Patent ID: 11968700
Assignee: VIASAT INC.
Field: Digital communication (Electrical engineering)
Classification: CPC H | IPC H

Claim 8:
9. A satellite communication system for providing network access services, comprising:
a multi-beam satellite providing a communication service via satellite beams; and
a network resource scheduler in communication with the multi-beam satellite, the network resource scheduler comprising:
a fixed terminal network request processor configured to identify first return link data streams associated with a plurality of fixed terminals serviced via a return link satellite beam of a multi-beam satellite communications system;
a mobile terminal network request processor configured to identify second return link data streams associated with a plurality of mobile devices in communication with one or more multi-user network access terminals that are serviced via the return link satellite beam of the multi-beam satellite communications system; and
a satellite resource processor configured to:
receive one or more first requests for resources from the plurality of fixed terminals;
receive one or more second requests for resources from the plurality of mobile devices;
transmit, to the plurality of fixed terminals, a first allocation of resources based at least in part on the one or more first requests, wherein the first allocation of resources allocates a first portion of return link beam resources of the return link satellite beam for a first time period to the plurality of fixed terminals;
transmit, to the plurality of mobile devices, a second allocation of resources based at least in part on the one or more second requests, wherein the second allocation of resources allocates a second portion of return link beam resources of the return link satellite beam for the first time period to the plurality of mobile devices, and wherein the first and second allocations of resources of the return link beam resources are based at least in part on a first demand for the first return link data streams and terminal-specific traffic policies associated with the plurality of fixed terminals and a second demand for the second return link data streams and user-specific traffic policies associated with the plurality of mobile devices, respectively;
receive one or more third requests for resources from the plurality of fixed terminals;
receive one or more fourth requests for resources from the plurality of mobile devices;
transmit, to the plurality of fixed terminals, a third allocation of resources based at least in part on the one or more third requests, wherein the third allocation of resources allocates a third portion of return link beam resources of the return link satellite beam for a second time period to the plurality of fixed terminals; and
transmit, to the plurality of mobile devices, a fourth allocation of resources based at least in part on the one or more fourth requests, wherein the fourth allocation of resources allocates a fourth portion of return link beam resources of the return link satellite beam for the second time period to the plurality of mobile devices, wherein the third portion of the return link beam resources is different from the first portion of the return link beam resources and the fourth portion of the return link beam resources is different from the second portion of the return link beam resources.