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

• US 8,412,851 B2
• Filed: 08/04/2010
• Issued: 04/02/2013
• 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: Giffin, Gregory, Duffield, Logan, Bravman, Joseph, Wlodyka, Mark, Magnussen, Kjell
• Primary Examiner(s): VU, VIET DUY
• Application Number:
  US12/850,426
• Publication Number:
  US 20110044236A1
• Time in Patent Office: 972 Days
• Field of Search: 709/218, 709/227, 709/229, 709/238, 709/249, 709/250
• US Class Current: 709/250
• 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. A non-transitory computer-readable medium whose contents cause at least one land- or sea-based communications terminal to perform a method to process data for wireless transmission to at least one satellite in a non-geostationary orbit, wherein the satellite is configured to store and forward data packages to a destination terminal, the method comprising:

at the communications terminal, receiving at a first time a large data file of at least 10 gigabytes,

at the communications terminal, dividing the large data file into multiple smaller groups of data;

at the communications terminal, coding the large data file for error correction after transmission of the large data file;

determining whether a quality of a wireless, high bandwidth communications channel with the satellite is acceptable;

at the communications terminal, and at a second time after the first time, transmitting the divided and coded large data file to the satellite,

when the quality of the wireless, high bandwidth communications channel is acceptable, and

when the satellite is at an originating geographic location; and

providing information to the satellite regarding the destination terminal,

wherein the satellite stores the divided and coded large data file until the satellite is within sight of the destination terminal for transmission to the destination terminal at a third time,

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 computer-readable medium of claim 1 wherein the computer-readable medium is a memory of the telecommunications server.

3. The computer-readable medium of claim 1 wherein the method further comprises:

detecting groups of data in the large data file that contain uncorrectable errors, and

requesting retransmission, over a low bandwidth communication channel, any data groups from the large data file that contain errors.

4. The computer-readable medium of claim 1 wherein the method further comprises:

monitoring a quality of the wireless, high bandwidth communications channel and

adjusting the dividing or coding of the large data file in response thereto.

5. The computer-readable medium of claim 1 wherein the method further comprises:

detecting significant loss of data groups in the large data file, and

requesting retransmission of all or a significant part of the large data file.

6. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, further comprising inserting fill blocks instead of groups of the data when the high bandwidth communications channel is unacceptable.

7. The computer-readable medium of claim 1 wherein dividing the large data file includes block coding the large data file.

8. The computer-readable medium of claim 1 wherein coding the large data file includes forward error correcting the large data file.

9. The computer-readable medium of claim 1 wherein receiving the large data file includes receiving the large data file from a terminal located on a vehicle or sea vessel.

10. The computer-readable medium of claim 1 wherein coding the large data file includes encrypting the large data file from a terminal located on a vehicle or vessel.

11. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, further comprising a satellite phone link or another satellite link to transmit a small number of data packets to the destination terminal to replace at least one group of data having errors.

12. A communications system for processing data for wireless transmission to at least one satellite in a non-geostationary orbit, wherein the satellite is configured to store and forward data packages to a destination terminal, the system comprising:

an input component for receiving at a first time a large data file of at least 10 gigabytes;

an analysis component for;

dividing the large data file into multiple smaller groups of data;

coding the large data file for error correction after transmission of the large data file;

determining whether a quality of a wireless, high bandwidth communications channel with the satellite is acceptable;

a transmission component for;

at a second time after the first time, transmitting the divided and coded large data file to the satellite,

when the quality of the wireless, high bandwidth communications channel is acceptable, and

when the satellite is at an originating geographic location; and

providing information to the satellite regarding the destination terminal,

wherein the satellite stores the divided and coded large data file until the satellite is within sight of the destination terminal for transmission to the destination terminal at a third time,

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.

13. The communications system of claim 12 wherein the communications system further comprises:

an error-checking component for;

detecting groups of data in the large data file that contain uncorrectable errors, and

requesting retransmission, over a low bandwidth communication channel, any data groups from the large data file that contain errors.

14. The communications system of claim 12 wherein the communications system further comprises:

a monitoring component for;

monitoring a quality of the wireless, high bandwidth communications channel and

adjusting the dividing or coding of the large data file in response thereto.

15. The communications system of claim 12 wherein the communications system further comprises:

an error-checking component for;

detecting significant loss of data groups in the large data file, and

requesting retransmission of all or a significant part of the large data file.

16. The communications system of claim 12, further comprising inserting fill blocks instead of groups of the data when the high bandwidth communications channel is unacceptable.

17. The communications system of claim 12 wherein dividing the large data file includes block coding the large data file.

18. The communications system of claim 12 wherein coding the large data file includes forward error correcting the large data file.

19. The communications system of claim 12 wherein receiving the large data file includes receiving the large data file from a terminal located on a vehicle or sea vessel.

20. The communications system of claim 12 wherein coding the large data file includes encrypting the large data file from a terminal located on a vehicle or vessel.

21. The communications system of claim 12, further comprising a satellite phone link or another satellite link to transmit a small number of data packets to the destination terminal to replace at least one group of data having errors.

22. A method to process data for wireless transmission to at least one satellite in a non-geostationary orbit, wherein the satellite is configured to store and forward data packages to a destination terminal, the method comprising:

at a communications terminal, receiving at a first time a large data file of at least 10 gigabytes;

at the communications terminal, dividing the large data file into multiple smaller groups of data;

at the communications terminal, coding the large data file for error correction after transmission of the large data file;

determining whether a quality of a wireless, high bandwidth communications channel with the non-geostationary orbit satellite is acceptable;

at the communications terminal, and at a second time after the first time, transmitting the divided and coded large data file to the satellite,

when the quality of the wireless, high bandwidth communications channel is acceptable, and

when the satellite is at an originating geographic location; and

providing information to the satellite regarding the destination terminal,

wherein the satellite stores the divided and coded large data file until the satellite is within sight of the destination terminal for transmission to the destination terminal at a third time,

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.

23. The method of claim 22 further comprising:

detecting groups of data in the large data file that contain uncorrectable errors, and

requesting retransmission, over a low bandwidth communication channel, any data groups from the large data file that contain errors.

24. The method of claim 22 further comprising:

monitoring a quality of the wireless, high bandwidth communications channel and

adjusting the dividing or coding of the large data file in response thereto.

25. The method of claim 22 wherein the method further comprising:

detecting significant loss of data groups in the large data file, and

requesting retransmission of all or a significant part of the large data file.