IP Library › Granted Patent US 9,455,777

Granted Patent B1

US 9,455,777 · App. 14/216,003 · Granted Sep 27, 2016

Satellite network service sharing

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Quick Facts

Patent No.: US 9,455,777
App. No.: 14/216,003
Granted: Sep 27, 2016
Kind: B1

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Abstract

Methods, systems, and devices are described for providing network access services to mobile users via multi-user network access terminals over a multi-beam satellite system. Quality-of-service (QoS) is controlled for the mobile devices at a per-user level according to user-specific traffic policies Mobile users may be provisioned on the satellite system according to a set of traffic policies based on their service level agreement (SLA). System resources of the satellite may be allocated to mobile users based on the demand of each mobile user and the set of traffic polices associated with each mobile user, regardless of which multi-user network access terminal is used to access the system. Dynamic multiplexing of traffic from fixed terminals and mobile users on the same satellite beam can take advantage of statistical multiplexing of large numbers of users and on different usage patterns between fixed terminals and mobile users.

Claims (93)

1. A method comprising:

providing a communication service via satellite beams of a multi-beam satellite system;

receiving, from one or more multi-user network access terminals serviced via a first satellite beam of a multi-beam satellite, first resource requests for a first time period for first mobile data traffic associated with a plurality of mobile devices in communication with the one or more multi-user network access terminals, wherein the plurality of mobile devices are associated with user-specific traffic policies, and wherein the user-specific traffic policies comprise a first provisioned service level for a first mobile device of the plurality of mobile devices and a second provisioned service level different from the first provisioned service level for a second mobile device of the plurality of mobile devices; and

scheduling transmission of the first mobile data traffic on first beam resources of the first satellite beam according to the first resource requests and the user-specific traffic policies, wherein the scheduling of the first mobile data traffic comprises allocating a first portion of the first beam resources to the first mobile device and a second portion of the first beam resources to the second mobile device, the first and second portions allocated based on the first and second provisioned service levels, respectively.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving, from at least one multi-user network access terminal of the one or more multi-user network access terminals, second resource requests for a second time period for second mobile data traffic associated with a subset of the plurality of mobile devices in communication with the at least one multi-user network access terminal, wherein the at least one multi-user network access terminal is serviced via a second satellite beam of the multi-beam satellite system for the second time period; and

scheduling transmission of the second mobile data traffic on second beam resources of the second satellite beam according to the second resource requests and the user-specific traffic policies.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the second satellite beam comprises a second beam of the multi-beam satellite or a beam of a second multi-beam satellite.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

identifying, for each of the plurality of mobile devices, traffic streams of the first mobile data traffic associated with each mobile device,

wherein the scheduling transmission of the first mobile data traffic comprises:

allocating the first beam resources to the one or more multi-user network access terminals based on the first resource requests and the user-specific traffic policies associated with each of the plurality of mobile devices; and

determining portions of the traffic streams to be transmitted on the first beam resources for the first time period based on the first resource requests and the user-specific traffic policies associated with each of the plurality of mobile devices.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein allocating the first beam resources to the one or more multi-user network access terminals is further based on second resource requests for the first time period for fixed data traffic associated with a plurality of fixed terminals serviced via the first satellite beam.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

identifying forward link traffic streams of the first mobile data traffic associated with each mobile device; and

performing, at a network resource scheduler, forward link traffic shaping for the forward link traffic streams associated with the plurality of mobile devices based on the user-specific traffic policies assigned to the plurality of mobile devices.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

identifying return link traffic streams of the first mobile data traffic associated with each mobile device; and

performing, at the one or more multi-user network access terminals, return link traffic shaping for the return link traffic streams associated with the plurality of mobile devices based on the user-specific traffic policies assigned to the plurality of mobile devices.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

identifying traffic streams of the first mobile data traffic associated with each of the plurality of mobile devices based on at least one of public Internet Protocol (IP) addresses assigned to each of the plurality of mobile devices, virtual local area network (VLAN) tags assigned to each of the plurality of mobile devices, socket port numbers assigned to each of the plurality of mobile devices, or tunneling protocol identifiers assigned to each of the plurality of mobile devices, or a combination thereof.

