TRAFFIC CLASS POOL SIZING FOR A SATELLITE COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEM

• US 20100118766A1
• Filed: 11/10/2009
• Published: 05/13/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/10/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ViaSat Incorporated
• Original Assignee: ViaSat Incorporated
• Inventors: Agarwal, Anil
• Granted Patent: US 8,391,221 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/316
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18578 Satellite systems for providing broadband data service to individual earth stations for selecting H04W; provisions for broadband connection, H04Q11/0478

Abstract

Novel satellite communications systems, methods, and related devices are described. In some embodiments, a satellite communications system is configured to dynamically allocate bandwidth to terminals. Such a system may be made up of a satellite in communication with terminals (e.g., user terminals or gateways). The satellite or a Network Control Center (NCC) may receive and compile bandwidth request data from the terminals. In each of a series of one or more epochs, and according to the bandwidth requests, the satellite and/or NCC may allocate carrier group resources to particular traffic classes. The assignment of allocated resources to particular terminals is also described.

Claims

1. A method for allocating bandwidth resources in a satellite communications system having a plurality of terminals, each terminal being in communication with the satellite over a communication link defined according to a plurality of carrier groups, the bandwidth resources defined in resource units, the method comprising:

receiving a resource request from each of at least a subset of the plurality of terminals associated with a first carrier group of the plurality of carrier groups;

determining an amount of requested resource units associated with a defined time duration for each of a plurality of traffic classes based at least in part on the resource requests;

identifying a carrier group allocation representing an allocation of the resource units to the first carrier group for the defined time duration; and

allocating the resource units of the carrier group allocation among the plurality of traffic classes according to the amount of requested resource units for each of the plurality of traffic classes and a set of resource obligations associated with each of the plurality of traffic classes.

2. The method of claim 1,

wherein the amount of requested resource units for the defined time duration is different from an amount of requested resource units for a prior time duration, the amount of requested resource units for the prior time duration being determined according to prior resource requests.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the defined time duration is substantially adjacent to the prior time duration.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the set of resource obligations comprises:

a minimum sustained rate associated with the resource requests;

a committed information rate associated with the resource requests; and

a requested information rate associated with the resource requests.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the allocating the carrier group allocation among the plurality of traffic classes comprises performing a series of allocation steps, each of the series of allocation steps comprising:

determining whether a sufficient amount of the carrier group allocation remains to satisfy an allocation associated with the allocation step; and

when there is not a sufficient amount of the carrier group allocation remaining to satisfy the an allocation associated with the allocation step, allocating a remainder of the carrier group allocation among the plurality of traffic classes according to a fairness policy,

wherein each of the series of allocation steps is defined according to a next allocation of the requested resource units within the carrier group allocation among at least one of a traffic class of the plurality of traffic classes or a resource obligation of the set of resource obligations.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the resource requests identifies resource obligations associated with each of the plurality of traffic classes.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the amount of requested resource units associated with the defined time duration comprises:

predicting a resource request for a subset of the plurality of terminals; and

determining the amount of requested resource units requested by the plurality of terminals as a function of the predicted requests.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the allocating the carrier group allocation among the plurality of traffic classes comprises:

determining a communication mode for communicating with the plurality of terminals; and

allocating resource units among the plurality of traffic classes further according to the communication mode.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the allocating the carrier group allocation among the plurality of traffic classes comprises:

determining a modcode for communications with at least some of the plurality of terminals; and

allocating resource units among the plurality of traffic classes further according to the modcode.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the allocating the carrier group allocation among the plurality of traffic classes comprises:

allocating resource units according to a predetermined traffic class prioritization scheme.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the allocating the carrier group allocation among the plurality of traffic classes comprises:

allocating resource units according to a predetermined resource obligation prioritization scheme defining a priority relationship between the set of resource obligations.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein each resource unit corresponds to a time slot or an amount of bandwidth.

