System and method for simultaneous FDMA-TDMA channel access

A method for allocating concurrent multiplex bandwidth, comprising:

• setting a transmitter to a time division multiple access (TDMA) mode and allocating to the transmitter in the TDMA mode a first TDMA channel;
• while the transmitter is in the TDMA mode, allocating additional TDMA channels to the transmitter, and deallocating TDMA channels from the transmitter, according to a traffic demand at the transmitter, until the traffic demand meets a TDMA-to-frequency division multiple access (FDMA) mode switch threshold;
• and
• upon the traffic demand meeting the TDMA-to-FDMA mode switch threshold:
• switching the transmitter to an FDMA mode, wherein said switching includes allocating a first FDMA channel to the transmitter, the first bandwidth FDMA channel having a first bandwidth, and
• de-allocating the TDMA channels allocated while the transmitter was in the TDMA mode.

A time-division multiple access (TDMA)-frequency division multiple access (FDMA) switchable multiplexing mode communication system comprising:

• a gateway;
• remote from the gateway, a transmitter and a receiver, the transmitter being configured to wirelessly transmit signals, and being configured to switch multiplexing modes among a TDMA mode for transmitting according to a TDMA multiplexing scheme, and an FDMA mode for transmitting according to an FDMA multiplexing scheme;
• an FDMA-TDMA allocation controller associated with the gateway, configured to detect a traffic demand level at the transmitter and, based at least in part on the detected traffic demand level, to remotely control the transmitter, the control including generating and wirelessly transmitting a bandwidth update signal over a forward wireless link from the gateway to the transmitter, to selectively switch the transmitter among the FDMA mode and the TDMA mode, wherein the control includes:
• while the traffic demand level is less than a TDMA to FDMA multiplexing mode switching threshold, allocating and deallocating TDMA channels to the transmitter, based at least in part on the traffic demand level;
• upon the detected traffic demand reaching an allocation threshold, switching the transmitter to the FDMA mode, allocating a bandwidth FDMA channel to the transmitter, de-allocating all TDMA channels from the transmitter, and
• transmitting a bandwidth update signal to the transmitter, indicating the bandwidth, and to a receiver associated with the transmitter.