Priority and preemption service system for satellite related communication using central controller

• US 6,243,580 B1
• Filed: 11/23/1999
• Issued: 06/05/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: ATC Technology Corporation (FedEx Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Amsc Subsidiary Corp. (PetIQ, Inc.)
• Inventors: Garner, William B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Vo, Nguyen
• Assistant Examiner(s): BANKS HAROLD, MARSHA DENISE
• Application Number:
  US09/448,921
• Time in Patent Office: 560 Days
• Field of Search: 455/12.1, 455/13.1, 455/13.2, 455/403, 455/410, 455/411, 455/414, 455/422, 455/424, 455/425, 455/426, 455/427, 455/428, 455/429, 455/430, 455/517, 455/524, 455/62, 455/63, 455/67.1, 455/560, 370/316
• US Class Current: 455/428
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18539 Arrangements for managing radio, resources, i.e. for establishing or releasing a connection
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18567 Arrangements for providing additional services to the basic mobile satellite telephony service
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18578 Satellite systems for providing broadband data service to individual earth stations for selecting H04W; provisions for broadband connection, H04Q11/0478
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/02 for separating internal from external traffic, e.g. firewalls
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/18 Negotiating wireless communication parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/26 Resource reservation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 Accounting or billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0216 using a pre-established activity schedule, e.g. traffic indication frame
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0219 where the power saving management affects multiple terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/56 based on priority criteria
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/563 of the wireless resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/30 Connection release
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/06 Airborne or Satellite Networks space-based or airborne stations H04B7/185
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A priority and preemption method for performing a priority and preemption process includes the steps of satisfying a resource acquisition request from a reserve pool for an external system, and when the resource acquisition request cannot be satisfied from the reserve pool, requesting additional unused frequencies, and when the additional unused frequencies are not available, requesting to preempt active calls. The method also includes the step of replenishing the power and the frequencies received from the frequency controller, the data hub and/or the independent operations controller when the frequencies are no longer needed by the priority and preemption system.

Claims

1. In a satellite network system including a satellite antenna for receiving and transmitting messages via a satellite and satellite beams to and from feederlink earth stations (FESs) connected to at least one land line communications network and mobile earth terminals (METs) of a mobile communication system;

a satellite communication switching office connected to said antenna and coupled through a satellite interface system to a central controller; and

a network operations center (NOC) for managing and controlling resources of the satellite network system, the NOC communicating with various internal and external entities via a control network, said NOC transmitting and receiving information with other components of the NOC, allocating system resources, updating network functions, enabling monitoring of customer usage, detecting fault conditions, and transmitting system information to an operator station, a priority and preemption system performing the functions of;

(a) satisfying a resource acquisition request from a reserve pool for an external system;

(b) replenishing the reserve pool with power and frequencies received from at least one of a frequency controller, a data hub and an independent operations controller leasing the frequencies;

(c) when the resource acquisition request cannot be satisfied from the reserve pool, requesting additional unused frequencies, and when the additional unused frequencies are not available, requesting to preempt active calls; and

(d) replenishing the power and the frequencies received from the at least one of the frequency controller, the data hub and the independent operations controller when the frequencies are no longer needed by the priority and preemption system, thereby replenishing the reserve pool in an ordered way that minimizes replenishment time while minimizing possible disruption to other networks.

2. A priority and preemption system according to claim 1, wherein the resource acquisition request comprises at least one of an Aeronautical Mobile Satellite (Route) Service (AMS(R)S) request, a maritime request, a distress request, and a priority request.

3. A priority and preemption system as recited in claim 1, wherein said NOC comprises:

data management means for transmission and receipt of information with other components of the network operations center, said data management means including a NOC data base;

configuration management means for allocating system resources;

network management means for updating network functions;

call records management means for enabling monitoring of customer usage;

event management means for detecting fault conditions; and

operator interface means for transmitting system information to an operator station.

4. A priority and preemption system as recited in claim 3, wherein said call records management means comprises:

a first server for receiving satellite call usage records from the GCs and a second server for receiving nonsatellite call usage records from at least one gateway switch (GWS), each of said servers coupled to said NOC data base for storage therein of said usage records, said servers further coupled to said CMIS for transmission thereto of usage information.

5. A priority and preemption system as recited in claim 3, wherein said operator interface means comprises:

session manager means for logging into the NOC by an operator;

access security encryption means for encrypting for encrypting request transactions;

operator message interface means for interfacing an operator with electronic mail; and

resource allocation means for enabling the operator to modify system operation.

6. A priority and preemption system as recited in claim 3, wherein said data management means further comprises:

a router for routing configuration update requests to a plurality of NOC components and for receiving poling update request responses from said components;

a configuration data base server for updating said NOC data base for each update request upon receipt of positive responses from all of the components poled for the respective update request; and

communication means for exporting information from the NOC database to NE/SE and CMIS.

7. A priority and preemption system as recited in claim 3, wherein said network management means comprises historian means for recording performance of the network over time.

8. A priority and preemption system as recited in claim 7, wherein said historian means collects statistics regarding resource utilization and calls in progress.

