Dynamic Routing From Space

• US 20080170536A1
• Filed: 01/04/2008
• Published: 07/17/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/12/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DNA Global Solutions
• Original Assignee: Leoterra, LLC
• Inventors: Tudor, Geoffrey, Fellows, Andrew, Nozette, Stewart, Mehlman, Amy, Marshack, David
• Granted Patent: US 8,665,777 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/316
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18513 Transmission in a satellite or space-based system
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18521 Systems of inter linked satellites, i.e. inter satellite service for optical links between satellites H04B10/118
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/1858 Arrangements for data transmission on the physical system, i.e. for data bit transmission between network components
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/20 based on geographic position or location

Abstract

A satellite communication network includes one or more satellites and multiple ground stations, or ground stations. An originating ground station receives an Internet communication, determines when a satellite will be within range, and transmits a stream of data packets including part or all of the communication to the satellite when in communication range. The satellite either forwards the data packets to another satellite, or determines when a destination ground station will be in sight and transmits the data packets to the destination ground station when in range.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving, at an origin mobile ground station, data via a network;

determining, at the origin mobile ground station, a predicted location of the origin mobile ground station based on a current position, heading and velocity of the origin mobile ground station;

dynamically selecting, at the origin mobile ground station, a first satellite within communication range of the predicted location;

determining, at the origin mobile ground station, a first radio frequency and a first data transmission rate supported by the first satellite;

transmitting, when the origin mobile ground station reaches the predicted location, the data from the origin mobile ground station to the first satellite via the determined first radio frequency and first data transmission rate;

determining, at the origin mobile ground station, when the first satellite will go out of communication range of the origin mobile ground station;

transmitting a request from the origin mobile ground station to the first satellite before the first satellite is determined to go out of communication range, the request verifying whether transmitting of the data has been completed; and

transmitting, if a response to the request is received verifying that transmitting of the data has not been completed or if no response to the request is received, a flag from the origin mobile ground station to the first satellite, the flag indicating that the data is incomplete.

2. The method of claim 1,

determining, at the first satellite, a first geographical footprint based on a communication capability of the first satellite, the first geographical footprint including the predicted location;

determining, at the first satellite, the radio frequency based on the first geographical footprint;

monitoring, at the first satellite, the radio frequency;

receiving, at the first satellite, the data via the radio frequency;

determining, at the first satellite, a destination ground station based on header information included with the data;

dynamically selecting, at the first satellite, a second satellite that is or is predicted to be physically closer to the destination ground station than the first satellite;

determining, at the first satellite, a transmission medium supported by the first satellite and the second satellite; and

transmitting the data from the first satellite to the second satellite via the transmission medium, when the second satellite is expected to be within communication range of the first satellite.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

determining, at the second satellite, the destination ground station based on the header information;

determining, at the second satellite, when the destination ground station will be within communication range of the second satellite;

transmitting the data from the second satellite to the first satellite when the destination ground station is determined to be within communication range of the second satellite; and

erasing, at the second satellite, the data.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

determining, at the first satellite, a destination ground station based on header information included with the data;

determining, at the first satellite, that the destination ground station is within a first geographical footprint of the first satellite based on a communication capability of the first satellite;

determining, at the first satellite, a second radio frequency and a second data transmission rate supported by the destination ground station; and

transmitting, when it is determined that the first satellite and the destination ground station are within the first geographical footprint, the data from the first satellite to the destination ground station.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first satellite is a low earth orbit (LEO) satellite.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first satellite is dynamically selected further based on Internet Protocol (IP) routing.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the first satellite is dynamically selected further based on ephemeris information of the first satellite.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the network is an Internet network.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising, if a response to the request is received verifying that transmitting of the data has not been completed or if no response to the request is received:

determining, at the origin mobile ground station, a second predicted location of the origin mobile ground station;

dynamically selecting, at the origin mobile ground station, a second satellite within communication range of the second predicted location;

determining, at the origin mobile ground station, a second radio frequency and a second data transmission rate supported by the second satellite;

transmitting, when the origin mobile ground station reaches the second predicted location, at least a portion of the data from the origin mobile ground station to the second satellite via the determined second radio frequency and second data transmission rate;

determining, at the origin mobile ground station, when the second satellite will go out of communication range of the origin mobile ground station;

transmitting a second request from the origin mobile ground station to the second satellite before second satellite is determined to go out of communication range, the request verifying whether transmitting of the at least the portion of the data has been completed; and

