Satellite Terminal Grouping via Sub-Frame Segmentation
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Solution Overview
Problem
In satellite communications networks using Frequency Division Duplexing, terminals cannot receive traffic while transmitting, complicating scheduling and handover processes, and existing solutions require complex satellite involvement in routing and handover procedures.
Innovation Solution
A transmit-receive framing mechanism that divides forward link frames into sub-frames, allowing terminals to be grouped and simplifying scheduling, with signaling to alert terminals of queued traffic and enabling seamless beam and satellite handovers by shifting complexity to the gateway and terminals, using Multi-Frequency Time Division Multiple Access (MF-TDMA) and DVB-S2 standards for efficient capacity allocation and power management.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If on-the-fly transmit-receive conflict resolution is performed without framing mechanism, then terminal operation flexibility is maintained, but scheduling complexity and propagation delay tracking requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The forward link frame is segmented into multiple sub-frames, with each sub-frame dedicated to serving a specific group of terminals. This segmentation allows terminals to be organized into groups that can be served in different time slots, resolving the conflict between transmit and receive operations at the group level while maintaining simplicity in terminal operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The framing mechanism pre-allocates specific sub-frames for terminal groups before transmission begins. By preliminarily determining which sub-frames serve which terminal groups, the system avoids the need for complex real-time conflict resolution and propagation delay tracking, simplifying both scheduling and terminal operations.
2Productivity
If separate queue for each terminal is maintained with propagation delay tracking, then fair scheduling is achieved, but scheduler complexity and computational requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
Terminals are grouped together and served by common sub-frames rather than maintaining separate queues for each terminal. The scheduler merges multiple terminal requirements into group-level scheduling decisions, significantly reducing complexity while maintaining fairness through systematic group allocation.
Solution Approach 2:
Terminal groups are pre-defined and associated with specific sub-frames in advance. This preliminary grouping and sub-frame association eliminates the need for complex real-time queue management and propagation delay tracking for individual terminals, simplifying the scheduler while ensuring fair resource distribution.
3Manufacturing precision
If transmit-receive scheduling is involved in each handover, then forward link data routing accuracy is ensured, but handover complexity and processing time increase
Solution Approach 1:
Terminal groups are pre-associated with specific sub-frames and satellite beams before handover occurs. When handover is needed, the pre-established group-sub-frame associations are simply updated to new satellites or beams, ensuring routing accuracy without requiring complex real-time scheduling recalculations during the handover process.
Data Source
Figure 1~2
AI summary
A method is provided for enabling communications between one or more satellites and a plurality of terminals wherein the plurality of terminals are divided into M groups of terminals and wherein the method comprising: forwarding a plurality of communication frames in a forward link, wherein said plurality of frames are divided into N sub-frames, and wherein traffic being carried along the forward link by each of the N sub- frames serves one or more groups of terminals associated with a respective satellite, and assigning, by a satellite return link scheduler, a respective capacity of the return link for at least one of the one or more groups of terminals, wherein the assignment takes into account which of the sub-frames is associated with that at least one group of the terminals.