Data delivery in satellite communication system

• US 6,463,260 B1
• Filed: 09/16/1999
• Issued: 10/08/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Nagai, Kazuyoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Maung, Nay
• Assistant Examiner(s): Trinh, Sonny
• Application Number:
  US09/397,201
• Time in Patent Office: 1,118 Days
• Field of Search: 455/12.1, 455/13.1, 455/13.3, 455/3.2, 455/427, 455/428, 455/430, 455/13.2, 455/500, 370/316, 370/325, 714/18, 714/747, 714/748, 714/749
• US Class Current: 455/12.1
• 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 method of delivering data from a transmission station to receiver stations via satellite communication links includes the steps of delivering delivery data from the transmission station to the receiver stations via the satellite communication links, checking if the delivery data is successfully received at each of the receiver stations, sending results of the check from the receiver stations to the transmission station, generating control data from the results of the check at the transmission station, the control data indicating which receiver station failed to receive the delivery data and which receiver station succeeded in receiving the delivery data, sending the control data from the transmission station to the receiver stations, and transferring the delivery data in response to the control data from a first one of the receiver stations having succeeded in receiving the delivery data to a second one of the receiver stations having failed to receive the delivery data.

Claims

1. A method of delivering data from a transmission station to receiver stations via satellite communication links, comprising the steps of:

a) delivering delivery data from the transmission station to the receiver stations via the satellite communication links;

b) checking if the delivery data is successfully received at each of the receiver stations;

c) sending results of the check from the receiver stations to the transmission station;

d) generating control data from the results of the check at the transmission station, the control data indicating which receiver station failed to receive the delivery data and which receiver station succeeded in receiving the delivery data;

e) sending the control data from the transmission station to the receiver stations; and

f) transferring the delivery data in response to the control data from a first one of the receiver stations having succeeded in receiving the delivery data to a second one of the receiver stations having failed to receive the delivery data.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said step d) generates the control data by lumping together the results of the check.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said step f) comprises the steps of:

selecting, at the second one of the receiver stations, the first one of the receiver stations based on the control data;

sending a transfer request from the second one of the receiver stations to the first one of the receiver stations; and

transferring the delivery data from the first one of the receiver stations to the second one of the receiver stations in response to the transfer request.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said step d) further comprising a step of including a transfer instruction in the control data, the transfer instruction indicating that the delivery data should be transferred from the first one of the receiver stations to the second one of the receiver stations.

5. The method as claimed in claim 4, wherein said step f) comprises the steps of:

sending a transfer request from the second one of the receiver stations to the first one of the receiver stations according to the transfer instruction; and

transferring the delivery data from the first one of the receiver stations to the second one of the receiver stations in response to the transfer request.

6. The method as claimed in claim 4, wherein said step f) comprises a step of transferring the delivery data from the first one of the receiver stations to the second one of the receiver stations in response to the transfer instruction.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said step e) sends the control data from the transmission station to the receiver stations via the satellite communication links.

8. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said step f) transfers the delivery data from the first one of the receiver stations to the second one of the receiver stations via a satellite communication link.

9. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said step f) transfers the delivery data from the first one of the receiver stations to the second one of the receiver stations via a surface communication line.

10. A device for delivering data to receiver stations via satellite communication links, comprising:

a transmission unit which transmits delivery data to the receiver stations via the satellite communication links;

a receiver unit which receives check results from the respective receiver stations, the check results indicating whether the respective receiver stations have successfully received the delivery data; and

a processing unit which generates control data from the check results, the control data being not the delivery data and indicating which receiver station failed to receive the delivery data and which receiver station succeeded in receiving the delivery data, wherein the control data is sent to the receiver stations to control transfer of the delivery data between the receiver stations.

11. The device as claimed in claim 10, wherein said processing unit generates the control data by lumping together the check results.

12. The device as claimed in claim 10, wherein said processing unit further includes a transfer instruction in the control data, the transfer instruction indicating that the delivery data should be transferred from a first one of the receiver stations having succeeded in receiving the delivery data to a second one of the receiver stations having failed to receive the delivery data.

13. The device as claimed in claim 10, wherein the control data is sent to the receiver stations by said transmission unit via the satellite communication links.

14. A device for receiving data from a transmission station in a system in which the transmission station delivers the data to a plurality of receiver devices inclusive of said device via satellite communication links, said device comprising:

a check unit which checks if delivery data is successfully received from the transmission station;

a storage unit which stores the delivery data if the delivery data is successfully received;

a transmission unit which transmits a result of the check to the transmission station;

a transfer control unit which arranges a transfer of the delivery data between said device and one of the receiver devices in response to control data sent from the transmission station so as to recover the delivery data that was not successfully delivered, the control data indicating which receiver device failed to receive the delivery data and which receiver device succeeded in receiving the delivery data.

15. The device as claimed in claim 14, wherein said transfer control unit selects one of the receiver devices based on the control data so as to send a transfer request to the selected one of the receiver devices, and transfers the delivery data from the storage unit to one of the receiver devices if a transfer request is sent therefrom.

16. The device as claimed in claim 14, wherein the control data includes a transfer instruction indicating that the delivery data should be transferred from a first one of the receiver devices to a second one of the receiver devices, and wherein said transfer control unit sends a transfer request to the first one of the receiver devices if said device is the second one of the receiver devices, and transfers the delivery data from the storage unit to one of the receiver devices if a transfer request is sent therefrom.

17. The device as claimed in claim 14, wherein the control data includes a transfer instruction indicating that the delivery data should be transferred from a first one of the receiver devices to a second one of the receiver devices, and said transfer control unit transfers the delivery data from the storage unit to the second one of the transfer devices in response to the control data if said device is the first one of the receiver devices.

18. The device as claimed in claim 14, wherein the transfer of the delivery data is carried out via a satellite communication link.

19. The device as claimed in claim 14, wherein the transfer of the delivery data is carried out via a surface communication line.