Hughes Network Systems, LLC

Charles A Barnett

Channasandra S Ravishankar

Sandeep Ahluwalia

Anthony Robert Noerpel

Deepak Manohar Arur

Adrian Morris

George Joseph Choquette

James Jehong Jong

Nassir Benammar

John Corrigan

Je-Hong Jong

Chandrasekhar Sangireddi

Thomas Jagodits

Chanasandra Ravishankar

Subramanya Bayar Krishna

Gautham Bharadwaj

Systems and methods for transmitting data using a satellite communication network are disclosed herein. In an embodiment, a satellite communication network includes a first terminal, a second terminal, and a base station. The first terminal is configured to collect first target data. The second terminal is configured to receive a first data packet including the first target data from the first terminal via a local connection. The base station is in communication with the first terminal and the second terminal via at least one satellite. The base station is configured to: (i) receive copies of the first data packet from each of the first and second terminals via the at least one satellite; (ii) process a first copy of the first data packet; and (iii) delete a second copy of the first data packet.

Systems and methods for transmitting data via a satellite network

Systems and methods for facilitating handover reduction in satellite systems are disclosed. A system may include a processor and a memory storing instructions, which when executed by the processor, may cause the processor to detect a user terminal that is selected for a handover procedure. The handover procedure may facilitate a switch from a source beam to a target beam. Based on input data, the processor may evaluate an ideal time value pertaining to a pre-defined time instance at which a scheduled handover is to be performed. The scheduled handover may correspond to at least one of a scheduled change in operating frequency within same beam or a scheduled feeder link handover due to a change in gateway communicating with the satellite. Based on the evaluation and the input data, the processor may estimate an optimized time value that pertains to an optimized time instance associated with an expected handover reduction.

Handover reduction in satellite communication systems

A communication method includes receiving, by a first node of a satellite communications network, a stream of terrestrial data packets that are encapsulated in accordance with a predetermined protocol, de-encapsulating, by the first node, the terrestrial data packets to extract user plane context and QoS parameters for a user session in accordance with the predetermined protocol, encapsulating, by the first node, the user plane context within satellite data packets, and transmitting, by the first node, the satellite data packets to a second node of the satellite communications network via a satellite communications link between the first node and the second node by scheduling the satellite data packets using the QoS parameters in accordance with the predetermined protocol.

Communication method and communication system

A method for prediction of UT handovers in a satellite communications network is provided. Optimal characteristics regarding the beams of satellites and regarding a one UT are determined. For each of a plurality of the satellite beams, for each of a plurality of instants of time t, an estimated signal strength as seen at the UT is determined, wherein each estimated signal strength is determined based on the optimal at the respective time t. A next instant of time tis determined at which the estimated signal strength for a candidate beam that is within the view of the UT is greater than or equal to the estimated signal strength for the satellite beam that is currently servicing the UT. A handover of the UT, at the time t, from the satellite beam that is currently servicing the one UT to the candidate beam is determined.

User terminal handover prediction in wireless communications systems with nonstationary communications platforms

A system and method for interfacing a User Equipment (UE) to a Core Network (CN) is disclosed. The method including: providing a high latency connection; providing a satellite network portal (SNP) to connect to the UE via a satellite link, wherein the SNP includes a Media Access Control (MAC) layer for managing the satellite link and a Radio Layer Control (RLC) layer of the UE; interfacing the UE to the CN with a Point of Presence (POP) including a Radio Resource Control (RRC) layer of the UE and a Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP) layer of the UE; and establishing a session between the CN and the UE via the RRC layer, the PDCP layer and the RLC layer. In the method, network traffic, between the SNP and the POP, over the high latency connection has a latency greater than 10 milliseconds (ms), the session does not timeout due to the latency of the high latency connection, and the MAC layer schedules bandwidth for the establishing over the satellite link.

Inter-layer communications in wireless networks including a high latency connection

An approach is provided for the application of network acceleration technologies to remote node traffic over GPRS tunneling protocols (GTP) in terrestrial mobile communications networks. A proxy device of a first network node receives a stream of data packets that are encapsulated in accordance with GTP. Each GTP packet is de-encapsulated by stripping GTP header from the packet, identifying the TEID (reflecting a respective GTP flow with which the GTP packet is associated), and maintaining a respective GTP payload (PDU). Acceleration functions are applied to the GTP PDUs, and the resulting acceleration packets are transmitted communications network link(s) to a proxy of a second network node. The second node proxy device receives the transmitted packets, and re-encapsulates each packet, in accordance with the GTP protocol, based at least in part on the respective TEID of the packet.

Acceleration of GTP traffic flows, over a satellite link, in a terrestrial wireless mobile communications system

An approach provides a satellite air interface to efficiently support communication with a terrestrial network. One or more packets associated with a data communication session are received from a terrestrial network configured to provide cellular communications. A frame representing the packet for transmission is generated over a satellite link to a user terminal. Signaling information for the transmission of the packet over the terrestrial network is modified or eliminated for transmission over the satellite link.

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Leesburg, VA, United States of America

Charles A Barnett