9. A method comprising:

providing a communication service via satellite beams of a multi-beam satellite system;

receiving, from one or more multi-user network access terminals serviced via a first satellite beam of a multi-beam satellite, first resource requests for a first time period for first mobile data traffic associated with a plurality of mobile devices in communication with the one or more multi-user network access terminals, wherein the plurality of mobile devices are associated with user-specific traffic policies, wherein a first mobile device and a second mobile device of the plurality of mobile devices are both associated with a provisioned service level of a same user-specific traffic policy; and

scheduling transmission of the first mobile data traffic on first beam resources of the first satellite beam according to the first resource requests and the user-specific traffic policies, wherein scheduling transmission of the first mobile data traffic comprises sharing the provisioned service level for traffic streams of the first and second mobile devices for the scheduling.

10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:

11. A method comprising:

providing a communication service via satellite beams of a multi-beam satellite system;

receiving, from one or more multi-user network access terminals serviced via a first satellite beam of a multi-beam satellite, first resource requests for a first time period for first mobile data traffic associated with a plurality of mobile devices in communication with the one or more multi-user network access terminals, wherein the plurality of mobile devices are associated with user-specific traffic policies, wherein the user-specific traffic policies associated with each of the plurality of mobile devices comprise at least one of a minimum information rate (MinIR), a peak information rate (PIR), a committed information rate (CIR), a time-based usage level, or a combination thereof; and

scheduling transmission of the first mobile data traffic on first beam resources of the first satellite beam according to the first resource requests and the user-specific traffic policies.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:

scheduling transmission of the second mobile data traffic on second beam resources of the second satellite beam according to the second resource requests and the user-specific traffic policies.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the second satellite beam comprises a second beam of the multi-beam satellite or a beam of a second multi-beam satellite.

14. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:

identifying, for each of the plurality of mobile devices, traffic streams of the first mobile data traffic associated with each mobile device,

wherein the scheduling transmission of the first mobile data traffic comprises:

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein allocating the first beam resources to the one or more multi-user network access terminals is further based on fixed resource demand for the first time period for fixed data traffic associated with a plurality of fixed terminals serviced via the first satellite beam.

16. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:

identifying forward link traffic streams of the first mobile data traffic associated with each mobile device; and

17. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:

identifying return link traffic streams of the first mobile data traffic associated with each mobile device; and

18. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:

19. A method comprising:

providing a communication service via satellite beams of a multi-beam satellite system;

receiving, from one or more multi-user network access terminals serviced via a first satellite beam of a multi-beam satellite, first resource requests for a first time period for first mobile data traffic associated with a plurality of mobile devices in communication with the one or more multi-user network access terminals, wherein the plurality of mobile devices are associated with user-specific traffic policies, wherein an identified resource demand for a first mobile device of the plurality of mobile devices is greater than a committed information rate (CIR) of the user-specific traffic policy associated with the first mobile device; and

determining, for the first time period, an uncongested resource condition for the first satellite beam;

allocating, to the first mobile device for the first time period, resources greater than the CIR of the user-specific traffic policy associated with the first mobile device;

determining, for a second time period, a congested resource condition for the first satellite beam; and

allocating, to the first mobile device for the second time period, resources corresponding to the CIR of the user-specific traffic policy associated with the first mobile device.

20. The method of claim 19 , further comprising:

21. A satellite communication system for providing network access services, comprising:

a multi-beam satellite providing a communication service via satellite beams;

a network resource scheduler in communication with the multi-beam satellite, the network resource scheduler comprising:

a network request module configured to receive, from one or more multi-user network access terminals serviced via a first satellite beam of the multi-beam satellite, first resource requests for a first time period for first mobile data traffic associated with a plurality of mobile devices in communication with the one or more multi-user network access terminals, wherein the plurality of mobile devices are associated with user-specific traffic policies, and wherein a first mobile device and a second mobile device of the plurality of mobile devices are both associated with a provisioned service level of a same user-specific traffic policy; and

a satellite resource allocation module configured to schedule transmission of the first mobile data traffic on first beam resources of the first satellite beam according to the first resource requests and the user-specific traffic policies, wherein the satellite resource allocation module is configured share the provisioned service level for traffic streams of the first and second mobile devices for the scheduling of the transmission of the first mobile data traffic.

