Patent ID: 8432805

Claim:
A method for allocating bandwidth resources in a multi-beam satellite communications network having a plurality of terminals in each of a plurality of beams, the bandwidth resources defined in resource units, the method comprising: receiving a resource request from each of at least a subset of the plurality of terminals in each beam of the plurality of beams, the resource requests identifying an amount of requested resource units for the requesting terminal; generating per-beam resource request data associated with a defined time duration based at least in part on the received resource requests; identifying an amount of allocatable resource units for the defined time duration for the multi-beam satellite communications network; and dynamically allocating, responsive to the per-beam resource request data, a subset of the amount of allocatable resource units to each of the plurality of beams to generate a per-beam resource unit allocation for the defined time duration, the dynamic allocation comprising: allocating to each beam of the plurality of beams, a minimum sustained rate resource request specified in the per-beam resource request data for each beam; allocating to each beam, after allocating the minimum sustained rate resource requests, a committed information rate resource request specified in the per-beam resource request data for each beam; and allocating to each beam, after allocating the committed information rate resource requests, a requested information rate resource request specified in the per-beam resource request data for each beam.