US 10,708,936 B2Granted

Satellite network service sharing

AssigneeViaSat, Inc.

InventorsCorey Ryan Johnson, Brian T. Sleight, Thomas Duncan Lookabaugh, James Esserman, William F. Sullivan, Meherwan Polad

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Abstract

Methods, systems, and devices are described for providing network access services to mobile users via mobile terminals over a satellite system. In embodiments, 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. In embodiments, quality-of-service (QoS) is controlled for mobile devices at a per-user level. 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 mobile terminal is used to access the system.

Claims18

Dependent claims

A method for providing a network access service on a vehicle, comprising:

establishing, at a mobile terminal on the vehicle, a plurality of connections with a plurality of mobile devices on the vehicle;
establishing a connection for providing the network access service to the plurality of mobile devices, the connection comprising a forward link satellite beam of a multi-beam satellite communications system, wherein the forward link satellite beam services a plurality of fixed terminals;
identifying first forward link data streams associated with the plurality of mobile devices;
receiving, at the mobile terminal via the forward link satellite beam, a first forward link transmission in a first time period on a first portion of forward link beam resources of the forward link satellite beam;
demultiplexing, from the first forward link transmission, first data traffic for each of the first forward link data streams;
receiving, at the mobile terminal via the forward link satellite beam, a second forward link transmission in a second time period on a second portion of the forward link beam resources of the forward link satellite beam, wherein the second portion of the forward link beam resources is at least partially non-overlapping in frequency with the first portion of the forward link beam resources, and wherein, for the second time period, a least a subset of the first portion of the forward link beam resources comprises third data traffic associated with second forward link data streams associated with the plurality of fixed terminals;
and
demultiplexing, from the second forward link transmission, second data traffic for each of the first forward link data streams.

5 more elements

A mobile terminal for providing a network access service on a vehicle, comprising:

a satellite terminal interface configured to establish a plurality of connections with a plurality of mobile devices on the vehicle;
a satellite modem coupled with the satellite terminal interface and configured to:
establish a connection for providing the network access service to the plurality of mobile devices, the connection comprising a forward link satellite beam of a multi-beam satellite communications system, wherein the forward link satellite beam services a plurality of fixed terminals;
identify first forward link data streams associated with the plurality of mobile devices;
receive, via the forward link satellite beam, a first forward link transmission in a first time period on a first portion of forward link beam resources of the forward link satellite beam;
demultiplex, from the first forward link transmission, first data traffic for each of the first forward link data streams;
receive, via the forward link satellite beam, a second forward link transmission in a second time period on a second portion of the forward link beam resources of the forward link satellite beam, wherein the second portion of the forward link beam resources is at least partially non-overlapping in frequency with the first portion of the forward link beam resources, and wherein, for the second time period, a least a subset of the first portion of the forward link beam resources comprises third data traffic associated with second forward link data streams associated with the plurality of fixed terminals;
and
demultiplex, from the second forward link transmission, second data traffic for each of the first forward link data streams.

6 more elements

A mobile terminal for providing a network access service on a vehicle, comprising:

at least one processor;
a memory in communication with the processor, wherein the memory comprises instructions that, when executed by the at least on processor, cause the mobile terminal to:
establish a plurality of connections with a plurality of mobile devices on the vehicle;
establish a connection for providing the network access service to the plurality of mobile devices, the connection comprising a forward link satellite beam of a multi-beam satellite communications system, wherein the forward link satellite beam services a plurality of fixed terminals;
identify first forward link data streams associated with the plurality of mobile devices;
receive, at the mobile terminal via the forward link satellite beam, a first forward link transmission in a first time period on a first portion of forward link beam resources of the forward link satellite beam;
demultiplexing, from the first forward link transmission, first data traffic for each of the first forward link data streams;
receiving, at the mobile terminal via the forward link satellite beam, a second forward link transmission in a second time period on a second portion of the forward link beam resources of the forward link satellite beam, wherein the second portion of the forward link beam resources is at least partially non-overlapping in frequency with the first portion of the forward link beam resources, and wherein, for the second time period, a least a subset of the first portion of the forward link beam resources comprises third data traffic associated with second forward link data streams associated with the plurality of fixed terminals;
and
demultiplexing, from the second forward link transmission, second data traffic for each of the first forward link data streams.

7 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 16/355,592Filed 15 Mar 2019 · continuation
Priority: 15 Mar 2013
Published: US 2019/0364583 A128 Nov 2019
Granted: 7 Jul 2020
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification10 codes

H04W 72/535
Allocation or scheduling criteria for wireless resources: based on resource usage policies
H04B 7/18595
Satellite systems for providing broadband data service to individual earth stations: arrangements for adapting broadband applications to satellite…
H04B 7/2041
Multiple access: spot beam multiple access
H04L 47/2483
Traffic characterised by specific attributes, e.g. priority or QoS: involving identification of individual flows

Family

Application61/799,216Us provisional application · filed 15 Mar 2013
Application14/215,993Parent of this continuation · filed 17 Mar 2014
Application15/006,861Parent of this continuation · filed 26 Jan 2016
US 9,276,665 B1Parent of this continuation · filed 1 Mar 2016
Application15/641,814Parent of this continuation · filed 5 Jul 2017
US 9,736,854 B2Parent of this continuation · filed 15 Aug 2017
US 2019/0364583 A1Pre-grant publication · published 28 Nov 2019
US 10,278,203 B2Parent of this continuation
US 2016/0142327 A1Published application
US 2017/0303300 A1Published application
US 10,708,936 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.