Hierarchichal beam management

1. A computer-implemented method performed by a client computer system of a satellite communications system, the method comprising:

receiving, from a user of the client computer system, information associated with a communication service need of the user;

computing, based on the received information, a set of communication service requirements that indicate satellite resources required to satisfy the communication service need of the user;

transmitting the set of communication service requirements to a server computer system;

receiving, from the server computer system and in response to the transmitted set of communication service requirements, a first beam plan that satisfies the set of communication service requirements, the first beam plan including information on satellite beams and spectra for allocation to the user when the first beam plan is deployed to provide a communication service to the user that satisfies the communication service need of the user;

based on determining that the first beam plan is acceptable for satisfying the communication service need of the user, transmitting instructions to the server computer system to deploy the first beam plan;

receiving, from the server computer system and in response to transmitting instructions to deploy the first beam plan, information indicating that the first beam plan is deployed; and

subsequent to deployment of the first beam plan and in response to the server computer system receiving, from a second client computer system, a second set of communication service requirements for another user that results in the server computer system determining a unified beam plan for both the user and the another user satisfies the second set of communication service requirements of the another user and does not satisfy at least partially the set of communication service requirements of the user, wherein the unified beam plan that does not fully satisfy the set of communication service requirements of the user is an update of the first beam plan by reducing the communication service of the user to satisfy the second set of communication service requirements of the another user, receiving, from the server computer system, information that the client computer system provides to the user indicating that a second beam plan is to be deployed replacing the first beam plan and that the second beam plan does not satisfy at least partially the set of communication service requirements that indicate satellite resources required to satisfy the communication service need of the user, where the second beam plan includes information on satellite beams that are different from the satellite beams included in the first beam plan.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein computing the set of communication service requirements includes computing one or more of a satellite coverage area, communication bandwidth, satellite beam connectivity information, and satellite beam interference requirements for satisfying the communication service need of the user.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the information associated with the communication service need of the user includes information associated with user terminals that are configured for satellite communication.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein computing the set of communication service requirements comprises:

determining, based on the information associated with the user terminals, communication service requirements for satisfying the communication service need of the user, the communication service requirements including communication bandwidth and satellite beam interference requirements.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein computing the set of communication service requirements comprises:

determining that the set of communication service requirements satisfy a constraint agreement established between the user of the client computer system and an operator of the satellite communications system, the constraint agreement specifying values associated with a set of parameters that are guaranteed to be provided by the satellite communications system for satisfying the communication service need of the user.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the parameters are selected from a group consisting of satellite beam clear sky power, satellite beam interference power, percentage availability of satellite connection, satellite beam bandwidth and satellite geographic coverage area.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the information on the satellite beams included in the first beam plan or the second beam plan includes, for each satellite beam, one or more of beam identifier, beam coefficients, center frequency, power level, bandwidth and switching information.

8. A system comprising:

a processor; and

a non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions executable by the processor and, when executed, configured to cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

receiving, from a user of a client computer system, information associated with a communication service need of the user;

computing, based on the received information, a set of communication service requirements that indicate satellite resources required to satisfy the communication service need of the user;

transmitting the set of communication service requirements to a server computer system;

receiving, from the server computer system and in response to the transmitted set of communication service requirements, a first beam plan that satisfies the set of communication service requirements, the first beam plan including information on satellite beams and spectra for allocation to the user when the first beam plan is deployed to provide a communication service to the user that satisfies the communication service need of the user;

based on determining that the first beam plan is acceptable for satisfying the communication service need of the user, transmitting instructions to the server computer system to deploy the first beam plan;

receiving, from the server computer system and in response to transmitting instructions to deploy the first beam plan, information indicating that the first beam plan is deployed; and

subsequent to deployment of the first beam plan and in response to the server computer system receiving, from a second client computer system, a second set of communication service requirements for another user that results in the server computer system determining a unified beam plan for both the user and the another user satisfies the second set of communication service requirements of the another user and does not satisfy at least partially the set of communication service requirements of the user, wherein the unified beam plan that does not fully satisfy the set of communication service requirements of the user is an update of the first beam plan by reducing the communication service of the user to satisfy the second set of communication service requirements of the another user, receiving, from the server computer system, information that the client computer system provides to the user indicating that a second beam plan is to be deployed replacing the first beam plan and that the second beam plan does not satisfy at least partially the set of communication service requirements that indicate satellite resources required to satisfy the communication service need of the user, where the second beam plan includes information on satellite beams that are different from the satellite beams included in the first beam plan.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the instructions that are configured to cause the processor to perform operations comprising computing the set of communication service requirements include instructions that are configured to cause the processor to perform operations comprising computing one or more of a satellite coverage area, communication bandwidth, satellite beam connectivity information, and satellite beam interference requirements for satisfying the communication service need of the user.

