Satellite communications system for providing global, high quality movement of very large data files

• US 7,783,734 B2
• Filed: 05/14/2004
• Issued: 08/24/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/27/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Maxar Technologies ULC (Galileo Parent, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Macdonald Dettwiler and Associates Limited
• Inventors: Duffield, Logan, Magnussen, Kjell, Wlodyka, Mark, Giffin, Gregory, Bravman, Joseph
• Primary Examiner(s): VU, VIET DUY
• Application Number:
  US10/530,018
• Publication Number:
  US 20060155840A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,293 Days
• Field of Search: 709/217, 709/219, 709/223, 709/238, 709/249, 709/250
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18578 Satellite systems for providing broadband data service to individual earth stations for selecting H04W; provisions for broadband connection, H04Q11/0478
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0057 Block codes H04L1/0061, H04L1/0064 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/08 by repeating transmission, e.g. Verdan system H04L1/1858 and H04L1/189 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/18 Automatic repetition systems, e.g. Van Duuren systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements

Abstract

A system for providing communication services between geographically disbursed source and destination terminals includes at least one airborne or spaceborne wireless communication device, such as a satellite. The wireless communication device is configured to store and forward large data files of at least an aggregated 10 gigabytes. The wireless communication device includes a wireless transceiver for communicating with the source and destination terminals over at least one high bandwidth channel. A mass data storage device stores the large data files for a predetermined period of time that is greater than approximately two minutes. At least one processor is coupled among the mass data storage and wireless transceiver. The processor is configured to control receipt of a large data file from the source terminal and to transmit it to the destination terminal as the wireless communication device nears the destination terminal.

Claims

1. In a system for providing communication services between geographically dispersed source and destination terminals, an apparatus comprising:

at least one airborne or spaceborne and movable wireless communications device, wherein the wireless communications device is configured to store and forward large data files of at least an aggregated 10 gigabytes, and includes;

a wireless transceiver for communicating with the source and destination terminals over at least one high bandwidth channel,

mass data storage configured to store the large data files for a predetermined period of time, wherein the predetermined period of time is greater than two minutes, and

at least one processor coupled among the wireless transceiver and the mass data storage;

wherein the processor, via the wireless transceiver, is configured to

control receipt of at least one large data file, from the source terminal, for storage in the mass data storage, and

after the airborne or spacebourne wireless communications device travels near to the destination terminal, control transmit of the large data file to the destination terminal; and

wherein the processor is configured to;

receive at a first time a control signal from a terrestrial station, wherein the control signal schedules a time and provides an originating geographic location to receive the large data file, wherein the originating geographic location is associated with the source terminal,

receive, at a second time and from the source terminal, the large data file when the airborne or spacebourne wireless communications device travels to the originating geographic location, wherein the second time is after the first time, and

transmit at a third time the large data file to the destination terminal, wherein the third time is at least two minutes after the second time, and wherein the destination terminal is geographically remote from the originating geographic location.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the wireless communications device is a satellite, and the communication system employs a constellation of multiple orbiting satellites.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the wireless communications device is a satellite in a non-geostationary orbit.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the wireless transceiver employs radio frequency (RF) or optical communication techniques.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a low bandwidth transceiver coupled with the processor for communicating over a low bandwidth channel, and wherein the processor is further configured to:

receive scheduling commands from a land- or sea-based mission control facility over the low bandwidth channel; and

schedule at least transmission of the large data files based on the scheduling commands.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the high bandwidth channel includes one or more channels that in aggregate have at least a 200 Mb/s bandwidth.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the processor is further configured to transmit the large data file to, or receive the large data file from, another airborne or spaceborne and movable wireless communications device.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the processor is further configured to:

autonomously receive a request to accept a new large data file from a new terminal, and

receive the new large data file if the processor autonomously determines that the new large data file may be stored in the mass data storage and be safely transmitted to another terminal.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the processor is configured to facilitate processing of the large data file via transparent relay mode communication.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the wireless transceiver operates via optical or radio frequency transmissions.

11. A computer system, the computer system comprising:

a terrestrial server computer at a terrestrial destination location and configured to receive a data signal, wherein the data signal represents at least a portion of a large data file, wherein the large data file is of at least an aggregated 10 gigabytes,

wherein the data signal is transmitted by a airborne or spaceborne and movable wireless communications device configured to (a) wirelessly receive, over at least one high bandwidth communications channel, the large data file from a land- or sea-based source terminal at an originating geographic location, (b) store the large data file for a predetermined period of time greater than two minutes, and (c) transmit the signal and the large data file after the airborne or spaceborne wireless communications device travels from the land- or sea-based source to the terrestrial destination location; and

wherein the data signal includes coding for error correction of the large data file;

wherein the airborne or spaceborne and movable wireless communications device—

(a) receives at a first time a control signal scheduling a time and providing the originating geographic location to receive the large data file, (b) receives at a second time the large data file when the airborne or spacebourne wireless communications device travels to the originating geographic location, wherein the second time is after the first time, and (c) transmits at a third time the large data file to the terrestrial server computer at the destination location;

wherein the third time is at least two minutes after the second time, and

wherein the destination location is geographically remote from the originating geographic location.

12. The computer system of claim 11 wherein the large data file is divided into smaller groups of data, and wherein the coding or the dividing is adjusted based on a quality of the high bandwidth communications channel.

13. The computer system of claim 11 wherein the data signal includes fill blocks instead of portions of the large data file when the high bandwidth communications channel is unacceptable.

14. The computer system of claim 11 wherein the large data file is block coded.

15. The computer system of claim 11 wherein the coding includes forward error correcting the large data file.

16. The computer system of claim 11 wherein coding includes encrypting the large data file.

17. An apparatus for use with an airborne or spaceborne and movable wireless communications device, the apparatus comprising:

a terrestrial-based server computer configured to provide control signals to the airborne or spaceborne and movable wireless communications device, wherein the control signals instruct the airborne or spaceborne and movable wireless communications device to direct an antenna of the airborne or spaceborne and movable wireless communications device to receive data from a land- or sea-based source terminal, wherein the data represents at least a portion of a large data file, wherein the large data file is of at least a combined 10 gigabytes;

wherein the airborne or spaceborne and movable wireless communications device is configured to wirelessly receive, over at least one high bandwidth communications channel, the large data file from a land- or sea-based source terminal, and to store the large data file for a predetermined period of time greater than two minutes,

wherein the terrestrial-based server computer is further configured to provide control signals to direct the antenna of the airborne or spaceborne and movable wireless communications device to transmit the large data file after the airborne or spaceborne wireless communications device travels from the land- or sea-based source terminal to a terrestrial destination terminal, wherein the terrestrial destination terminal is geographically remote from the land- or sea-based source terminal

wherein the airborne or spaceborne and movable wireless communications device transmit the large data file after at least two minutes have passed since the airborne or spaceborne and movable wireless communications device received the large data file;

wherein the high bandwidth channel includes one or more channels that in aggregate have at least a 200 Mb/s bandwidth; and

wherein the information bearing signal, or the signal transmitted by the airborne or spaceborne and movable wireless communications device, includes coding for error correction of the large data file.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein the large data file is block coded, and wherein the coding includes forward error correcting the large data file.