Converged Resource Allocation Across Satellite Nodes
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Solution Overview
Problem
The high cost and customization requirements of satellites and aircraft for specialized operations limit their deployment and usage, especially for organizations that cannot justify the expense of custom-made equipment.
Innovation Solution
A converged system that dynamically allocates resources across satellites, aircraft, and ground-based nodes, using software-defined satellites, drones, and vessels to create logical nodes from physical nodes, allowing for flexible resource distribution and management through a control system that identifies and configures resources to meet user-defined requirements.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If custom-made satellites or aircraft are deployed for specialized operations, then operational capability and task performance are improved, but cost and deployment complexity increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the satellite system into modular functional components (payload modules, bus modules, communication modules) that can be independently developed, tested, and assembled. This allows different organizations to contribute specialized modules without requiring complete custom satellite development, reducing overall deployment complexity while maintaining task performance capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a universal satellite platform with standardized interfaces and protocols that can support multiple task types through interchangeable payload modules. A single satellite bus can perform Earth observation, communication, navigation, or weather monitoring tasks by configuring different payload modules, eliminating the need for separate custom satellites for each function.
2Adaptability or versatility
If custom-made satellites or aircraft are deployed for specialized operations, then operational capability and task performance are improved, but cost increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a universal satellite platform with standardized interfaces and protocols that can support multiple task types through interchangeable payload modules. A single satellite bus can perform Earth observation, communication, navigation, or weather monitoring tasks by configuring different payload modules, eliminating the need for separate custom satellites for each function.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges multiple functional capabilities into a single integrated satellite platform. By combining standardized bus systems with interchangeable payload modules, the system achieves economies of scale in manufacturing and deployment while maintaining the ability to perform specialized operations, thereby reducing overall cost.
3Productivity
If resources are statically allocated to physical nodes, then system simplicity is maintained, but resource utilization efficiency and flexibility decrease
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic resource allocation where computational tasks and data processing functions can be migrated between satellite nodes, ground stations, and cloud platforms based on real-time operational requirements. This dynamic allocation optimizes resource utilization efficiency while the virtualization layer manages the complexity of coordination and task migration.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a virtualization layer and resource management system that acts as an intermediary between physical satellite nodes and user applications. This intermediary abstracts the complexity of resource allocation, enabling efficient dynamic resource distribution across multiple physical nodes while presenting a simplified interface to users and maintaining system manageability.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems, methods, and software described herein provide enhancements for the deployment and management of converged resources across satellites, aircraft, and ground-based nodes to perform user tasks and applications. In one implementation, a method includes identifying a request for a logical node and identifying physical requirements of the logical node. The method further includes selecting physical nodes from a plurality of physical nodes to support the physical requirements of the logical node and distributing configuration data to the physical nodes to implement the logical node.