Fail-over of forward link equipment

• US 7,085,563 B2
• Filed: 02/02/2004
• Issued: 08/01/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/02/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Parkman, David S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Feild, Joseph
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Huy D.
• Application Number:
  US10/771,205
• Publication Number:
  US 20040157598A1
• Time in Patent Office: 911 Days
• Field of Search: 455/427, 455/430, 455/428, 455/431, 455/422.1, 455/423, 455/418
• US Class Current: 455/431
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18508 with satellite system used as relay, i.e. aeronautical mobile satellite service
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/00 Network topologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/06 Airborne or Satellite Networks space-based or airborne stations H04B7/185

Abstract

A communications system and method for transmitting data to a mobile platform is provided. The communications system comprises a forward link assignment manager in communication with a route server and a router, wherein the router selects from paths of forward link equipment chains to transmit data to the mobile platform. Generally, the forward link assignment manager assigns a cost to the path of each chain such that the more available the chain, the lower its cost, and the router always selects the lowest cost path. If a chain of forward link equipment fails, the forward link assignment manager increases its cost above that of a spare chain, which results in the router selecting the spare chain. Further systems are provided that inform the forward link assignment manager of a failed chain of forward link equipment, in addition to systems that remove a failed chain from the network topology.

Claims

1. A system for transmitting signals from a first communications station to a second communications station, comprising:

at least one electronic device that transmits the signals to the second communications station;

a plurality of primary chains of forward link equipment that transmit the signals to the electronic device, wherein each primary chain of said forward link equipment further comprises a path;

a plurality of spare chains of forward link equipment, wherein each spare chain of forward link equipment further comprises a path;

at least one router that sends the signals to the primary chains of forward link equipment via the paths of the primary chains of forward link equipment;

at least one forward link assignment manager that manages the paths of primary chains of forward link equipment and the paths of the spare chains of forward link equipment and provides each of the paths of the spare chains of forward link equipment with a priority designator; and

wherein if one of said primary chains of forward link equipment fails, said router sends the signals to one of said paths of spare chains of forward link equipment based on said priority designator.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said priority designator represents a cost.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein each of said paths of primary chains of forward link equipment is assigned a priority designator by the forward link assignment manager.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein when one of said paths of primary chains of forward link fails, said forward link assignment manager increases the priority of the path of the failed primary chain of forward link equipment beyond the priority assigned to the paths of the spare chains of forward link equipment.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein the priority assigned to each of the paths of spare chains of forward link equipment and primary chains of forward link equipment comprises a cost.

6. The system of claim 1, further comprising at least one route server that provides the paths of the primary chains of forward link equipment and the paths of the spare chains of forward link equipment to the router.

7. A system for transmitting signals from a first communications station to a second communications station, comprising:

at least one transponder that transponds the signals from the first communications station to the second communications station;

a plurality of primary chains of forward link equipment that transmit the signals to the transponder, wherein each primary chain of said forward link equipment further comprises a path;

a plurality of spare chains of forward link equipment, wherein each said spare chain of forward link equipment further comprises a path;

at least one router that sends the signals to the primary chains of forward link equipment via the paths of the primary chains of forward link equipment;

at least one forward link assignment manager that manages the paths of the primary chains of forward link equipment and the paths of the spare chains of forward link equipment and provides each of the paths of the spare chains of forward link equipment and the primary chains of forward link equipment with a designator; and

wherein if one of said primary chains of forward link equipment fails, said router sends the signals to one of said paths of spare chains of forward link equipment based on said designator.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the designator assigned to each of the paths of spare chains of forward link equipment and the paths of primary chains of forward link equipment comprises a cost value.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein when a primary chain of forward link equipment fails, the forward link assignment manager alters the designator of the path of the failed primary chain of forward link equipment.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein when one said primary chain of forward link equipment fails, the forward link assignment manager alters the cost value assigned to the path of the failed primary chain of forward link equipment.

11. The system of claim 7, wherein when one said primary chain of forward link equipment fails, the forward link assignment manager increases the cost value of the path of said failed primary chain of forward link equipment to a cost value that is higher than those cost values assigned to each of the paths of secondary chains of forward link equipment.

12. A method of transmitting signals from a first communications station to a second communications station via at least one electronic device, the method comprising:

(a) managing paths for a plurality of primary chains of forward link equipment and a plurality of spare chains of forward link equipment in a forward link assignment manager;

(b) providing the paths for the primary chains of forward link equipment and the paths for the spare chains of forward link equipment to at least one router;

(c) selecting a path for a chain of primary forward link equipment by the router;

(d) transmitting the signals from the router to the primary chain of forward link equipment having the selected path of step (d);

(e) transmitting the signals from the chain of primary forward link equipment to the electronic device; and

(f) transmitting the signals from the electronic device to the mobile platform;

(g) wherein if the chain of primary forward link equipment from step (e) fails, the router selects a path for a spare chain of forward link equipment that transmits the signals to the electronic device.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising the step of assigning a cost value to paths of the primary chains of forward link equipment and to the paths of the spare chains of forward link equipment.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising increasing the cost value of the path of the chain of failed forward link equipment higher than the cost of the paths of the spare chains of forward link equipment.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising selecting one of the paths of spare chains of forward link equipment based on which of the spare chains of forward link equipment has the lowest cost value.