Half-duplex communications for a very small aperture terminal (VSAT) operating on a continuous stream

An apparatus to provide half-duplex communications for a Very Small Aperture Terminal (VSAT) operating on a continuous received stream, the apparatus comprising:

• a decoder configured to decode the continuous received stream to establish synchronization with the continuous received stream, and configured to locate, in the continuous received stream, a time plan comprising a receiving timeslot and a transmitting timeslot;
• a demodulator configured to demodulate the continuous received stream by adapting to a timing and frequency variation of the continuous received stream in the receiving timeslot, freewheeling the adapting of the continuous received stream during the transmitting timeslot, and resuming the adapting of the continuous received stream when the transmitting timeslot ends;
• a receiver configured to stop receiving the continuous received stream during the transmitting timeslot;
• and
• a transmitter configured to transmit from the VSAT during the transmitting timeslot,
• wherein the freewheeling comprises saving a signal acquisition parameter at the start of the transmitting timeslot and restoring the saved signal acquisition parameter at the end of the transmitting timeslot.

A method for receiving half-duplex communications from a Very Small Aperture Terminal (VSAT) operating on a continuous received stream, the method comprising:

• receiving, from the VSAT, a request for allocating a transmitting timeslot, wherein the request comprises a priority and a modulation scheme;
• allocating bandwidth based on the request with an allocation comprising the transmitting timeslot, wherein the allocating assigns the transmitting timeslot based on the priority and the modulation scheme of the request and adds the transmitting timeslot to a blacklist;
• generating a time plan based on the priority, modulation scheme and blacklist;
• transmitting the allocation to the VSAT;
• and
• transmitting the time plan to the VSAT,
• wherein the time plan comprises a transmitting timeslot and an associated modulation for the VSAT, and a receiving timeslot for the VSAT, and
• the allocating does not schedule data for receipt by the VSAT during the transmitting timeslot.

A gateway for receiving half-duplex communications from a Very Small Aperture Terminal (VSAT) operating on a continuous received stream, the gateway comprising:

• a receiver configured to receive, from the VSAT, a request for allocating a transmitting timeslot, wherein the request comprises a priority and a modulation scheme;
• a bandwidth allocator configured to allocate bandwidth based on the request with an allocation comprising the transmitting timeslot, wherein the bandwidth allocator assigns the transmitting timeslot based on the priority and the modulation scheme of the request to generate a time plan;
• and
• a transmitter configured to transmit the allocation and the time plan to the VSAT,
• wherein the time plan comprises a transmitting timeslot and an associated modulation for the VSAT, and a receiving timeslot for the VSAT, and
• the bandwidth allocator does not schedule data for receipt by the VSAT during the transmitting timeslot.