Activity based resource assignment medium access control protocol

• US 6,487,183 B1
• Filed: 12/21/2001
• Issued: 11/26/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nortel Networks Limited (Nortel Networks Corporation)
• Inventors: Lo, Wing F., Watson, Jeff L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hsu, Alpus H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Qureshi, Afsar M.
• Application Number:
  US09/228,607
• Time in Patent Office: 340 Days
• Field of Search: 370/238, 370/341, 370/431-433, 370/437, 370/441, 370/442, 370/450, 370/454, 370/459, 370/310, 370/321, 455/450, 455/453, 455/456, 455/509, 455/514, 455/520, 455/525
• US Class Current: 370/326
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18582 Arrangements for data linking, i.e. for data framing, for error recovery, for multiple access

Abstract

A method for implementing an activity based resource assignment medium access control (MAC) protocol to allocate resources to subscribers in an interactive, multimedia, broadband satellite communications system. A plurality of channels is provided with at least one of said plurality of channels being assigned to each of a plurality of terminals. Utilization of the channel resources by the plurality of terminals is monitored and an evaluation is conducted of system needs based on the levels of activity and utilization of channel resources by the terminals. Requests for system resources by the terminals are communicated to a resource controller which calculates the system needs. The resource controller is utilized to adjust the channel resources based on the levels of activity and utilization of resources by the terminals. The adjustment provides active terminals as much resources as required during duration of their activity, subject to resource availability.

Claims

1. A method for implementing an activity based resource assignment medium access control (MAC) protocol to allocate resources to subscribers in an interactive, multimedia, broadband satellite communications system, said method comprising:

providing a plurality of channels;

assigning at least one of said plurality of channels to each of a plurality of terminals wherein said assigning step includes;

(1) sharing a pool of satellite transmission resources among large numbers of multimedia terminals;

(2) exploiting traffic characteristics of individual interactive satellite terminal users, wherein said characteristics include intermittent bursts of high activity followed by long periods of no activity; and

(3) reducing access delay within the communication system;

monitoring utilization of channel resources by said plurality of terminals;

evaluating system needs based on levels of activity of said plurality of terminals and utilization of channel resources by said plurality of terminals;

communicating to a resource controller information on said system needs and requests for system resources by said plurality of terminals;

calculating system needs utilizing said resource controller; and

utilizing said resource controller, adjusting resources allocated to individual channels of said plurality of channels based on said system needs, wherein said adjusting provides active terminals with required resources when said terminals are active, subject to resource availability.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said MAC protocol utilizes media satellite air interface standards and further wherein said MAC protocol is implemented utilizing software algorithm within the communication system processors.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said MAC protocol is a multimedia circuit switch MAC protocol tailored to satellite environment with characteristics which promote high resource efficiency and low delay and further wherein said MAC protocol is a bandwidth on demand (BOD) MAC protocol.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said monitoring step further includes the steps of:

establishing a set of operational parameters for optimal channel utilization;

gathering information on channel activity in real time utilizing a resource controller;

comparing said information on the channel activity with said operational parameter; and

adjusting the rate of data traffic based on a comparison of system and individual terminal activity against said operational parameter.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said communicating step further includes the step of attaching to the data traffic requests for additional resources and reports of queue size and delay.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said adjusting step further includes the steps of:

increasing channel resources during periods of high activity and bursty traffic when system activity demands it; and

decreasing channel resources during periods of inactivity and periods of low traffic when system activity demands it.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said adjusting step further includes the steps of:

instantiating an adjustment in channel resources in response to lightly loaded systems utilizing a generous allocation algorithm which has large positive charges in resources and slow decrease in resources allocation between adjacent states; and

instantiating an adjustment in channel resources in response to heavily loaded systems utilizing a stingy allocation algorithm which implements increases only to the next higher sub-state and large negative decreased.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said adjusting step further includes the step of modifying resources allocated to a terminal based on a plurality of system criteria including:

(i) number and size of outstanding resource requests;

(ii) recent utilization of existing channel by the terminal;

(iii) number of users currently in each state;

(iv) delay reported from the terminal;

(v) size reported from the terminal; and

(vi) terminal priority.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein said broadband interactive satellite communications system includes geostationary satellite communication systems.

10. A system for implementing an activity based resource assignment medium access control (MAC) protocol to allocate resources to subscribers in an interactive, multimedia, broadband satellite communications system comprising:

means for providing a plurality of channels;

means for assigning at least one of said plurality of channels to each of a plurality of terminals, wherein said assigning means includes;

(1) means for sharing a pool of satellite transmission resources among large numbers of multimedia terminals;

(2) means for exploiting traffic characteristics of individual interactive satellite terminal users, wherein said characteristics include intermittent bursts of high activity followed by long periods of no activity; and

(3) means for reducing access delay within the communication system;

means for monitoring utilization of channel resources by said plurality of terminals;

means for evaluating system needs based on levels of activity of said plurality of terminals and utilization of channel resources by said plurality of terminals;

means for communicating to a resource controller information on said system needs and requests for system resources by said plurality of terminals;

means for calculating system needs utilizing said resources controller; and

means for utilizing said resource controller, adjusting resources allocated to individual channels of said plurality of channels based on said system needs, wherein said adjusting provides active terminals with required resources when said terminals are active, subject to resource availability.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein said MAC protocol utilizes media satellite air interface standards and further wherein said MAC protocol is implemented utilizing software algorithm within the communication system processors.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein said MAC protocol is a multimedia circuit switch MAC protocol tailored to satellite environment with characteristics which promote high resource efficiency and low delay and further wherein said MAC protocol is a bandwidth on demand (BOD) MAC protocol.

