Network Gateway for Tactical Data Link IP Translation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Tactical data links employ unique network protocols, making message transmission between them difficult due to a lack of common addressing, necessitating address translation for integration with Internet Protocol (IP) networks.
Innovation Solution
A network gateway device extracts identifying information from tactical data links and constructs IP packets using this information and subnet associations, enabling IP routing and forwarding techniques for disparate data links.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If tactical data links use unique network protocols for communication, then each data link maintains its own protocol standards and identification methods, but message transmission between different tactical data links becomes difficult due to lack of common addressing
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary translation layer that converts tactical data link addresses into IP addresses and vice versa. This mediator enables communication between disparate tactical data links (such as Link 16, Link 22, VMF) by translating their unique addressing schemes into a common IP addressing format, allowing messages to be routed across different protocol domains without requiring each data link to adopt a common protocol.
2Stability of the object's composition
If tactical data links maintain separate protocol standards, then each data link preserves its unique identification methods, but integration with Internet Protocol networks requires address translation
Solution Approach 1:
The translation layer acts as an intermediary that preserves the integrity of original tactical data link protocols while enabling IP network integration. It translates addresses bidirectionally without requiring changes to the underlying data link protocols, maintaining protocol stability while enabling network integration through address conversion.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the addressing parameter from tactical data link-specific formats to standard IP address formats. This parameter transformation allows the same data to be represented in different addressing schemes depending on the network context, enabling seamless integration between tactical networks and IP networks without altering the core protocol structures.
3Adaptability or versatility
If address translation is implemented for tactical data links, then interoperability between different data links is achieved, but network gateway complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The network gateway is designed with multi-functionality to handle multiple tactical data link protocols (Link 16, Link 22, VMF, etc.) simultaneously. By implementing a universal translation layer that can translate addresses from various tactical protocols to IP addresses, the gateway reduces overall system complexity compared to having separate translation mechanisms for each protocol pair.
Data Source
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AI summary
A network gateway device, comprises a tactical data link interface circuit to receive a message from a tactical data link unit in a tactical data link network, the tactical data link unit associated with a unique identifier within the tactical data link network; a message transformation circuit to: extract the unique identifier from the message; and build an Internet Protocol packet using a source address based on the unique identifier; and an Internet Protocol interface circuit to process the Internet Protocol packet toward a destination.