High-Altitude Platform Cache Server Reducing Feeder Link Bandwidth
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Solution Overview
Problem
Very high-speed satellite systems face bottlenecks in data flow through the feeder link, which is exacerbated by signal attenuation and distortion due to weather conditions, leading to high costs for installing multiple power stations and maintaining redundant links, and existing cache solutions on satellites are complex and expensive.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a network cache system with a cache server on a high-altitude platform, such as an aerostat, that stores popular data for retransmission upon request, reducing the data throughput required on the feeder link without the need for additional equipment on the satellite.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the bandwidth and data rate of the feeder link are increased to handle more data traffic, then the data transmission capacity is improved, but the cost of installing and maintaining multiple power stations and redundant links increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the caching function from the satellite system and places it on ground-based servers. This separates the data storage function from the transmission function, allowing the feeder link to carry only cache-ineligible traffic while popular content is served from ground caches, thereby reducing the bandwidth requirement without adding complex redundant satellite infrastructure
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces ground-based cache servers as intermediary components between the internet content providers and the satellite communication system. These intermediaries pre-store popular content and serve it directly to users, mediating the data flow to bypass the feeder link for cache-able content, thus reducing the load on the satellite link without requiring additional satellite power stations
2Reliability
If multiple power stations are installed with site diversity technique to mitigate weather-related signal attenuation, then the reliability is improved, but the implementation cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements prior cushioning by pre-caching popular content on ground servers before it is requested by users. This preparation in advance means that when weather conditions cause feeder link outages, the most frequently requested content is already available locally on ground infrastructure, cushioning the impact of link failures without requiring multiple redundant satellite power stations
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the reliability function from the satellite link redundancy and places it on ground-based caching infrastructure. By serving popular content from ground caches that are independent of the satellite link, the system achieves reliability for essential content without requiring multiple satellite power stations with site diversity
3Productivity
If a cache server is installed on-board the satellite to reduce feeder link traffic, then the data throughput requirement is reduced, but the device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies inversion by reversing the conventional approach: instead of placing the cache server on the satellite (as in conventional solutions), it places the cache server on the ground. This inversion achieves the same traffic reduction goal while eliminating the complexity of satellite-based caching equipment, as the ground infrastructure already possesses the necessary computing and storage resources
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses copying by creating ground-based copies of popular content that can be served locally. Rather than implementing complex satellite-based caching, the system creates duplicate copies of frequently accessed content on ground servers, which can be delivered to users through simpler means, reducing both satellite equipment complexity and feeder link traffic
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention proposes a very high-speed satellite system complemented by a network cache system based on a station located on a high-altitude platform, for example, an aerostat. The invention has the advantage of allowing a reduction in the required bandwidth on the feed link without requiring the installation of a cache server on board the satellite.