Multi-packet transport structure and method for sending network data over satellite network

A method for encoding Internet Protocol (IP) data into a format for transmission over a satellite system, comprising the following steps:

• receiving an IP packet having an N-byte IP data block, an A-byte transport protocol header, and a B-byte IP header;
• constructing a variable-length multi-packet transport (MPT) frame having an M-byte data payload and a C-byte header;
• inserting the entire (N+A+B)-byte IP packet into the M-byte data payload of the MPT frame;
• and
• constructing from the (M+C)-byte MPT frame one or more fixed-size multi-byte MPT packets, each MPT packet having at least one header to designate what portion of the MTP frame is contained in the MPT packet.

A method for encoding network data packets into a format for transmission over a distribution system, comprising the following steps:

• adding a header to a network data packet to form a variable-length multi-packet transport (MPT) frame;
• and
• segmenting the MPT frame into one or more data fragment blocks;
• and
• adding a header to each data fragment block to form fixed-length MPT packets of a size appropriate for transmission over the distribution system.

A method for decoding computer network data from a satellite transmission signal, comprising the following steps:

• receiving multiple satellite packets, individual satellite packets having a data payload;
• removing the data payloads from the satellite packets, each data payload comprising a fixed-length multi-packet transport (MPT) packet having a data fragment block and associated header information;
• using the header information of the MPT packet to arrange the MPT packets into a variable-length MPT frame;
• reconstructing the MPT frame from the data fragment blocks of the MPT packets;
• and
• extracting the network data from the reconstructed MPT frame.

A satellite transmission system, comprising:

• an encoding unit to encode a computer network data packet into one or more satellite packets, the encoding unit being configured to (1) add a header to the network data packet to form a variable-length multi-packet transport (MPT) frame, (2) segment the MPT frame into one or more data fragment blocks, (3) add a header to each data fragment block to form fixed-length MPT packets, and (4) add header/trailer information to each MPT packet to form one or more satellite packets;
• a satellite transmission unit coupled to receive the satellite packets from the encoding unit, the satellite transmission unit transmitting the satellite packets over a satellite network;
• a receiving unit to receive the satellite packets from the satellite network;
• and
• a decoding unit coupled to the receiving unit to recover the MPT packets from the satellite packets, reconstruct the MPT frame from the MPT packets, and extract the network data packet from the MPT frame.

An encoding unit for encoding network data packets into a format for transmission over a satellite system, comprising:

• means for adding a header to a network data packet to form a variable-length multi-packet transport (MPT) frame;
• and
• means for segmenting the MPT frame into one or more data fragment blocks;
• and
• means for adding a header to each data fragment block to form fixed-length MPT packets of a size appropriate for transmission over the satellite system.

A computer-readable memory having a packet structure that can be encoded into a satellite data packet for transmission over a satellite network, the packet structure comprising:

• a data block containing at least a portion of a computer network data packet;
• a header positioned before the data block, the header designating whether the portion of the network data packet contained in the associated data block is a starting portion of the network data packet, an ending portion of the network data packet, or a middle portion of the network data packet;
• in an event that the data block contains the starting portion of the network data packet, an address header positioned before the data block;
• and
• in an event that the data block contains the ending portion of the network data packet, an error correction trailer containing error correction data positioned after the data block.