22. The satellite communication system of claim 21 , wherein:

the network request module is configured to receive, from at least one multi-user network access terminal of the one or more multi-user network access terminals, second resource requests for a second time period for second mobile data traffic associated with a subset of the plurality of mobile devices in communication with the at least one multi-user network access terminal, wherein the at least one multi-user network access terminal is serviced via a second satellite beam of the multi-beam satellite for the second time period; and

the satellite resource allocation module is configured to schedule transmission of the second mobile data traffic on second beam resources of the second satellite beam according to the second resource requests and the user-specific traffic policies.

23. The satellite communication system of claim 21 , wherein

the network

request module is further configured to identify, for each of the plurality of mobile devices, traffic streams of the first mobile data traffic associated with each mobile device; and

the satellite resource allocation module is further configured to:

allocate the first beam resources to the one or more multi-user network access terminals based on the first resource requests and the user-specific traffic policies associated with each of the plurality of mobile devices; and

determine portions of the traffic streams to be transmitted on the first beam resources for the first time period based on the first resource requests and the user-specific traffic policies associated with each of the plurality of mobile devices.

24. The satellite communication system of claim 23 ,

wherein allocating the first beam resources to the one or more multi-user network access terminals is further based on second resource requests for the first time period for fixed data traffic associated with a plurality of fixed terminals serviced via the first satellite beam.

25. The satellite communication system of claim 21 , wherein:

the network request module is further configured to identify, for each of the plurality of mobile devices, forward link traffic streams of the first mobile data traffic associated with each mobile device; and

the network resource scheduler further comprises:

a forward link traffic shaping module configured to perform forward link traffic shaping for the forward link traffic streams associated with the plurality of mobile devices based on the user-specific traffic policies assigned to the plurality of mobile devices.

26. The satellite communication system of claim 21 , wherein

the network request module is further configured to identify, for each of the plurality of mobile devices, return link traffic streams, of the first mobile data traffic associated with each mobile device; and

the network resource scheduler further comprises:

a return link traffic shaper configured to perform return link traffic shaping for the return link traffic streams associated with the plurality of mobile devices based on the user-specific traffic policies assigned to the plurality of mobile devices.

27. A satellite communication system for providing network access services, comprising:

a multi-beam satellite providing a communication service via satellite beams;

a network resource scheduler in communication with the multi-beam satellite, the network resource scheduler comprising:

a network request module configured to receive, from one or more multi-user network access terminals serviced via a first satellite beam of the multi-beam satellite, first resource requests for a first time period for first mobile data traffic associated with a plurality of mobile devices in communication with the one or more multi-user network access terminals, wherein the plurality of mobile devices are associated with user-specific traffic policies, wherein an identified resource demand for a first mobile device of the plurality of mobile devices is greater than a committed information rate (CIR) of the user-specific traffic policy associated with the first mobile device; and

determine, for the first time period, an uncongested resource condition for the first satellite beam;

allocate, to the first mobile device for the first time period, resources greater than the CIR of the user-specific traffic policy associated with the first mobile device;

determine, for a second time period, a congested resource condition for the first satellite beam; and

allocate, to the first mobile device for the second time period, resources corresponding to the CIR of the user-specific traffic policy associated with the first mobile device.

Assignments (5)

SUPPLEMENTAL PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Sep 19, 2023

From: VIASAT, INC.

To: MUFG BANK, LTD., AS AGENT

Reel/Frame 064948/0379 →

SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Jun 1, 2023

From: VIASAT, INC.

To: BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., AS AGENT

Reel/Frame 063822/0446 →

SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Mar 7, 2022

From: VIASAT, INC.

To: BANK OF AMERICA, N.A.