Per link mobile satellite beam deconfliction

A method, comprising:

• providing a communication service to a first mobile terminal and a second mobile terminal via a first beamformed spot beam and a second beamformed spot beam of a satellite communication system, wherein the first and second mobile terminals are respectively assigned to the first and second beamformed spot beams, wherein the first and second beamformed spot beams each comprise a forward link and a return link, and wherein providing the communication service comprises:
• assigning a same first resource element to the forward links of the first and second beamformed spot beams and a second resource element and a third resource element to the return links of the first and second beamformed spot beams, respectively, or assigning the same first resource element to the return links of the first and second beamformed spot beams and the second resource element and the third resource element to the forward links of the first and second beamformed spot beams, respectively, wherein the second resource element is different from the third resource element, and wherein each of the first, second, and third resource elements comprises a frequency resource and a time slot;
• adjusting respective coverage areas of the first and second beamformed spot beams to track movement of the first and second mobile terminals within a coverage area of the satellite communication system;
• determining, based on the adjustment of the respective coverage areas of the first and second beamformed spot beams, that an interference metric between the forward links to which the same first resource element was assigned, or between the return links to which the same first resource element was assigned, satisfies a threshold value, wherein the threshold value is based on respective beam widths of the first and second beamformed spot beams;
• and
• assigning, based on the determination that the interference metric satisfies the threshold value, a fourth resource element to the forward link or the return link of the second beamformed spot beam in place of the first resource element, wherein the fourth resource element is different than the first resource element.

A system for satellite communications, comprising:

• one or more satellites;
• and
• a beam manager configured to:
• provide a communication service to a first mobile terminal and a second mobile terminal via a first beamformed spot beam and a second beamformed spot beam of the one or more satellites, wherein the first and second mobile terminals are respectively assigned to the first and second beamformed spot beams, wherein the first and second beamformed spot beams each comprises a forward link and a return link, and wherein to provide the communication service, the beam manager is configured to:
• assign a same first resource element to the forward links of the first and second beamformed spot beams and a second resource element and a third resource element to the return links of the first and second beamformed spot beams, respectively, or assign the same first resource element to the return links of the first and second beamformed spot beams and the second resource element and the third resource element to the forward links of the first and second beamformed spot beams, respectively, wherein the second resource element is different from the third resource element, and wherein each of the first, second, and third resource elements comprises a frequency resource and a time slot;
• adjust, based on measurements of signals communicated with the first and second mobile terminals, respective coverage areas of the first and second beamformed spot beams to track movement of the first and second mobile terminals within a coverage area of a satellite communication system;
• determine, based on the adjustment of the respective coverage areas of the first and second beamformed spot beams, that an interference metric between the forward links to which the same first resource element was assigned, or between the return links to which the same first resource element was assigned, satisfies a threshold value;
• and
• assign, based on the determination that the interference metric satisfies the threshold value, a fourth resource element to the forward link or the return link of the second beamformed spot beam in place of the first resource element, wherein the fourth resource element is different than the first resource element.

A system for satellite communications, comprising:

• one or more satellites;
• and
• a beam manager configured to:
• provide a communication service to a first mobile terminal and a second mobile terminal via a first beamformed spot beam and a second beamformed spot beam of the one or more satellites, wherein the first and second mobile terminals are respectively assigned to the first and second beamformed spot beams, wherein the first and second beamformed spot beams each comprises a forward link and a return link, and wherein to provide the communication service, the beam manager is configured to:
• assign a same first resource element to the forward links of the first and second beamformed spot beams and a second resource element and a third resource element to the return links of the first and second beamformed spot beams, respectively, or assigning the same first resource element to the return links of the first and second beamformed spot beams and the second resource element and the third resource element to the forward links of the first and second beamformed spot beams, respectively, wherein the second resource element is different from the third resource element, and wherein each of the first, second, and third resource elements comprises a frequency resource and a time slot;
• adjust respective coverage areas of the first and second beamformed spot beams to track movement of the first and second mobile terminals within a coverage area of a satellite communication system;
• determine, based on the adjustment of the respective coverage areas of the first and second beamformed spot beams, that an interference metric between the forward links to which the same first resource element was assigned, or between the return links to which the same first resource element was assigned, satisfies a threshold value, wherein the threshold value is based on respective beam widths of the first and second beamformed spot beams;
• and
• assign, based on the determination that the interference metric satisfies the threshold value, a fourth resource element to the forward link or the return link of the second beamformed spot beam in place of the first resource element, wherein the fourth resource element is different than the first resource element.