Multiple MAC domains

• US 8,189,501 B2
• Filed: 03/26/2009
• Issued: 05/29/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ViaSat Incorporated
• Original Assignee: ViaSat Incorporated
• Inventors: Eidenschink, Thomas, Jaska, Kristi Ann, Dankberg, Mark D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Phan, Tri H
• Application Number:
  US12/411,744
• Publication Number:
  US 20090285152A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,160 Days
• Field of Search: 370229-2381, 370/253, 370315-316, 370328-332, 370/341, 370343-345, 375/222, 455 1- 306, 455/7, 455 9- 25
• US Class Current: 370/310.2
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18582 Arrangements for data linking, i.e. for data framing, for error recovery, for multiple access

Abstract

A satellite system for broadband communication with a plurality of remote locations is described. The system includes a satellite and a plurality of service spot beams from the satellite. A plurality of forward channels are transported on carriers in the service spot beams. A plurality of sub-channels pass on the plurality of forward channels. The system further includes a plurality of independently managed domains, wherein the plurality of sub-channels are divided among the plurality of domains. The system may further include a plurality of satellite modems addressed by a plurality of service identifiers. Each of the plurality of service identifiers may be exclusively addressable within one of the plurality of domains.

Claims

1. A satellite system comprising:

a satellite configured to transmit a plurality of service spot beams from the satellite; and

a gateway configured to produce and send a plurality of forward channels to the satellite;

each of the plurality of forward channels being transported on a carrier in one of the plurality of service spots beams, at least one of the plurality of forward channels being divided in time to form a plurality of sub-channels; and

the gateway further configured to independently manage a plurality of media access control (MAC) domains, the plurality of sub-channels being divided among the plurality of MAC domains.

2. The satellite system according to claim 1, wherein the carrier is a sole carrier in one of the plurality of spot beams.

3. The satellite system according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of forward channels use adaptive coding and modulation.

4. The satellite system according to claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of forward channels has a data rate greater than one gigabits per second.

5. The satellite system according to claim 1, wherein the service spot beams have a coding and a modulation that varies over time.

6. The satellite system according to claim 1, further comprising a plurality of satellite modems, wherein each of the plurality of satellite modems is managed by one of the plurality of MAC domains.

7. The satellite system according to claim 1, wherein the independent management of each MAC domain includes use of a management protocol.

8. The satellite system according to claim 1, further comprising a plurality of satellite modems, wherein each of the plurality of satellite modems is addressed by one or more service identifiers.

9. A satellite system comprising:

a satellite configured to transmit a plurality of service spot beams;

a gateway configured to produce and send a plurality of forward channels to the satellite;

each of the plurality of forward channels being transported on a carrier in one of the plurality of service spot beams, at least one of the plurality of forward channels being divided in time to form a plurality of sub-channels;

a gateway further configured to independently manage a plurality of media access control (MAC) domains, the plurality of sub-channels being divided among the plurality of MAC domains; and

a plurality of satellite modems configured to communicate with the satellite and that are addressed by a plurality of service identifiers in the plurality of sub-channels, each of the service identifiers being unique within one of the plurality of MAC domains.

10. The satellite system according to claim 9, wherein the plurality of MAC domains are managed by a plurality of entities.

11. The satellite system according to claim 9, wherein each of the plurality of MAC domains controls a management protocol for its MAC domain irrespective of the other MAC domains.

12. The satellite system according to claim 9, wherein each of the plurality of satellite modems is assigned one or more service identifiers selected from the plurality of service identifiers.

13. A satellite system comprising:

a satellite comprising emitting means for emitting a plurality of service spot beams;

generating means, communicatively coupled to the emitting means, for generating and transmitting a plurality of forward channels, each forward channel transmitted on a carrier in one of the service spot beams, the generating means including means for dividing at least one of the plurality of forward channels in time to form a plurality of forward sub-channels; and

managing means, communicatively coupled to the generating means, for independently managing a plurality of media access control (MAC) domains, each MAC domain associated with a corresponding subset of the plurality of forward sub-channels.

14. The satellite system according to claim 13, wherein the generating means are configured to generate and transmit the plurality of forward channels using adaptive coding and modulation.

15. The satellite system according to claim 13, wherein the emitting means are configured to emit the service spot beams with coding and modulation that varies over time.

16. The satellite system according to claim 13, further comprising a plurality of satellite modems, with each of the plurality of satellite modems being managed by one of the plurality of MAC domains.

17. A satellite gateway comprising:

a transmitter configured to produce and transmit a plurality of forward channels from the satellite gateway, at least one of the plurality of forward channels divided in time to form a plurality of forward sub-channels; and

a processor communicatively coupled to the transmitter and configured to independently manage a plurality of media access control (MAC) domains, each MAC domain associated with a corresponding subset of the plurality of forward sub-channels.

18. The satellite gateway according to claim 17, wherein the transmitter is configured to produce and transmit the plurality of forward channels using adaptive coding and modulation.

19. A method performed at a gateway in a satellite system, the method comprising:

maintaining a plurality of forward sub-channels divided in time that share a common carrier;

assigning the plurality of forward sub-channels to a plurality of media access control (MAC) domains;

determining which of a plurality of satellite modems belong to each of the plurality of MAC domains; and

controlling the plurality of MAC domains independently of each other.

20. The method as recited in claim 19, wherein the controlling includes:

controlling a first subset of the plurality of satellite modems within a first MAC domain of the plurality of MAC domains; and

controlling a second subset of the plurality of satellite modems within a second MAC domain of the plurality of MAC domains, wherein the first subset are all unique from the second subset.

21. The method as recited in claim 19, further comprising provisioning the plurality of satellite modems that are independently controlled by the plurality of MAC domains.