Dynamic Satellite Gateway Bandwidth Allocation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Satellite gateway systems often experience bandwidth limitations, leading to delays and reduced data transmission speeds for user equipment, while neighboring systems may have excess bandwidth, due to inflexible antenna radiation beam patterns that prevent dynamic allocation of resources.

Innovation Solution

Implementing a system where satellite gateway management dynamically reallocates bandwidth by steering antenna radiation beams to target specific user equipment instances outside their default geographic regions, using beam steering data to route data through satellite gateway systems with available bandwidth, thereby optimizing both uplink and downlink communications.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If satellite gateway systems use fixed geographic region assignments with wide-area antenna beams, then system simplicity and stable operation are maintained, but bandwidth utilization efficiency deteriorates when one system is at maximum capacity while another has excess bandwidth

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvebandwidth utilization efficiencyVSAvoidsystem complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements dynamic gateway assignment where user equipment can be reassigned from one satellite gateway system to another based on real-time bandwidth availability. The system transitions from static geographic region assignments to dynamic assignments, allowing the relay satellite to redirect user equipment between different satellite gateway systems' antenna beams to optimize bandwidth utilization across the network.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The patent enables satellite gateway systems to serve multiple geographic regions by allowing user equipment from one geographic region to be serviced by satellite gateway systems outside their default assignment. This multi-functionality allows any satellite gateway system to potentially service any user equipment in the network, increasing overall bandwidth utilization efficiency.

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

2Speed

If satellite gateway systems serve user equipment within fixed geographic regions, then routing simplicity is maintained, but data transmission speed deteriorates when the assigned gateway is at maximum bandwidth capacity

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedata transmission speedVSAvoidrouting complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
SpeedVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements a feedback mechanism where the relay satellite monitors bandwidth utilization at satellite gateway systems and uses this information to dynamically reassign user equipment. When a satellite gateway system reaches maximum bandwidth capacity, the relay satellite receives feedback about this condition and redirects user equipment to satellite gateway systems with available bandwidth, maintaining optimal data transmission speeds.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The relay satellite acts as an intermediary that manages the complex routing between user equipment and satellite gateway systems. It monitors bandwidth conditions across all satellite gateway systems and makes intelligent routing decisions, absorbing the routing complexity so that individual satellite gateway systems can maintain simple fixed geographic region assignments while still achieving dynamic optimization.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Adaptability or versatility

If satellite gateway systems use wide-area antenna beams covering large geographic regions, then coverage area is maximized, but bandwidth allocation flexibility deteriorates preventing dynamic reallocation to users with higher demand

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvebandwidth allocation flexibilityVSAvoidantenna beam coverage area
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSArea of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the network into two functional layers: wide-area antenna beams for geographic coverage and dynamic virtual assignments for bandwidth allocation. The wide-area beams maintain large coverage areas for user equipment, while the dynamic assignment layer segments bandwidth allocation into flexible, real-time decisions that can allocate bandwidth to any user equipment regardless of geographic region, achieving both large coverage and high flexibility.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentEP3827525B1Dynamic allocation of satellite gateway assignments
Publication Date: 2022.08.24 HUGHES NETWORK SYST
  • EP3827525B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3827525B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3827525B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

Arrangements for optimizing bandwidth of a satellite communication link are presented. A first satellite gateway system may transmit a first data set to a satellite to be relayed by the satellite to a first instance of user equipment. A second satellite gateway system may transmit a second data set to the satellite to be relayed by the satellite to a second instance of user equipment. A satellite gateway management system may determine that the second satellite gateway system has greater available bandwidth. The satellite gateway management system may route a third data set to be transmitted to the first instance of user equipment to the second satellite gateway system. The second satellite gateway system may transmit the third data set and beam steering data to the satellite, such that the satellite targets a downlink spot beam on the first instance of user equipment.