transmitting, if a second response to the second request is received verifying that transmitting of the at least the portion of the data has not been completed or if no response to the second request is received, a second flag from the origin mobile ground station to the second satellite, the flag indicating that the data is incomplete.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting the data from the first satellite to a destination ground station without transmitting the data to a second satellite.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a first portion of the data at the first satellite before the first satellite goes out of communication range of the origin mobile ground station;

receiving a second portion of the data at the first satellite after the first satellite goes out of communication range and re-enters the communication range of the origin mobile ground station;

combining, at the first satellite, the first and second portions of the data; and

transmitting the combined first and second portions of the data to a destination ground station.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

receiving, at the satellite, a duplicate copy of the first or second portions of the data;

determining that the duplicate copy is a duplicate of the received first or second portions of the data; and

erasing the duplicate copy.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the data comprises a stream of Internet Protocol (IP) packets.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting the data from the first satellite to a second satellite based on determining, at the first satellite, that the second satellite is closer to a destination ground station than the first satellite based on ephemeris information of the first and second satellites;

transmitting the data from the second satellite to a third satellite based on determining, at the second satellite, that the third satellite is closer to the destination ground station than the second satellite based on ephemeris information of the second and third satellites;

transmitting the data from the third satellite to a fourth satellite based on determining, at the third satellite, that the fourth satellite is closer to the destination ground station than the third satellite based on ephemeris information of the third and fourth satellites; and

transmitting the data from the fourth satellite to the destination ground station.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting an indicia of the predicted location to from the origin mobile ground station to the first satellite.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

accessing ephemeris data calculated by an on-board astrodynamics calculator and received from other available network satellites;

accessing an on-board Internet routing table describing distance or cost information of the other available network satellites; and

determining whether to forward the data to one of the other available network satellites based on the accessed ephemeris data and the on-board Internet routing table.

17. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

accessing availability data describing current and future availability of other network satellites;

accessing ephemeris data calculated by an on-board astrodynamics calculator and received from the other available network satellites;

accessing an on-board Internet routing table describing distance or cost information of the other available network satellites;

accessing a list of currently available ground stations that are not a destination ground station; and

determining whether to route the data to an other available network satellite or to an available ground station on the list of currently available ground stations based on the availability data, the ephemeris data, and the on-board Internet routing table.

18. A device comprising:

an interface configured to receive data via a network;

a processor configured to;

determine a predicted location of an origin mobile ground station based on a current position, heading and velocity of the origin mobile ground station,

dynamically select a first satellite within communication range of the predicted location,

determine a first radio frequency and a first data transmission rate supported by the first satellite, and

determine when the first satellite will go out of communication range of the origin mobile ground station; and

a transmitter configured to;

transmit, when the origin mobile ground station reaches the predicted location, the data to the first satellite via the determined first radio frequency and first data transmission rate,

transmit a request to the first satellite before the first satellite is determined to go out of communication range, the request verifying whether transmitting of the data has been completed, and

transmit, if a response to the request is received verifying that transmitting of the data has not been completed or if no response to the request is received, a flag to the first satellite, the flag indicating that the data is incomplete.

19. A computer program product, tangibly embodied in a machine-readable medium, the computer program product comprising instructions that, when read by a machine, operate to cause data processing apparatus to:

receive data via a network;

determine a predicted location of an origin mobile ground station based on a current position, heading and velocity of the origin mobile ground station;

dynamically select a first satellite within communication range of the predicted location;

determine a first radio frequency and a first data transmission rate supported by the first satellite;

transmit, when the origin mobile ground station reaches the predicted location, the data to the first satellite via the determined first radio frequency and first data transmission rate;

determine when the first satellite will go out of communication range of the origin mobile ground station;

transmit a request to the first satellite before the first satellite is determined to go out of communication range, the request verifying whether transmitting of the data has been completed; and

transmit, if a response to the request is received verifying that transmitting of the data has not been completed or if no response to the request is received, a flag to the first satellite, the flag indicating that the data is incomplete.

20. A computer-implemented method for effecting broadband Internet access from space using a single satellite, comprising:

routing Internet data from an origin ground station to a satellite based on predicting that the satellite is within communication range of the origin ground station;

storing the Internet data on the satellite until the satellite travels within predicted communication range of the destination ground station; and

routing the Internet data to the destination ground station when the satellite is within the predicted communication range.