Bandwidth optimization and hitless transport in dynamic free space optical communications networks

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017366265-A1
Application number	US-201715690656-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Aug 30, 2017
Priority date	Mar 21, 2014
Publication date	Dec 21, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

A system for optical communications may include a multiplicity of optical communications relay platforms that each move above a surface of the earth. Each relay platform may include a relay link for communications between adjacent relay platforms. The system may also include a plurality of ground stations. Each ground station may be configured to communicate with another of the ground stations through at least one of the relay platforms. Each ground station may include an optical communications link for optical communications with successive relay platforms. The optical link of each ground station may be configured for handover connections between the successive relay platforms as the relay platforms move relative to the earth. The system may additionally include a network operations center having a link controller. The link controller may be configured to control switching of the communications links for hitless transmission between the ground stations.

First claim

1 .- 20 . (canceled)

21 . A system for optical communications, comprising:
a multiplicity of optical communications relay platforms that each move relative to earth and above a surface of the earth, each optical communications relay platform comprising a relay link for communications between adjacent optical communications relay platforms; a plurality of ground stations at different locations on the surface of the earth, each ground station comprising one or more optical communications links for optical communications with successive optical communications relay platforms, the optical communications links of each ground station being configured for handover connections between the successive optical communications relay platforms as the optical communications relay platforms move relative to the earth; and a link controller, the link controller being configured to control switching of the optical communications links and the relay links for hitless transmission of optical communications signals, the link controller controlling at least one of switching between the optical communications links or switching between the relay links in response to at least one of degradation of an optical communications link or movement of the optical communications relay platforms relative to the earth.

22 . The system of claim 21 , wherein degradation is determined by polling parameters to detect that at least one performance indicator of a plurality of performance indicators has exceeded a preset threshold, the plurality of performance indicators comprising bit error rate, packet loss, jitter, signal strength, and latency.

23 . The system of claim 21 , wherein the handover connections from the plurality of ground stations between successive optical communications relay platforms comprises a make before break connection.

24 . The system of claim 21 , wherein each of the multiplicity of optical communications relay platforms comprises a laser communications relay platform.

25 . The system of claim 21 , wherein each of the multiplicity of optical communications relay platforms comprises one of a low earth orbit satellite, a medium earth orbit satellite and an unmanned aerial vehicle.

26 . The system of claim 21 , wherein the plurality of ground stations are configured in at least one optical ring, wherein ground stations within a particular optical ring communicate with each other via the optical ring.

27 . The system of claim 21 , further comprising a variable speed lambda network comprising a plurality of variable speed wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) lambdas, wherein the link controller is further configured to control functions comprising:
admission of a variable speed WDM lambda to the variable speed lambda network, each variable speed WDM lambda having a tunable speed; modification of a speed of a particular variable speed WDM lambda; and optimization of bandwidth of the variable speed WDM lambdas.

28 . The system of claim 27 , wherein the variable speed lambda network further comprises:
a provider optical add-drop multiplexer (ADM); a customer optical ADM, wherein the plurality of variable speed WDM lambdas provide communications between the provider optical ADM and the customer optical ADM; and a customer optical ring coupled to the customer optical ADM.

29 . The system of claim 27 , wherein the link controller comprises an algorithm configured to perform a method comprising:
receiving a new request from a customer, the new request comprising one of a request for a new variable speed WDM lambda or a speed change request for an existing variable speed WDM lambda; retrieving an active topology map of the variable speed lambda network from a database; executing a multi-commodity network flow optimization based on the active topology map of the variable speed lambda network; configuring network elements to support the new request in response to the new request being admitted based on the multi-commodity network flow optimization, the network elements comprising a provider optical ADM and the plurality of variable speed WDM lambdas; updating bandwidth parameters of a link of a network topology graph associated with the customer; and notifying the customer that the new request has been granted and provisioned.

30 . The system of claim 21 , wherein the optical communications link comprises a laser communications link and each ground station further comprises:
an optical switch for sending and receiving optical signals from the laser communications link; a router for sending and receiving the optical signals from the optical switch; and a sensor for detecting an environmental change, wherein the optical communications link is handed over to another optical communications link or a next optical communications relay platform in response to the environmental change degrading communications between the ground station and a current optical communications relay platform below a predetermined link quality threshold.

31 . The system of claim 21 , further comprising a network operations center, the network operations center comprising:
a network performance manager polling at least the plurality of ground stations for a change in quality of the optical communications link, and to poll at least one external sensor associated with each ground station for an environmental change, and the network performance manager further generating a threshold notification in response to at least one of the change in quality of the optical communications link exceeding a link quality threshold or the environmental change exceeding an environmental threshold; a database configured to receive an environmental change notification from the at least one external sensor in response to the environmental change, and to receive a link quality change notification from a particular ground station in response to the change in link quality of the optical communications link associated with the particular ground station, and to receive a notification in response to the network performance manager generating the threshold notification; and a correlation engine associated with the database, the correlation engine transmitting a signal to the link controller to initiate a link decision process for switching at least one of the optical communications links or the relay links in response to a correlation policy match based on at least one of the change in quality of the optical communications link, the environmental change or the threshold notification.

32 . A method for dynamically changing free space optical communications links for hitless transmission, the method comprising:
detecting degradation of an optical communications link, an optical communications link being from a ground station to an optical communications relay platform; and switching at least one of the optical communications link to another optical communications link or a relay link between the optical communications relay platform and a successive optical communications relay platform in response to at least one of the degradation of the optical communications link or movement of the optical communications relay platform.

33 . The method of claim 32 , wherein detecting the degradation of the optical communications link comprises polling at least the ground station for a change in quality of the optical communications link.

34 . The method of claim 32 , further comprising detecting an environmental change that causes degradation of the optical communications link, wherein detecting the environmental change comprises polling at least one external sensor associated with the

Assignees

• Boeing Co

Inventors

• Sackman Ronald Ward
• Sullivan Scott Charles
• Meier John

Classifications

• H04J14/0271

  Impairment aware routing · CPC title

• H04J14/022

  For interconnection of WDM optical networks · CPC title

• H04J14/0282

  WDM tree architectures · CPC title

• H04B10/118 Primary

  specially adapted for satellite communication · CPC title