Patent ID: 8341266

Claim:
A method for providing load balancing in a communication system including a plurality of terminals, the method comprising: determining a user load based upon data queued for transmission at each of the terminals; generating a user load vector based on the user load; sorting the user load vector to identify a more loaded terminal; determining an inroute load corresponding to loading of inroutes serving the terminals; generating an inroute load vector based on the inroute load; sorting the inroute load vector to determine a less loaded inroute; determining variance of the inroute load vector; determining a load change for a maximum reduction in the variance of the inroute load vector; determining a first terminal with a load that matches the load change based on the user load vector; outputting a user-to-inroute distribution that minimizes variation of the inroute load, the user-to-inroute distribution mapping the user load to the inroutes; and reassigning the user load to the inroutes based on the determined user-to-inroute distribution from a central hub including moving the load of the first terminal to the less loaded inroute, wherein the reassignment of the user load to the inroutes is independent of decisions at the terminals and allocation and redistribution of bandwidth is obtained at the plurality of terminals without an externally provided command.