Satellite system resource allocation optimization

1. A method for allocating resources to each of a plurality of user terminals, the user terminals configured for data communication with a satellite via a common antenna beam, the method comprising:

dynamically allocating, within the common antenna beam, a bandwidth b i to each user terminal i such that, when total available bandwidth A of the common antenna beam is not less than the total desired bandwidth Ω=Σ i=1 n ω i of the antenna beam, b i is no less than ω i , where:

ω i , is bandwidth demand at user terminal i, approximately equal to T i-des /s i ;

T i-des is proportional to a throughput requirement by user terminal i; and

s i is an estimated spectral efficiency of user terminal i; and, when A is less than Ω, allocating the bandwidth b i to each user terminal such that a number of user terminals supplied respective bandwidth not less than ω i , is maximized.

2. The method of claim 1 , where b i is no greater than A/Ω×ω i .

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein, when A is less than Ω, a first portion A 1 of bandwidth A is assigned to satisfy respective bandwidth demand ω i of each user terminal of a first subset of the user terminals and a second portion A 2 of bandwidth A is proportionately assigned to partially satisfy each user terminal of a second subset of the user terminals.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein no user terminal in the first subset of user terminals has a respective bandwidth demand greater than a respective bandwidth of any user terminal in the second subset of terminals.

5. The method of claim 4 , further comprising:

generating a hierarchical ordering of user terminals on the basis of a respective ω i such that ω 1 ≦ω 2 ≦ω 3 ≦ . . . ≦ω n , wherein:

for a first subset of user terminals, for which ω j is not greater than A−Σ i=1 j−1 ω i , each terminal in the first subset is allocated respective bandwidth b i of not less than ω i ; and

for a second subset of user terminals, for which ω k is greater than A−Σ i=1 k−1 ω i , a remaining bandwidth Â=A−Σ i=1 k−1 ω i is allocated to one or more of user terminals in the second subset.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein wherein b i is approximately equal to ω i .

7. The method of claim 5 , wherein the remaining bandwidth  is allocated to each of the one or more user terminals in the second subset such that the allocated respective bandwidth b k for each user terminal in the second subset of terminals is approximately Â×ω i /Σ i=k n ω i .

8. A method for allocating resources to each of a plurality of user terminals, the user terminals configured for data communication with a satellite via a common antenna beam, the method comprising:

dynamically allocating a resource r i to each user terminal i such that, when the total resource A allocated to the antenna beam is not less than the total desired resource Ω of the antenna beam, r i is approximately equal to A/Ω×ω i , where ω i is resource demand at user terminal i, approximately proportional to d i /s i , where d i is proportional to a throughput requirement per user terminal i and s i is an estimated spectral efficiency at user terminal i; and,

when A is less than Ω, allocating resource r i to each user terminal such that a number of user terminals supplied a respective resource not less than ω i is maximized.

9. A satellite configured for data communication via a common antenna beam with a plurality of user terminals, wherein:

the satellite and the plurality of user terminals are communicatively coupled with a controller, the controller configured to control the allocation of resources to each of a plurality of user terminals, by:

dynamically allocating, within the common antenna beam, a bandwidth b i to each user terminal i such that, when total available bandwidth A of the common antenna beam is not less than the total desired bandwidth Ω=Σ i=1 n ω i of the antenna beam, b i is no less than ω i where:

ω i is bandwidth demand at user terminal i, approximately equal to T i-des /s i ;

T i-des is proportional to a throughput requirement by user terminal i; and

s i is an estimated spectral efficiency of user terminal i; and, when A is less than Ω, allocating the bandwidth b i to each user terminal such that a number of user terminals supplied respective bandwidth not less than ω i , is maximized.

10. The satellite of claim 9 , where b i is no greater than A/Ω×ω i .

11. The satellite of claim 9 , wherein, when A is less than Ω, a first portion A 1 of bandwidth A is assigned to satisfy respective bandwidth demand ω i of each user terminal of a first subset of the user terminals and a second portion A 2 of bandwidth A is proportionately assigned to partially satisfy each user terminal of a second subset of the user terminals.

12. The satellite of claim 11 , wherein no user terminal in the first subset of user terminals has a respective bandwidth demand greater than a respective bandwidth of any user terminal in the second subset of terminals.

13. The satellite of claim 12 , wherein the controller is further configured to control the allocation of resources to each of the plurality of user terminals, by:

generating a hierarchical ordering of user terminals on the basis of a respective ω i , such that ω 1 ≦ω 2 ≦ω 3 ≦ . . . ≦ω n , wherein:

for a first subset of user terminals, for which ω j is not greater than A−Σ i=1 j−1 ω i , each terminal in the first subset is allocated respective bandwidth b i of not less than ω i ; and

for a second subset of user terminals, for which ω k is greater than A−Σ i=1 k−1 ω i , a remaining bandwidth Â=A−Σ i=1 k−1 ω i is allocated to one or more of user terminals in the second subset.

14. The satellite of claim 13 , wherein wherein b i is approximately equal to ω i .

15. The satellite of claim 14 , wherein the remaining bandwidth  is allocated to each of the one or more user terminals in the second subset such that the allocated respective bandwidth b k for each user terminal in the second subset of terminals is approximately Â×ω i /Σ i=k n ω i .