Layer-2 connectivity from switch to access node/gateway

• US 10,680,704 B2
• Filed: 01/18/2019
• Issued: 06/09/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 04/17/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ViaSat Incorporated
• Original Assignee: ViaSat Incorporated
• Inventors: Foxworthy, Michael, Chandran, Girish, Lau, Jason
• Primary Examiner(s): Kamara, Mohamed A
• Application Number:
  US16/251,360
• Publication Number:
  US 20190356382A1
• Time in Patent Office: 508 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18513 Transmission in a satellite or space-based system
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18571 for satellites; for fixed or mobile stations
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18582 Arrangements for data linking, i.e. for data framing, for error recovery, for multiple access
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/4645 Details on frame tagging routing of packets H04L45/00; support for virtual LAN H04L49/354
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5007 Internet protocol [IP] addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks

Abstract

Methods, systems, and apparatuses for providing layer-2 connectivity through a non-routed ground segment network, are described. A system includes a non-autonomous gateway in communication with a satellite configured to relay data packets. The non-autonomous gateway is configured to receive the data packets from the satellite at layer-1 (L1) of the OSI-model, generate a plurality of virtual tagging tuples within the layer-2 packet headers of the plurality of data packets. The non-autonomous gateway is further configured to transmit, at layer-2 (L2) of the OSI-model, the virtually tagged data packets. Each of the packets may include a virtual tagging tuple and an entity destination. The system further includes a L2 switch in communication with the non-autonomous gateway. The L2 switch may be configured to receive the data packets and transmit the data packets to the entity based on the virtual tuples associated with each of the data packets.

Claims

1. A method of satellite communication, the method comprising:

providing communication service for a mobile device via a first spot beam of a first satellite;

obtaining session information associated with a communication session for the mobile device, wherein the first satellite is serviced by a first gateway having the session information;

communicating, via the first spot beam, first communications of the communication session using the session information;

transitioning the communication service of the mobile device to a second spot beam of a second satellite when the mobile device is within the second spot beam, wherein the second satellite is serviced by a second gateway, the second gateway having the session information, and wherein the transitioning of the communication service comprises changing from the first gateway to the second gateway; and

communicating, via the second spot beam, second communications of the communication session of the mobile device using the session information.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the second gateway obtains the session information prior to the transitioning of the communication service of the mobile device to the second spot beam of the second satellite.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the second gateway obtains the session information from the first gateway via a core node.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the core node and the first and second gateways are on the same non-routed network.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first gateway or the second gateway is a non-autonomous gateway.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the first satellite is associated with a first frequency band and the second satellite is associated with a second frequency band.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the first frequency band corresponds to KA-band and the second frequency band corresponds to KU-band.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the first satellite services a first plurality of spot beams and the second satellite services a second plurality of spot beams.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the first satellite provides the communication service within a first coverage area and the second satellite provides the communication service within a second coverage area.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying that the mobile device is within an overlap of the first spot beam and the second spot beam, wherein the transitioning of the communication service of the mobile device to the second spot beam of the second satellite is in response the identifying.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the session information includes application information of an application executing on the mobile device.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the communication session is between the mobile device and an external network.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the communication session is associated with an application executing on the mobile device.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein the communication session is a virtual private network session.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile device is one of a smartphone, a PDA, a laptop computer, a mobile computer, or a cellular telephone.

6. A method of satellite communication, the method comprising:

providing communication service for a mobile device via a first spot beam of a first satellite;

obtaining session information associated with a communication session for the mobile device;

communicating, via the first spot beam, first communications of the communication session using the session information;

transitioning the communication service of the mobile device to a second spot beam of a second satellite when the mobile device is within the second spot beam, wherein the first satellite is a first type of satellite and the second satellite is a second type of satellite; and

communicating, via the second spot beam, second communications of the communication session of the mobile device using the session information.

21. The method of claim 6, wherein:

the first satellite is serviced by a first gateway having the session information;

the second satellite is serviced by a second gateway, the second gateway having the session information; and

the transitioning of the communication service comprises changing from the first gateway to the second gateway.

22. The method of claim 6, wherein the first satellite is associated with a first frequency band and the second satellite is associated with a second frequency band.

23. The method of claim 6, wherein the first satellite services a first plurality of spot beams and the second satellite services a second plurality of spot beams.

24. The method of claim 6, wherein the first satellite provides the communication service within a first coverage area and the second satellite provides the communication service within a second coverage area.

25. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

identifying that the mobile device is within an overlap of the first spot beam and the second spot beam, wherein the transitioning of the communication service of the mobile device to the second spot beam of the second satellite is in response the identifying.

26. The method of claim 6, wherein the mobile device remains within the same network when the communication service of the mobile device transitions from the first spot beam to the second spot beam.

12. A method of satellite communication, the method comprising:

providing communication service for a mobile device via a first spot beam of a first satellite;

obtaining session information associated with a communication session for the mobile device, wherein the session information includes an IP address of the mobile device;

communicating, via the first spot beam, first communications of the communication session using the session information;

transitioning the communication service of the mobile device to a second spot beam of a second satellite when the mobile device is within the second spot beam; and

communicating, via the second spot beam, second communications of the communication session of the mobile device using the session information.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the IP address is associated with a local area network.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the IP address is a subnet address.

27. The method of claim 12, wherein:

the first satellite is serviced by a first gateway having the session information;

the second satellite is serviced by a second gateway, the second gateway having the session information; and

the transitioning of the communication service comprises changing from the first gateway to the second gateway.

28. The method of claim 12, wherein the session information includes application information of an application executing on the mobile device.

29. The method of claim 12, wherein the mobile device remains within the same network when the communication service of the mobile device transitions from the first spot beam to the second spot beam.

16. A method of satellite communication, the method comprising:

providing communication service for a mobile device via a first spot beam of a first satellite;

obtaining session information associated with a communication session for the mobile device;

communicating, via the first spot beam, first communications of the communication session using the session information;

transitioning the communication service of the mobile device to a second spot beam of a second satellite when the mobile device is within the second spot beam, wherein the mobile device remains within the same network when the communication service of the mobile device transitions from the first spot beam to the second spot beam; and

communicating, via the second spot beam, second communications of the communication session of the mobile device using the session information.

30. The method of claim 16, wherein the first satellite services a first plurality of spot beams and the second satellite services a second plurality of spot beams.

31. The method of claim 16, wherein the first satellite provides the communication service within a first coverage area and the second satellite provides the communication service within a second coverage area.

32. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

identifying that the mobile device is within an overlap of the first spot beam and the second spot beam, wherein the transitioning of the communication service of the mobile device to the second spot beam of the second satellite is in response the identifying.

33. The method of claim 16, wherein the session information includes application information of an application executing on the mobile device.