TERMINAL SLOT ASSIGNMENT FOR A SATELLITE COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEM

• US 20100118769A1
• 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 8,325,664 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/321
• 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 a satellite over a communication link defined according to a plurality of carrier groups, the bandwidth resources defined in resource units, the method comprising:

identifying a set of terminals from among the plurality of terminals, the set of terminals being associated with one of the plurality of carrier groups;

identifying a carrier group allocation associated with the one of the plurality of carrier groups;

identifying a traffic class allocation associated with the carrier group allocation and designating an allocation of resource units among a plurality of traffic classes for the one of the plurality of carrier groups;

for a defined time duration, assigning time slots to each terminal of the set of terminals according to an amount of resource units requested by respective terminals of the set of terminals for the defined time duration and as a function of the traffic class allocation associated with the carrier group allocation; and

transmitting information directed to at least one terminal of the set of terminals identifying the time slots assigned to the at least one terminal.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining an amount of requested resource units requested by the terminals of the set of terminals for the defined time duration at least according to resource requests received from each of the terminals.

3. The method of claim 2,

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, such that the assigned time slots for the defined time duration are different from time slots assigned for the prior time duration.

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

5. The method of claim 1, wherein assigning time slots to each terminal of the set of terminals according to the amount of resource units requested by the terminals of the set of terminals for the defined time duration and as a function of the traffic class allocation associated with the carrier group allocation comprises:

receiving a resource request from at least one of the terminals, the resource request comprising a traffic class request identifying at least one traffic class associated with an amount of resource units requested by the at least one of the terminals; and

assigning time slots to the at least one of the terminals further according to the traffic class request.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying a terminal prioritization scheme associating a terminal priority with each terminal of the set of terminals; and

assigning time slots to the set of terminals further as a function of the terminal prioritization scheme.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein assigning time slots to the set of terminals further as a function of the terminal prioritization scheme comprises:

for each terminal priority in an order defined according to the terminal priority scheme, assigning time slots to each terminal of the set of terminals associated with the terminal priority according to the traffic class allocation.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

for each terminal priority, upon completion of assigning time slots for the set of terminals associated with the terminal priority, determining whether sufficient unassigned time slots remain for allocation according to a next terminal priority; and

when insufficient unassigned time slots remain for allocation according to the next terminal priority, assigning remaining unassigned time slots according to a fairness policy.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein:

the traffic class allocation identifies a plurality of traffic class apportionments, each traffic class apportionment defining an amount of the resource units allocated to each of the plurality of traffic classes and being associated with a traffic class apportionment priority; and

assigning time slots to the set of terminals further as a function of the terminal prioritization scheme comprises;

for each terminal priority in an order defined according to the terminal priority scheme, assigning time slots to each terminal of the set of terminals associated with the terminal priority according to the traffic class allocation for each traffic class apportionment in an order defined according to the associated traffic class apportionment priorities.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

for each traffic class apportionment, upon completion of assigning a portion of time slots for the traffic class apportionment for the terminals associated with the terminal priority, determining whether sufficient unassigned time slots remain for allocation according to a next traffic class apportionment; and

when insufficient unassigned time slots remain for allocation according to a next traffic class apportionment, assigning remaining unassigned time slots according to a fairness policy.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the amount of resource units requested by respective terminals of the set of terminals include:

a minimum sustained rate associated with the amount of resource units;

a committed information rate associated with the amount of resource units; and

a requested information rate associated with the amount of resource units.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a communication mode for communicating with at least a portion of the set of terminals; and

assigning time slots to the set of terminals further as a function of the communication mode.

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 a 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:

an allocation module operable to;

identify a set of terminals from among the plurality of terminals, the set of terminals being associated with one of the plurality of carrier groups;

identify a carrier group allocation associated with the one of the plurality of carrier groups;

identify a traffic class allocation associated with the carrier group allocation and designating an allocation of resource units among a plurality of traffic classes for the one of the plurality of carrier groups; and

for a defined time duration, assign resource units to each terminal of the set of terminals according to an amount of resource units requested by the terminals of the set of terminals for the defined time duration and as a function of the traffic class allocation associated with the carrier group allocation; and

a communications module, communicatively coupled with the allocation module, and operable to transmit information directed to at least one terminal of the set of terminals identifying resource units assigned to the at least one terminal.

14. The resource allocation system of claim 13, wherein the allocation module and the communications module are located in the satellite.

15. The resource allocation system of claim 13, wherein the allocation module and the communications module are located terrestrially in a network control system communicatively coupled with at least one of the set of terminals.

16. The resource allocation system of claim 13, wherein the allocation module is further operable to assign resource units as specific time slots to the set of terminals for each of a set of time durations, the defined time duration being one of the set of time durations.

17. The resource allocation system of claim 13, further comprising:

a request processing module, operable to determine the amount of requested resource units requested by the plurality of terminals for the defined time duration at least according to resource requests received from each of the plurality of terminals.

18. The resource allocation system of claim 13, wherein the allocation module is further operable to:

identify a terminal prioritization scheme associating a terminal priority with each terminal of the set of terminals; and

assign time slots to the set of terminals further as a function of the terminal prioritization scheme, wherein the assigned resource units comprise time slots.

19. The resource allocation system of claim 18, wherein the allocation module is further operable to assign time slots to the set of terminals further as a function of the terminal prioritization scheme by:

for each terminal priority in an order defined according to the terminal priority scheme, assigning time slots to each terminal of the set of terminals associated with the terminal priority according to the traffic class allocation.

20. The resource allocation system of claim 19, wherein the allocation module is further operable to assign time slots to the set of terminals further as a function of the terminal prioritization scheme further by:

for each terminal priority, upon completion of assigning time slots for the terminals associated with the terminal priority, determining whether sufficient unassigned time slots remain for allocation according to a next terminal priority; and

when insufficient unassigned time slots remain for allocation according to the next terminal priority, assigning remaining unassigned time slots according to a fairness policy.

21. The resource allocation system of claim 13, wherein the communications module is further operable to:

determine a communication mode for communicating with the set of terminals,

wherein the allocation module is further operable to assign time slots to the set of terminals further as a function of the communication mode.

22. A satellite communications system comprising:

a 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 bandwidth resources 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, a portion of the plurality of terminals being comprised by a set of terminals associated with one of the plurality of carrier groups; and

a resource allocation device, communicatively coupled with the plurality of terminals, and comprising an allocation module operable to;

identify a traffic class allocation associated with the carrier group allocation for one of the sets of terminals, the traffic class allocation designating an allocation of resource units among a plurality of traffic classes according to a set of resource obligations associated with each of the plurality of traffic classes; and

for a defined time duration, assign time slots to each terminal of the set of terminals according to an amount of resource units requested by respective terminals of the set of terminals for the defined time duration and as a function of the traffic class allocation associated with the carrier group allocation.

23. The satellite communications system of claim 22, wherein the resource allocation device further comprises:

a communications module, communicatively coupled with the allocation module, and operable to transmit information directed to at least one terminal of the set of terminals identifying the time slots assigned to the at least one terminal.

24. The satellite communications system of claim 22, wherein the resource allocation device is operable to dynamically assign time slots to the set of terminals for each of a set of epochs, each epoch having a constant and predefined time duration.