Temporospatial software-defined networking for NGSO satellite networks

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10812185-B2
Application number	US-201916502448-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 3, 2019
Priority date	Apr 26, 2017
Publication date	Oct 20, 2020
Grant date	Oct 20, 2020

Abstract

The disclosure provides for a system that includes a network controller. The network controller is configured to receive information from nodes of a network, where nodes include one node that is in motion relative to another node. The network controller is also configured to generate a table representing available nodes and possible links in the network based on the information, and determine a topology of the network based on the table. Additionally, the network controller is configured to receive client data information from a client device, and determine flows for the topology based on the client data information. Each flow includes one or more requirements for a routing path through the network. The network controller is configured to generate a network configuration for the topology based on the flows, and send instructions to the nodes of the network for implementing the network configuration and transmitting client data.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A system comprising:
a network controller in communication with a plurality of nodes of a network, the plurality of nodes including a first node that is in motion relative to a second node,
wherein the network controller includes one or more processors that are configured to:
determine a first plurality of flows between pairs of nodes in the network based on a predicted future topology of the network for a future time, each of the nodes in the pairs of nodes being able to communicate with one or more client devices outside of the network;
send a message to a first client device of the one or more client devices, the message including the first plurality of flows and a request for client data information;
receive a response to the message from the first client device including the client data information; and
generate a first network configuration based on the first plurality of flows and the client data information;
generate a schedule of network configurations for the network based on at least a trajectory of the first node, each network configuration of the schedule of network configurations including pointing instructions or forwarding instructions for at least one of the plurality of nodes, and
wherein the schedule of network configurations includes the first network configuration for a first point in time and a second network configuration for a second point in time, the first network configuration and the second network configuration having different pointing instructions or forwarding instructions;
after generating the schedule, update the schedule of network configurations with a third network configuration for a third point in time; and
send implementation instructions to the at least one of the plurality of nodes of the network for implementing at least one network configuration in the schedule at a given point in time, the implementation instructions including one or more updates to a routing table at the at least one of the plurality of nodes.

2. The system of claim 1 , further comprising the plurality of nodes.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of nodes includes one or more ground stations and one or more high-altitude platforms.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of nodes is configured to perform free-space optical communication.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors of network controller are configured to generate the schedule of network configurations by:
generating a table representing available nodes and possible links in the network based on information received from the plurality of nodes;
determining a current topology of the network for a current time based on the generated table;
determining a predicted future topology of the network for a future time based on the generated table;
determining a second plurality of flows for the current topology and the predicted future topology based on the client data information, each of the second plurality of flows comprising one or more requirements for a routing path through the network;
generating the first network configuration for the current topology based on the second plurality of flows; and
generating the second network configuration for the predicted future topology based on the second plurality of flows.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein the table includes scheduled times or time frames including the future time during which a given node or link is predicted to be available based on a predicted location of the given node or a predicted link metric of the given link.

7. The system of claim 5 , wherein the client data information comprises historical client data trends, and the one or more processors of the network controller are is-configured to determine the second plurality of flows for the current topology and the predicted future topology by predicting the client data information based on the historical client data trends.

8. The system of claim 5 , wherein the first network configuration and the second network configuration include one or more routing paths, each routing path satisfying the one or more requirements of one of the second plurality of flows.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the implementation instructions include instructions to cause the plurality of nodes to steer one or more transceiver based on the one or more routing paths.

10. The system of claim 8 , wherein the implementation instructions include an update to the routing table according to the one or more routing paths.

11. The system of claim 5 , wherein the one or more processors of the network controller are further configured to determine that a time for transmitting data is the future time using the client data information and the predicted future topology of the network at the future time.

12. A method for controlling a network comprising a plurality of nodes, the plurality of nodes including a first node that is in motion relative to a second node, the method comprising:
determining, by a network controller in communication with the plurality of nodes of the network, a first plurality of flows between pairs of nodes in the network based on a predicted future topology of the network for a future time, each of the nodes in the pairs of nodes being able to communicate with one or more client devices outside of the network;
sending, by the network controller, a message to a first client device of the one or more client devices, the message including the first plurality of flows and a request for client data information;
receiving, by the network controller, a response to the message from the first client device including the client data information;
generating, by the network controller, a first network configuration based on the first plurality of flows and the client data information;
generating, by the network controller, a schedule of network configurations for the network based on at least a trajectory of the first node, each network configuration of the schedule of network configurations including pointing instructions or forwarding instructions for at least one of the plurality of nodes, and
wherein the schedule of network configurations includes a first network configuration for a first point in time and a second network configuration for a second point in time, the first network configuration and the second network configuration having different pointing instructions or forwarding instructions;
after generating the schedule, updating, by the network controller, the schedule of network configurations with a third network configuration for a third point in time; and
sending, by the network controller, implementation instructions to the at least one of the plurality of nodes of the network for implementing at least one network configuration in the schedule at a given point in time, the implementation instructions including one or more updates to a routing table at the at least one of the plurality of nodes.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein generating the schedule of network configurations includes:
generating, by the network controller, a table representing available nodes and possible links in the network based on information received from the plurality of nodes;
determining, by the network controller, a current topology of the network for in a current time based on the generated table;
determining, by the network controller, a predicted future topology of the network for a future time based on the generated table;
determining, by the network controller, a second plurality of flows for the current topology and the predicted future topology based on the client data information, each of the

Assignees

• Loon Llc

Inventors

• Barritt Brian

Classifications

• H04B10/118

  specially adapted for satellite communication · CPC title

• H04B10/1129 Primary

  Arrangements for outdoor wireless networking of information · CPC title