9. A priority and preemption system as recited in claim 3, wherein said network management means further comprises process control means for controlling NOC startup and shutdown.

10. A priority and preemption system as recited in claim 3, wherein said network management means comprises a management information repository (MIR) server for receiving network update information and exporter means for transmitting network management information to the NOC data base.

11. A priority and preemption system as recited in claim 3, wherein said network management means comprises watchdog means for transmitting an alarm in response to an abnormal condition.

12. A priority and preemption system as recited in claim 1, wherein said satisfying the resource acquisition request from the reserve pool step (a) includes at least one of switching operating modes from packet mode to circuit mode or vice versa, and queuing of calls within the operating mode.

13. A priority and preemption system as recited in claim 1, wherein the priority and preemption system provides a sequential method of restoring the reserve pool minimizing the necessity of actual preemption of an active call, maximizing usage of at least one of the additional unused frequencies and idle capacity due to a demand nature of service.

14. A priority and preemption system as recited in claim 1, wherein the priority and preemption system further performs at least one of the following automatic transactions between the NOC and the external system:

Major Alarms (NOC to external system)—

wherein this transaction comprises a first summary message indicating that a first major alarm condition has occurred and to alert operators to a possible requirement for action or intervention;

Major Alarms (external system to NOC)—

wherein this transaction comprises a second summary message indicating that a second major alarm condition has occurred within the external system and to alert operators to a possible requirement for action or intervention;

Resource Acquisition Request (external system to NOC)—

wherein this transaction comprises a request for satellite resources under emergency conditions, and when the satellite resource are not available to service this request, pre-emption occurs;

Resource Acquisition Response (NOC to external system)—

wherein this transaction comprises a positive acknowledgment of a Resource Acquisition Request identifying channels or frequencies;

Resource Release (external system to NOC)—

wherein this transaction comprises a message detailing release or partial release of resources acquired under emergency conditions;

Summary Status Request (Bidirectional)—

wherein this transaction comprises a periodic automatic message requesting a confidence summary status of report of a condition of a satellite or the NOC;

Summary Status Confidence Report (Bidirectional)—

wherein this transaction provides a summary confidence report showing the state of major operational conditions of a satellite and either the NOC or the external system.

15. A priority and preemption system as recited in claim 1, wherein the priority and preemption system further performs at least one of the following console transactions between the NOC and the external system:

Operator Message Request (Bidirectional)—

wherein this transaction comprises a first message between operators requesting operational information;

Operator Message Response (Bidirectional)—

wherein this transaction comprises a second message between operators conveying requested operational information;

Status/Info Request (Bidirectional)—

wherein this transaction comprises a request for information or reports which are electronically generated or stored, but which requires operator intervention for access, transmission, or authorization;

Status/Info (Bidirectional)—

wherein this transaction comprises transmission of information or reports which are electronically generated or stored, but which requires operator intervention for access, transmission, or authorization and occurs in response to a request;

Database/File Request (Bidirectional)—

wherein this transaction comprises a request for database information or files which are electronically generated or stored, but which require operator intervention for access, transmission, or authorization;

Database/File (Bidirectional)—

wherein this transaction comprises transmission of database information or files which are electronically generated or stored, but which require operator intervention for access, transmission, or authorization and occurs in response to a request;

Resource Allocation Request (AMS(R)S NOC to NOC)—

wherein this transaction comprises a request for allocation of satellite resources for general use, such as resale to customers/users and this transaction does not result in pre-emption;

Resource Allocation Response (NOC to AMS(R)S NOC)—

wherein this transaction comprises a response to a Resource Allocation Request and indicates a denial or details of a full or partial allocation of requested resources;

Resource Release Request (Bidirectional)—

wherein this transaction comprises a message requesting de-allocation of non-emergency resources;

Resource Release Acknowledge (Bidirectional)—

wherein this transaction comprises a response to a Resource Release Request acknowledging or declining release of satellite resources.

16. A priority and preemption system as recited in claim 1, wherein when said satisfying step (a) is performed, said priority and preemption system further performs the function of after satisfying the resource acquisition request with the frequencies drawn from the reserve pool, replenishing the reserve pool by obtaining unused frequencies from other available circuit pools or from the independent NOCs which lease frequencies within a predetermined frequency band.

17. A priority and preemption system as recited in claim 1, wherein the reserve pool is assigned a rank order that determines an order in which the frequencies are used for the external system.

18. A priority and preemption system as recited in claim 1, wherein said priority and preemption system determines whether the reserve pool has been replenished to resource levels above a configurable threshold, and when the configurable threshold is reached, excess resources are returned to the at least one of the frequency controller, the data hub and the independent operations controller leasing the frequencies.

19. A priority and preemption system as recited in claim 1, wherein said priority and preemption system returns the frequencies in the reserve pool in a sequence determined by priority level and rank order of the frequencies in accordance with predetermined criteria.

