Patent ID: 6691274
Filing Date: 2004-02-10
Classification: H04B,H04L

Abstract:
A method for use in managing communications within a packet-based satellite communication system having a constellation of communication satellites and a plurality of satellite gateways, each of said plurality of satellite gateways for providing a communication link between at least one external communication entity and said constellation of communication satellites, said method comprising the steps of:receiving an information packet from a first communication entity, said information packet to be delivered to a second communication entity via the constellation of communication satellites; encoding said information packet using a first error code to generate an encoded information packet, said first error code being related to an attribute of said information packet; interleaving said encoded information packet with other encoded information packets at a first satellite gateway to generate a packet stream; applying a common inner error correction code to said packet stream to generate an encoded packet stream; transmitting said encoded packet stream from said first satellite gateway to a first communication satellite within said constellation of the communication satellites via a wireless communication link; and said first error code is selected based upon an application associated with said information packet; said first error code is selected based upon a quality of service associated with said information packet; said first error code is selected based upon a request from one of said first communication entity and said second communication entity; and said first error code can include no error code; receiving and decoding said encoded packet stream at said first communication satellite, said step of decoding including correcting errors in said encoded packet stream using said common inner error correction code when errors are present in said encoded packet stream; de-interleaving said encoded information packet from said packet stream within said first communication satellite; and transferring said encoded information packet to a second satellite in said constellation of communication satellites in accordance with a predetermined packet route.