Temporospatial software-defined networking for NGSO satellite networks

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11212000-B2
Application number	US-202017104162-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 25, 2020
Priority date	May 26, 2017
Publication date	Dec 28, 2021
Grant date	Dec 28, 2021

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 plurality of available flows through the network for a period of time based on the received information;
request client data information from one or more remote devices for the period of time;
receive client data information in response to the request, the received client data information including a data amount;
generate one or more network configurations for the network for the period of time based on 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 from the one or more remote devices.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein each flow in the plurality of available flows is connectable with the one or more remote devices.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the network controller is further configured to determine performance metrics for each flow in the plurality of available flows and generate the one or more network configurations further based on the determined performance metrics.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the network controller is configured to request the client data information by sending a message that includes a list of available flows based on the plurality of available flows.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the network controller is further configured to determine a scheduled time for transmission for the client data during the period of time; and
wherein the instructions include the scheduled time for transmission for the client data.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein the scheduled time is based on a source location and a destination location in the received client data information.

7. 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.

8. The system of claim 7 , 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.

9. The system of claim 8 , 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.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the second node is in motion relative to the next hop in the second portion of the routing path.

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 plurality of available flows through the network for a period of time based on the received information;
requesting, by the network controller, client data information from one or more remote devices for the period of time;
receiving, at the network controller, client data information in response to the request, the client data information including a data amount;
generating, by the network controller, one or more network configurations for the network for the period of time based on 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 from the one or more remote devices.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein each flow in the plurality of available flows is connectable with the one or more remote devices.

13. The method of claim 11 , further comprising determining, by the network controller, performance metrics for each flow in the plurality of available flows; and
wherein generating the one or more network configurations is further based on the determined performance metrics.

14. The method of claim 11 , wherein requesting the client data information includes sending a message that includes a list of available flows based on the plurality of available flows.

15. The method of claim 11 , further comprising determining a scheduled time for transmission for the client data during the period of time; and
wherein the instructions include the scheduled time for transmission for the client data.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the scheduled time is based on a source location and a destination location in the received client data information.

17. 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.

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 plurality of flows through the network for a period of time based on the received information;
requesting client data information from one or more remote devices for the period of time;
receiving client data information in response to the request, the client data information including a data amount;
generating one or more network configurations for the network for the period of time based on 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 from the one or more remote devices.

19. The medium of claim 18 , wherein requesting the client data information includes sending a message that includes a list of available flows based on the plurality of available flows.

20. The medium of claim 18 , wherein method further comprises determining a scheduled time for transmission for the client data during the period of time; and
wherein the instructions include the scheduled time for transmission for the client data.

Assignees

• Google Llc

Inventors

• Barritt Brian

Classifications

• H04L41/12

  Discovery or management of network topologies · CPC title

• H04L45/02

  Topology update or discovery · CPC title

• H04B10/118

  specially adapted for satellite communication · CPC title

• H04B10/1123

  Bidirectional transmission · CPC title

• H04B7/18589

  Arrangements for controlling an end to end session, i.e. for initialising, synchronising or terminating an end to end link · CPC title