Inter-satellite method for routing packets

Claim 1

A method executed by each of a plurality of nodes for routing a packet from an origination node to a destination node through the nodes, the nodes being connected together, the packet including a header, the header including a destination ID, each of the nodes storing a routing cue table, the method comprising the steps of: (a) checking for errors in the header to determine whether the header is valid; (b) discarding the packet if the destination ID indicates a null packet or an end-of-burst packet; (c) forwarding the packet from a current node to a next adjacent node according to the destination ID and the routing cue table if the packet is not destined for the current node and the header of the packet is valid as determined in step (a) and the packet is not discarded in step (b); and (d) repeating steps (a), (b) and (c) until the packet arrives at the destination node or the packet is discarded in step (b).

Claim 2

A method executed by each of a plurality of nodes for routing a packet from an origination node to a destination node through the nodes, the nodes being connected together, the packet including a header, the header including a destination ID, each of the nodes storing a routing cue table, the method comprising the steps of: (a) checking for errors in the header to determine whether the header is valid; (b) discarding the packet if the destination ID indicates a null packet or an end-of-burst packet; (c) forwarding the packet from a current node to a next adjacent node according to the destination ID and the routing cue table if the packet is not destined for the current node and the header of the packet is valid as determined in step (a) and the packet is not discarded in step (b); and (d) repeating steps (a), (b) and (c) until the packet arrives at the destination node or the packet is discarded in step (b).

Claim 10

A method executed by each of a plurality of nodes for routing packets from an origination node to a destination node through the nodes, the nodes being connected together, each of the packets including a header, each of the nodes storing a routing cue table, the method comprising the steps of: (a) checking for errors in the header to determine whether the header is valid; (b) reading a destination ID included in the packet; (c) discarding the packet if the header is invalid as found in step (a) or the destination ID indicates a null packet or an end-of-burst packet; (d) determining whether a current node matches the destination ID if the packet was not discarded in step (C), the current node being the node reading the header; (e) identifying from the routing cue table which adjacent node to send the packet to based on the destination ID and if the current node does not match the destination ID and the packet was not discarded in step (c); (f) forwarding the packet to the adjacent node identified in step (e) if the packet was not discarded in step (c); and (g) repeating steps (a)-(f) until the packet arrives at the destination node or the packet is discarded in step (c).

Claim 11

A method executed by each of a plurality of nodes for routing packets from an origination node to a destination node through the nodes, the nodes being connected together, each of the packets including a header, each of the nodes storing a routing cue table, the method comprising the steps of: (a) checking for errors in the header to determine whether the header is valid; (b) reading a destination ID included in the packet; (c) discarding the packet if the header is invalid as found in step (a) or the destination ID indicates a null packet or an end-of-burst packet; (d) determining whether a current node matches the destination ID if the packet was not discarded in step (C), the current node being the node reading the header; (e) identifying from the routing cue table which adjacent node to send the packet to based on the destination ID and if the current node does not match the destination ID and the packet was not discarded in step (c); (f) forwarding the packet to the adjacent node identified in step (e) if the packet was not discarded in step (c); and (g) repeating steps (a)-(f) until the packet arrives at the destination node or the packet is discarded in step (c).

Claim 12

A method executed by each of a plurality of nodes for routing packets from an origination node to a destination node through the nodes, the nodes being connected together, each of the packets including a header and a payload, each of the headers including a relay count, payload type, header error check and destination ID, each of the nodes storing a routing cue table, the method comprising the steps of: (a) discarding the packet if the header error check is not equal to a calculated error check of the header; (b) discarding the packet if the destination ID indicates a null packet or an end-of-burst packet; (c) determining whether a current node matches the destination ID if the packet is neither the null packet nor the end-of-burst packet; (d) reading the payload type to determine where the packet is to be routed if the current node matches the destination ID; (e) identifying from the routing cue table which node to send the packet to based on the destination ID if the current node does not match the destination ID; (f) adjusting the relay count; (g) discarding the packet if the relay count is equal to a predetermined value; (h) forwarding the packet if the packet is not discarded in (g) to the node identified in step (e); and (i) repeating steps (a)-(h) until the packet arrives at the destination node.

