Usage-based billing system for full mesh multimedia satellite network
First Claim
1. For use in a satellite communications system providing fully meshed connectivity between a number of earth terminals via a satellite link, the earth terminals being connected to user access devices to receive and transmit at least one of voice, video and other data, an earth terminal comprising:
- a processor having a digital memory device and a plurality of ports for connecting to said user access devices, said processor being operable to generate bursts using data received from said user access devices for transmission via said satellite, and to process data received via said satellite and addressed to one of said user access devices for transmission to said user access device;
a modem connected to said processor for modulating said bursts onto radio frequency modulated signals and demodulating downlink carrier signals received from said satellite; and
a radio frequency transceiver connected to said modem for converting said modulated signals to an uplink carrier signal for broadcast to each of said earth terminals via said satellite, and for converting said downlink carrier signals to corresponding modulated signals, respectively;
wherein said processor is programmable to receive data from said user access devices of a data type selected from the group consisting of voice, video and other data, to arrange said received data into at least one of said bursts, to transmit said bursts in at least one of a plurality of slots constituting a time division multiple access frame transmitted over said satellite link, to generate bandwidth requests to determine during which of said plurality of slots in said frame to transmit said bursts, and to provide at least one device selected from the group consisting of said terminal and one of said plurality of ports with a service for transmitting said bursts, said service selected from the group consisting of a committed information rate representing an amount of bandwidth on said satellite link guaranteed to said device at all times, an excess information rate representing the committed information rate and additional bandwidth in excess thereof when available in said frame, a guaranteed information rate representing the committed information rate and additional available bandwidth subject to delay, an available bit rate representing bandwidth when available with no guaranteed bandwidth, a scheduled committed information rate representing a guaranteed amount of bandwidth at a predetermined time but not at other times, and a scheduled guaranteed information rate representing said guaranteed information rate at a predetermined time but not at other times.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A satellite communications system is provided for full mesh connectivity between a number of earth terminals via a satellite link. The earth terminals are connected to user access devices to receive and transmit voice, video and data and are operable to generate bursts to transmit user data via a satellite, and to process data received from the satellite and transmit it to the addressed user access devices. The terminals each comprise a programmable computing device which organizes bursts in at least one of a plurality of slots constituting a time division multiple access frame in accordance with a burst plan. Billing is based on usage and committed information rates. Data and voice can be billed on one invoice.
261 Citations
22 Claims
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1. For use in a satellite communications system providing fully meshed connectivity between a number of earth terminals via a satellite link, the earth terminals being connected to user access devices to receive and transmit at least one of voice, video and other data, an earth terminal comprising:
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a processor having a digital memory device and a plurality of ports for connecting to said user access devices, said processor being operable to generate bursts using data received from said user access devices for transmission via said satellite, and to process data received via said satellite and addressed to one of said user access devices for transmission to said user access device; a modem connected to said processor for modulating said bursts onto radio frequency modulated signals and demodulating downlink carrier signals received from said satellite; and a radio frequency transceiver connected to said modem for converting said modulated signals to an uplink carrier signal for broadcast to each of said earth terminals via said satellite, and for converting said downlink carrier signals to corresponding modulated signals, respectively; wherein said processor is programmable to receive data from said user access devices of a data type selected from the group consisting of voice, video and other data, to arrange said received data into at least one of said bursts, to transmit said bursts in at least one of a plurality of slots constituting a time division multiple access frame transmitted over said satellite link, to generate bandwidth requests to determine during which of said plurality of slots in said frame to transmit said bursts, and to provide at least one device selected from the group consisting of said terminal and one of said plurality of ports with a service for transmitting said bursts, said service selected from the group consisting of a committed information rate representing an amount of bandwidth on said satellite link guaranteed to said device at all times, an excess information rate representing the committed information rate and additional bandwidth in excess thereof when available in said frame, a guaranteed information rate representing the committed information rate and additional available bandwidth subject to delay, an available bit rate representing bandwidth when available with no guaranteed bandwidth, a scheduled committed information rate representing a guaranteed amount of bandwidth at a predetermined time but not at other times, and a scheduled guaranteed information rate representing said guaranteed information rate at a predetermined time but not at other times. - View Dependent Claims (2)
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3. For use in a satellite communications system providing fully meshed connectivity between a number of earth terminals via a satellite link, the earth terminals being connected to user access devices to receive and transmit at least one of voice, video and other data, an earth terminal comprising:
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a processor having a digital memory device and a plurality of ports for connecting to said user access devices, said processor being operable to generate bursts using data received from said user access devices for transmission via said satellite, and to process data received via said satellite and addressed to one of said user access devices for transmission to said user access device; a modem connected to said processor for modulating said bursts onto radio frequency modulated signals and demodulating downlink carrier signals received from said satellite; a radio frequency transceiver connected to said modem for converting said modulated signals to an uplink carrier signal for broadcast to each of said earth terminals via said satellite, and for converting said downlink carrier signals to corresponding modulated signals, respectively; wherein said processor is programmable to receive data from said user access devices of a data type selected from the group consisting of voice, video and other data, to arrange said received data into at least one of said bursts, to transmit said bursts in at least one of a plurality of slots constituting a time division multiple access frame transmitted over said satellite link, and to provide at least one device selected from the group consisting of said terminal and one of said plurality of ports with a service for transmitting said bursts, said service selected from the group consisting of a committed information rate representing an amount of bandwidth on said satellite link guaranteed to said device at all times, an excess information rate representing the committed information rate and additional bandwidth in excess thereof when available in said frame, a guaranteed information rate representing the committed information rate and additional available bandwidth subject to delay, an available bit rate representing bandwidth when available with no guaranteed bandwidth, a scheduled committed information rate representing a guaranteed amount of bandwidth at a particular time of day but not at other times, and a scheduled guaranteed information rate; and further comprising a processing device configured to communicate with each of said terminals for generating an invoice for said device having said committed information rate, said invoice charging a monetary amount corresponding to the data rate of said device.
