Distributive Flow Control for Satellite Network Bandwidth Management

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional systems for flow control and bandwidth management in shared access networks, such as satellite networks, face challenges in efficiently managing bandwidth and flow control when multiple Internet Protocol Gateways (IPGWs) are interconnected with multiple Code Rate Organizers (CROs, leading to suboptimal network resource utilization and stability.

Innovation Solution

A distributive flow control and bandwidth management system that allows one access channel to be connected to multiple network gateways and one network gateway to be connected to multiple access channels, utilizing a Bandwidth Manager to coordinate independent bandwidth allocation and flow control across IPGWs and CROs, ensuring optimal resource utilization and flexibility.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If one access channel is connected to multiple network gateways and one network gateway is connected to multiple access channels, then network resource utilization and flexibility are improved, but bandwidth allocation complexity and flow control difficulty increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvenetwork configuration flexibilityVSAvoidbandwidth management complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the interconnected IPGW-CRO system into multiple independent resource pools, where each pool contains specific IPGWs and CROs that can be managed separately. This segmentation allows the system to maintain high flexibility in network configuration while reducing bandwidth management complexity by enabling independent allocation policies for each resource pool, thereby resolving the contradiction between adaptability and device complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

2Reliability

If distributed flow control is implemented across multiple IPGWs and CROs, then network stability is improved, but coordination overhead and control complexity increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvenetwork stabilityVSAvoidflow control coordination complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges the flow control functions of multiple distributed IPGWs and CROs into a unified distributed flow control mechanism. By implementing coordinated bandwidth allocation across the interconnected system, the patent achieves improved network stability through collective decision-making while managing coordination overhead through standardized interaction protocols, thereby resolving the contradiction between reliability and device complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

3Reliability

If bandwidth is dynamically allocated to prevent overallocation, then network reliability is improved, but allocation response time and processing overhead increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvebandwidth allocation reliabilityVSAvoidbandwidth allocation response time
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements preliminary bandwidth allocation by pre-establishing bandwidth pools and allocation policies for interconnected IPGWs and CROs. This preliminary action allows the system to quickly respond to bandwidth demands without extensive real-time calculations, thereby maintaining high allocation reliability while minimizing response time and processing overhead.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

4Productivity

If interconnected IPGW-CRO configuration is used, then spectrum utilization is improved, but system complexity and management difficulty increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvespectrum utilization efficiencyVSAvoidsystem configuration complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies universality by designing the interconnected IPGW-CRO configuration to serve multiple functions simultaneously: load balancing across gateways, spectrum optimization through coordinated resource allocation, and flexible network reconfiguration. This multi-functionality approach improves spectrum utilization efficiency while managing system complexity through standardized interfaces and protocols that simplify configuration and management.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentEP3479499B1A method and system for distributive flow control and bandwidth management in a network
Publication Date: 2021.11.24 HUGHES NETWORK SYST
  • EP3479499B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3479499B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3479499B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4

AI summary

A method and system for distributive flow control and bandwidth management in networks is disclosed. The method includes: providing multiple Internet Protocol (IP) Gateways (IPGWs) that each have a maximum send rate and one or more sessions with associated throughput criteria, wherein each IPGW performs flow control by limiting information flows by the respective maximum send rate and throughput criteria; providing multiple Code Rate Organizers (CROs) that each have a bandwidth capacity, wherein each CRO performs bandwidth allocation of its respective bandwidth capacity to one or more IPGWs of the multiple IPGWs; interconnecting the multiple IPGWs with the multiple CROs; and performing bandwidth management across the multiple CROs and IPGWs. In the method, an IPGW of the multiple IPGWs provides flow control across a plurality of the multiple CROs, and a CRO of the multiple CROs allocates bandwidth to a plurality of the IPGWs of the multiple IPGWs.