Predictive Core Network Coordination for Satellite Backhaul Outages
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Solution Overview
Problem
Satellite backhaul outages due to orbital position and state cause communication disruptions between core and radio access networks, necessitating effective mitigation strategies.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a method and apparatus to predict satellite backhaul outages and perform proactive actions, such as suspending communication operations, powering down equipment, and providing notifications, to manage the outage before it occurs, and reversing actions at the predicted restoration time.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If satellite backhaul is used to connect core network to radio access network, then network coverage area is expanded, but communication reliability deteriorates due to orbital position changes causing outages
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by predicting satellite outages before they occur and proactively suspending communication operations, powering down equipment, and notifying users in advance. This prevents communication disruptions rather than reacting to them after occurrence.
Solution Approach 2:
The system continuously monitors satellite orbital positions and backhaul link status, using this feedback to predict future outages and trigger appropriate mitigation actions. The feedback loop enables dynamic adaptation to changing satellite positions.
2Duration of action of moving object
If communication operations are maintained during predicted outages, then service continuity is preserved, but energy consumption increases unnecessarily
Solution Approach 1:
The system proactively suspends communication operations and powers down equipment before the predicted outage begins, avoiding unnecessary energy consumption during the outage period while maintaining service continuity before and after the outage.
Solution Approach 2:
The system periodically monitors satellite positions, predicts outages, and cycles communication operations through active and suspended states based on predicted satellite availability, creating a periodic pattern of operation that matches satellite orbital characteristics.
3Reliability
If proactive mitigation actions are taken before predicted outages, then user experience is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system introduces a core network device as an intermediary that performs prediction and coordination functions. This centralizes the complexity in the network infrastructure rather than requiring complex satellite tracking and prediction capabilities in remote radio access equipment or user devices.
Data Source
AI summary
For a communication network using a satellite-involved backhaul, the backhaul outage and restoration states are predicted based on satellite motion data. Based on such predictions, devices providing the core portion of the communication network, and nearby Internet or backhaul radio devices can schedule or take actions. Actions can include but are not necessarily limited to: powering equipment up or down, suspending communications, migrating software from servers being powered down, transmitting replies to packets to indicate an anticipated outage and optionally anticipated outage end time, marking packets with congestion indications, closing or reopening certain ports, withdrawing or reinstating routing table addresses, and transmitting outage notifications to users or devices.