Patent ID: 8706025

Claim:
A method for determining link performance metrics for terminals in a satellite communication network, the method comprising: identifying a first round trip link performance metric from a first terminal via a satellite back to the first terminal under clear sky conditions; identifying a second round trip link performance metric from a reference terminal via the satellite back to the reference terminal under clear sky conditions; identifying a first one-way link performance metric from the first terminal to the reference terminal via the satellite under clear sky conditions; identifying a second one-way link performance metric from the reference terminal to the first terminal via the satellite under clear sky conditions; identifying a third one-way link performance metric from the reference terminal to the first terminal via the satellite under dynamic conditions; identifying a fourth one-way link performance metric from the first terminal to the reference terminal via the satellite under dynamic conditions; identifying a fifth one-way link performance metric from a second terminal to the reference terminal via the satellite under clear sky conditions; identifying a sixth one-way link performance metric from the reference terminal to the second terminal via the satellite under clear sky conditions; identifying a seventh one-way link performance metric from the second terminal to the reference terminal via the satellite under dynamic conditions; determining a first difference between a known link performance metric for the first terminal and a known link performance metric for the reference terminal; determining a second difference between a known link performance metric for the second terminal and a known link performance metric for the reference terminal; calculating at least one first terminal-to-satellite performance metric utilizing the plurality of identified round trip link performance metrics, the plurality of identified one-way link performance metrics, and the first difference; calculating at least one second terminal-to-satellite performance metric utilizing the plurality of identified round trip link performance metrics, the plurality of identified one-way link performance metrics, and the second difference; calculating a first dynamic link factor for the reference terminal based on the identified third one-way link performance metric and the link performance metrics identified under clear sky conditions; calculating a second dynamic link factor for the first terminal based on the identified fourth one-way link performance metric and the link performance metrics identified under clear sky conditions; calculating a third dynamic link factor for the second terminal based on the identified seventh one-way link performance metric and the link performance metrics identified under clear sky conditions; and calculating a third round trip link performance metric between the first terminal and the second terminal utilizing the dynamic link factors.