Device for Allocating Shared Resources of a Communication Network, by Assignment of Time Slots of a Dynamically Adaptable Time/Frequency Plan

1 . Device (D) for allocation of shared resources on a return link between terminals (UE) and a communication management equipment (GW) of a communication network, characterized in that it comprises processing means (MT) adapted i) to determine a set of time/frequency plans as a function of at least one symbol rate capacity requested for a set of user terminals (UE) and a designation of a chosen set of frames, each defined by a chosen set of time slots of the same type, for to its transmission to each of the user terminals (UE) of said set, and ii) each time that a user terminal (UE) requests at least one capacity, to determine at least one suitable symbol rate taking account of said requested capacity and a corresponding time slot, called the optimum slot at the time of determination, from said time/frequency plans that have been determined, so as to optimize the allocation of the shared resources of said network.

2 . Device according to claim 1 , characterized in that said processing means (MT) are adapted to determine each optimum time slot substantially in real time, on reception of a request from at least one user terminal (UE).

3 . Device according to claim 1 , characterized in that said processing means (MT) are adapted to determine each optimum time slot periodically and following the reception of a request from at least one user terminal (UE).

4 . Device according to claim 1 , characterized in that each time/frequency plan from the set of plans that has been determined consists of a chosen single frame, said frames of the set substantially covering the same frequency band and the same time portion, ignoring a possible offset, and in that said processing means (MT) are adapted, on reception of requests from user terminals (UE), to determine and then to allocate optimum time slots for each of said requesting user terminals (UE), and then to transmit those optimum time slots, which together constitute an optimum time/frequency plan, to demodulator means (MOD) of said communication management equipment (GW) in order that they may be configured.

5 . Device according to claim 1 , characterized in that said processing means (MT) are adapted to determine each optimum time slot additionally as a function of a state of the transmission channel of the requesting user terminal (UE) substantially at the time of the processing of the request and/or of a load state of said network substantially at the time of said request processing.

6 . Device according to claim 1 , characterized in that, said network being of MF-TDMA type, said processing means (MT) are adapted to offset the plans of the set that has been determined relative to each other in time and/or in frequency.

7 . Device according to claim 6 , characterized in that said offset conforms to the DVB-RCS return link configuration standard.

8 . Device according to claim 1 , characterized in that said processing means (MT) are adapted to assign an identifier to each of said time/frequency plans of the set that has been determined.

9 . Device according to claim 1 , characterized in that said processing means (MT) are adapted to determine said optimum time slots from the set of time/frequency plans that has been determined using a capacity distribution algorithm.

10 . Device according to claim 9 , characterized in that said capacity distribution algorithm is the weighted fair queuing algorithm.

11 . Device according to claim 9 characterized in that each time/frequency plan from the set of plans that has been determined consists of a chosen single frame, said frames of the set substantially covering the same frequency band and the same time portion, ignoring a possible offset, and in that said processing means (MT) are adapted, on reception of requests from user terminals (UE), to determine and then to allocate optimum time slots for each of said requesting user terminals (UE), and then to transmit those optimum time slots, which together constitute an optimum time/frequency plan, to demodulator means (MOD) of said communication management equipment (GW) in order that they may be configured, and further characterized in that said processing means (MT) are adapted to build said optimum time/frequency plan by means of an available resource filling algorithm using said optimum time slots determined by means of said capacity distribution algorithm.

12 . Device according to claim 11 , characterized in that said available resource filling algorithm is the carrier load algorithm.

13 . Resource allocation controller (CAR), for a return link subsystem (SSC) of a communication management equipment (GW) of a communication network, characterized in that it comprises a resource allocation device (D) according to claim 1 .

14 . Return link subsystem (SSC) for a communication management equipment (GW) of a communication network, characterized in that it comprises a resource allocation controller (CAR) according to claim 13 .

15 . Return link subsystem (SSC) for a communication management equipment (GW) of a communication network, characterized in that it comprises a resource allocation device (D) according to claim 1 .

16 . Resource management equipment (GW) of a communication network, characterized in that it comprises a return link subsystem (SSC) according to claim 14 .

17 . Resource management equipment (GW) of a communication network, characterized in that it comprises a resource allocation device (D) according to claim 1 .

18 . Equipment according to claim 16 , characterized in that it constitutes a satellite station of a satellite communication network.