Claim 13

A method executed by each of a plurality of nodes for routing packets from an origination node to a destination node through the nodes, the nodes being connected together, each of the packets including a header and a payload, each of the headers including a relay count, payload type, header error check and destination ID, each of the nodes storing a routing cue table, the method comprising the steps of: (a) discarding the packet if the header error check is not equal to a calculated error check of the header; (b) discarding the packet if the destination ID indicates a null packet or an end-of-burst packet; (c) determining whether a current node matches the destination ID if the packet is neither the null packet nor the end-of-burst packet; (d) reading the payload type to determine where the packet is to be routed if the current node matches the destination ID; (e) identifying from the routing cue table which node to send the packet to based on the destination ID if the current node does not match the destination ID; (f) adjusting the relay count; (g) discarding the packet if the relay count is equal to a predetermined value; (h) forwarding the packet if the packet is not discarded in (g) to the node identified in step (e); and (i) repeating steps (a)-(h) until the packet arrives at the destination node.

Claim 14

A method executed by each of a plurality of satellites for routing a packet from an origination satellite to a destination satellite through the satellites, the packet including a header, the header including a destination ID, each of the satellites storing a routing cue table, the method comprising the steps of: (a) checking for errors in the header to determine whether the header is valid; (b) discarding the packet if the header is invalid, or the destination ID indicates a null packet or an end-of-burst packet; (c) forwarding the packet from a current satellite to a next adjacent satellite according to the destination ID and the routing cue table if the packet is not destined for the current satellite and the packet is not discarded in step (b); and (d) repeating steps (a), (b) and (c) until the packet arrives at the destination satellite or the packet is discarded in step (b).

Claim 15

A method executed by each of a plurality of satellites for routing a packet from an origination satellite to a destination satellite through the satellites, the packet including a header, the header including a destination ID, each of the satellites storing a routing cue table, the method comprising the steps of: (a) checking for errors in the header to determine whether the header is valid; (b) discarding the packet if the header is invalid, or the destination ID indicates a null packet or an end-of-burst packet; (c) forwarding the packet from a current satellite to a next adjacent satellite according to the destination ID and the routing cue table if the packet is not destined for the current satellite and the packet is not discarded in step (b); and (d) repeating steps (a), (b) and (c) until the packet arrives at the destination satellite or the packet is discarded in step (b).

Claim 16

A method executed by each of a plurality of nodes for routing groups of packets from an origination node to a destination node through the nodes, each of a number of packets in a group of packets including a header, the header including a destination ID, each of the nodes storing a routing cue table, the method comprising the steps of: (a) receiving a group of packets in a burst transmission; (b) checking for errors in the header of each packet in the group to determine whether the header is valid; (c) discarding any of the packets if the header is invalid, or the destination ID indicates a null packet or an end-of-burst packet; (d) burst transmitting the group of packets from a current node to a next adjacent node according to the destination ID and the routing cue table, if the packet is not destined for the current node, the packet is not discarded in step (c) and the packet is going to a same next adjacent node; and (e) repeating steps (a) through (d) until the group of packets arrive at the destination node or a packet in the group of packets is discarded in step (c).

Claim 17

A method executed by each of a plurality of nodes for routing groups of packets from an origination node to a destination node through the nodes, each of a number of packets in a group of packets including a header, the header including a destination ID, each of the nodes storing a routing cue table, the method comprising the steps of: (a) receiving a group of packets in a burst transmission; (b) checking for errors in the header of each packet in the group to determine whether the header is valid; (c) discarding any of the packets if the header is invalid, or the destination ID indicates a null packet or an end-of-burst packet; (d) burst transmitting the group of packets from a current node to a next adjacent node according to the destination ID and the routing cue table, if the packet is not destined for the current node, the packet is not discarded in step (c) and the packet is going to a same next adjacent node; and (e) repeating steps (a) through (d) until the group of packets arrive at the destination node or a packet in the group of packets is discarded in step (c).