Method and system for centrally exchanging terminal information over a meshed network

• US 20030212822A1
• Filed: 05/09/2002
• Published: 11/13/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/09/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hughes Network Systems LLC (Echostar Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Hughes Network Systems LLC (Echostar Corporation)
• Inventors: Torres, Robert, Li, Hongjun, Schweinhart, Craig, Saha, Abheek, Kamath, Mahesh, Noerpel, Anthony, Verma, Sandeep
• Granted Patent: US 7,730,208 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/245
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18586 Arrangements for data transporting, e.g. for an end to end data transport or check
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/00 Network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/10 of different types
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/35 involving non-standard use of addresses for implementing network functionalities, e.g. coding subscription information within the address or functional addressing, i.e. assigning an address to a function
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/45 Network directories; Name-to-address mapping
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/303 Terminal profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

An approach is provided for communicating in a meshed network including a first terminal and a second terminal. A request from the first terminal for obtaining address information of the second terminal is submitted to a hub. The hub generates a response including the address information and the context information that specifies capabilities of the second terminal. This arrangement has particular applicability to a satellite network (e.g., Very Small Aperture Terminal (VSAT) network) that provides data communication services.

Claims

1. A method for retrieving context information over a meshed network, the method comprising:

generating a request for obtaining address information of a terminal;

transmitting the request to a hub within the meshed network; and

receiving a response from the hub, wherein the response includes the address information and the context information that specifies capabilities of the terminal.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the meshed network is a satellite network.

3. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

receiving data from a host; and

transmitting a packet containing the data to the terminal according to the context information of the terminal if the terminal is a part of a specified community of interest.

4. A method according to claim 3, wherein the response includes public key information associated with the terminal, the method further comprising:

encrypting the received data according to the public key information.

5. A method according to claim 1, wherein the capabilities include at least one of an encryption scheme, a compression scheme, a segmentation and reassembly scheme, and Quality-of-Service (QoS) parameters.

6. A terminal apparatus for retrieving context information over a meshed network, the apparatus comprising:

a processor configured to generate a request for obtaining address information of a terminal, wherein the request is forwarded to a hub within the meshed network; and

a communications interface configured to receive a response from the hub, the response including the address information and the context information that specifies capabilities of the terminal.

7. An apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the meshed network is a satellite network.

8. An apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the communications interface is further configured to transmit a packet containing data received from a host to the terminal according to the context information of the terminal if the terminal is a part of a specified community of interest.

9. An apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the response includes public key information associated with the terminal for encrypting the received data.

10. An apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the capabilities include at least one of an encryption scheme, a compression scheme, a segmentation and reassembly scheme, and Quality-of-Service (QoS) parameters.

11. A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of one or more instructions for retrieving context information over a meshed network, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform the steps of:

generating a request for obtaining address information of a terminal;

transmitting the request to a hub within the meshed network; and

receiving a response from the hub, wherein the response includes the address information and the context information that specifies capabilities of the terminal.

12. A computer-readable medium according to claim 11, wherein the meshed network is a satellite network.

13. A computer-readable medium according to claim 11, wherein the one or more processors further perform the steps of:

receiving data from a host; and

transmitting a packet containing the data to the terminal according to the context information of the terminal if the terminal is a part of a specified community of interest.

14. A computer-readable medium according to claim 13, wherein the response includes public key information associated with the terminal, the one or more processors further performing the steps of:

encrypting the received data according to the public key information.

15. A computer-readable medium according to claim 11, wherein the capabilities include at least one of an encryption scheme, a compression scheme, a segmentation and reassembly scheme, and Quality-of-Service (QoS) parameters.

16. A device for retrieving context information over a meshed network, the device comprising:

means for generating a request for obtaining address information of a terminal;

means for transmitting the request to a hub within the meshed network; and

means for receiving a response from the hub, wherein the response includes the address information and the context information that specifies capabilities of the terminal.

17. A device according to claim 16, wherein the meshed network is a satellite network.

18. A device according to claim 16, further comprising:

means for receiving data from a host; and

means for transmitting a packet containing the data to the terminal according to the context information of the terminal if the terminal is a part of a specified community of interest.

19. A device according to claim 18, wherein the response includes public key information associated with the terminal, the device further comprising:

means for encrypting the received data according to the public key information.

20. A device according to claim 16, wherein the capabilities include at least one of an encryption scheme, a compression scheme, a segmentation and reassembly scheme, and Quality-of-Service (QoS) parameters.

21. A method for communicating in a meshed network including a first terminal and a second terminal, the method comprising:

receiving a request from the first terminal for obtaining address information of the second terminal; and

generating a response including the address information and the context information that specifies capabilities of the second terminal.

22. A method according to claim 21, wherein the meshed network is a satellite network.

23. A method according to claim 21, further comprising:

determining whether the first terminal and the second terminal are part of a community of interest; and

authorizing communication between the first terminal and the second terminal based on the determining step.

24. A method according to claim 23, further comprising:

retrieving public key information from a database, wherein the response includes the public key information associated with the second terminal.

25. A method according to claim 21, wherein the capabilities include at least one of an encryption scheme, a compression scheme, a segmentation and reassembly scheme, and Quality-of-Service (QoS) parameters.

26. A method for retrieving context information over a meshed network, the method comprising:

determining whether address information of a terminal is stored locally; and

selectively generating a request, based on the determining step, for the address information and the context information that specifies capabilities of the terminal, wherein the request is forwarded to a hub within the meshed network.

27. A method according to claim 26, wherein the meshed network is a satellite network.

28. A method according to claim 26, further comprising:

receiving data from a host; and

transmitting a packet containing the data to the terminal according to the context information of the terminal if the terminal is a part of a specified community of interest.

29. A method according to claim 28, wherein the response includes public key information associated with the terminal, the method further comprising:

encrypting the received data according to the public key information.

30. A method according to claim 26, wherein the capabilities include at least one of an encryption scheme, a compression scheme, a segmentation and reassembly scheme, and Quality-of-Service (QoS) parameters.

31. A method according to claim 26, wherein the request in the generating step is generated according to an Address Resolution Protocol (ARP).

32. A method according to claim 26, further comprising:

communicating directly with the terminal to obtain the context information of the terminal, if the address information is stored locally.

33. A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of one or more instructions for retrieving context information over a meshed network, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform the steps of:

determining whether address information of a terminal is stored locally; and

selectively generating a request, based on the determining step, for the address information and the context information that specifies capabilities of the terminal, wherein the request is forwarded to a hub within the meshed network.

34. A computer-readable medium according to claim 33, wherein the meshed network is a satellite network.

35. A computer-readable medium according to claim 33, wherein the one or more processors further perform the steps of:

receiving data from a host; and

transmitting a packet containing the data to the terminal according to the context information of the terminal if the terminal is a part of a specified community of interest.

36. A computer-readable medium according to claim 35, wherein the response includes public key information associated with the terminal, and the one or more processors further perform the step of:

encrypting the received data according to the public key information.

37. A computer-readable medium according to claim 33, wherein the capabilities include at least one of an encryption scheme, a compression scheme, a segmentation and reassembly scheme, and Quality-of-Service (QoS) parameters.

38. A computer-readable medium according to claim 33, wherein the request in the generating step is generated according to an Address Resolution Protocol (ARP).

39. A computer-readable medium according to claim 33, wherein the one or more processors further perform the steps of:

communicating directly with the terminal to obtain the context information of the terminal, if the address information is stored locally.