Orchestration of software application deployment in a satellite platform

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9740465-B1
Application number	US-201615353411-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Nov 16, 2016
Priority date	Nov 16, 2016
Publication date	Aug 22, 2017
Grant date	Aug 22, 2017

Abstract

Systems, methods, and software described herein provide enhancements for deploying software applications in satellites. In one example, a control system may receive user input indicative of deployment requirements for a software application, and identify an availability of resources in a plurality of satellites deployed as an orbiting satellite platform. The control system further determines deployment options for deployment of the software application based on the deployment requirements and the availability of resources in the plurality of satellites, and provides the deployment options to a developer of the software application.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of managing software application deployments to a satellite platform the method comprising:
via a user interface, receiving user input indicative of deployment requirements for a software application to be deployed onto the satellite platform to perform at least an operation across one or more of a plurality of satellites comprising the satellite platform;
determining current availability of in orbit resources in the plurality of satellites;
processing the deployment requirements and the current availability of in orbit resources to determine deployment options for deployment of the software application to fulfil at least a portion of the deployment requirements using the current availability of in orbit resources and fulfil a remainder of the deployment requirements with one or more new satellites;
based at least on the current availability indicating in orbit resources of the plurality of satellites being able to achieve all the deployment requirements, presenting via the user interface at least a first deployment option for deploying the software application to the one or more of the plurality of satellites in orbit to achieve the deployment requirements; and
based at least on the current availability indicating in orbit resources of the plurality of satellites being unable to achieve all of the deployment requirements, presenting via the user interface at least a second deployment option for deploying the software application to the one or more of the plurality of satellites in orbit to fulfil at least the portion of the deployment requirements, and presenting specifications of the one or more new satellites not yet deployed into orbit to achieve the remainder of the deployment requirements not achieved by the plurality of satellites in orbit.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the deployment requirements indicate one or more among geographic areas of interest, operation times of interest for the software application, and sensor requirements to perform the operation.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein identifying the current availability of in orbit resources in the plurality of satellites comprises identifying an availability of processing and sensor resources present in the plurality of satellites in orbit that can achieve at least the portion of the deployment requirements.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
identifying a budget requirement received via the user interface for the software application; and
determining the deployment options for deployment of the software application based at least on the budget requirement, deployment requirements, and the current availability of in orbit resources present in the plurality of satellites.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
receiving a user selection indicating the first deployment option; and
in response to the user selection, prompting a deployment service to deploy the software application to the one or more of the plurality of satellites in orbit, wherein the deployment service transfers the software application to the one or more of the plurality of satellites for execution as at least a virtual node on the one or more of the plurality of satellites.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
based at least on the current availability indicating in orbit resources of the plurality of satellites being unable to achieve all of the deployment requirements, presenting to the user via the user interface at least a third deployment option for deploying the software application to the one or more of the plurality of satellites in orbit to fulfil at least the portion of the deployment requirements without achieving the remainder of the deployment requirements.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
receiving a user selection indicating the second deployment option; and
in response to the user selection, presenting cost options for the one or more new satellites not yet deployed into orbit to achieve the remainder of the deployment requirements.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein determining the deployment options comprises:
determining whether each deployment requirement of the deployment requirements can be accommodated by the plurality of satellites based on the current availability of in orbit resources present in the plurality of satellites; and
if each deployment requirement of the deployment requirements can be accommodated, identifying the first deployment option indicating via the user interface that the deployment requirements can be accommodated via the plurality of satellites.

9. A computer apparatus comprising:
one or computer readable storage media;
a processing system operatively couple with the one or more computer readable storage media; and
program instructions stored on the one or more computer readable storage media to manage software application deployments to a satellite platform that, when read and executed by the processing system, direct the processing system to at least:
provide a user interface to receive user input indicative of deployment requirements for a software application to be deployed onto the satellite platform to perform at least an operation across one or more of a plurality of satellites comprising the satellite platform;
determine current availability of in orbit resources in a plurality of satellites deployed for the satellite platform;
process the deployment requirements and the current availability of in orbit resources to determine deployment options for deployment of the software application to accommodate at least a portion of the deployment requirements using the current availability of in orbit resources and accommodate a remainder of the deployment requirements with one or more new satellites;

based at least on the current availability indicating in orbit resources of the plurality of satellites being able to achieve all the deployment requirements, present via the user interface at least a first deployment option for deploying the software application to the one or more of the plurality of satellites in orbit to achieve the deployment requirements; and
based at least on the current availability indicating in orbit resources of the plurality of satellites being unable to achieve all of the deployment requirements, present via the user interface at least a second deployment option for deploying the software application to the one or more of the plurality of satellites in orbit to fulfil at least the portion of the deployment requirements, and present specifications of the one or more new satellites not yet deployed into orbit to achieve the remainder of the deployment requirements not achieved by the plurality of satellites in orbit.

10. The computer apparatus of claim 9 wherein the deployment requirements indicate one or more among geographic areas of interest, operation times of interest for the software application, and sensor requirements to perform the operation.

11. The computer apparatus of claim 9 wherein the program instructions to identify the current availability of in orbit resources in the plurality of satellites direct the processing system to identify an availability of processing and sensor resources present in the plurality of satellites in orbit that can achieve at least the portion of the deployment requirements.

12. The computer apparatus of claim 9 wherein the program instructions further direct the processing system to:
receive a user selection indicating the first deployment option; and
in response to the user selection, prompting a deployment service to deploy the software application to the one or more of the plurality of satellites in orbit, wherein the deployment ser

Assignees

• Vector Launch Inc

Inventors

• Coleman Shaun
• Garber Darren D

Classifications

• G06F8/60 Primary

  Software deployment · CPC title

• G06F8/71

  Version control (security arrangements therefor G06F21/57); Configuration management · CPC title

• G06F3/0482

  Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus · CPC title

• B64G1/10

  Artificial satellites; Systems of such satellites; Interplanetary vehicles (space shuttles B64G1/14) · CPC title