System and method for a high available and survivable communication system
AssigneeNextel Communications Inc.
InventorsDon Gunasekara, Tom Wilson
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A network architecture for underground communication using redundant interconnected communication systems utilizes an aboveground master control station to send a status request message to a belowground gateway. The gateway may then, in turn, broadcast a status request message to a plurality of communication hubs located throughout an underground region using each of a plurality of potentially available communication systems. In the event that one of the communication hubs fails to respond over the then-current communication system, the master control station may switch the current communication system being used to a truly available system.
Claims20
A method for providing redundant underground communications comprising the acts of:
- receiving a status request message from an aboveground control unit;
- broadcasting the status request message to a plurality of below ground communication hubs over a plurality of communication systems;
- detecting that a current communication system is unavailable for a communication hub of the plurality of belowground communication hubs;
- transmitting a switch over command to the communication hub to use an available communication system of the plurality of communication systems;
- receiving, in response to the switch over command, a switch over response from the communication hub over the available communication system;
- designating the available communication system as an active communication system for the communication hub in response to receiving the switch over response;
- and
- receiving a response to the status request message from the plurality of below ground communication hubs over each of the plurality of communication systems that is available.
A system for providing redundant underground communications comprising:
- a receiver configured to receive a status request message from an aboveground control unit;
- a transmitter for broadcasting the status request message to a plurality of belowground communication hubs over a plurality of communication systems;
- and
- a processor electrically connected to the receiver and the transmitter, the processor configured to:
- detect that a current communication system is unavailable for a communication hub of the plurality of below ground communication hubs,
- send, using the transmitter, a switch over command to the communication hub to use an available communication system of the plurality of communication systems,
- receive, in response to the switch over command, a switch over response from the communication hub over the available communication system,
- designate the available communication system as an active communication system for the communication hub in response to the switch over response, and
- receive a response to the status request message from the plurality of below ground communication hubs over each of the plurality of communication systems that is available.
A computer program product, comprising:
- a non-transitory processor readable medium having processor executable code embodied therein for providing redundant underground communications, the processor readable medium having:
- processor executable program code to receive a status request message from an aboveground control unit;
- processor executable program code to broadcast the status request message to a plurality of below ground communication hubs over a plurality of communication systems;
- processor executable program code to detect that a current communication system is unavailable for a communication hub of the plurality of below ground communication hubs;
- processor executable program code to transmit a switch over command to the communication hub to use an available communication system of the plurality of communication systems;
- processor executable program code to receive, in response to the switch over command, a switch over response from the communication hub over the available communication system;
- processor executable program code to designate the available communication system as an active communication system for the communication hub in response to receiving the switch over response, and
- processor executable program code to receive a response to the status request message from each of the plurality of communication systems that is available.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.