Ground-Based Tokenized Traffic Shaper for Satellite Downlink Bandwidth
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing communication systems using geosynchronous satellites face significant latency and inefficiencies in managing downlink bandwidth, particularly in NGO satellite constellations where latency is reduced but bandwidth management remains a challenge.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a tokenized traffic shaper system that executes on the ground, tokenizing downstream data based on resource blocks and scheduling transmission on the satellite, thereby reducing complexity and computational burden on the satellite and improving bandwidth management.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If bandwidth management is performed on the satellite, then downlink resource allocation can be optimized, but computational complexity and processing burden on the satellite increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the bandwidth management functionality from the satellite and relocates it to ground-based network elements. The satellite retains only simple transmission functions while the complex traffic shaping, token bucket algorithm execution, and resource allocation decisions are performed on the ground, thereby reducing satellite computational burden while maintaining efficient downlink resource allocation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces ground-based network elements as intermediaries between the data source and the satellite. These intermediaries perform traffic shaping and bandwidth management before data is transmitted to the satellite, acting as a mediator that handles complex processing tasks and allows the satellite to focus on its primary communication function.
2Productivity
If more downlink bandwidth is allocated to a user terminal, then throughput improves, but other user terminals experience reduced bandwidth availability
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic bandwidth allocation using token bucket algorithms that adjust resource allocation in real-time based on current network conditions, user priorities, and traffic demands. This dynamic approach allows the system to optimize throughput for individual terminals when needed while automatically redistributing bandwidth to other terminals when their requirements change, creating a flexible and adaptive resource management system.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the parameter of bandwidth allocation from static to variable by implementing traffic shaping mechanisms that adjust allocation parameters dynamically. The system modifies bandwidth parameters based on multiple factors including user priority levels, current traffic patterns, and network conditions, allowing optimal throughput for each terminal while maintaining overall system efficiency.
3Loss of time
If latency is reduced by using NGO satellites, then communication speed improves, but bandwidth management complexity increases compared to geosynchronous satellites
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the complex bandwidth management functions from the satellite system and relocates them to ground-based infrastructure. This allows NGO satellites to maintain their latency advantage by performing only simple transmission operations, while the computationally intensive traffic shaping and resource allocation are handled by ground-based network elements with access to broader network context and resources.
Data Source
AI summary
A constellation of satellites provides communication services to user terminals (UTs). Downstream data addressed to a UT is received at a point-of-presence (POP) and tokenized before sending to a satellite serving the UT. Tokens are associated with resource blocks (RBs), each RB indicative of a particular combination of downlink frequency and timeslot. Tokens are then allocated to downstream data. This tokenized downstream data is sent to the satellite. Untokenized downstream data may be buffered for later tokenization or discarded. A satellite may use information in the token to schedule transmission on a downlink to the UT. The supply of tokens may be based on shaper input data such as gateway queue depth, estimated latency from the POP to the satellite, estimated time to empty a buffer onboard the satellite, and so forth. The supply of tokens may be adjusted to minimize data loss during handovers from one satellite to another.