13. A resource allocation system for allocating bandwidth resources in a satellite communications system having a plurality of terminals, each terminal being in communication with the satellite over a communication link defined according to a plurality of carrier groups, the bandwidth resources defined in resource units, the resource allocation system comprising:

a request processing module, operable to;

receive a resource request from each of at least a subset of the plurality of terminals; and

determine an amount of requested resource units associated with a defined time duration for each of a plurality of traffic classes based at least in part on the resource requests; and

an allocation module, communicatively coupled with the request processing module, and operable to;

identify a carrier group allocation representing an allocation of resource units to each of the plurality of carrier groups for the defined time duration; and

allocate resource units of the carrier group allocation for each carrier group among the plurality of traffic classes according to the amount of requested resource units for each of the plurality of traffic classes for each respective carrier group and a set of resource obligations associated with each of the plurality of traffic classes for each respective carrier group.

14. The resource allocation device of claim 13, wherein the request processing module and the allocation module are located in the satellite.

15. The resource allocation device of claim 13, wherein the request processing module and the allocation module are located terrestrially in a network control system communicatively coupled with at least some of the plurality of terminals.

16. The resource allocation device of claim 13, wherein the allocation module is further operable to allocate resource units over each of a set of time durations, the defined time duration being one of the set of time durations.

17. The resource allocation device of claim 13, wherein the allocation module is operable to allocate resource units of the carrier group allocation by performing a series of allocation steps, each of the series of allocation steps comprising:

determining whether a sufficient amount of the carrier group allocation remains to satisfy an allocation associated with the allocation step; and

when there is not a sufficient amount of the carrier group allocation remaining to satisfy the an allocation associated with the allocation step, allocating a remainder of the carrier group allocation among the plurality of traffic classes according to a fairness policy,

wherein each of the series of allocation steps is defined according to a next allocation of the requested resource units within the carrier group allocation among at least one of a traffic class of the plurality of traffic classes or a resource obligation of the set of resource obligations.

18. The resource allocation device of claim 13, wherein the allocation module is operable to allocate the bandwidth resources among the plurality of traffic classes by:

allocating a portion of the resource units to one of the plurality of traffic classes according to the set of resource obligations in satisfaction of the set of resource obligations associated with the one of the plurality of traffic classes; and

allocating a remainder of the resource units to the remaining plurality of traffic classes proportionally according to the set of resource obligations.

19. The resource allocation device of claim 13, wherein the allocation module is operable to allocate resource units of the carrier group allocation by:

allocating a portion of the resource units among the plurality of traffic classes according to one of the set of resource obligations in satisfaction of the one of the set of resource obligations associated with the plurality of traffic classes; and

allocating a remainder of the resource units to the plurality of traffic classes proportionally according to the remainder of the set of resource obligations.

20. The resource allocation device of claim 13, wherein the request processing module is further operable to:

predict a resource request for a subset of the plurality of terminals; and

determine the amount of requested resource units requested by the plurality of terminals as a function of the predicted requests

21. A satellite communications system comprising:

the satellite configured to communicate over a plurality of communication links defined according to a plurality of carrier groups, each of the plurality of carrier groups being associated with a carrier group allocation representing an allocation of resource units associated with each of the plurality of carrier groups;

a plurality of terminals, each terminal being in communication with the satellite over at least one of the communication links and being associated with at least one of the plurality of carrier groups; and

a resource allocation device, communicatively coupled with the plurality of terminals, and comprising;

a request processing module, operable to;

receive a resource request from each of at least a subset of the plurality of terminals; and

determine an amount of requested resource units associated with a defined time duration for each of a plurality of traffic classes based at least in part on the resource requests; and

an allocation module, communicatively coupled with the request processing module, and operable to allocate resource units, within each carrier group allocation, according to the amount of requested resource units for each of the plurality of traffic classes for each respective carrier group and a set of resource obligations associated with each of the plurality of traffic classes for each respective carrier group.

22. The satellite communications system of claim 21, wherein the resource allocation device is operable to dynamically allocate the bandwidth resources for each of a set of epochs, each epoch having a constant and predefined time duration.