System for communication in a tactical network

• US 9,178,829 B2
• Filed: 05/13/2014
• Issued: 11/03/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/29/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Meier, John L., Ayyagari, Arun, Smith, Brian James, Zamith, Fernando Afonso, Hanks, Carl Joseph, Howard, Ronald J., Zuver, Christopher K., Gray, Michael R.
• Primary Examiner(s): CRUTCHFIELD, CHRISTOPHER M
• Application Number:
  US14/276,716
• Publication Number:
  US 20150016248A1
• Time in Patent Office: 539 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/66 Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0893 Assignment of logical groups to network elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0894 Policy-based network configuration management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0811 by checking connectivity
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0817 by checking functioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0829 Packet loss
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0852 Delays
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0882 Utilisation of link capacity
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/2475 for supporting traffic characterised by the type of applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5007 Internet protocol [IP] addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1004 Server selection for load balancing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1008 based on parameters of servers, e.g. available memory or workload monitoring of computer activity G06F11/30
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1014 based on the content of a request
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/288 Distributed intermediate devices, i.e. intermediate devices for interaction with other intermediate devices on the same level
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/568 Storing data temporarily at an intermediate stage, e.g. caching
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/088 among core entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/246 Connectivity information discovery
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/16 Gateway arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/24 between backbone network devices

Abstract

A system is described for communication in a tactical network. A gateway is communicatively couplable to one or more tactical nodes and to one or more other gateways. The gateway is programmed to transmit information to and/or receive information from other gateways. Information exchanged includes gateway attributes, link attributes, service availability, and/or data availability. The gateway optionally provides quality of service, distributed persistence, load balancing, and/or transformation services. Services are provided in a modular, service-oriented architecture (SOA) to accommodate the addition of services and/or applications.

Claims

1. A system for communicating with a tactical node, said system comprising:

the tactical node;

a first gateway communicatively coupled to a tactical node and to a global network, said first gateway programmed to;

determine a local identifier for said tactical node;

associate a global network address with the tactical node, the global network address comprising a unique identifier within the global network;

in response to receiving a message directed to the global network address, transmit the message to said tactical node;

store data from the tactical node to create stored tactical node data;

transmit a data availability message describing the stored tactical node data; and

transmit the stored tactical node data; and

a second gateway communicatively coupled to said first gateway, said second gateway programmed to;

receive from said first gateway the data availability message;

in response to a first data request from a client node, transmit to said first gateway a second data request for the stored tactical node data based on the received data availability message;

receive from said first gateway the tactical node data; and

transmit the tactical node data to the client node.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein said first gateway is communicatively coupled to said tactical node via a serial communication interface.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the client node is a first client node, and wherein said second gateway is further programmed to:

store the tactical node data in a memory area; and

in response to a third data request from a second client node, transmit the tactical node data from the memory area to the second client node.

4. A system for communicating with a tactical node, said system comprising:

a first gateway communicatively coupled to a tactical node, said first gateway programmed to;

store data from the tactical node to create stored tactical node data;

transmit a data availability message describing the stored tactical node data; and

transmit the stored tactical node data; and

a second gateway communicatively coupled to said first gateway and to a global network, said second gateway programmed to;

receive from said first gateway the data availability message;

in response to a first data request received from a client node via the global network, transmit to said first gateway a second data request for the stored tactical node data based on the received data availability message;

receive from said first gateway the tactical node data; and

transmit the tactical node data to the client node via the global network.

5. A system for communicating with a tactical node, said system comprising:

a first gateway communicatively coupled to a tactical node, said first gateway programmed to;

store data from the tactical node to create stored tactical node data;

transmit a data availability message describing the stored tactical node data;

transmit the stored tactical node data;

provide an application service; and

transmit a service availability message describing the application service; and

a second gateway communicatively coupled to said first gateway, said second gateway programmed to;

receive from said first gateway the data availability message;

in response to a first data request from a remote device, transmit to said first gateway a second data request for the stored tactical node data based on the received data availability message;

receive from said first gateway the tactical node data;

transmit the tactical node data to the remote device;

receive the service availability message; and

in response to a first execution request for the application service, transmit a second execution request to said first gateway based on the received service availability message.