, e.g. power-based or shortest path routing

Abstract

A method is performed in a system integration unit located on the vessel and coupled with a radio device and a plurality of satellite transceivers that each provide a transport route for communication. A method for routing data packets from vessel to a fixed communication center through to one of the transport routes. The method determines which transport route should be used to communicate the data packet based on the availability of all transport routes and the desirability of using each transport route for the transmission of the data packet. The method then routes the data packet to the most desirable transport route that is available for communication data packets.

Claims

1. A method for routing data packets from vessel to a fixed communication center through to a transport route, the method performed in a system integration unit located on the vessel and coupled with a radio device and a plurality of satellite transceivers that each provide a transport route for communication, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving a data packet from the radio device;

determining an amount of bandwidth required for effective transport of the data packet;

identifying a set of one or more transport routes, wherein each transport route is provided by one of the plurality of satellite transceivers;

ranking said one or more transport routes according to desirability of using each of said one or more transport route for the transport of the data packet;

performing the following steps on the set of one or more ranked transport routes in the order of ranking of those transport routes;

determining whether the transport route is available to transport the data packet, and

routing the data packet to the transport route when it is determined that the transport route is available; and

dropping the data packet when the data packet was not routed to one of the set of one or more ranked transport routes.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein at least one criteria used during the ranking is a comparison between the amount of bandwidth required for the effective transport of the data packet and an amount of bandwidth provided by each of the transport routes.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of determining an amount of bandwidth required for effective transport of the data packet further comprises the steps of:

determining an application associated with the data packet; and

correlating the application associated with the data packet with the amount of bandwidth required for effective transport of the data packet.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of ranking said one or more transport routes further comprises performing the following steps for each one of the set of one or more transport routes:

determining whether that transport route can provide the amount of bandwidth required for the effective transport of the data packet;

in the case that transport route can provide the amount of bandwidth required for the effective transport of the data packet, performing the following;

determining a cost-effective value for that transport route,

ranking that transport route based on the cost-effective value of that transport route in comparison to the cost-effective values of each of the other transport routes; and

in the case that transport route cannot provide the amount of bandwidth required for the effective transport of the data packet, removing that transport route from the set or one or more ranked transport routes.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the step of determining a cost-effective value is based on a monetary cost and the speed associated with the corresponding transport route.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the set of one or more transport routes comprises, at least:

a first transport route utilizing a first satellite backhaul technology; and

a second transport route utilizing a second satellite backhaul technology.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein:

the first transport route includes a first wireless connection from a first satellite transceiver on the vessel to a first satellite utilizing the first satellite backhaul technology; and

the second transport route includes a second wireless connection from a second satellite transceiver on the vessel to a second satellite utilizing the second satellite backhaul technology.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the first satellite backhaul technology is a fleet broadband communication technology and the second satellite backhaul technology is a very small aperture terminal communication technology.

9. A method for configuring a communication system on vessel communicating with a fixed communication center through one or more transport routes, the method performed in a system integration unit located on the vessel and coupled with a radio device and a plurality of satellite transceivers that each provide a transport route for communication, the method comprising the steps of:

identifying a set of one or more transport routes, wherein each transport route is provided by one of the plurality of satellite transceivers; and

performing the following steps on the set of one or more transport routes;

determining availability of the transport route, and

adapting the communication system capabilities and configuration based on the transport route availability.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein, the step of adapting the communication system capabilities and configuration comprises disabling a set of one or more radio devices because the transport route is unavailable.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein, the step of adapting the communication system capabilities and configuration comprises disabling a set of one or more applications that because the transport route provide bandwidth required by the set of one or more application and the transport route is unavailable.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the set of application that require the higher amount of bandwidth includes an application that is accessing internet web data, accessing video conferencing data, accessing Voice Over Internet Protocol data, or accessing firmware update data for the radio device.

