Temporospatial software-defined networking for NGSO satellite networks

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10879999-B2
Application number	US-201916444620-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 18, 2019
Priority date	May 26, 2017
Publication date	Dec 29, 2020
Grant date	Dec 29, 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 nodes, available storage at each node, and possible links in the network over a period of time based on the information, and determine a series of topologies of the network based on the table. Based on received client data including a data amount, the network controller is configured to determine flows for the topology. The network controller then is configured to generate a schedule of network configurations based on the flows, and send instructions to the nodes of the network for implementing the network configurations and transmitting client data.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A system comprising:
a network controller configured to:
receive information regarding a plurality of nodes of a network, the received information including available storage at each node, the plurality of nodes including a first node that is in motion relative to a second node;
determine a series of topologies of the network based on the received information, the series of topologies being available over a period of time;
receive client data information from one or more remote devices, the client data information including a data amount;
generate one or more network configurations for the determined series of topologies based on at least the data amount and the available storage at each node; and
send instructions to the plurality of nodes of the network for implementing the one or more network configurations and transmitting client data over the period of time.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more network configurations includes a first network configuration, a second network configuration scheduled to follow the first network configuration, a first routing path having a first portion between a first node and a second node and a second portion between the second node and a third node, and the first portion of the first routing path being a part of the first network configuration and the second portion of the first routing path being a part of the second network configuration.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the second node has enough available storage to store the data amount, and the second portion of the first routing path beings at the second node and the second node is configured to store the client data before transmitting the client data via the second portion of the routing path.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the second network configuration includes a newly established link between the second node and a next hop in the second portion of the routing path.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the second node is in motion relative to the next hop in the second portion of the routing path.

6. The system of claim 2 , wherein the network controller is further configured to:
determine that there are no routes between the first node and the third node in each topology in the series of topologies; and
generate the one or more network configurations in response to determining that there are no routes between the first node and the third node in each topology in the series of topologies.

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

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

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

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the network controller is configured to generate the one or more network configurations for the determined series of topologies based on at least the data amount and the available storage at each node based on:
a given node having enough available storage to store the data amount; and
a routing path through the one or more network configurations including the given node in which the given node is used to store the client data for a second period of time.

11. A method comprising:
receiving, by a network controller for a network, information regarding a plurality of nodes of the network, the received information including available storage at each node, the plurality of nodes including a first node that is in motion relative to a second node;
determining, by the network controller, a series of topologies of the network based on the received information, the series of topologies being available over a period of time;
receiving, by the network controller, client data information from one or more remote devices, the client data information including a data amount;
generating, by the network controller, one or more network configurations for the determined series of topologies based on at least the data amount and the available storage at each node; and
sending, by the network controller, instructions to the plurality of nodes of the network for implementing the one or more network configurations and transmitting client data over the period of time.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the one or more network configurations includes a first network configuration, a second network configuration scheduled to follow the first network configuration, a first routing path having a first portion between a first node and a second node and a second portion between the second node and a third node, the first portion of the first routing path being a part of the first network configuration and the second portion of the routing path being a part of the second network configuration.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the second node has enough available storage to store the data amount, and the second portion of the first routing path beings at the second node, and the second node is configured to store the client data before transmitting the client data via the second portion of the routing path.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the second network configuration includes a newly established link between the second node and a next hop in the second portion of the routing path.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the second node is in motion relative to the next hop in the second portion of the routing path.

16. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:
determining, by the network controller, that there are no routes between the first node and the third node in each topology in the series of topologies; and
generating, by the network controller, the one or more network configurations in response to determining that there are no routes between the first node and the third node in each topology in the series of topologies.

17. The method of claim 11 , wherein generating the one or more network configurations for the determined series of topologies based on at least the data amount and the available storage at each node includes:
identifying a given node having enough available storage to store the data amount; and
determining a routing path through the one or more network configurations including the given node in which the given node is used to store the client data for a second period of time.

18. A non-transitory, tangible computer-readable storage medium on which computer readable instructions of a program are stored, the instructions, when executed by a network controller for a network, cause the network controller to perform a method, the method comprising:
receiving information regarding a plurality of nodes of the network, the received information including available storage at each node, the plurality of nodes including a first node that is in motion relative to a second node;
determining a series of topologies of the network based on the received information, the series of topologies being available over a period of time;
receiving client data information from one or more remote devices, the client data information including a data amount;
generating one or more network configurations for the determined series of topologies based on at least the data amount and the available storage at each node; and
sending instructions to the plurality of nodes of the network for implementing the one or more network configurations and transmitting client data over the period of time.

19. The medium of claim 18 , wherein the one or more network co

Assignees

• Loon Llc

Inventors

• Barritt Brian

Classifications

• H04L41/12

  Discovery or management of network topologies · CPC title

• H04L45/02

  Topology update or discovery · CPC title

• H04L45/127

  based on intermediate node capabilities · CPC title

• H04B7/18508

  with satellite system used as relay, i.e. aeronautical mobile satellite service · CPC title

• H04B7/18504

  Aircraft used as relay or high altitude atmospheric platform · CPC title