10. The system of claim 8 , wherein the information associated with the communication service need of the user includes information associated with user terminals that are configured for satellite communication.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the instructions that are configured to cause the processor to perform operations comprising computing the set of communication service requirements include instructions that are configured to cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

determining, based on the information associated with the user terminals, communication service requirements for satisfying the communication service need of the user, the communication service requirements including communication bandwidth and satellite beam interference requirements.

12. The system of claim 8 , wherein the instructions that are configured to cause the processor to perform operations comprising computing the set of communication service requirements include instructions that are configured to cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

determining that the set of communication service requirements satisfy a constraint agreement established between the user of the client computer system and an operator of a satellite communications system, the constraint agreement specifying values associated with a set of parameters that are guaranteed to be provided by the satellite communications system for satisfying the communication service need of the user.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein the parameters are selected from a group consisting of satellite beam clear sky power, satellite beam interference power, percentage availability of satellite connection, satellite beam bandwidth and satellite geographic coverage area.

14. The system of claim 8 , wherein the information on the satellite beams included in the first beam plan or the second beam plan includes, for each satellite beam, one or more of beam identifier, beam coefficients, center frequency, power level, bandwidth and switching information.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing software comprising instructions executable by one or more computers which, upon such execution, cause the one or more computers to perform operations comprising:

receiving, from a user of a client computer system, information associated with a communication service need of the user;

computing, based on the received information, a set of communication service requirements that indicate satellite resources required to satisfy the communication service need of the user;

transmitting the set of communication service requirements to a server computer system;

receiving, from the server computer system and in response to the transmitted set of communication service requirements, a first beam plan that satisfies the set of communication service requirements, the first beam plan including information on satellite beams and spectra for allocation to the user when the first beam plan is deployed to provide a communication service to the user that satisfies the communication service need of the user;

based on determining that the first beam plan is acceptable for satisfying the communication service need of the user, transmitting instructions to the server computer system to deploy the first beam plan;

receiving, from the server computer system and in response to transmitting instructions to deploy the first beam plan, information indicating that the first beam plan is deployed; and

subsequent to deployment of the first beam plan and in response to the server computer system receiving, from a second client computer system, a second set of communication service requirements for another user that results in the server computer system determining a unified beam plan for both the user and the another user satisfies the second set of communication service requirements of the another user and does not satisfy at least partially the set of communication service requirements of the user, wherein the unified beam plan that does not fully satisfy the set of communication service requirements of the user is an update of the first beam plan by reducing the communication service of the user to satisfy the second set of communication service requirements of the another user receiving, from the server computer system, information that the client computer system provides to the user indicating that a second beam plan is to be deployed replacing the first beam plan and that the second beam plan does not satisfy at least partially the set of communication service requirements that indicate satellite resources required to satisfy the communication service need of the user, where the second beam plan includes information on satellite beams that are different from the satellite beams included in the first beam plan.

16. The medium of claim 15 , wherein the instructions that are configured to cause the one or more computers to perform operations comprising computing the set of communication service requirements include instructions that are configured to cause the one or more computers to perform operations comprising computing one or more of a satellite coverage area, communication bandwidth, satellite beam connectivity information, and satellite beam interference requirements for satisfying the communication service need of the user.

17. The medium of claim 15 , wherein the information associated with the communication service need of the user includes information associated with user terminals that are configured for satellite communication.

18. The medium of claim 17 , wherein the instructions that are configured to cause the one or more computers to perform operations comprising computing the set of communication service requirements include instructions that are configured to cause the one or more computers to perform operations comprising:

determining, based on the information associated with the user terminals, communication service requirements for satisfying the communication service need of the user, the communication service requirements including communication bandwidth and satellite beam interference requirements.

19. The medium of claim 15 , wherein the instructions that are configured to cause the one or more computers to perform operations comprising computing the set of communication service requirements include instructions that are configured to cause the one or more computers to perform operations comprising:

determining that the set of communication service requirements satisfy a constraint agreement established between the user of the client computer system and an operator of a satellite communications system, the constraint agreement specifying values associated with a set of parameters that are guaranteed to be provided by the satellite communications system for satisfying the communication service need of the user.

20. The medium of claim 19 , wherein the parameters are selected from a group consisting of satellite beam clear sky power, satellite beam interference power, percentage availability of satellite connection, satellite beam bandwidth and satellite geographic coverage area.