Patent ID: 8634296
Filing Date: 2014-01-21
Classification: H04B,H04L,H04W

Abstract:
1. A method performed by a satellite resource control unit for allocating downlink resources in a multi-beam satellite communications network having a plurality of terminals in each of a plurality of beams of a spot-beam satellite, the downlink resources defined in resource units, the satellite resource control unit in communication with the plurality of terminals via the plurality of beams, the method comprising: aggregating, at the satellite resource control unit, terminal parameter information to identify a cumulative guaranteed downlink rate for each of the plurality of beams; identifying a measured rate of downlink resource units for each of the plurality of beams for a past time duration; identifying, for each beam, an amount by which the measured rate exceeds the cumulative guaranteed downlink rate, the amount comprising an excess measured rate; identifying an amount of allocatable downlink resource units for a future defined time duration for the multi-beam satellite communications network; allocating a first portion of allocatable downlink resource units among each of the plurality of beams for the future defined time duration, the allocation of the first portion proportionally corresponding to the cumulative guaranteed downlink information rate for each beam; and allocating, after the first portion is allocated, a remaining second portion of the allocatable downlink resource units among each of the plurality of beams for the future defined time duration, the allocation of the second portion proportionally corresponding to the respective excess measured rate for each beam.