Method of assigning communication links in a dynamic communication network
First Claim
1. In a communication network including a plurality of communication nodes, each node having at least one communication transceiver adapted to form a communication link with a compatible communication transceiver at another of said nodes, a method of assigning communication links between transceivers at the nodes, said method comprising at each node the steps of:
- (a) storing a set of link assignment constraints;
(b) designating a subset of the constraints as high priority constraints;
(c) determining a set C of candidate nodes having an unassigned transceiver with which an unassigned transceiver at said each node is compatible to form a communication link;
(d) determining a set L of possible links that satisfy the high priority subset of constraints and that can be formed by said unassigned transceiver at said each node and the unassigned transceivers at the candidate nodes in set C;
(e) evaluating the possible links in set L to determine a set of link assignments in set L satisfying the greatest number of the stored set of constraints; and
(f) assigning the links in accordance with the set of link assignments determined in step (e).
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Abstract
A method of assigning communicaton links in a dynamic communication network, such as a network of earth orbiting satellites arranged, for example in three constellations. The assignments are made in phases, with the first phases assigning high priority link classes. Subsequent phases assign lower priority link classes. A set of constraints is established, and a high priority subset of these constraints can be assured by requiring that any assignment set to be accepted results in a network topology satisfying that subset of constraints even if existing links must be intentionally broken. Other constraints are met only if existing links need not be broken. To assign the links, the set of candidate nodes having unassigned transceivers is determined, then a set of possible links that can be formed by the set of candidate nodes is determined, the possible links are evaluated to determine a set of link assignments satsifying the greatest number of the high priority constraints, and the assigned links are established.
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Citations
33 Claims
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1. In a communication network including a plurality of communication nodes, each node having at least one communication transceiver adapted to form a communication link with a compatible communication transceiver at another of said nodes, a method of assigning communication links between transceivers at the nodes, said method comprising at each node the steps of:
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(a) storing a set of link assignment constraints; (b) designating a subset of the constraints as high priority constraints; (c) determining a set C of candidate nodes having an unassigned transceiver with which an unassigned transceiver at said each node is compatible to form a communication link; (d) determining a set L of possible links that satisfy the high priority subset of constraints and that can be formed by said unassigned transceiver at said each node and the unassigned transceivers at the candidate nodes in set C; (e) evaluating the possible links in set L to determine a set of link assignments in set L satisfying the greatest number of the stored set of constraints; and (f) assigning the links in accordance with the set of link assignments determined in step (e). - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. In a communication network including a plurality of communication nodes, each node having at least one communication transceiver adapted to form a communication link with a compatible communication transceiver at another of said nodes, an apparatus for assigning communication links between transceivers at the nodes, said apparatus comprising at each node:
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means for storing a set of link assignment constraints; means for designating a subset of the constraints as high priority constraints; first determining means for determining a set C of candidate nodes having an unassigned transceiver with which an unassigned transceiver at said each node is compatible to form a communication link; second determining means for determining a set L of possible links that satisfy the high priority subset of constraints and that can be formed by said unassigned transceiver at said each node and the unassigned transceivers at the candidate nodes in set C; evaluating means for evaluating the possible links in set L to determine a set of link assignments in set L satisfying the greatest number of the set of constraints stored in said storing means; and assigning means for assigning the links in accordance with the set of link assignments determined by said evaluating means. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33)
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Specification