Skypoint for mobile hotspots

• US 9,119,179 B1
• Filed: 06/06/2013
• Issued: 08/25/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/06/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: BAE Systems Information and Electronic Systems Integration Incorporated (BAE Systems Plc)
• Original Assignee: BAE Systems Information and Electronic Systems Integration Incorporated (BAE Systems Plc)
• Inventors: Firoiu, Victor, LaPrise, Scott B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Tu X
• Application Number:
  US13/911,749
• Time in Patent Office: 810 Days
• Field of Search: 455/432.1, 455/436
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18506 Communications with or from aircraft, i.e. aeronautical mobile service
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/18 Network planning tools
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/22 Traffic simulation tools or models
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/30 Connection release

Abstract

A system and method for dynamically planning a network is presented. One method may begin by determining network parameters for connecting nodes to a network and decision variables associated with radios and/or nodes in the network. Constraints may be established to narrow possible values of the network parameters and/or the decision variables. The constraints may be based on one or more of: values associated with connecting a radio to a node in the network, values associated with connecting two nodes in the network together over a communication link, whether a node can connect to a GIG node and a flow balance in the GIG node. To find possible links in the network that are optimal, the method may minimize an equation based on the network parameters, constraints and decision variables to determine optimal communication links between pairs of nodes in the network, pairs of nodes and radios and/or pairs of radios.

Claims

1. A method of dynamically planning a network comprising:

determining one or more desired network parameters for connecting nodes to a network;

determining one or more decision variables regarding one or more of the group of;

(a) radios in the network and (b) nodes in the network;

determining constraints to narrow possible values of one or more of the group of;

(a) the network parameters and (b) the decision variables based on one or more of the group of;

(a) values associated with connecting a radio to a node in the network, (b) values associated with connecting two nodes in the network together over a communication link, (c) whether a node can connect to a global information grid (GIG) node and (d) a flow balance in the GIG node;

for each possible communication link in the network, minimizing an equation based on the network parameters, constraints and decision variables to determine a plurality of optimal communication links between one or more of the group of;

(a) pairs of nodes in the network, (b) pairs of nodes and radios and (c) pairs of radios; and

establishing at least one of the optimal communication links in the network;

wherein the determining one or more desired network parameters further comprises;

determining a cost of creating links between at least one pair of a plurality of nodes on the network, wherein a pair of nodes is represented by m and n, wherein c(m, n, t) represents the cost of a link between each pair of nodes, and wherein t is time;

determining a penalty of disconnecting at least one of the plurality of nodes m from the GIG as expressed by C(m, t); and

determining for a plurality of radios in the network if at least one radio can connect to another radio, wherein i and j represent a pair of radios in the network, and wherein whether i and j can be connected is expressed by q(m, i, n, j, t).

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the equation represents a minimum total path cost of the links to be created in the network.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the determining one or more decision variables further comprises:

determining whether radio i on node m can connect to radio j on node n as expressed by y(m, i, n, j, t);

determining a flow between node m and node n as expressed by x(m, n, t); and

determining if m has a path to the GIG as expressed by b(m, t).

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the minimizing an equation further comprises minimizing:

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the determining constraints further comprises:

determining if radio i can only be connected to with one other radio as, wherein that determination is represented by Σ

_n,jy(m, i, n, j, t)≦

1;

determining a representation of how radio connections are limited by physical constraints as represented by y(m, i, n, j, t)≦

q(m, i, n, j, t);

determining if flow from m to n=0 if m and n are not connected as represented by x(m, n, t)≦

Σ

_i,jy(m, i, n, j, t), wherein N is the total number of nodes in the network;

determining if m is connected to the GIG as represented by Σ

_nx(m, n, t)−

Σ

_nx(n, m, t)=b(m, t);

determining a flow balance in the GIG as represented by Σ

_nx(n, 0, t)−

Σ

_nx(0, n, t)=Σ

<sub>m≠

0</sub>b(m, t).

6. The method of claim 5 wherein q(m, i, n, j, t)=0 and y(m, i, n, j, t)=0 when radios i and radio j cannot connect, otherwise q(m, i, n, j, t)=1;

x(m, n, t)=a data rate between node m and node n; and

b(m, t)=0 if node m has no path to the GIG.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the determining one or more desired network parameters further comprises:

determining for a plurality of radios in the network if pairs of radios can connect to each other.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising:

determining the connectivity predictor based, at least in part, on one or more of the group of;

field-of-regard of an antenna of radio i, line of sight (LOS) obstructions between radio i and radio j, frequency matching between radio i and radio j, angles between antennas on radio i and radio j, a distance between radio i and radio j, and the polarities antennas on radio i and radio j.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein the connectivity predictor is limited by one or more of the constraints.

