Waveform-independent contention access in a wireless hub-spoke network using IP packets

• US 8,289,985 B1
• Filed: 06/23/2010
• Issued: 10/16/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/23/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: L3 Technologies, Inc. (L3Harris Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: L-3 Communications Corporation (L3Harris Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Unice, W. Kyle
• Primary Examiner(s): Pham, Brenda H
• Application Number:
  US12/821,900
• Time in Patent Office: 846 Days
• Field of Search: 370/310.2, 370/328, 370/349, 370/395.41, 370/414, 370/431, 370/445, 370/447
• US Class Current: 370/414
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/28 characterised by path configuration, e.g. LAN [Local Area Networks] or WAN [Wide Area Networks] wireless communication networks H04W ; arrangements for dividing the transmission path H04W40/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/21 in the uplink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/23 in the downlink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards a terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/08 Non-scheduled access, e.g. ALOHA hybrid access H04W74/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/085 collision avoidance
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/00 Connection management

Abstract

Methods and terminals can use Internet Protocol (IP) packets for waveform independent contention access in a hub-spoke network. In some embodiments, a spoke terminal can transmit a link allocation packet on an uplink when the uplink is available and the spoke terminal has data to transmit. The link allocation packet can be embedded within an IP packet. When the spoke terminal receives the link allocation packet on the downlink, the spoke terminal can transmit one or more IP packets with data, followed by a link release packet. The link release packet can be embedded within an IP packet.

Claims

1. A method for waveform independent contention access in a hub-spoke network having a hub terminal and a plurality of spoke terminals, wherein communication from the spoke terminals to the hub terminal is via an uplink and communication from the hub terminal to the spoke terminals is via a downlink, the method comprising:

repeatedly transmitting a link allocation packet on the uplink from a first spoke terminal when the first spoke terminal has data to transmit and reception of the downlink by the first spoke terminal indicates that the uplink is available, wherein the link allocation packet is encapsulated within an internet protocol packet and comprises a transmit spoke terminal identifier;

retransmitting on the downlink at least some of the internet protocol packets received on the uplink by the hub terminal;

transmitting at least a portion of the data in one or more internet protocol data packets on the uplink from the first spoke terminal after a link allocation packet is received on the downlink and the transmit spoke terminal identifier of the link allocation packet corresponds to the first spoke terminal; and

transmitting a link release packet on the uplink from the first spoke terminal following the one or more data packets, wherein the link release packet is encapsulated within an internet protocol packet.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the repeatedly transmitting comprises determining that the uplink is available when any of:

a link release packet is received on the downlink; and

a hub epoch packet is received on the downlink, and the hub epoch packet indicates no spoke terminals are present in the network.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising determining that the uplink is unavailable when any of:

a link allocation packet from a different spoke terminal is received on the downlink; and

a transmission from the first spoke terminal on the uplink in not received on the downlink within a diameter time of the hub-spoke network.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the repeatedly transmitting comprises waiting a random back-off time after the uplink is available to begin transmitting the link allocation packet.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the random back-off time is a function of the number of spoke terminals in the hub-spoke network.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the repeatedly transmitting comprises transmitting a random number of link allocation packets.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving the at least a portion of the data encapsulated in one or more internet protocol packets on the downlink at a second spoke terminal.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the uplink uses a first frequency and the downlink uses a second frequency, wherein the first frequency is different from the second frequency.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the uplink uses a first waveform and the downlink uses a second waveform, wherein the first waveform is different from the second waveform.

10. A spoke terminal apparatus for obtaining waveform independent contention access to a shared wireless communications channel in a hub-spoke network, the apparatus comprising:

a wireless transmitter capable of transmitting data embedded within internet protocol packets encoded within a wireless signal on an uplink;

a wireless receiver capable of receiving data embedded within internet protocol packets encoded within a wireless signal on a downlink;

a data queue coupled to the wireless transmitter wherein a data output of the data queue provides data packets embedded within internet protocol packets to the wireless transmitter; and

an access controller coupled to the wireless transmitter and the wireless receiver, the access controller having a data output coupled to the wireless transmitter and a data input coupled to the wireless receiver, wherein the access controller;

provides link allocation packets embedded within internet protocol packets to the transmitter when data is waiting in the data queue for transmission,

enables transmission of the link allocation packets when a link release packet transmitted by a different spoke terminal is received on the downlink by the wireless receiver,

enables transmission of the data packets when a link allocation packet transmitted by the wireless transmitter is received on the downlink by the wireless receiver,

disables transmission from the transmitter when a link allocation packet transmitted by a different spoke terminal is received on the downlink by the wireless receiver,

disables transmission from the transmitter when any of link allocation packets and data packets transmitted by the wireless transmitter are not received on the downlink within the diameter time of the hub-spoke network, and

provides a link release packet embedded within an internet protocol packet to the transmitter when transmission of data is complete.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein transmission of data is complete when transmission of data packets has occurred for a predefined transmission time interval.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein transmission of data is complete when transmission of data packets has occurred for a predefined number of internet protocol packets.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein transmission of data is complete when no data is waiting in the data queue for transmission.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the access controller implements a random back-off prior to enabling transmission of the link allocation packets.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein the access controller clears transmitted data from the queue when the link release packet is received on the downlink.

16. The system of claim 10, wherein the access controller disables transmission if the downlink is lost.

17. The system of claim 10, wherein the access controller enables transmission of the link allocation packets when reception of a hub epoch packet on the downlink indicates no spoke terminals are present in the network.

18. The system of claim 10, wherein the wireless receiver receives on a first frequency and the wireless transmitter transmits on a second frequency different from the first frequency so that the wireless receiver and wireless transmitter are capable of full duplex operation.

19. A spoke terminal apparatus for obtaining waveform independent contention access to a shared wireless communications channel in a hub-spoke network having a hub terminal and a plurality of spoke terminals, wherein communication to the hub terminal is via an uplink and communication from the hub terminal is via a downlink, and communications uses internet protocols, the apparatus comprising:

means for receiving internet protocol packets on the downlink, wherein the internet protocol packets are encoded within a wireless signal on the downlink;

means for transmitting internet protocol packets on the uplink, wherein the internet protocol packets are encoded within a wireless signal on the uplink;

means for providing link allocation packets to the means for transmitting when the means for receiving indicates that the uplink is available, wherein the link allocation packet is encapsulated within an internet protocol packet;

means for providing at least one data packet to the means for transmitting when the means for receiving has received a link allocation packet on the downlink and the link allocation packet corresponds to the spoke terminal, wherein the at least one data packet is encapsulated within one or more internet protocol packets; and

means for providing a link release packet to the means for transmitting following the at least one data packet, wherein the link release packet is encapsulated within an internet protocol packet.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the means for receiving determines when the uplink is available based on a reception of link release packets on the downlink.

21. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the means for receiving determines when the uplink is available based on a reception of hub epoch packets on the downlink.

22. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the means for providing link allocation packets waits a random back-off time after the uplink is available before providing the link allocation packets to the means for transmitting.

23. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the random back-off time is a function of the number of spoke terminals in the hub-spoke network.

24. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the random back-off time is a function of the diameter time of the hub-spoke network.

25. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the means for providing link allocation packets provides a random number of link allocation packets.

26. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the means for providing a link release packet provides the link release packet to the means for transmitting when all of the data waiting for transmission has been transmitted.

27. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the means for providing a link release packet provides the link release packet when any of:

a predefined time interval following the first of the at least one data packets has elapsed, and

a predefined number of data packets have been transmitted.

28. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the means for receiving and the means for transmitting each operate on a different wireless frequency to enable full duplex operation.