20. A priority and preemption system as recited in claim 1, wherein the external system comprises an AMS(R)S system.

21. In a mobile satellite system including a satellite communication switching office and network system having a satellite antenna for receiving and transmitting a satellite message via a satellite and satellite beams to and from feederlink earth stations (FESs) and mobile earth terminals (METs) using a mobile communication system, a satellite interface system, a central controller receiving and transmitting the satellite message to and from the satellite communication switching office, the mobile satellite system being responsively connected to said mobile communication system and comprising:

a network operations center (NOC) managing and controlling the resources of the satellite network system and carrying out the administrative functions associated with the management of the network system, the NOC communicating with various internal and external entities via a control network;

a first network communications controller (NCC) managing the real time allocation of circuits between METs and FESs for the purposes of supporting communications, available circuits being held in circuit pools managed by group controllers (GCs) within the NCC, the NCC communicating with the NOC via a satellite network internetwork, with FESs via Ku-to-Ku band interstation signaling channels or terrestrial links, and with METs via Ku-to-L band signaling channels;

a FES supporting communications links between METs, the public switched telephone network (PSTN), private networks, and other METs, call completion and service feature management being accomplished via in-band signaling over the communication channel following the establishment of such a channel, the FES including a gateway FES providing mobile telephone service (MTS) and mobile telephone cellular roaming service (MTCRS) services, and a base FES providing mobile radio service (MRS) and net radio (NR) services; and

a group controller subsystem (GCS) incorporating one or multiple group controllers (GC), each GC maintaining state machines for every call in progress within its control group and allocating and de-allocating circuits for FES-MET calls within each beam of the system, the GC providing satellite bandwidth resources to the NOC for AMS(R)S resource provisioning and monitoring the performance of call processing and satellite circuit pool utilization, and performing MET and database management,

wherein said NOC performing priority and preemption functions of;

(a) satisfying a resource acquisition request from a reserve pool for an external system;

(b) replenishing the reserve pool with power and frequencies received from at least one of a frequency controller, a data hub and an independent operations controller leasing the frequencies;

(c) when the resource acquisition request cannot be satisfied from the reserve pool, requesting additional unused frequencies, and when the additional unused frequencies are not available, requesting to preempt active calls; and

(d) replenishing the power and the frequencies received from the at least one of the frequency controller, the data hub and the independent operations controller when the frequencies are no longer needed by the priority and preemption system, thereby replenishing the reserve pool in an ordered way that minimizes replenishment time while minimizing possible disruption to other networks.

22. In a mobile satellite system including a satellite communication switching office and network system having a satellite antenna for receiving and transmitting a satellite message via a satellite and satellite beams to and from feederlink earth stations (FESs) and mobile earth terminals (METs) using a mobile communication system, a satellite interface system, a central controller receiving and transmitting the satellite message to and from the satellite communication switching office, the mobile satellite system being responsively connected to said mobile communication system and including a network operations center (NOC) managing and controlling the resources of the satellite network system and carrying out the administrative functions associated with the management of the network system, the NOC communicating with various internal and external entities via a control network;

a first network communications controller (NCC) managing the real time allocation of circuits between METs and FESs for the purposes of supporting communications, available circuits being held in circuit pools managed by group controllers (GCs) within the NCC, the NCC communicating with the NOC via a satellite network internetwork, with FESs via Ku-to-Ku band interstation signaling channels or terrestrial links, and with METs via Ku-to-L band signaling channels;

a FES supporting communications links between METs, the public switched telephone network (PSTN), private networks, and other METs, call completion and service feature management being accomplished via in-band signaling over the communication channel following the establishment of such a channel, the FES including a gateway FES providing mobile telephone service (MTS) and mobile telephone cellular roaming service (MTCRS) services, and a base FES providing mobile radio service (MRS) and net radio (NR) services; and

a group controller subsystem (GCS) incorporating one or multiple group controllers (GC), each GC maintaining state machines for every call in progress within its control group and allocating and de-allocating circuits for FES-MET calls within each beam of the system, the GC providing satellite bandwidth resources to the NOC for resource provisioning and monitoring the performance of call processing and satellite circuit pool utilization, and performing MET and database management, a priority and preemption system performing priority and preemption functions of;

(a) satisfying a resource acquisition request from a reserve pool for an external system;

(b) replenishing the reserve pool with power and frequencies received from at least one of a frequency controller, a data hub and an independent operations controller leasing the frequencies;

(c) when the resource acquisition request cannot be satisfied from the reserve pool, requesting additional unused frequencies, and when the additional unused frequencies are not available, requesting to preempt active calls; and

(d) replenishing the power and the frequencies received from the at least one of the frequency controller, the data hub and the independent operations controller when the frequencies are no longer needed by the priority and preemption system, thereby replenishing the reserve pool in an ordered way that minimizes replenishment time while minimizing possible disruption to other networks.

23. A priority and preemption method for performing a priority and preemption process, comprising the steps of:

(a) satisfying a resource acquisition request from a reserve pool for an external system;

(b) when the resource acquisition request cannot be satisfied from the reserve pool, requesting additional unused frequencies, and when the additional unused frequencies are not available, requesting to preempt active calls; and

(c) replenishing the power and the frequencies received from the at least one of the frequency controller, the data hub and the independent operations controller when the frequencies are no longer needed by the priority and preemption system, thereby replenishing the reserve pool in an ordered way that minimizes replenishment time while minimizing possible disruption to other networks.