System and method for downlink scheduling that optimizes downlink (DL) capacity

1. A method comprising:

maintaining, by a satellite, a plurality of physical data units (PDUs), each PDU having a corresponding spreading factor (SF);

selecting, by the satellite, a lowest SF;

adding, by the satellite, all PDUs associated with the lowest SF to a slot; and

determining, by the satellite and until the determination is affirmative, whether available capacity of the slot is less than a predetermined threshold;

responsive to determining that the available capacity of the slot is not less than the predetermined threshold;

selecting, by the satellite, a greater SF; and

adding, by the satellite, one or more PDUs associated with the greater SF to the slot; and

responsive to determining that the available capacity of the slot is less than that the predetermined threshold, sending, by the satellite, the slot to an endpoint.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of PDUs correspond to the endpoint.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising ranking the plurality of PDUs from the lowest SF to a highest SF.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising determining whether there are more PDUs having the selected SF to add to the slot.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the predetermined threshold is a number of bits sufficient to add all PDUs of the selected SF to the slot.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising calculating the SFs.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein calculating the SFs is based on a received power level.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising updating the SFs.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising determining whether to add a PDU based on a range or location of the endpoint.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein each SF corresponds to a different overhead of bits.

11. A system comprising an endpoint and a satellite, wherein the satellite includes programmed instructions that when executed cause the satellite to:

maintain a plurality of physical data units (PDUs), each PDU having a corresponding spreading factor (SF);

select a lowest SF;

add all PDUs associated with the lowest SF to a slot;

determine, until the determination is affirmative, whether available capacity of the slot is less than a predetermined threshold;

responsive to determining that the available capacity of the slot is not less than the predetermined threshold;

select a greater SF; and

add one or more PDUs associated with the greater SF to the slot; and

responsive to determining that the available capacity of the slot is less than that the predetermined threshold, send the slot to an endpoint.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein each of the plurality of PDUs correspond to the endpoint.

13. The system of claim 11 , wherein the satellite ranks the plurality of PDUs from the lowest SF to a highest SF.

14. The system of claim 11 , the satellite having further programmed instructions to determine whether there are more PDUs having the selected SF to add to the slot.

15. The system of claim 11 , wherein the predetermined threshold is a number of bits sufficient to add all PDUs of the selected SF to the slot.

16. The system of claim 11 , wherein the satellite calculates the SFs.

17. The system of claim 16 , wherein the satellite calculates the SFs is based on a received power level.

18. The system of claim 11 , wherein the satellite updates the SFs.

19. The system of claim 11 , wherein the satellite determines whether to add a PDU based on a range or location of the endpoint.

20. The system of claim 11 , wherein each SF corresponds to a different overhead of bits.