Bandwidth management across logical groupings of access points in a shared access broadband network

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016072691-A1
Application number	US-201414480093-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Sep 8, 2014
Priority date	Sep 8, 2014
Publication date	Mar 10, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

Systems and methods provide bandwidth management on the inroute of a satellite network. Inroute group managers (IGMs) monitor bandwidth usage in each terminal group (TG) under each of the IGMs, and report this bandwidth usage to a bandwidth manager. Upon receipt of the reported bandwidth usage from each of the IGMs, the bandwidth manager compares the bandwidth usage and minimum/maximum throughput rates associated with each TG. The bandwidth manager calculates scaling factors that it transmits to each of the IGMs to allow the IGMs to allocate bandwidth accordingly.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method, comprising:
monitoring, at an inroute group manager (IGM) over time, bandwidth usage and backlog within each terminal group (TG) of a plurality of TGs communicating over inroutes of a plurality of inroute groups (IGs) managed by the IGM; aggregating information regarding the monitored bandwidth usage and backlog across the plurality of IGs; determining the amount of bandwidth being used at each of the plurality of IGs for each of the plurality of TGs under each of the plurality of IGs; reporting the determined amount of bandwidth being used and available capacity of the IGM to a bandwidth manager; and for each TG, receiving at least one scaling factor from the bandwidth manager to be utilized by the IGM for scaling up or down the bandwidth usage of terminals in each TG.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein each TG is throughput-limited based on a subscription rate plan.

3 . The method of claim 2 , further comprising applying the at least one scaling factor to adjust throughput of each of the plurality of TGs.

4 . The method of claim 3 , wherein application of the at least one scaling factor comprises throttling down the throughput of those TGs of the plurality of TGs that have exceeded a maximum throughput limitation of their respective subscription rate plan.

5 . The method of claim 3 , wherein application of the at least one scaling factor comprises increasing the throughput of those TGs of the plurality of TGs that are operating below a maximum throughput limitation of their respective subscription rate plan.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the scaling factor dictates the frequency with which terminals within each TG access a network resource.

7 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the accessing of the network resource occurs on one of return uplinks carrying data from the terminals to a plurality of satellites of return downlinks carrying data from the plurality of satellites to the terminals.

8 . A method, comprising:
receiving, from a plurality of inroute group managers (IGMs) in a network, bandwidth usage data regarding each terminal group (TG) communicating over one or more inroutes of each inroute group (IG) managed by an IGM of the plurality of IGMs; determining a targeted allocation of bandwidth for each TG across each of the plurality of IGMS in the network; and calculating a set of scaling factors based on the targeted allocation of bandwidth and current bandwidth usage of each TG, wherein the set of scaling factors are to be utilized by each of the plurality of IGMs to scale or down the bandwidth usage of terminals in each TG.

9 . The method of claim 8 , wherein each TG is throughput-limited based on a subscription rate plan.

10 . The method of claim 9 , further comprising applying the set of scaling factors to adjust throughput of each TG to achieve the adjustment of each IGM's respective bandwidth usage.

11 . The method of claim 10 , wherein application of the set of scaling factors comprises throttling down the throughput of those TGs that have exceeded a maximum throughput limitation of their respective subscription rate plan.

12 . The method of claim 10 , wherein application of the set of scaling factors comprises increasing the throughput of those TGs that are operating below a maximum throughput limitation of their respective subscription rate plan.

13 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the set of scaling factors dictates the frequency with which terminals within each TG access at least one of a plurality of network resources.

14 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the accessing of the network resource occurs on one of return uplinks carrying data from the terminals to a plurality of satellites of return downlinks carrying data from the plurality of satellites to the terminals.

15 . The method of claim 13 , further comprising balancing the plurality of network resources on a per unit period basis.

16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein a unit period comprises a single super frame comprising 8 frames.

17 . The method of claim 8 , wherein each TG is assigned a weighting, and wherein the targeted allocation of bandwidth for each TG is based upon at least one of the weighting assigned to each TG and a predetermined maximum throughput rate associated with each TG.

18 . A method, comprising:
receiving at a bandwidth manager, during an updating period, inroute group manager (IGM) inputs comprising a total number of available slots at the IGM, a bandwidth demand from each terminal group (TG) communicating over one or more inroutes of each inroute group (IG) managed by the IGM, an average slot allocation for each TG, and an estimated throughput of each TG; calculating a targeted slot allocation for each TG; calculating a set of scaling factors for each TG; outputting the set of scaling factors to the IGM; applying the set of scaling factors for each terminal in each TG at the IGM; updating the average slot allocation for each TG, a total throughput of each TG, and an estimated demand of each TG; and transmitting the updated slot allocation, total throughput, and estimated demand back to the bandwidth manager.

19 . The method of claim 18 , further comprising receiving information regarding maximum and minimum throughput limits for each TG and a weighting associated with each TG.

20 . The method of claim 19 , wherein the calculating of the set of scaling factors comprises:
comparing the total throughput of each TG to the maximum and minimum throughput limits; and decreasing the set of scaling factors if the total throughput is larger than the maximum throughput limit.

21 . The method of claim 19 , wherein the calculating of the set of scaling factors comprises:
comparing the total throughput of each TG to the maximum and minimum throughput limits; and increasing the set of scaling factors if the total throughput is less than the minimum throughput limit.

22 . The method of claim 19 , wherein the calculating of the set of scaling factors comprises:
comparing the total throughput of each TG to the maximum and minimum throughput limits; and adjusting the set of scaling factors by:
decreasing the set of scaling factors if the total throughput falls between the maximum and minimum throughput limits and the average slot allocation is larger than the targeted slot allocation;
increasing the set of scaling factors if the total throughput falls between the maximum and minimum throughput limits and the average slot allocation is smaller than the targeted slot allocation; and
maintaining the set of scaling factors if the total throughput falls between the maximum and minimum throughput limits and the average slot allocation is substantially similar to the targeted slot allocation.

23 . A system, comprising:
a bandwidth manager configured to calculate a set of scaling factors for adjusting bandwidth usage of terminals in each of a plurality of terminal groups (TGs) communicating over one or more inroutes of each of a plurality of inroute groups (IGs), wherein the set of scaling factors are based on bandwidth demand from each of the plurality of TGs, a total number of available slots across each of the plurality of IGs, an average slot allocation for each of the plurality of TGs, and an estimated throughput of each of the plurality of TGs; and an inroute group manager (IGM) configured to manage each of the plurality of IGs by applying the set of scaling f

Assignees

• Hughes Network Systems Llc

Inventors

• Xu Jun
• Sangireddi Chandrasekhar
• Torres Robert James
• Jagodits Thomas
• Ahluwalia Sandeep
• Xiao Liqing
• Roy Satyajit
• Razuvaev Alexey
• Tang Yeqing

Classifications

• H04L41/0896

  Bandwidth or capacity management, i.e. automatically increasing or decreasing capacities (flow or congestion control using dynamic resource allocation, e.g. in-call renegotiation, H04L47/76) · CPC title

• H04W24/10

  Scheduling measurement reports {; Arrangements for measurement reports} · CPC title

• H04L43/0888 Primary

  Throughput · CPC title

• H04B7/18578 Primary

  Satellite systems for providing broadband data service to individual earth stations (for selecting H04W; provisions for broadband connection, H04Q11/0478) · CPC title

• H04W24/04

  Arrangements for maintaining operational condition · CPC title