10. The method of claim 7 wherein the determining the connectivity predictor further comprises:

determining a first data link quality value between radio j and radio i; and

determining a second data link quality value between radio j and radio k, wherein the second data link quality value as compared to the first data link quality value indicates to the equation for minimizing link cost that forming a link between radio j and radio k before a current link between radio j and radio i is lost is highly desirable.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising:

performing the method in an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) while in flight.

12. The method of dynamically planning a network of claim 11 wherein radio j is a millimeter wave (mmW) radio in the UAV.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the minimizing an equation further comprises:

minimizing the equation to determine a plurality of optimal communication links in parallel in two or more of the group of;

nodes in the network and radios in the network.

14. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of:

sending from a local node in the network to other nodes in the network at least one of the group of local decision parameters and local constraints calculated at the local node.

15. A method of proactively switching between radio links comprising:

establishing a first communication link between a first radio of an object that is in motion and a second radio;

determining a first radio link quality value between the first radio and the second radio, wherein the first radio link quality value is based, at least in part, on a parameter associated with a first movement of the object;

determining a second radio link quality value between the first radio and a third radio, wherein the second radio link quality value is based, at least in part, on a parameter associated with a predicted future second movement of the object;

determining a second communications link to establish between the first radio and the second radio based, at least in part, on the first link quality value and the second link quality value;

establishing the second communication link;

deactivating the first communication link; and

determining one or more desired network parameters including;

determining a cost of creating links between at least one pair linked nodes, wherein a pair of linked nodes is represented by m and n, wherein c(m, n, t) represents the cost of a link between each pair of nodes, and wherein t is time;

determining a penalty of disconnecting at least one of the plurality of nodes m from a global information grid (GIG) node as expressed by C(m, t); and

determining for the first and second radios in the network if the first radio can connect to the second radio, wherein i and j represent the first and second radios, respectively, in the network, and wherein whether i and j can be connected is expressed by q(m, i, n, j, t).

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the parameter associated with the first movement object is selected from at least one of the group of:

a current position of the object, an orientation of the object, a velocity of the object, and expected future position of the object.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the object is an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) and the expected future position of the object is an expected flight path.

18. A system comprising:

a plurality of nodes;

a plurality of connectivity predictor logics respectively located in the nodes;

a plurality of real-time distributed network planner logics respectively located in the nodes; and

radio control logic;

wherein the plurality of nodes comprises a local node and an additional node within wireless range of the local node;

the plurality of connectivity predictor logics comprises a local connectivity predictor logic located in the local node;

each connectivity predictor logic is configured to predict future possible wireless communication links between the local node and the additional node;

the local connectivity predictor logic is configured to predict the future wireless communication links based, at least in part, on one or more of the group of;

(a) a field-of-regard of an antenna of the local node, (b) line of sight obstructions between the local node and another node, (c) frequency matching between the local node and a radio, (d) an angle between antennas on the local node and a radio, (e) a distance between the local node and a radio, and (f) polarities of antennas on the local node and a radio;

each distributed network planner logic is configured to determine an optimal communication link to be established between the local node and the additional node based, at least in part, on the future wireless communication links predicted by the local connectivity predictor logic;

the radio control logic is configured to establish the optimal communication link; and

one or more desired network parameters including;

a cost of creating links between at least one pair of the plurality of nodes on a network, wherein a pair of nodes is represented by m and n, wherein c(m, n, t) represents the cost of a link between each pair of nodes, and wherein t is time;

a penalty of disconnecting at least one of the plurality of nodes m from a global information grid (GIG) node as expressed by C(m, t); and

determining for a plurality of radios in the network if at least one radio can connect to another radio, wherein i and j represent a pair of radios in the network, and wherein whether i and j can be connected is expressed by q(m, i, n, j, t).

19. The system of claim 18 wherein each of the real-time distributed network planner logics determines optimal communication links using a same algorithm in a distributed arrangement, and each of the real-time distributed network planner logics is configured to communicate to the other real-time distributed network planner logics (a) optimal communication links and (b) values which are used by the local connectivity predictor logic to predict future wireless communication links.