Apparatus and method for hybrid network access

• US 6,519,651 B1
• Filed: 11/28/2000
• Issued: 02/11/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hughes Network Systems LLC (Echostar Corporation), Monrovia Nursery Company
• Original Assignee: Hughes Electronics Corporation (Rtx Corporation)
• Inventors: Dillon, Douglas M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Maung, Zarni
• Application Number:
  US09/722,464
• Time in Patent Office: 805 Days
• Field of Search: 709/250, 709/249, 709/245, 709/243, 709/219, 709/217, 709/246, 709/227
• US Class Current: 709/250
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18582 Arrangements for data linking, i.e. for data framing, for error recovery, for multiple access
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18584 Arrangements for data networking, i.e. for data packet routing, for congestion control data switching networks H04L12/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18591 Arrangements for interconnecting multiple systems data switching networks H04L12/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2856 Access arrangements, e.g. Internet access asynchronous transfer mode networks H04L12/5601; broadband local area networks H04L12/2801; optical access or distribution networks H04Q11/0067; access to open networks H04L12/5691; digital subscriber line end-user equipment and bit-level processing of data on a PSTN-based network H04M11/00; home network gateways H04L12/2834; wireless access networks H04W
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2898 Subscriber equipments DSL modems H04M11/062; cable modems H04L12/2801
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/5692 Selection among different networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2212/00 Encapsulation of packets
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/10 Flow control; Congestion control
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/15 in relation to multipoint traffic arrangements for broadcast or multicast in data networks H04L12/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/70 Admission control; Resource allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/745 Reaction in network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/803 Application aware
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/824 Applicable to portable or mobile terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/825 Involving tunnels, e.g. MPLS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/829 Topology based
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/00 Network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/10 of different types
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/16 Implementation or adaptation of Internet protocol [IP], of transmission control protocol [TCP] or of user datagram protocol [UDP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/161 Implementation details of TCP/IP or UDP/IP stack architecture; Specification of modified or new header fields
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/163 In-band adaptation of TCP data exchange; In-band control procedures
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/168 : specially adapted for link layer protocols, e.g. asynchronous transfer mode [ATM], synchronous optical network [SONET] or point-to-point protocol [PPP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 : in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 : Network security protocols

Abstract

A system in which a personal computer sends messages into a TCP/IP network using a conventional dial-up link and downloads data from the TCP/IP network using a high-speed one-way satellite link. A preferred embodiment uses a conventional SLIP provider to connect to the TCP/IP network and uses a commercial software TCP/IP package that has a standard driver interface. A spoofing protocol compensates for the long propagation delays inherent to satellite communication.

Claims

1. A network system that forms a part of a network, comprising:

a source computer, having a link to the network;

a destination computer, having a link to the network;

a satellite interface between the source computer and the destination computer, wherein information passes from the source computer to the destination computer;

means in the destination computer for requesting information from the source computer over the network;

means for receiving an information packet sent from the source computer in response to the request and for sending the information packet to the destination computer over the satellite interface; and

means for sending an ACK message to the source computer in response to receipt of the information packet, wherein the ACK message appears to the source computer to have come from the destination computer.

2. The network of claim 1, further comprising means for receiving a packet containing an ACK message from the destination computer, for indicating receipt of the information packet by the destination computer, and for discarding the ACK message received from the destination computer when no other data is present in the received packet.

3. The network of claim 1, further comprising means for receiving a packet containing an ACK message from the destination computer, for indicating receipt of the information packet by the destination computer, and for editing the ACK message and passing the received packet to the source computer.

4. The network of claim 3, wherein the editing means includes means for editing an ACK number of the received packet and for adjusting a checksum of the received packet in accordance with the edited value.

5. The network of claim 1, wherein the information packet is formatted in accordance with TCP/IP protocol.

6. The network of claim 1, wherein the ACK message is formatted in accordance with TCP/IP protocol.

7. The network of claim 1, wherein the satellite interface is a one-way interface.

8. A gateway in a network system that forms a part of a TCP/IP network, wherein the network includes a source computer having a link to the TCP/IP network and a link to a high speed satellite interface, and a destination computer having a link to the TCP/IP network and a link to the high speed satellite interface, the gateway comprising:

means for receiving an information packet sent from the source computer and for sending the information packet to the destination computer over the satellite interface; and

means for sending an ACK message to the source computer in response to receipt of the information packet, wherein the ACK message appears to the source computer to have come from the destination computer.

9. The gateway of claim 8, further comprising means for receiving a packet containing an ACK message from the destination computer, for indicating receipt of the information packet by the destination computer, and for discarding the ACK message from the destination computer when no other data is present in the received packet.

10. The gateway of claim 8, further comprising means for receiving a packet containing an ACK message from the destination computer, for indicating receipt of the information packet by the destination computer, and for editing the ACK message and passing the received packet to the source computer.

11. The gateway of claim 10, wherein the editing means includes means for editing an ACK number of the received packet and for adjusting a checksum of the received packet in accordance with the edited value.

12. The gateway of claim 8, wherein the information packet is formatted in accordance with TCP/IP protocol.

13. The gateway of claim 8, wherein the ACK message is formatted in accordance with TCP/IP protocol.

14. A method for sending information over a high speed satellite interface in a network system that forms a part of a TCP/IP network, wherein the network includes a gateway and a source computer, having a link to the TCP/IP network, a destination computer, having a link to the TCP/IP network, and a satellite interface between the source computer, the gateway, and the destination computer, wherein information passes from the source computer to the destination computer, the method comprising the steps, performed by a processor of the gateway, of:

receiving an information packet sent from the source computer;

sending the information packet to the destination computer over the satellite interface; and

sending an ACK message to the source computer in response to receipt of the information packet, wherein the ACK message appears to the source computer to have come from the destination computer.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising the steps of receiving a packet containing an ACK message from the destination computer, wherein the ACK message indicates receipt of the information packet by the destination computer and discarding the ACK message from the destination computer when no other data is present in the received packet.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising the steps of receiving a packet containing an ACK message from the destination computer, wherein the ACK message indicates receipt of the information packet by the destination computer, and editing the ACK message and passing the received packet to the source computer.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the editing step includes the substeps of editing an ACK number of the received packet and adjusting a checksum of the received packet in accordance with the edited value.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein the information packet is formatted in accordance with TCP/IP protocol.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein the ACK message is formatted in accordance with TCP/IP protocol.

20. A source computer for use in a network system that forms a part of a network, the network system comprising:

the source computer, which has a link to the network;

a destination computer, having a link to the network;

a satellite interface between the source computer and the destination computer, wherein information passes from the source computer to the destination computer;

means in the destination computer for requesting information from the source computer over the network;

means for receiving an information packet sent from the source computer in response to the request and for sending the information packet to the destination computer over the satellite interface; and

means for sending an ACK message to the source computer in response to receipt of the information packet, wherein the ACK message appears to the source computer to have come from the destination computer.

21. A destination computer for use in a network system that forms a part of a network, the network system comprising:

a source computer, having a link to the network;

the destination computer, which has a link to the network;

a satellite interface between the source computer and the destination computer, wherein information passes from the source computer to the destination computer;

means in the destination computer for requesting information from the source computer over the network;

means for receiving an information packet sent from the source computer in response to the request and for sending the information packet to the destination computer over the satellite interface; and

means for sending an ACK message to the source computer in response to receipt of the information packet, wherein the ACK message appears to the source computer to have come from the destination computer.