13. A system integration unit to operate in a vessel communication system, the system integration unit to be coupled to a radio device, a radio base station, a router, and a plurality satellite transceivers that each provide a transport route, the system integration unit configured to manage the vessel communication system and comprising:

a plurality of ports to be coupled to with the radio base station and the plurality of satellite transceivers;

a transport availability module configured to determine whether each of a plurality of transport routes is available to transport a data packet, wherein each transport route is provided by one of the plurality of satellite transceivers; and

a packet routing module, coupled with the transport route availability module and configured to;

receive a data packet from the radio device,

determine an amount of bandwidth required for effective transport of the data packet,

identify a set of one or more transport routes,

rank said one or more transport routes according to desirability of using each of said one or more transport route for the transport of the data packet,

perform the following steps on the set of one or more ranked transport routes in the order of ranking of those transport routes;

determine availability of the transport route from the transport route availability module, and

route the data packet to the transport route when it is determined that the transport route is available, and

drop the data packet when the data packet was not routed to one of the set of one or more ranked transport routes.

14. The system integration unit of claim 13 wherein at least one criteria used during the ranking is a comparison between the amount of bandwidth required for the effective transport of the data packet and an amount of bandwidth provided by each of the transport routes.

15. The system integration unit of claim 13 wherein packet routing module is further configured to:

determine an application associated with the data packet; and

correlate the application associated with the data packet with the amount of bandwidth required for effective transport of the data packet.

16. The system integration unit of claim 13 wherein the packet routing module, when ranking said one or more transport, is further configured to:

determine whether each transport route can provide the amount of bandwidth required for the effective transport of the data packet;

in the case a transport route can provide the amount of bandwidth required for the effective transport of the data packet, performing the following steps;

determine a cost-effective value for the transport route,

rank that transport route based on the cost-effective value of that transport route in comparison to the cost-effective values of each of the other transport routes; and

in the case that transport route cannot provide the amount of bandwidth required for the effective transport of the data packet, remove that transport route from the set or one or more ranked transport routes.

17. The system integration unit of claim 16 wherein the cost-effective value is based on a monetary cost and the speed associated with the corresponding transport route.

18. The system integration unit of claim 13 wherein the set of one or more transport routes comprises, at least:

a first transport route utilizing a first satellite backhaul technology; and

a second transport route utilizing a second satellite backhaul technology.

19. The system integration unit of claim 18, wherein:

the first transport route includes a first wireless connection from a first satellite transceiver on the vessel to a first satellite utilizing the first satellite backhaul technology; and

the second transport route includes a second wireless connection from a second satellite transceiver on the vessel to a second satellite utilizing the second satellite backhaul technology.

20. The system integration unit of claim 19, wherein the first satellite backhaul technology is a fleet broadband communication technology and the second satellite backhaul technology is a very small aperture terminal communication technology.

21. A base station controller to operate in a fixed-site communication center, the base station controller to be coupled with a plurality satellite transceivers that each provide a transport routes to a vessel comprising a radio device, a radio base station, a router, and, a system integration unit configured to manage the vessel'"'"'s communication system, the base station controller comprising:

a plurality of ports to be coupled with the plurality of satellite transceivers;

a transport availability module configured to determine whether each of a plurality of transport routes is available for transport of data packets, wherein each transport route is provided by one of the plurality of satellite transceivers; and

a communication system configuration module configured to perform the following;

identify a set of one or more transport routes, and

perform the following steps on the set of one or more transport routes;

determine availability of the transport route from the transport route availability module, and

adapt the vessel'"'"'s communication system capabilities and configuration based on the transport route'"'"'s availability.

22. The base station controller of claim 21 wherein the communication system configuration unit is configured to:

disable one or more applications communicating with the radio device on the vessel when the base station controller determines that a transport route providing bandwidth required by the one or more applications is not available; and

enable one or more applications communicating with the radio device on the vessel when the base station controller determines that a transport route providing bandwidth required by the one or more applications is available.

23. The base station controller of claim 22 wherein the one or more applications include an application that is accessing internet web data, accessing video conferencing data, accessing Voice Over Internet Protocol data, or accessing firmware update data for the radio device.

24. The base station controller of claim 21 wherein the communication system configuration unit is configured to:

disable the radio device on the vessel when the base station controller determines that a transport route providing bandwidth to the radio device is not available; and

enable the radio device on the vessel when the base station controller determines that a transport route providing bandwidth to the radio device is available.