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4. For use in a satellite communications system providing fully meshed connectivity between a number of earth terminals via a satellite link, the earth terminals being connected to user access devices to receive and transmit at least one of voice, video and other data, an earth terminal comprising:
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a processor having a digital memory device and a plurality of ports for connecting to said user access devices, said processor being operable to generate bursts using data received from said user access devices for transmission via said satellite, and to process data received via said satellite and addressed to one of said user access devices for transmission to said user access device; a modem connected to said processor for modulating said bursts onto radio frequency modulated signals and demodulating downlink carrier signals received from said satellite; and a radio frequency transceiver connected to said modem for converting said modulated signals to an uplink carrier signal for broadcast to each of said earth terminals via said satellite, and for converting said downlink carrier signals to corresponding modulated signals, respectively; wherein said processor is programmable to receive data from said user access devices of a data type selected from the group consisting of voice, video and other data, to arrange said received data into at least one of said bursts, to transmit said bursts in at least one of a plurality of slots constituting a time division multiple access frame transmitted over said satellite link, and to provide at least one device selected from the group consisting of said terminal, and one of said plurality of ports with a service for transmitting said bursts, said service selected from the group consisting of a committed information rate representing an amount of bandwidth on said satellite link guaranteed to said device at all times, an excess information rate representing the committed information rate and additional bandwidth in excess thereof when available in said frame, a guaranteed information rate representing the committed information rate and additional available bandwidth subject to delay, an available bit rate representing bandwidth when available with no guaranteed bandwidth, a scheduled committed information rate representing a guaranteed amount of bandwidth at a particular time of day but not at other times, and a scheduled guaranteed information rate representing said guaranteed information rate; and further comprising a processing device for generating invoices for said device having one of said excess information rate and said guaranteed information rate, said invoices charging a monetary amount corresponding to the data rate of said device and a monetary amount based on the number of additional bytes transmitted in bursts using said additional bandwidth.
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5. For use in a satellite communications system providing fully meshed connectivity between a number of earth terminals via a satellite link, the earth terminals being connected to user access devices to receive and transmit at least one of voice, video and other data, an earth terminal comprising:
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a processor having a digital memory device and a plurality of ports for connecting to said user access devices, said processor being operable to generate bursts using data received from said user access devices for transmission via said satellite, and to process data received via said satellite and addressed to one of said user access devices for transmission to said user access device; a modem connected to said processor for modulating said bursts onto radio frequency modulated signals and demodulating downlink carrier signals received from said satellite; a radio frequency transceiver connected to said modem for converting said modulated signals to an uplink carrier signal for broadcast to each of said earth terminals via said satellite, and for converting said downlink carrier signals to corresponding modulated signals, respectively; wherein said processor is programmable to receive data from said user access devices of a data type selected from the group consisting of voice, video and other data, to arrange said received data into at least one of said bursts, to transmit said bursts in at least one of a plurality of slots constituting a time division multiple access frame transmitted over said satellite link, and to provide at least one device selected from the group consisting of said terminal, and one of said plurality of ports with a service for transmitting said bursts, said service selected from the group consisting of a committed information rate representing an amount of bandwidth on said satellite link guaranteed to said device at all times, an excess information rate representing the committed information rate and additional bandwidth in excess thereof when available in said frame, a guaranteed information rate representing the committed information rate and additional available bandwidth subject to delay, an available bit rate representing bandwidth when available with no guaranteed bandwidth, a scheduled committed information rate representing a guaranteed amount of bandwidth at a particular time of day but not at other times, and a scheduled guaranteed information rate representing said guaranteed information rate; and further comprising a processing device for generating invoices for said device having said available bit rate, said invoices charging a monetary amount based on the number of bytes transmitted in said bursts.
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6. A method of billing users for accessing a satellite link in a satellite communications network via terminals to originate at least one of a voice call, a video call, and transmission of data bytes, each virtual circuit in the network having a corresponding data link connection identifier, the method comprising the steps of:
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storing a subscriber information rate for each of said users in a memory device; assigning each of said terminals a terminal identification code; assigning each port on said terminals a port identification code; generating network usage data at each of said terminals for each of said ports corresponding thereto, said network usage data selected from the group consisting of a source network user identifier for a source port selected from said ports and used by said user to access said network, said source network user identifier comprising at least one of said terminal identification code, said port identification code, and said data link connection identifier corresponding to said source port, the time of day when said user accessed said network, the date when said user accessed said network, the duration of each said voice call, the duration of each said video call, a basic fee for said subscriber information rate, the number of said data bytes sent, the number of said data bytes sent which exceeds said subscriber information rate, and a destination network user identifier for a destination port selected from said ports, said destination network user identifier comprising at least one of said terminal identification code, said port identification code, and said data link connection identifier corresponding to said destination port; collecting said network usage data from said terminals; and generating an invoice using said network usage data to bill at least one of said users for accessing said network. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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Specification