# US 2019/0356604 A1 · Scheduling prioritized traffic in a scrambled coded multiple access (scma) system > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2019/0356604 A1 - Document ID: US20190356604A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 16/532,204 - Filed: 2019-08-05 - Published: 2019-11-21 - Earliest claimed: 2016-04-28 - Assignees: Hughes Network Systems, LLC - Applicants: Hughes Network Systems, LLC - Inventors: Jun XU; Rob TORRES; John BORDER; Zengquan FAN - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20190356604A1 ## CPC - H04L 47/56: implementing delay-aware scheduling - H04L 5/0016: {Time-frequency-code} - H04L 5/0044: {Allocation of payload; Allocation of data channels, e.g. PDSCH or PUSCH} - H04L 5/0058: {Allocation criteria} - H04L 47/6215: {Individual queue per QOS, rate or priority} - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) ## Abstract A system for scheduling prioritized traffic in a scrambled and coded multiple access (SCMA) system multiple terminals and a gateway. Each terminal is configured to receive packets from user devices and place the packets on various input queues. The packets are en-queued onto a plurality of output queues based on priority or service class. The terminal is further configured to detect one or more available SCMA slots within a frame of a communication system, and de-queue packets from the highest priority output queue onto the frame via one or more SCMA bursts. The terminal includes transceiver for transmitting/receiving frames of the communication system to/from the gateway. The terminals autonomously transmit SCMA bursts relative to each other. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method comprising: receiving packets, from one or more user devices, at a terminal; placing the packets on a first input queue and/or a second input queue; determining a priority and/or service class for each packet; en-queueing the packets onto a plurality of output queues including at least a first output queue and a second output queue based, at least in part, on the determined priority and/or service class; detecting one or more eligible scrambled and coded multiple access (SCMA) slots within a frame of a communication system; identifying available SCMA slots, from the eligible SCMA slots, that are useable for transmitting data; and de-queueing packets from the first output queue onto the frame via one or more SCMA bursts encompassing at least one available SCMA slot, wherein the one or more SCMA bursts are autonomously transmitted relative to other SCMA bursts transmitted by other terminals in the communication system. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: receiving congestion feedback regarding traffic conditions on the communication system, wherein en-queueing the packets is performed based, at least in part, on the congestion feedback. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein the congestion feedback is based, at least in part, on a target average received signal to noise ratio (Es/No) and overlapped SCMA bursts from the terminal and the other terminals. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising de-queueing packets from the second output queue, and any additional queues from the plurality of output queues, onto the frame after packets from the first output queue have been de-queued. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein identifying available SCMA slots comprises receiving SCMA transmission opportunities from a gateway of the communication system. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of output queues further comprises at least a streaming queue, a bulk queue, and/or a conversational queue. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein de-queueing comprises: scheduling transmission of packets from the first output queue via scheduled SCMA slots selected from at least one of the available SCMA slots; and de-queueing packets from the first output queue onto the frame via one or more SCMA burst encompassing the scheduled SCMA slots. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the eligible SCMA slots are determined based, at least in part, on values stored in a vector representative of the frame. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein: the first input queue and/or second input queue each comprise a plurality of sub-queues including at least a high priority sub-queue; and packets from the high priority sub-queues are en-queued onto the first output queue, or en-queued onto the second output queue if the first output queue is full. ### Claim 10 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. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the en-queueing unit is further configured to en-queue each packet based, at least in part, on congestion feedback regarding traffic conditions on the communication system. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the congestion feedback is based, at least in part, on a target average received signal to noise ratio (Es/No) and overlapped SCMA bursts from the terminal and the other terminals. ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the de-queueing unit is further configured to de-queue packets from the second output queue, and any additional queues from the plurality of output queues, onto the frame after packets from the first output queue have been de-queued. ### Claim 14 (depends on 10) The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the scheduling unit is further configured to: receive SCMA transmission opportunities from a gateway of the communication system; and identify available SCMA slots from the received SCMA transmission opportunities. ### Claim 15 (depends on 10) The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the plurality of output queues further comprises at least a streaming queue, a bulk queue, and/or a conversational queue. ### Claim 16 (depends on 10) The apparatus of claim 10, wherein: the scheduling unit is further configured to schedule transmission of packets from the first output queue via scheduled SCMA slots selected from at least one of the available SCMA slots; and the de-queueing unit is further configured to de-queue packets from the first output queue onto the frame via one or more SCMA bursts encompassing the scheduled SCMA slots. ### Claim 17 (depends on 10) The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the scheduling unit is further configured to determine the eligible SCMA slots based, at least in part, on values stored in a vector representative of the frame. ### Claim 18 (depends on 10) The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the first input queue and/or second input queue each comprise a plurality of sub-queues including at least a high priority sub-queue; and the en-queueing unit is configured to en-queue packets from the high priority sub-queues onto the first output queue, or onto the second output queue if the first output queue is full. ### Claim 19 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. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The system of claim 19, wherein: the gateway is configured to assign SCMA transmission opportunities to the one or more terminals; and the scheduling unit of each terminal is configured to identify available SCMA slots from the assigned SCMA transmission opportunities.