Managing congestion in a satellite communications network

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12035170-B2
Application number	US-201916715230-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 16, 2019
Priority date	Sep 7, 2017
Publication date	Jul 9, 2024
Grant date	Jul 9, 2024

Abstract

In one implementation, congestion in a satellite communications network is managed based on current resource usage information received for a primary satellite servicing a terminal that is requesting to initiate a communications session. The current resource usage information is received within a communications session setup procedure that identifies a type of the communications session being requested by the terminal. Resources for serving the communications session are determined based on the type of the communications session being requested by the terminal. Thereafter, a determination is made as to whether sufficient resources are available at the primary satellite for servicing the communications session. In response to determining that sufficient resources are not available at the primary satellite for servicing the communications session, a congestion mitigation strategy is determined for servicing the communications session and sent to the primary satellite for implementation.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for managing a communications session in a satellite communications network, the method comprising:
executing, at a terrestrial control center for the satellite communications network, a set up process for establishing a communications session over the satellite communications network between a terminal being served by a satellite of the satellite communications network and an endpoint;
in connection with the set up process, receiving, at the terrestrial control center, from the satellite serving the terminal for which the communications session is being attempted to be established, resource usage information for the satellite that is indicative of current availability of resources at the satellite;
determining, based on the resource usage information received from the satellite, current availability of resources at the satellite for serving the terminal;
defining, based on the determined current availability of resources at the satellite for serving the terminal, and at least one characteristic associated with the terminal selected from priority, quality of service, billing rates and service subscriptions, one or more parameters for the communications session for the terminal;
transmitting, from the terrestrial control center to the satellite, the one or more parameters defined for the communications session; and
establishing the communications session over the satellite communications network between the terminal and the endpoint according to the one or more parameters defined for the communications session.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the satellite is configured to provide multiple beams for serving terminals;
receiving resource usage information for the satellite that is indicative of the current availability of resources at the satellite includes receiving resource usage information indicative of the current availability of resources related to a particular beam serving the terminal;
determining current availability of resources at the satellite for serving the terminal includes determining current availability of resources related to the particular beam for serving the terminal based on the received usage information indicative of the current availability of resources related to the particular beam; and
defining one or more parameters for the communications session for the terminal includes defining one or more parameters for the communications session for the terminal based on the determined current availability of resources related to the particular beam for serving the terminal.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein:
determining current availability of resources related to the particular beam for serving the terminal includes determining that resources related to the particular beam are not available for serving the communications session;
defining one or more parameters for the communications session for the terminal includes identifying an alternative beam of the satellite for serving the communications session based on having determined that resources related to the particular beam are not available for serving the communications session;
transmitting the one or more parameters defined for the communications session from the terrestrial control center to the satellite includes transmitting, from the terrestrial control center to the satellite, an instruction to use the alternative beam to serve the communications session; and
establishing the communications session over the satellite communications network between the terminal and the endpoint according to the one or more parameters defined for the communications session includes establishing the communications session over the satellite communications network via the alternative beam instead of the particular beam.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
receiving resource usage information for the satellite that is indicative of current availability of resources at the satellite includes receiving resource usage information for the satellite that is indicative of the current availability of communications channels provided by the satellite for serving the terminal;
determining current availability of resources at the satellite for serving the terminal includes determining current availability of communications channels provided by the satellite for serving the terminal based on the received resource usage information for the satellite indicative of the current availability of communications channels provided by the satellite for serving the terminal; and
defining one or more parameters for the communications session for the terminal includes defining one or more parameters for the communications session for the terminal based on the determined availability of communications channels provided by the satellite for serving the terminal.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the satellite is configured to provide multiple beams for serving terminals;
receiving resource usage information for the satellite that is indicative of current availability of resources at the satellite includes receiving resource usage information for a particular beam serving the terminal that is indicative of the current availability of communications channels provided by the particular beam for serving the terminal;
determining current availability of resources at the satellite for serving the terminal includes determining current availability of communications channels provided by the particular beam for serving the terminal based on the received resource usage information for the particular beam indicative of the current availability of communications channels provided by the particular beam for serving the terminal; and
defining one or more parameters for the communications session for the terminal includes defining one or more parameters for the communications session for the terminal based on the determined availability of communications channels provided by the particular beam for serving the terminal.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
executing a set up process for establishing a communications session over the satellite communications network between the terminal and endpoint includes executing a set up process for establishing a type of communications session having a defined, standard bandwidth; and
defining one or more parameters for the communications session for the terminal includes defining a bandwidth for the communications session that is less than the defined, standard bandwidth for the type of communications session.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
determining current availability of resources at the satellite for serving the terminal includes determining that the satellite does not currently have resources available for serving the communications session;
defining one or more parameters for the communications session for the terminal includes identifying an alternative satellite from among the multiple satellites for serving the communications session based on having determined that the satellite does not currently have resources available for serving the communications session;
transmitting the one or more parameters defined for the communications session from the terrestrial control center to the satellite includes transmitting, from the terrestrial control center to the satellite, a message for relaying to the terminal that identifies the alternative satellite as available for serving the communications session; and
establishing the communications session over the satellite communications network between the terminal and the endpoint according to the one or more parameters defined for the communications session includes establishing the communications session over the satellite communications network via the alternative satellite instead of the satellite.

Assignees

• Iridium Satellite Llc

Inventors

• Xenakis George
• Patel Jayesh
• Pon Hermon

Classifications

• H04W28/0205

  at the air interface (dynamic wireless traffic scheduling H04W72/12) · CPC title

• H04W28/20

  Negotiating bandwidth · CPC title

• H04B7/18521 Primary

  Systems of inter linked satellites, i.e. inter satellite service (for optical links between satellites H04B10/118) · CPC title

• H04W28/0289 Primary

  Congestion control (load shedding arrangements in network planning H04W16/08; performing reselection for handling the traffic H04W36/22; wireless traffic scheduling H04W72/12) · CPC title

• H04W28/0247 Primary

  based on conditions of the access network or the infrastructure network (central resource management H04W28/16) · CPC title