Non-geostationary satellite communications network architectures with mesh network edge data centers

Abstract

This disclosure includes various examples and variations of communications networks that employ a satellite network with a plurality of HEO and/or MEO satellites. Regional data centers may be connected to the satellite via gateways. Edge devices may connect to the network through a plurality of edge micro data centers configured in a mesh network to provide distributed and dynamically allocatable compute and storage resources. Each edge micro data center may include a RAN controller to implement an O-RAN network (e.g., via a 5G Node B cell site) to provide end-user devices direct access to the distributed compute and storage resources of the mesh network of edge micro data centers without intermediary backhaul transport layers. Microwave links or other terrestrial network types may be employed to facilitate the mesh network of edge micro data centers.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A communications network, comprising:
 a satellite network that includes a combination of a plurality of highly elliptical orbit (HEO) satellites and a plurality of medium earth orbit (MEO) satellites,
 wherein the HEO satellites are configured to provide increased dwell time on target portions of the earth near their respective apogees relative to the dwell time on portions of the earth near their respective perigees, and 
 wherein at least one HEO satellite and one MEO satellite in the satellite network have identical orbit times to facilitate signal handoff; 
   a resource manager to control connectivity and signal handoff between the MEO and HEO satellites; and   a plurality of edge micro data centers in a mesh network, wherein each edge micro data center comprises:
 an antenna to relay data between each respective edge micro data center and the satellite network via a Ka-band frequency, 
 a microwave link to facilitate the mesh network of edge micro data centers, and 
 a radio access network (RAN) controller to control radio communications with end-user devices connected to a cellular network cell site. 
   
     
     
         2 . The communications network of  claim 1 , wherein the RAN controller is configured to control radio communications with end-user devices in an open radio access network (O-RAN). 
     
     
         3 . The communications network of  claim 1 , wherein the cellular network cell site comprises a 5G Node B cell site. 
     
     
         4 . The communications network of  claim 1 , wherein the RAN controller is configured to control radio communications with end-user devices connected via a Wi-Fi access point. 
     
     
         5 . The communications network of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a regional data center with regional compute resources and regional data storage resources; and   a regional gateway with gateway antennas to relay data between the regional data center and the satellite network via at least three different frequency bands;   including V-band frequencies, Q-band frequencies, and Ka-band frequencies.   
     
     
         6 . The communications network of  claim 1 , wherein each edge micro data center further comprises:
 a multi-access edge computing (MEC) controller to:
 implement adaptive mesh management of distributed compute resources and storage resources of each respective edge micro data center in the mesh network of edge micro data centers connected via the microwave link, and 
 implement virtual network routing to manage virtual networks that include end-user devices connected to the RAN controller. 
   
     
     
         7 . A communications network, comprising:
 a satellite network that includes:
 a plurality of highly elliptical orbit (HEO) satellites that provide increased dwell time on portions of the earth near their respective apogees relative to the dwell time on portions of the earth near their respective perigees, and 
 a plurality of medium earth orbit (MEO) satellites; and 
   a plurality of edge micro data centers in a mesh network, wherein each edge micro data center comprises:
 an antenna subsystem to relay, using a Ka-band frequency, prioritized data identified for low-latency communication to one of the HEO satellites in the satellite network and other data to one of the MEO satellites in the satellite network, 
 a terrestrial network interface to facilitate the mesh network of edge micro data centers, and 
 a radio access network (RAN) controller to control radio communications with end-user devices. 
   
     
     
         8 . The communications network of  claim 7 , wherein the antenna subsystem of each edge micro data center comprises a planar antenna. 
     
     
         9 . The communications network of  claim 8 , wherein the planar antenna comprises an electronically tunable metasurface antenna. 
     
     
         10 . The communications network of  claim 8 , wherein the planar antenna comprises at least one of:
 an electronically steerable antenna array,   a phased array of antennas, and   an antenna architecture utilizing at least one Luneburg lens.   
     
     
         11 . The communications network of  claim 7 , wherein the RAN controller implements an open radio access network (O-RAN). 
     
     
         12 . The communications network of  claim 7 , wherein the RAN controller is configured to control radio communications with end-user devices connected to one or more of:
 a 5G Node B cell site, and   a Wi-Fi access point.   
     
     
         13 . The communications network of  claim 7 , wherein the terrestrial network interface of each edge micro data center comprises a microwave link interface. 
     
     
         14 . The communications network of  claim 7 , wherein the terrestrial network interface of each edge micro data center comprises one or more of:
 a coaxial cable interface, and   a fiber optic interface.   
     
     
         15 . The communications network of  claim 7 , wherein each edge micro data center further comprises a multi-access edge computing (MEC) controller to:
 implement adaptive mesh management of distributed compute resources and storage resources of each respective edge micro data center in the mesh network of edge micro data centers connected via the terrestrial network interface, and   implement virtual network routing to manage virtual networks that include end-user devices connected to the RAN controller.   
     
     
         16 . The communications network of  claim 7 , further comprising:
 a regional data center with regional compute resources and regional data storage resources; and   a regional gateway with a gateway antenna system to relay data between the regional data center and the satellite network using Q-band frequencies for downlink and V-band frequencies for uplink.   
     
     
         17 . A communications network, comprising:
 a satellite network that includes a combination of a plurality of highly elliptical orbit (HEO) satellites and a plurality of medium earth orbit (MEO) satellites,
 wherein the HEO satellites are configured to provide increased dwell time on target portions of the earth near their respective apogees relative to the dwell time on portions of the earth near their respective perigees, and 
 wherein each MEO satellite is configured to have an identical orbit time to at least one of the HEO satellites in the satellite network; 
   a resource manager to control connectivity and signal handoff between the MEO and HEO satellites; and   a plurality of edge micro data centers in a mesh network,
 wherein at least some of the edge micro data centers are configured to communicate directly with the satellite network via a Ka-band frequency, and 
 wherein each edge micro data center has a radio access network (RAN) controller to control radio communications with end-user devices connected to a cellular network cell site. 
   
     
     
         18 . The communications network of  claim 17 , wherein the cellular network cell site comprises a 5G Node B cell site. 
     
     
         19 . The communications network of  claim 17 , further comprising:
 a regional data center with regional compute resources and regional data storage resources; and   a regional gateway with gateway antennas to relay data between the regional data center and the satellite network via at least three different frequency bands; including V-band frequencies, Q-band frequencies, and Ka-band frequencies.   
     
     
         20 . The communications network of  claim 17 , wherein each edge micro data center further comprises:
 a multi-access edge computing (MEC) controller to:
 implement adaptive mesh management of distributed compute resources and storage resources of each respective edge micro data center in the mesh network of edge micro data centers connected via the microwave link, and 
 implement virtual network routing to manage virtual networks that include end-user devices connected to the RAN controller.