Multipoint satellite packet communication system
First Claim
1. A method for communication between a source data terminal and a plularity of destination data terminals via a satellite communications system including a source earth station serving said source data terminal, a plurality of destination earth stations serving said destination data terminals, and a communications satellite linking said source earth station and said destination earth stations, the method comprising:
- transmitting call requests from said source data terminal to said source earth station, said call requests containing addresses of said destination data terminals;
establishing in response to said call requests from said source data terminal a plurality of first logical channels from said source earth station to said source data terminal, a plurality of logical links from said first logical channels at said source earth station to a plurality of said destination earth stations via said communications satellite, and a plurality of second logical channels from said logical links at said destination earth stations to said destination data terminals;
providing flow control on each of said first logical channels on a per message unit basis;
providing flow control on each of said logical links on the basis of a plurality of consecutive message units; and
providing flow control on each of said second logical channels on a per message unit basis.
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Accused Products
Abstract
In response to call requests from a source data terminal, a source earth station establishes first logical channels between it and the source data terminal and establishes logical links from the first logical channels to destination earth stations via a communications satellite. The destination earth stations establish second logical channels from the logical links to the destination data terminals. Each earth station performs flow control on each of the respective logical channels on a per message unit basis and performs flow control on each of the logical links on the basis of per plural consecutive message units to provide high throughput on the satellite channel.
58 Citations
6 Claims
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1. A method for communication between a source data terminal and a plularity of destination data terminals via a satellite communications system including a source earth station serving said source data terminal, a plurality of destination earth stations serving said destination data terminals, and a communications satellite linking said source earth station and said destination earth stations, the method comprising:
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transmitting call requests from said source data terminal to said source earth station, said call requests containing addresses of said destination data terminals; establishing in response to said call requests from said source data terminal a plurality of first logical channels from said source earth station to said source data terminal, a plurality of logical links from said first logical channels at said source earth station to a plurality of said destination earth stations via said communications satellite, and a plurality of second logical channels from said logical links at said destination earth stations to said destination data terminals; providing flow control on each of said first logical channels on a per message unit basis; providing flow control on each of said logical links on the basis of a plurality of consecutive message units; and providing flow control on each of said second logical channels on a per message unit basis.
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2. A data communication system having a plurality of data terminals and a plurality of earth stations serving said data terminals respectively, and a communications satellite linking said earth stations, each of said data terminals sending a call request containing a destination terminal address therein when establishing a virtual circuit thereto, sending message units when the virtual circuit is established and returning an acknowledgement in response to receipt of a message unit, each of said earth stations comprising:
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first means for establishing a plurality of first logical channels from a source earth station to a source data terminal in response to receipt of a plurality of call requests therefrom and establishing a plurality of second logical channels from one or more destination earth stations to one or more destination data terminals in response to receipt of said call requests from said service data terminal via said satellite, said first means including means for returning an acknowledgement through said first logical channels in response to receipt of a message unit therethrough and returning an acknowledgement through said second logical channels in response to receipt of a message unit therethrough; second means for establishing a plurality of logical links between said source earth station and said destination earth stations via said satellite in response to said call requests from said source data terminal, said second means including store-and-forward means for storing and forwarding a predetermined number of consecutive ones of message units through said logical links to said destination earth stations, awaiting acknowledgements from said destination earth stations to repeat the forwarding of subsequent consecutive message units, and returning acknowledgements through said logical links to said source earth stations respectively in response to said consecutive message units; and third means responsive to said call requests for respectively connecting said first logical channels to first ends of said logical links and respectively connecting said second logical channels to opposite ends of said logical links. - View Dependent Claims (3, 4, 5, 6)
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Specification