Scheduling prioritized traffic in a scrambled coded multiple access (SCMA) system

An apparatus comprising:

• a communication unit configured, in part, to receive packets from one or more user devices, and place the packets on a first input queue and/or a second input queue;
• an en-queueing unit configured to:
• determining a priority and/or service class for each packet, and
• en-queue the packets onto a plurality of output queues based, at least in part, on the determined priority and/or service class,
• wherein the plurality of output queues include at least a first output queue and a second output queue;
• a scheduling unit configured to detect one or more eligible SCMA slots within a frame of a communication system, and identify available SCMA slots, from the eligible SCMA slots, that are useable for transmitting data;
• a de-queueing unit configured to de-queue packets from the first output queue onto the frame via one or more SCMA bursts encompassing at least one available SCMA slot;
• and
• a transceiver for transmitting and receiving frames of the communication system,
• wherein the SCMA bursts are autonomously transmitted relative to other SCMA bursts transmitted by other terminals in the communication system.

A system comprising:

• one or more terminals, each terminal comprising:
• a communication unit configured, in part, to receive packets from one or more user devices, and place the packets on a first input queue and/or a second input queue,
• an en-queueing unit configured to:
• determining a priority and/or service class for each packet, and
• en-queue the packets onto a plurality of output queues based, at least in part, on the determined priority and/or service class,
• wherein the plurality of output queues include at least a first output queue and a second output queue,
• a scheduling unit configured to detect one or more eligible SCMA slots within a frame of a communication system, and identify available SCMA slots, from the eligible SCMA slots, that are useable for transmitting data,
• a de-queueing unit configured to de-queue packets from the first output queue onto the frame via one or more SCMA bursts encompassing at least one available SCMA slot, and
• a transceiver for transmitting and receiving frames of the communication system;
• and
• a gateway configured to transmit/receive frames to/from the one or more terminals, and to broadcast congestion feedback regarding traffic conditions on the communication system to the one or more terminals,
• wherein each terminal autonomously transmits its SCMA bursts.