US 6,807,158 B2 · Method and apparatus for determining position and trajectory of gateways to optimize performance in hybrid non-terrestrial-terrestrial multi-hop mobile networks

Abstract

A wireless hybrid network consisting at least one satellite 118 and a plurality mobile ad hoc nodes 104. The nodes 104 are assumed to be clustered into mobile groups 102 within the footprint of the satellite 118, and the objective is to enable reliable communications between the various nodes 104. At least one relatively powerful gateway 110, also mobile, is deployed for each cluster 102 of nodes to facilitate communication with a LEO or GEO satellite 118. The environment is characterized by the presence of terrestrial barriers 100 or other severe channel impairments. One of the goals of the invention is to provide a mechanism by which a mobile gateway 112 can change its position or define its trajectory based on the position and loading of the nodes 104 in an ad hoc network, so as to optimize certain pre-defined performance criterion, such as power, overhead, throughput.

Claims19

Dependent claims

A method for optimizing performance in a hybrid mobile wireless ad-hoc network comprising acts of:

providing a first wireless cluster comprising the following elements:
i. a first plurality of mobile nodes, and
ii. a first gateway node,
where the first plurality of mobile nodes are communicatively linked to the first gateway node:
providing a second wireless cluster including the following elements:
i. a second plurality of mobile nodes, and
ii. a second gateway node,
where the second plurality of mobile nodes are communicatively linked to the second gateway node:
establishing a communications link between the first wireless cluster and the second wireless cluster by directing data sequentially through:
i. the first gateway node;
ii. a satellite;
and
iii. the second gateway node,
wherein the first gateway node's and the second gateway node's positions are dynamically selected to optimize at least one of the following:
i. data throughput;
ii. data transmission reliability including at least one of the following:
a) maximizing bandwidth utilization;
b) minimizing bit error rate;
and
c) minimizing message delay;
iii. total power consumption;
iv. wireless node-level power consumption;
v. gateway level power consumption;
vi. periodicity of updates and resulting signaling overhead;
and
vii. complexity of updates and resulting signaling overhead.

23 more elements

An apparatus for increasing performance in a hybrid, non-terrestrial to terrestrial multi-hop mobile wireless network comprising:

a first wireless cluster including the following elements:
i. a first plurality of mobile nodes;
and
ii. a first gateway node;
where the first plurality of mobile nodes are communicatively linked to the first gateway node;
a second wireless cluster including the following elements:
i. a second plurality of mobile nodes:
and
ii. a second gateway node;
where the second plurality of mobile nodes are communicatively linked to the second gateway node;
a communications link between the nodes in the first wireless cluster and the nodes in the second wireless cluster that sequentially directs data through:
i. the first gateway node;
ii. a satellite;
and
iii. the second gateway node,
wherein the first gateway node and the second gateway node comprise elements that are configured to receive data from at least one mobile node in the relevant gateway node's cluster and based on this data to dynamically select the gateways position relative to the mobile nodes to optimize one or more of the following:
i. data throughput;
ii. data transmission reliability including at least one of the following:
a) maximizing bandwidth utilization;
b) minimizing bit error rate;
and
c) minimizing message delay;
iii. total power consumption;
iv. wireless node-level power consumption;
v. gateway level power consumption;
vi. periodicity of updates and resulting signaling overhead;
and
vii. complexity of updates and resulting signaling overhead.

25 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Method and apparatus for determining position and trajectory of gateways to optimize performance in hybrid non-terrestrial-terrestrial multi-hop mobile networks

Life of this patent

Method and apparatus for determining position and trajectory of gateways to optimize performance in hybrid non-terrestrial-terrestrial multi-hop mobile networks

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims19