Communication method and system that uses low latency/low data bandwidth and high latency/high data bandwidth pathways

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9941950-B2
Application number	US-201615296528-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 18, 2016
Priority date	Dec 11, 2014
Publication date	Apr 10, 2018
Grant date	Apr 10, 2018

Abstract

A communication system uses multiple communications links, preferably links that use different communications media. The multiple communications links may include a high latency/high bandwidth link using a fiber-optic cable configured to carry large volumes of data but having a high latency. The communications links may also include a low latency/low bandwidth link implemented using skywave propagation of radio waves and configured to carry smaller volumes of data with a lower latency across a substantial portion of the earth's surface. The two communications links may be used together to coordinate various activities such as the buying and selling of financial instruments.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method, comprising:
configuring an antenna of a transmission station to transmit electromagnetic waves at a take-off angle for a useable frequency range to achieve a skip distance for skywave propagation that is greater than a radio horizon for the antenna,
wherein the transmission station includes a modem operatively connected to the antenna and a network interface operatively connected to a transmission line;
transmitting command data from the transmission station via a first communication link that includes the transmission line, wherein the command data defines one or more commands, wherein said transmitting the command data includes transmitting the command data to the transmission line via the network interface;
modulating triggering data with the modem of the transmission station;
transmitting the triggering data modulated by the modem from the antenna of the transmission station via the skywave propagation to form a second communication link, wherein the triggering data includes an identifier identifying at least one of the one or more commands;
wherein said transmitting the triggering data includes transmitting the electromagnetic waves within the useable frequency range via the skywave propagation from the antenna at the take-off angle to achieve the skip distance that is greater than the radio horizon for the antenna;
wherein the second communication link has low latency (latency low ) as defined by the following equation

latency
low

≤

d
c

·
k

where
d=propagation path distance,
c=speed of light, and
k=a scalar constant of 1.1; and

wherein the first communication link has greater latency than the second communication link.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first communication link has larger data bandwidth than the second communication link.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining a maximum usable frequency for skywave propagation over the second communication link; and
wherein said transmitting the triggering data includes transmitting the triggering data over the second communication link at a frequency that is less than or equal to the maximum usable frequency.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining a minimum usable frequency for skywave propagation over the second communication link; and
wherein said transmitting the triggering data includes transmitting the triggering data over the second communication link at a frequency that is greater than or equal to the minimum usable frequency.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein said transmitting the triggering data includes transmitting the electromagnetic waves below the critical angle.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving the command data at a receiving station remote from the transmission station; and
receiving the triggering data at the receiving station.

7. The method of claim 6 , further comprising:
transmitting the command data on both the first communication link and the second communication link.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein said receiving the command data includes receiving the command data via the first communication link before receiving the command data via the second communication link.

9. The method of claim 7 , wherein said receiving the command data includes receiving the command data via the second communication link before receiving the command data via the first communication link.

10. The method of claim 6 , further comprising:
transmitting the triggering data on both the first communication link and the second communication link.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein said receiving the triggering data includes receiving the triggering data via the first communication link before receiving the triggering data via the second communication link.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein said receiving the triggering data includes receiving the triggering data via the second communication link before receiving the triggering data via the first communication link.

13. The method of claim 6 , further comprising:
executing at least one of the one or more commands identified in the triggering data in response to said receiving the triggering data, the at least one command executed using a processor at the receiving station.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein said executing occurs on or after both the command data and triggering data is fully received at the receiving station.

15. The method of claim 1 , wherein the command data is defined by a first collection of data with a first size, and the triggering data is defined by a second collection of data with a second size, and the first size is greater than or equal to the second size.

16. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more commands include instructions to buy, sell, or both buy and sell one or more financial instruments.

17. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first communication link includes an optical fiber.

18. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
retransmitting the electromagnetic waves via one or more repeaters.

19. The method of claim 18 , further comprising:
wherein at least one of the one or more repeaters includes an airborne repeater; and
positioning the airborne repeater aloft in the atmosphere.

20. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second communication link transmits the triggering data using multiple frequencies.

21. The method of claim 20 , wherein:
the second communication link transmits on a first frequency for a first period of time, and on a second frequency for the first period of time; and
the first frequency and the second frequency are different frequencies.

22. The method of claim 1 , wherein the skywave propagation includes refracting the electromagnetic waves from the ionosphere.

23. The method of claim 1 , wherein there is at least one skip zone between the transmitting and receiving stations.

24. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first communication link, and the second communication link are separate communication links.

25. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining the useable frequency range is up to 20 MHz; and
wherein said configuring the antenna includes configuring the antenna to skip the electromagnetic waves from the E layer of the ionosphere.

26. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining the useable frequency range is up to 30 MHz; and
wherein said configuring the antenna includes configuring the antenna to skip the electromagnetic waves from the F layer of the ionosphere.

27. A method, comprising:
configuring an antenna of a transmission station to transmit electromagnetic waves at a take-off angle for a useable frequency range to achieve a skip distance for skywave propagation that is greater than a radio horizon (d) for the antenna, wherein the antenna of the transmission station has a height (h t );
wherein the transmission station includes a modem operatively connected to the antenna;
transmitting command data from the transmission station via a first communication link,

Assignees

• Skywave Networks Llc
• Skywave Networks Llc

Inventors

• Babich Kevin

Classifications

• H04B7/22 Primary

  Scatter propagation systems {, e.g. ionospheric, tropospheric or meteor scatter} · CPC title

• H04B7/145 Primary

  Passive relay systems · CPC title

• H04B10/25 Primary

  Arrangements specific to fibre transmission · CPC title

• G06Q40/04

  Trading; Exchange, e.g. stocks, commodities, derivatives or currency exchange · CPC title

• H04B14/00

  Transmission systems not characterised by the medium used for transmission (details thereof H04B1/00) · CPC title