Power division multiple access

• US 9,357,508 B2
• Filed: 08/30/2013
• Issued: 05/31/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gilat Satellite Networks Limited
• Original Assignee: Gilat Satellite Networks Limited
• Inventors: Elinav, Doron, Rubin, Mati E., Brener, Snir
• Primary Examiner(s): Morlan, Robert M
• Application Number:
  US14/014,980
• Publication Number:
  US 20140064125A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,005 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18517 Transmission equipment in earth stations
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0002 by adapting the transmission rate
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0009 by adapting the channel coding H04L1/1812 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/22 using time-division multiplexing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/346 distributing total power among users or channels
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/367 Power values between minimum and maximum limits, e.g. dynamic range
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0473 the resource being transmission power
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/23 in the downlink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards a terminal

Abstract

A satellite communication system includes a hub and one or more terminals, wherein the one or more terminals may be configured to communicate over a satellite with the hub using a segment of the satellite'"'"'s resources and using a single channel per carrier (SCPC) access scheme. Methods are presented herein for facilitating the dimensioning of at least a power characteristic of said space segment using a Demand Assignment Multiple Access approach and for enforcing the dimensioned power characteristic in real-time, or substantially in real-time. Also presented are methods for allocating power to SCPC carriers, wherein a maximum power level for a carrier may be determined using a DAMA technique.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

determining, by a hub for one or more carriers included in a predetermined bandwidth, one or more maximum power limits corresponding to the one or more carriers;

calculating a total sum of the one or more maximum power limits corresponding to the one or more carriers;

dimensioning a total power from a satellite for supporting the one or more carriers to obtain a dimensioned total power that is less than the total sum of the one or more maximum power limits; and

enforcing the dimensioned total power, wherein the enforcing comprises;

determining a target power corresponding to a first carrier;

determining that there is insufficient power under a power limitation corresponding to the predetermined bandwidth for supporting the first carrier at the target power and one or more additional carriers at maximum power limits that were previously determined;

determining that at least one additional carrier among the one or more additional carriers is to have its maximum power limit reduced based on a symbol energy to noise ratio associated with the at least one additional carrier;

determining at least one temporary maximum power limit for the at least one additional carrier, wherein the at least one temporary maximum power limit is less than a corresponding maximum power limit of a corresponding carrier;

determining that there is sufficient power under the power limitation corresponding to the predetermined bandwidth for supporting the first carrier at the target power and the one or more additional carriers considering the at least one temporary maximum power limit;

replacing the maximum power limit for the at least one additional carrier with the at least one temporary maximum power limit; and

allocating the target power to the first carrier.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining a particular maximum power limit, among the one or more maximum power limits, corresponding to a particular carrier, among the one or more carriers, comprises:

determining a MODCOD corresponding to a maximum data rate to be transmitted over the particular carrier;

determining a maximum normalized symbol energy over noise (E_S/N₀) level associated with the particular carrier, at least in accordance with a quasi-error-free (QEF) E_S/N₀ characteristic of the determined MODCOD;

determining a bandwidth occupied by the particular carrier; and

multiplying the determined maximum E_S/N₀ level by the determined bandwidth to obtain the particular maximum power limit.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein determining that at least one additional carrier among the one or more additional carriers is to have its maximum power limit reduced comprises:

determining a maximum E_S/N₀ level associated with the at least one additional carrier in accordance with at least a maximum power limit associated with the at least one additional carrier;

determining an E_S/N₀ level at which the at least one additional carrier is received; and

determining whether the E_S/N₀ level at which the at least one additional carrier is received is lower than the determined maximum E_S/N₀ level for the at least one additional carrier.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

prior to allocating the target power to the first carrier, informing one or more terminals included in a satellite communication system and associated with the at least one additional carrier with the replaced maximum power limit.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising;

after allocating the target power to the first carrier, determining that there is insufficient power under the power limitation corresponding to the predetermined bandwidth for supporting the first carrier and the one or more additional carriers, wherein the determining that there is insufficient power considers the at least one temporary maximum power limit or at least one existing maximum power limit associated with the one or more additional carriers;

determining a second target power for the first carrier in accordance with a maximum power remaining under the power limitation considering the at least one existing maximum power limit or the at least one temporary maximum power limit associated with the one or more additional carriers; and

allocating the second target power to the first carrier.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the enforcing of the dimensioned total power is performed by the hub, wherein the hub comprises a hub in a satellite communication system.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein determining that at least one additional carrier among the one or more additional carriers is to have its maximum power limit reduced comprises:

determining a maximum E_S/N₀ level associated with the at least one additional carrier in accordance with at least a maximum power limit associated with the at least one additional carrier;

determining an E_S/N₀ level at which the at least one additional carrier is received; and

determining whether the E_S/N₀ level at which the at least one additional carrier is received is lower than the determined maximum E_S/N₀ level for the at least one additional carrier by at least a predefined margin.

7. A hub in a satellite communication system comprising one or more terminals, the hub configured to:

determine one or more maximum power limits corresponding to one or more carriers, wherein a maximum power limit corresponds to a maximum E_S/N₀ level at which a corresponding carrier is allowed to be received at the hub;

transmit a particular maximum power limit, among the one or more maximum power limits, that corresponds to a particular carrier to a particular terminal, among the one or more terminals, that transmits the particular carrier;

take one or more E_S/N₀ measurements of the one or more carriers; and

transmit a particular measurement of the particular carrier, among the one or more E_S/N₀ measurements, to the particular terminal that transmits the particular carrier;

determine a target power corresponding to the particular carrier;

determine that there is insufficient power under a power limitation corresponding to a predetermined bandwidth for supporting the particular carrier at the target power and one or more additional carriers at maximum power limits that were previously determined;

determine that at least one additional carrier among the one or more additional carriers is to have its maximum power limit reduced based on a symbol energy to noise ratio associated with the at least one additional carrier;

determine at least one temporary maximum power limit for the at least one additional carrier, wherein the at least one temporary maximum power limit is less than a corresponding maximum power limit of a corresponding carrier;

determine that there is sufficient power under the power limitation corresponding to the predetermined bandwidth for supporting the particular carrier at the target power and the one or more additional carriers considering the at least one temporary maximum power limit;

replace the maximum power limit for the at least one additional carrier with the at least one temporary maximum power limit; and

allocate the target power to the particular carrier.

8. The hub of claim 7, wherein the hub is configured to determine the particular maximum power limit corresponding to the particular carrier at least upon allocating a channel for transmitting the particular carrier.

9. The hub of claim 7, wherein the hub is further configured to enforce in substantially real-time, a total power for the one or more carriers in accordance with a predefined total power limit.

10. The hub of claim 9, wherein the hub is further configured to:

receive, from the particular terminal, a request for allocating the particular carrier with a higher maximum E_S/N₀ level;

allocate the higher maximum E_S/N₀ level to the particular carrier, if sufficient power is available under the predefined total power limit; and

reject the request if sufficient power is not available under the predefined total power limit.