Method and apparatus for multicast packet distribution in a satellite constellation network
First Claim
1. A satellite communication unit of a satellite communication network to multicast a message within said network, wherein said network includes a plurality of orbital planes with each plane including a plurality of orbiting satellite communication units with corresponding communication links, said satellite communication unit comprising:
- a communication device to transmit an outgoing message within said network and to receive an incoming message from said network; and
a routing processor to route multicast messages from said satellite communication unit through said network to corresponding orbiting destination satellite communication units each varying position within a respective plane, wherein said satellite communication unit resides within a first network plane and said multicast messages are each associated with selected ones of said destination satellite communication units and a routing path through said network, and wherein said communication unit includes communication links including common plane links facilitating communications between said satellite communication unit and other satellite communication units within said first plane and cross plane links facilitating communications between said satellite communication unit and other satellite communication units in different planes, and said routing processor includes;
a multicast module to determine an alternative path for a multicast message to a corresponding selected destination satellite communication unit based on enabled communication links of said satellite communication unit in response to a disabled communication link of said satellite communication unit associated with said routing path;
a link module to periodically select said cross plane links at predetermined time intervals by determining distance values between said satellite communication unit and other orbiting satellite communication units in different planes and selecting said cross plane links based on at least said determined distance values to said other satellite communication units;
anda transmission module to facilitate transmission of said multicast message along said associated routing path in response to an enabled communication link of said satellite communication unit associated with said routing path, and to facilitate transmission of said multicast message along said alternative path in response to a disabled communication link of said satellite communication unit associated with said routing path.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A satellite network constellation employs a technique for multicasting packets through the network according to the present invention. The network comprises plural satellites in plural orbital planes with each satellite equipped with a plurality of high-speed point-to-point full duplex radio links for inter-satellite communications. A node intending to send a multicast packet to a multicast group or a set of destination satellite nodes initially sends the packet to the orbital planes that include the group members. Once reaching the plane, in-plane routing techniques are used to forward the packet to the intended group members. If there are broken or disabled links, an alternative path is taken to forward the packet without disrupting the functioning links.
84 Citations
31 Claims
-
1. A satellite communication unit of a satellite communication network to multicast a message within said network, wherein said network includes a plurality of orbital planes with each plane including a plurality of orbiting satellite communication units with corresponding communication links, said satellite communication unit comprising:
-
a communication device to transmit an outgoing message within said network and to receive an incoming message from said network; and a routing processor to route multicast messages from said satellite communication unit through said network to corresponding orbiting destination satellite communication units each varying position within a respective plane, wherein said satellite communication unit resides within a first network plane and said multicast messages are each associated with selected ones of said destination satellite communication units and a routing path through said network, and wherein said communication unit includes communication links including common plane links facilitating communications between said satellite communication unit and other satellite communication units within said first plane and cross plane links facilitating communications between said satellite communication unit and other satellite communication units in different planes, and said routing processor includes; a multicast module to determine an alternative path for a multicast message to a corresponding selected destination satellite communication unit based on enabled communication links of said satellite communication unit in response to a disabled communication link of said satellite communication unit associated with said routing path; a link module to periodically select said cross plane links at predetermined time intervals by determining distance values between said satellite communication unit and other orbiting satellite communication units in different planes and selecting said cross plane links based on at least said determined distance values to said other satellite communication units; and a transmission module to facilitate transmission of said multicast message along said associated routing path in response to an enabled communication link of said satellite communication unit associated with said routing path, and to facilitate transmission of said multicast message along said alternative path in response to a disabled communication link of said satellite communication unit associated with said routing path. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
-
-
13. A satellite communication network comprising:
-
a plurality of orbiting satellite nodes arranged into a plurality of orbital planes with each satellite node varying position within a respective plane and including common plane links to other satellite nodes within the same plane and cross plane links to satellite nodes within different planes, wherein said satellite nodes facilitate transfer of a multicast packet to a plurality of orbiting destination nodes and each multicast packet is associated with selected ones of said destination nodes and a routing path through said network; wherein each satellite node includes; a multicast module to determine an alternative path for a multicast message to a corresponding selected destination node based on enabled communication links of said satellite node in response to a disabled communication link of said satellite node associated with said routing path; a link module to periodically select said cross plane links at predetermined time intervals by determining distance values between said satellite node and other orbiting satellite nodes in different planes and selecting said cross plane links based on at least said determined distance values to said other satellite nodes; and a transmission module to facilitate transmission of said multicast message along said associated routing path in response to an enabled communication link of said satellite node associated with said routing path, and to facilitate transmission of said multicast message along said alternative path in response to a disabled communication link of said satellite node associated with said routing path. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
-
-
20. A method of distributing a multicast message within a satellite communication network, wherein said network includes a plurality of orbital planes with each plane including a plurality of orbiting satellite nodes with corresponding communication links, and wherein each multicast message is associated with selected destination satellite nodes and a routing path through said network, said method comprising:
-
(a) routing a multicast message from a satellite node through said network to said corresponding selected destination satellite nodes each varying position within a respective plane, wherein each satellite node includes communication links including common plane links facilitating communications between satellite nodes within the same plane and cross plane links facilitating communications between satellite nodes in different planes; (b) at each satellite node traversed by said multicast message, determining an alternative path for said multicast message to a corresponding selected destination satellite node based on enabled communication links of said traversed node in response to a disabled communication link of said traversed node associated with said routing path, and transmitting said multicast message along said associated routing path in response to an enabled communication link of said traversed node associated with said routing path and along said alternative path in response to a disabled communication link of said traversed node associated with said routing path; and (c) periodically selecting said cross plane links of said satellite nodes at predetermined time intervals by determining distance values between said satellite nodes in different planes and selecting said cross plane links based on at least said determined distance values. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
-
Specification