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

• US 7,730,208 B2
• Filed: 05/09/2002
• Issued: 06/01/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/09/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hughes Network Systems LLC (Echostar Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Hughes Network Systems Incorporated (Echostar Corporation)
• Inventors: Li, Hongjun, Schweinhart, Craig, Saha, Abheek, Kamath, Mahesh, Verma, Sandeep, Torres, Robert, Noerpel, Anthony
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Van H
• Application Number:
  US10/142,594
• Publication Number:
  US 20030212822A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,945 Days
• Field of Search: 370255-352, 370/394, 370/490, 709202-245, 717168-174, 713/170, 455/12.1
• US Class Current: 709/244
• 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 compatibility context information over a meshed network, the method comprising:

generating a request for obtaining address information for establishing a communication connection with a terminal;

setting up the communication connection with a transmission mode set for acceptance with the capabilities of the terminal;

transmitting the request to a hub within the meshed network;

receiving a response from the hub, wherein the response includes the address information and the compatibility context information that specifies capabilities of the terminal, and the response is received prior to establishing said communication connection;

receiving data from a host; and

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

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

3. The method according to claim 1, 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.

4. The 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.

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

a processor configured to generate a request for obtaining address information for establishing a communication connection with a terminal and set up the communication connection with a transmission mode set for acceptance with the capabilities of the 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 compatibility context information that specifies capabilities of the terminal, and the response is received prior to establishing said communication connection,

wherein the communications interface is further configured to transmit a packet containing data received from a host to the terminal according to the compatibility context information of the terminal if the terminal is a part of a specified community of interest.

6. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the meshed network is a satellite network.

7. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the response includes public key information associated with the terminal for encrypting the received data.

8. The apparatus according to claim 5, 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.

9. A computer-readable storage medium carrying one or more sequences of one or more instructions for retrieving compatibility 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 for establishing a communication connection;

setting up the communication connection with a transmission mode set for acceptance with the capabilities of the terminal;

transmitting the request to a hub within the meshed network;

receiving a response from the hub, wherein the response includes the address information and the compatibility context information that specifies capabilities of the terminal and the response is received prior to establishing the communication connection;

receiving data from a host; and

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

10. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 9, wherein the meshed network is a satellite network.

11. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 9, 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.

12. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 9, 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.

13. A device having a processor for retrieving compatibility context information over a meshed network, the device comprising:

means for generating a request for obtaining address information of a terminal for establishing a communication connection;

means for setting up the communication connection with a transmission mode set for acceptance with the capabilities of the terminal;

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

means for receiving a response from the hub, wherein the response includes the address information and the compatibility context information that specifies capabilities of the terminal, and the response is received prior to establishing said communication connection;

means for receiving data from a host; and

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

14. The device according to claim 13, wherein the meshed network is a satellite network.

15. The device according to claim 13, 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.

16. The device according to claim 13, 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.

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

determining whether address information of a terminal is stored locally;

setting up a communication connection with a transmission mode set for acceptance with the capabilities of the terminal;

selectively generating a request, based on the determining step, for the address information and the compatibility context information that specifies capabilities of the terminal, wherein the request is forwarded to a hub within the meshed network and a response to the request is received from the hub prior to establishing the communication connection to the terminal, wherein the response includes the address information and the compatibility context information that specifies capabilities of the terminal;

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.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein the meshed network is a satellite network.

19. The method according to claim 17, 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.

20. The method according to claim 17, 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. The method according to claim 17, wherein the request in the generating step is generated according to an Address Resolution Protocol (ARP).

22. The method according to claim 17, further comprising:

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

23. A computer-readable storage medium carrying one or more sequences of one or more instructions for retrieving compatibility 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;

setting up a communication connection with a transmission mode set for acceptance with the capabilities of the terminal;

selectively generating a request, based on the determining step, for the address information and the compatibility context information that specifies capabilities of the terminal, wherein the request is forwarded to a hub within the meshed network and a response to the request is received from the hub prior to establishing the communication connection to the terminal, wherein the response includes the address information and the compatibility context information that specifies capabilities of the terminal;

receiving data from a host; and

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

24. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 23, wherein the meshed network is a satellite network.

25. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 23, 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.

26. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 23, 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.

27. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 23, wherein the request in the generating step is generated according to an Address Resolution Protocol (ARP).

28. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 23, wherein the one or more processors further perform the steps of:

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