US 12,587,280 B2Granted

Hybrid access plane function (HAPF) as a satellite and cellular carrier aggregator and slicing manager

AssigneeAT&T Intellectual Property I, L.P.

InventorsJoseph Soryal, Venson Shaw

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Abstract

Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, for example, receiving, from first, second, and third communication devices upon which respective first, second, and third components of a distributed application are installed, respective first, second, and third data indicative of one or more respective first, second, and third characteristics of the first, second, and third communication devices, wherein each of the first, second, and third communication devices is one of a plurality of communication devices associated with a communications network; selecting, based at least in part upon the first, second, and third data, one of the second communication device and the third communication device to include in a first communication path between the first communication device and a satellite; and facilitating a first communication session between the first communication device and the satellite via the first communication path. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A device comprising:

a processing system including a processor;
and
a memory that stores executable instructions that, when executed by the processing system, facilitate performance of operations, the operations comprising:
receiving, from a first communication device upon which a first component of a distributed application is installed, first data indicative of one or more first characteristics of the first communication device, wherein the first communication device is one of a plurality of communication devices associated with a communications network;
receiving, from a second communication device upon which a second component of the distributed application is installed, second data indicative of one or more second characteristics of the second communication device, wherein the second communication device is one of the plurality of communication devices associated with the communications network;
receiving, from a third communication device upon which a third component of the distributed application is installed, third data indicative of one or more third characteristics of the third communication device, wherein the third communication device is one of the plurality of communication devices associated with the communications network;
selecting, based at least in part upon the first data, the second data, and the third data, one of the second communication device and the third communication device to include in a first communication path between the first communication device and a satellite;
and
facilitating a first communication session between the first communication device and the satellite via the first communication path,
wherein the second communication device includes a first satellite communication interface that enables direct communication between the second communication device and the satellite,
wherein the third communication device includes a second satellite communication interface that enables direct communication between the third communication device and the satellite, and
wherein the first communication device is incapable of direct communication with the satellite.

9 more elements

A non-transitory machine-readable medium comprising executable instructions that, when executed by a processing system including a processor, facilitate performance of operations, the operations comprising:

selecting, based at least in part upon first data that characterizes a first device, second data that characterizes a second device, and third data that characterizes a third device, a first communication path between the first device and a first satellite, wherein the first device comprises a first mobile cellular communication device, and wherein the first communication path uses, as a first intermediary device, one of the second and third devices but not both of the second and third devices;
facilitating a first communication session between the first device and the first satellite via the first communication path, which includes the first intermediary device;
selecting, based at least in part upon fourth data that characterizes a fourth device, the second data that characterizes the second device, and the third data that characterizes the third device, a second communication path between the fourth device and a second satellite, wherein the fourth device comprises a second mobile cellular communication device, wherein the second communication path uses, as a second intermediary device, one of the second and third devices but not both of the second and third devices;
and
facilitating a second communication session between the fourth device and the second satellite via the second communication path, which includes the second intermediary device.

2 more elements

A method comprising:

obtaining, by a processing system including a processor, first location data indicative of a first physical location of a satellite;
obtaining, by the processing system, second location data indicative of a second physical location of mobile user equipment;
obtaining, by the processing system, one or more images of the second physical location while the mobile user equipment is at the second physical location;
determining, by the processing system, whether the satellite should direct optical energy at the mobile user equipment while the mobile user equipment is at the second physical location, wherein the optical energy would facilitate a communication between the satellite and the mobile user equipment, wherein the determining is based at least in part upon the first location data, the second location data, and the one or more images, and wherein the determining results in a first determination;
and
responsive to the first determination being that the satellite should direct the optical energy at the mobile user equipment while the mobile user equipment is at the second physical location, instructing, by the processing system, the satellite to direct the optical energy at the mobile user equipment while the mobile user equipment is at the second physical location in order to effectuate the communication.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.