Terminal slot assignment for a satellite communications system
First Claim
1. A method for allocating bandwidth resources in a satellite communications system having a plurality of terminals, the plurality of terminals being in communication with a satellite over a communication channel defined according to a channel bandwidth, the bandwidth resources defined in resource units, the method comprising:
- identifying channel resources for a defined time duration for the communication channel, the channel resources comprising a number of time slots of the channel bandwidth;
identifying a plurality of carrier groups including a first carrier group associated with a first carrier bandwidth less than the channel bandwidth and a second carrier group associated with a second carrier bandwidth different from the first carrier bandwidth;
identifying a set of terminals from among the plurality of terminals, the set of terminals being associated with the first carrier group;
identifying a first carrier group allocation comprising a number of allocated time slots of the first carrier bandwidth for the defined time duration;
identifying a traffic class allocation associated with the first carrier group allocation based at least in part on one or more committed information rates associated with the set of terminals, the traffic class allocation designating an allocation of resource units of the first carrier group allocation among a plurality of traffic classes for the first carrier group;
for the defined time duration, assigning the allocated time slots of the first carrier group allocation 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 first 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.
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Accused Products
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.
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Citations
24 Claims
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1. A method for allocating bandwidth resources in a satellite communications system having a plurality of terminals, the plurality of terminals being in communication with a satellite over a communication channel defined according to a channel bandwidth, the bandwidth resources defined in resource units, the method comprising:
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identifying channel resources for a defined time duration for the communication channel, the channel resources comprising a number of time slots of the channel bandwidth; identifying a plurality of carrier groups including a first carrier group associated with a first carrier bandwidth less than the channel bandwidth and a second carrier group associated with a second carrier bandwidth different from the first carrier bandwidth; identifying a set of terminals from among the plurality of terminals, the set of terminals being associated with the first carrier group; identifying a first carrier group allocation comprising a number of allocated time slots of the first carrier bandwidth for the defined time duration; identifying a traffic class allocation associated with the first carrier group allocation based at least in part on one or more committed information rates associated with the set of terminals, the traffic class allocation designating an allocation of resource units of the first carrier group allocation among a plurality of traffic classes for the first carrier group; for the defined time duration, assigning the allocated time slots of the first carrier group allocation 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 first 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. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A resource allocation system for allocating bandwidth resources in a satellite communications system having a plurality of terminals, the plurality of terminals being in communication with a satellite over a communication channel defined according to a channel bandwidth, the bandwidth resources defined in resource units, the resource allocation system comprising:
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an allocation module operable to; identify channel resources for a defined time duration for the communication channel, the channel resources comprising a number of time slots of the channel bandwidth; identify a plurality of carrier groups including a first carrier group associated with a first carrier bandwidth less than the channel bandwidth and a second carrier group associated with a second carrier bandwidth different from the first carrier bandwidth; identify a set of terminals from among the plurality of terminals, the set of terminals being associated with the first carrier group of the plurality of carrier groups; identify a first carrier group allocation comprising a number of allocated time slots of the first carrier bandwidth for the defined time duration; identify a traffic class allocation associated with the first carrier group allocation based at least in part on one or more committed information rates associated with the set of terminals, the traffic class allocation designating an allocation of resource units among a plurality of traffic classes for the first carrier group; and for the defined time duration, assign the allocated time slots of the first carrier group allocation 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 the allocated time slots assigned to the at least one terminal. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A satellite communications system comprising:
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a satellite configured to communicate over a plurality of communication channels; a plurality of terminals, each terminal being in communication with the satellite over a communication channel of the plurality of communication channels, the communication channel associated with a channel bandwidth, a subset of the plurality of terminals being associated with a first carrier group of a plurality of carrier groups; and a resource allocation device, communicatively coupled with the plurality of terminals, and comprising an allocation module operable to; identify channel resources for a defined time duration for the communication channel, the channel resources comprising a number of time slots of the channel bandwidth; identify a first carrier bandwidth associated with the first carrier group, the first carrier bandwidth less than the channel bandwidth; identify a second carrier bandwidth associated with a second carrier group, the second carrier bandwidth different from the first carrier bandwidth; identify a first carrier group allocation associated with the first carrier group, the first carrier group allocation comprising a number of allocated time slots of the first carrier bandwidth for the defined time duration; identify a traffic class allocation associated with the first carrier group allocation based at least in part on one or more committed information rates associated with the subset of terminals, the traffic class allocation designating an allocation of the allocated time slots 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 the allocated time slots of the first carrier group allocation to each terminal of the subset of terminals according to an amount of resource units requested by respective terminals of the subset of terminals for the defined time duration and as a function of the traffic class allocation associated with the carrier group allocation. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24)
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Specification