EP-4008093-B1 - MULTI-OPERATOR MARITIME MESH NETWORK

Inventors

• SAHIN, SERDAR
• PEDERSEN, LARS
• DANG, Yanping

Dates

Publication Date

20260513

Application Date

20191123

Claims (7)

1. A method implemented by a network device to establish communication over a multi-operator maritime mesh network, the network device in a local network of a communication system of a first vessel in the maritime mesh network, the method comprising: receiving (401) a communication session request, via a mesh server of a second vessel, from a remote network device of the second vessel to access a remote service, the remote network device within the multi-operator maritime mesh network, wherein the remote network device is subscribed to a different network operator than a network operator associated with the network device; querying (403) a subscriber database of the different network operator associated with the remote network device for a roaming agreement; determining (405) whether the remote network device has the roaming agreement with the network operator associated with the network device; and establishing (407) a communication session between the remote network device and the remote service, in response to determining the remote network device has the roaming agreement with the network operator associated with the network device, wherein the established communication session is between the mesh server of the second vessel and a gateway of the different network operator.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein the remote network device is from a communication system of a vessel connecting to the maritime mesh network.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein the subscriber database is a local copy in the maritime mesh network.
4. The method of claim 1, wherein the subscriber database is accessed at a terrestrial network connected to the maritime mesh network.
5. A machine-readable medium comprising computer program code which when executed by a computer carries out the method steps of any of claims 1-4.
6. A network device to implement a method to establish communication over a multi-operator maritime mesh network, the network device in a local network of a communication system of a vessel in the maritime mesh network, the network device comprising: a non-transitory machine-readable medium having stored therein a communication manager; and a processor coupled to the non-transitory machine-readable medium, the processor to execute the communication manager to cause the network device to perform the method steps of any of claims 1-4.
7. The networking device of claim 6, wherein the network device is configured to execute a plurality of virtual machines, the plurality of virtual machines implementing network function virtualization (NFV).

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application claims priority to International Application No. PCT/CN2019/099039, filed 02 August 2019. TECHNICAL FIELD Embodiments of the invention relate to the field of maritime communications; and more specifically, to a process and system for multi-operator maritime mesh network. BACKGROUND ART Computing devices aboard a maritime vessel communicate with remote computing devices (i.e., computing devices external to the maritime vessel) via terrestrial networks, or satellite networks when the maritime vessel is out of reach of the terrestrial networks (or in other special conditions). For instance, when out of range of the terrestrial networks, computing devices on the maritime vessel will connect to a base station on the maritime vessel, which in turn is connected via a satellite network to a core network somewhere on land. The connection decision, whether to connect via a satellite or a terrestrial network, is based on the vessel's proximity to the terrestrial networks (i.e., whether the vessel is in range of the terrestrial network). The communication systems of maritime vessels, however, do not take advantage of the capabilities of the communication systems of other maritime vessels in close proximity to create opportunities for more cost effective and efficient communication therebetween and, ultimately, to the terrestrial networks. It is not uncommon for a maritime vessel to lose satellite connectivity because the heading of the maritime vessel interferes with a line of sight to the satellite such that the satellite communication equipment onboard the maritime vessel is unable to maintain communication with the satellite. Additionally, the communication systems aboard maritime vessels do not take into account national jurisdictions with respect to the location of the maritime vessels, and associated potential ad hoc networks, to send and receive information both legally and efficiently. WO 2017/037510 A1 discloses a system and method for communication with external networks from maritime vessels. A communication manager is operable with a first access network onboard a first maritime vessel in communication with first vessel onboard communication devices and is in communication with a corresponding communication manager operable with a second access network onboard a second maritime vessel that communicates with second vessel onboard communication devices The communication manager assembles communication parameters including knowledge of a current state of communications onboard the first and second maritime vessels, knowledge of proximity of and access to a plurality of external networks to the first maritime vessel, and communication rules associated with the external networks. The communication manager selects a first external network based on the communication parameters for communication with the first maritime vessel to the second vessel onboard communication devices over a transport network between the first and second access networks. SUMMARY For the avoidance of doubt, the scope of the present invention is defined by the appended claims. In one embodiment, a method is implemented by a network device to establish communication over a multi-operator maritime mesh network. The network device is in a local network of a communication system of a first vessel in the maritime mesh network. The method includes receiving a communication session request, via a mesh server of a second vessel, from a remote network device of the second vessel to access a remote service, the remote network device within the multi-operator maritime mesh network. The remote network device is subscribed to a different network operator than a network operator associated with the network device. The method further includes querying a subscriber database of the different network operator associated with the remote network device for a roaming agreement, determining whether the remote network device has the roaming agreement with a network operator associated with the network device, and establishing a communication session between the remote network device and the remote service, in response to determining the remote network device has the roaming agreement with the network operator associated with the network device, wherein the established communication session is between the mesh server of the second vessel and a gateway of the different network operator. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The invention may best be understood by referring to the following description and accompanying drawings that are used to illustrate embodiments of the invention. In the drawings: Figure 1 is a diagram of one embodiment of a mesh network with a virtual private network (VPN) including three maritime vessels and a terrestrial network.Figure 2 is a flowchart of one embodiment of a process for establishing a VPN between a mesh server of a maritime vessel and a terrestrial operator.Figure 3 is a diag