Cost containment of mobile datalink communications
First Claim
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1. A method for transmitting messages over a datalink communication system, the method comprising:
- assigning each message a cost index value based on prescribed factors for at least one message transmission attribute of the message, wherein the prescribed factors include at least a message priority level, and wherein assigning each of the messages the cost index value further comprises defining the cost index value based on a message transmission schedule including at least one of a geographic region, available transmission mediums and message transmission cost within the geographic region;
assigning each of a plurality of mobile communication sub-networks a service cost index;
selecting a first mobile communications sub-network from the plurality of mobile communications sub-networks currently available based on a comparison between the cost index value assigned to the message and the service cost index values assigned to each of the plurality of mobile communication sub-networks, wherein each mobile communications sub-network is associated with one of a plurality of service providers; and
transmitting each message that satisfies the message transmission attribute over the first mobile communications sub-network associated with a datalink communication system; and
queuing the messages for later transmission once the cost index value is below an attribute threshold level.
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Abstract
A method for transmitting messages over a datalink communication system is disclosed. The method comprises assigning each message a cost index value based on prescribed factors for at least one message transmission attribute of the message and transmitting each message that satisfies a select transmission attribute over at least one mobile communications sub-network associated with a datalink communication system.
28 Citations
17 Claims
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1. A method for transmitting messages over a datalink communication system, the method comprising:
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assigning each message a cost index value based on prescribed factors for at least one message transmission attribute of the message, wherein the prescribed factors include at least a message priority level, and wherein assigning each of the messages the cost index value further comprises defining the cost index value based on a message transmission schedule including at least one of a geographic region, available transmission mediums and message transmission cost within the geographic region; assigning each of a plurality of mobile communication sub-networks a service cost index; selecting a first mobile communications sub-network from the plurality of mobile communications sub-networks currently available based on a comparison between the cost index value assigned to the message and the service cost index values assigned to each of the plurality of mobile communication sub-networks, wherein each mobile communications sub-network is associated with one of a plurality of service providers; and transmitting each message that satisfies the message transmission attribute over the first mobile communications sub-network associated with a datalink communication system; and queuing the messages for later transmission once the cost index value is below an attribute threshold level. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
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5. A datalink communication system, comprising:
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at least one communications management unit having a datalink processing unit, the datalink processing unit operable to manage message transmissions by assigning each of the messages a cost index value, wherein assigning each of the messages the cost index value further comprises defining the cost index value based on a message transmission schedule including at least one of geographic region, and access to one or more mobile communications sub-networks each with an assigned service cost index associated with a datalink communication system, and message transmission cost within the geographic region; at least one air-ground communications transceiver in operative communications with the communications management unit, wherein the at least one air-ground communications transceiver operable to transmit at least one of the messages at an appropriate time to at least one of the mobile communications sub-networks based on the assigned service cost index and the cost index value; and a plurality of datalink terminals in operative communication with the at least one communications management unit, each datalink terminal operable to store at least one of the messages when the cost index value of the message is below an attribute threshold level for later transmission until at least one of the mobile communications sub-networks considered to operate substantially within prescribed criteria becomes available to the at least one air-ground communications. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A method of providing cost containment of mobile datalink communications using a communications management unit, the method comprising:
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assigning each of a plurality of mobile communication sub-networks a service cost index; identifying a service provider sub-network among a plurality of mobile communication sub-networks from a plurality of service providers for transmitting messages from the communications management unit based on a current location; selectively assigning a cost index value for each message to be transmitted; wherein assigning each of the messages the cost index value further comprises defining the cost index value based on a message transmission schedule including at least one of a geographic region, available transmission mediums and message transmission cost within the geographic region; transmitting each of the messages at an appropriate time based on the availability and the service cost index of the identified service provider mobile communication sub-network and the selected cost index value; and queuing the messages for later transmission once the cost index value is below an attribute threshold level. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17)
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Specification