13. The system of claim 12, said communicating means further includes:

means for attaching to the data traffic requests for additional resources and reports of queue size and delay; and

means for notifying the resource controller when an active terminal is using all of its allocated slots.

14. The system of claim 10, said monitoring means further includes:

means for establishing of operational parameters for optimal channel utilization;

means for gathering information on the channel activity in real time utilizing a resource controller;

means for comparing said information on the channel activity with said operational parameter; and

means for adjusting the rate of data traffic based on a comparison of system and individual terminal activity against said operational parameters.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein said adjusting means further includes:

means for increasing channel resources during periods of high activity and bursty traffic when system activity demands it; and

means for decreasing channel resources during periods of inactivity and periods of low traffic when system activity demands it.

16. The system of claim 10, wherein said adjusting means further includes:

means for instantiating an adjustment in channel resources in response to lightly loaded systems utilizing a generous allocation algorithm which has large positive charges in resources and slow decrease in resources allocation between adjacent states; and

means for instantiating an adjustment in channel resources in response to heavily loaded systems utilizing a stingy allocation algorithm which implements increases only to the next higher sub-state and large negative decreased.

17. The system of claim 10, wherein said adjusting means further includes means for modifying resources allocated to a terminal based on a plurality of system criteria including:

(i) number and size of outstanding resource requests;

(ii) recent utilization of existing channel by the terminal;

(iii) number of users currently in each state;

(iv) delay reported from the terminal;

(v) size reported from the terminal; and

(vi) terminal priority.

18. The system of claim 10, wherein said broadband interactive satellite communications system includes geostationary satellite communication systems.

19. A computer program product for implementing an activity based resource assignment medium access control (MAC) protocol to allocate resources to subscribers in an interactive, multimedia, broadband satellite communications system comprising of program instructions in a computer readable medium for:

providing a plurality of channels;

assigning at least one of said plurality of channels to each of a plurality of terminals, wherein said assigning instructions include instructions for;

(1) sharing a pool of satellite transmission resources among large numbers of multimedia terminals;

(2) exploiting traffic characteristics of individual interactive satellite terminal users, wherein said characteristics include intermittent bursts of high activity followed by long periods of no activity; and

(3) reducing access delay within the communication system;

monitoring utilization of channel resources by said plurality of terminals;

evaluating system needs based on levels of activity of said plurality of terminals and utilization of channel resources by said plurality of terminals;

communicating to a resource controller information on said system needs and requests for system resources by said plurality of terminals;

calculating system needs utilizing said resources controller; and

utilizing said resources controller, adjusting resources allocated to individual channels of said plurality of channels based on said system needs, wherein said adjusting provides active terminals with required resources when said terminals are active, subject resource availability.

20. The computer program product of claim 19, wherein said MAC protocol utilizes media satellite air interface standards and further wherein said MAC protocol is implemented utilizing software algorithm within the communication system processors.

21. The computer program product of claim 19, wherein said MAC protocol is a multimedia circuit switch MAC protocol tailored to satellite environment with characteristics which promote high resource efficiency and low delay and further wherein said MAC protocol is a bandwidth on demand (BOD) MAC protocol.

22. The computer program product of claim 19, said program instructions for said monitoring step further include program instructions for:

establishing of operational parameters for optimal channel utilization;

gathering information on channel activity in real time utilizing a resource controller;

comparing said information on the channel activity with said operational parameter; and

adjusting the rate of data traffic based on a comparison of system and individual terminal activity against said operational parameters.

23. The computer program product of claim 19, said program instructions for said communicating step further include program instructions for:

attaching to the data traffic requests for additional resources and reports of queue size and delay; and

notifying the resource controller when an active terminal is using all of its allocated slots.

24. The computer program product of claim 19, wherein said program instructions for said adjusting step further include program instructions for:

increasing channel resources during periods of high activity and bursty traffic when system activity demands it; and

decreasing channel resources during periods of inactivity and periods of low traffic when system activity demands it.

25. The computer program product of claim 19, wherein said program instructions for said adjusting step further include program instructions for:

instantiating an adjustment in channel resources in response to lightly loaded systems utilizing a generous allocation algorithm which has large positive charges in resources and slow decrease in resources allocation between adjacent states; and

instantiating an adjustment in channel resources in response to heavily loaded systems utilizing a stingy allocation algorithm which implements increases only to the next higher sub-state and large negative decreased.

26. The computer program product of claim 19, wherein said program instructions for said adjusting step further include program instructions for modifying resources allocated to a terminal based on a plurality of system criteria including:

(i) number and size of outstanding resource requests;

(ii) recent utilization of existing channel by the terminal;

(iii) number of users currently in each state;

(iv) delay reported from the terminal;

(v) size reported from the terminal; and

(vi) terminal priority.

27. The computer program product of claim 19, wherein said broadband interactive satellite communications system includes geostationary satellite communication systems.