Network engineering/systems system for mobile satellite communication system

• US 6,636,721 B2
• Filed: 08/01/2001
• Issued: 10/21/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: ATC Technology Corporation (FedEx Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Mobile Satellite Venture LP
• Inventors: Lin, ShihChao, Threadgill, Michael E.
• Primary Examiner(s): CUMMING, WILLIAM D
• Application Number:
  US09/918,550
• Publication Number:
  US 20020013149A1
• Time in Patent Office: 811 Days
• Field of Search: 455/427, 455/12.1, 455/428, 455/429
• US Class Current: 455/12.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18506 Communications with or from aircraft, i.e. aeronautical mobile service
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18508 with satellite system used as relay, i.e. aeronautical mobile satellite service
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18539 Arrangements for managing radio, resources, i.e. for establishing or releasing a connection

Abstract

A mobile satellite system includes a network engineering/systems engineering (NE/SE) system. The NE/SE performs the processes of comparing expected traffic loads with capability and availability of space and ground resources in the mobile satellite system, formulating tactical plans to maximize available resources of the satellite, and producing frequency plans for different geographical regions and defining circuit pools for different groups of users.

Claims

1. In a mobile satellite system including a network operations controller (NOC) managing and controlling the resources of the mobile satellite system and performing functions associated with the management of the mobile satellite system, and a network engineering/systems engineering (NE/SE) system operatively connected to the NOC, said NE/SE performing the following sequential or non-sequential processes:

comparing expected traffic loads with capability and availability of resources in the mobile satellite system;

formulating plans to utilize available resources of the satellite;

producing frequency plans for different geographical regions and for different groups of users;

configuring the mobile satellite system including the resources and components generating configurations, the configurations designed to expand the mobile satellite system capacity for increases in traffic demand, while also supporting features and services of the mobile satellite system;

configuring communication paths to external organizations operatively connected to the mobile satellite system; and

tracking logistics of network additions to the mobile satellite system, including collecting and reporting traffic and performance data for network planning.

2. In a mobile satellite system, a method for engineering the mobile satellite system comprising the steps of:

(a) comparing expected traffic loads with capability and availability of space and ground resources in the mobile satellite system;

(b) formulating plans to maximize available resources of the satellite;

(c) producing frequency plans for different geographical regions and defining circuit pools for different groups of users of the mobile satellite system;

(d) configuring the mobile satellite system including resources and components generating configurations, the configurations designed to expand the mobile satellite system capacity for increases in traffic demand, while also supporting new features and services of the mobile satellite system;

(e) configuring communication paths to external organizations operatively connected to the mobile satellite system;

(f) tracking logistics of network additions to the mobile satellite system via generation of work orders, including collecting and reporting traffic and performance data for future planning;

(g) initiating network operations controller (NOC) database uploads from a network engineering/system engineering (NE/SE) system; and

(h) partitioning at least one of the satellite, satellite beams, and control groups into resources including at least one of the circuit pools, virtual networks and frequency plans.

3. A method for engineering a mobile satellite system according to claim 2, further comprising the step of communicating between the NE/SE and the NOC for at least one of the following messages:

event messages,

configuration updates,

restoral plan download file name messages,

logs and statistics collection requests, and

file transfer requests.

4. A method for engineering a mobile satellite system according to claim 3, wherein the NE/SE further comprises an NE/SE server, and wherein said method further comprising the step of initiating an event listener process by the NE/SE server at startup of the NE/SE, and listening by the NE/SE server for the event messages sent to the NE/SE by the NOC regarding events occurring in the mobile satellite system.

5. A method for engineering a mobile satellite system according to claim 2, further comprising the step of communicating between the NE/SE and the NOC for at least one of the following messages:

NOC configuration uploads,

NOC configuration downloads,

NOC logs and statistic, and

restoral plans.

6. A method for engineering a mobile satellite system according to claim 2, further comprising the step of communicating with:

a Customer Management Information System; and

a Gateway Switch.

7. A method for engineering a mobile satellite system according to claim 6, wherein the Gateway Switch (GWS) comprises a GWS Maintenance Administrative Position (MAP), and a GWS Traffic Data Collection system, and said method further comprising the step of communicating with the GWS MAP, and the GWS Traffic Data Collection system.

8. A method for engineering a mobile satellite system according to claim 2, wherein said configuring step (d) further comprises the step of configuring the mobile satellite system including the resources and the components including at least one of the following:

Satellite Power Management,

Satellite power allocation graph,

Channel power allocation graph,

Control Group (CG) Configuration,

L-Band Frequency Allocation,

Beam geography graphical display,

Network Control Center (NCC),

Feederlink Earth Station (FES),

Radio Frequency Equipment (RFE),

Channel Unit Subsystem (CUS),

Test and Monitor Station (TMS),

Support Resources, and

Audit and Reconciliation.

9. A method for engineering a mobile satellite system according to claim 2, wherein said configuring step (d) further comprises the step of configuring the mobile satellite system including the resources and the components therein by creating and making available configuration data, verifying the configuration data against user defined configuration rules and deploying the configuration data to the NOC for distribution when verified, and maintaining consistency between databases associated with the NOC and the NE/SE.

10. A method for engineering a mobile satellite system according to claim 2, wherein the NE/SE comprises a client-server architecture for implementing said method.

11. A method for engineering a mobile satellite system according to claim 2, wherein the mobile satellite system further comprises a customer management information system (CMIS) operatively connected to the NE/SE, and said method further comprising the step of providing customers and service providers with assistance and information including at least one of problem resolution, service changes, registration support and consistency checks on the configuration data sent to the CMIS from the NE/SE.

12. In a mobile satellite system including a network operations controller (NOC) managing and controlling the resources of the mobile satellite system and performing functions associated with the management of the mobile satellite system, and a network engineering/systems engineering (NE/SE) system operatively connected to the NOC, said NE/SE performing the following sequential or non-sequential processes to provide communication service to a user of a mobile communication system:

comparing expected traffic loads with capability and availability of resources in the mobile satellite system;

formulating plans to utilize available resources of the satellite;

producing frequency plans for different geographical regions and for different groups of users;

configuring the mobile satellite system including the resources and components generating configurations, the configurations designed to expand the mobile satellite system capacity for increases in traffic demand, while also supporting features and services of the mobile satellite system;

configuring communication paths to external organizations operatively connected to the mobile satellite system;

tracking logistics of network additions to the mobile satellite system via generation of work orders, including collecting and reporting traffic and performance data for network planning; and

performing the communication services in the mobile satellite system via the mobile communication system utilizing the resources.