Satellite packet network for cellular backhaul of access point devices

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016006500-A1
Application number	US-201414322123-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jul 2, 2014
Priority date	Jul 2, 2014
Publication date	Jan 7, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

Communication services can be provided through utilization of wireless access points that are connected to the core network (e.g., evolved packet core (EPC) of a Long Term Evolution LTE cellular system) via a set of satellite links. The efficiency of the satellite space segment is increased by employing an Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (OFDMA) and a scheduling scheme based on traffic demand, satellite channel conditions, and/or Quality of Service (QoS) requirement of a data flow. The satellite space segment is shared between all the wireless access points in the satellite's footprint, in a time and spectrally efficient manner, wherein the spectrum is used by a given wireless access point only when the wireless access point needs to transmit or receive packet data but otherwise is available to other wireless access points.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A system, comprising:
a processor; and a memory that stores executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, facilitate performance of operations, comprising:
determining traffic data associated with data packets that are to be transmitted between a satellite device and wireless access point devices via a wireless backhaul link, wherein the wireless access point devices are deployed within a coverage area of the satellite device, and
based on the traffic data, assigning satellite channels of the wireless backhaul link to the wireless access point devices to facilitate communication of the data packets.

2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the traffic data comprises demand data representing an amount of information requested by a wireless access point device of the wireless access point devices.

3 . The system of claim 2 , wherein the demand data is determined based on control data received from the wireless access point device.

4 . The system of claim 3 , wherein the control data comprises a buffer status report representing data stored within a buffer associated with the wireless access point device.

5 . The system of claim 2 , wherein the amount of information is a first amount of first information, the wireless access point device is a first wireless access point device and the assigning comprises,
in response to determining that the first amount of first information is greater than a second amount of second information requested by a second wireless access point device of the wireless access point devices, assigning a first set of the satellite channels to the first wireless access point device and a second set of the satellite channels to the second wireless access point device, and wherein the first set is greater than the second set.

6 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the traffic data comprises classification data indicative of a quality of service assigned to a set of the data packets.

7 . The system of claim 6 , wherein the quality of service is a first quality of service, the set of the data packets is a first set of the data packets, and the assigning comprises,
in response to determining that the first quality of service has a higher rank than a second quality of service that is assigned to a second set of the data packets, assigning a first set of the satellite channels for a first transfer of the first set of the data packets and a second set of the satellite channels for a second transfer of the second set of the data packets, and wherein the first set of the satellite channels is greater than the second set of the satellite channels.

8 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the operations further comprise:
employing an orthogonal frequency division multiple access process to facilitate the communication.

9 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the data packets are transmitted between the wireless access point devices and the satellite device via a generic routing encapsulation protocol.

10 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the data packets are directed to a set of user equipment coupled to the wireless access point devices.

11 . A method, comprising:
determining, by a system comprising a processor, traffic demand data associated with wireless access point devices that are coupled to a network device via a satellite device; and based on the traffic demand data, scheduling, by the system, a satellite spectrum of the satellite device to facilitate a transfer of data packets between the wireless access point devices and the satellite device.

12 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
based on the scheduling, facilitating, by the system, the transfer via a satellite channel.

13 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the facilitating comprises modulating a signal comprising the data packets based on an orthogonal frequency division multiple access modulation process.

14 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the scheduling comprises scheduling the satellite spectrum based on quality of service data assigned to the data packets.

15 . The method of claim 11 , the scheduling comprises scheduling the satellite spectrum based on channel quality data received from a wireless access point device of the wireless access point devices, wherein the channel quality data represents a quality of a satellite-to-access point link between the satellite device and the wireless access point device.

16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the receiving comprises receiving report data indicative of a status of a buffer associated with a wireless access point device of the wireless access point devices.

17 . A computer-readable storage device comprising executable instructions that, in response to execution, cause a satellite device comprising a processor to perform operations, comprising:
determining traffic demand data associated with wireless access point devices that are coupled to a network device via the satellite device; and based on the traffic demand data, allocating, to the wireless access point devices, satellite channels of a wireless backhaul link that couples the satellite device to the wireless access point devices, to facilitate a transfer of data packets via the wireless backhaul link.

18 . The computer-readable storage device of claim 17 , wherein the determining the traffic demand data comprises determining the traffic demand data based on control data received from the wireless access point devices.

19 . The computer-readable storage device of claim 17 , wherein the allocating comprises allocating the satellite channels based on quality of service data assigned to the data packets.

20 . The computer-readable storage device of claim 17 , wherein the data packets are transferred via the wireless backhaul link subsequent to an orthogonal frequency division multiple access modulation of a signal representing the data packets.

Assignees

• At & T Ip I Lp

Inventors

• Radpour Assad

Classifications

• H04L5/0007

  the frequencies being orthogonal, e.g. OFDM(A) or DMT · CPC title

• H04W72/085

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H04B7/18539 Primary

  Arrangements for managing radio, resources, i.e. for establishing or releasing a connection · CPC title

• H04W28/0278

  using buffer status reports (dynamic wireless traffic scheduling definition H04W72/12) · CPC title

• H04W84/06

  Airborne or Satellite Networks (space-based or airborne stations H04B7/185) · CPC title