Variable-Length DVB-S2X Superframes for Low-Latency Beam Hopping
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing DVB-S2 systems suffer from fixed and long SuperFrame lengths that cause large time granularity and dwell times, adversely affecting low latency applications and requiring integral relationships between symbol rates and satellite switching times, leading to inefficiencies and constraints in multi-beam systems.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a Variable Length SuperFrame (VLSF) structure with adjustable length and duration to match beam dwell periods, allowing for flexible symbol rates and reduced latency, and incorporating a buffer in the last SFU for satellite synchronization.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a fixed length SuperFrame structure is used, then system compatibility and standardization are improved, but latency and time granularity are worsened due to the large fixed duration
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by transforming the fixed-length SuperFrame structure into a variable-length structure. The VLSF can be configured with different numbers of SFUs (1 to 415) and different symbol rates, allowing the frame duration to adapt dynamically to different beam dwell periods and service requirements, thereby reducing latency while maintaining system compatibility through standardized building blocks.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes key parameters of the SuperFrame structure: the length is changed from fixed (612,540 symbols) to variable (1 to 415 SFUs), and the symbol rate is changed from fixed to configurable (5 to 300 Msps). These parameter changes enable the system to adjust frame duration to match different beam dwell periods, reducing latency for low-latency applications while maintaining compatibility with DVB-S2X standards.
2Ease of operation
If a fixed SuperFrame length is used, then synchronization is simplified, but beam hopping flexibility and dwell time granularity are worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the fixed SuperFrame into variable-length VLSFs composed of discrete SFU building blocks. Each VLSF contains an integer number of SFUs (1 to 415), and multiple VLSFs can be concatenated to form a multi-VLSF structure. This segmentation allows the system to achieve fine-grained dwell time control by adjusting the number of SFUs and VLSFs, while synchronization is maintained through standardized SFU boundaries and configurable symbol rates.
3Productivity
If multiple carriers with different symbol rates are used, then capacity and throughput are improved, but alignment with satellite switching time becomes difficult with fixed SuperFrame length
Solution Approach 1:
The patent enables different carriers to operate with different symbol rates (5 to 300 Msps) and different VLSF lengths (1 to 415 SFUs). This allows each carrier to be independently configured to achieve alignment with the satellite beam dwell period, while maintaining high throughput through multi-carrier operation. The variable-length structure provides the flexibility to adjust carrier parameters to match switching times without requiring integral relationships between different carriers' symbol rates.
Data Source
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AI summary
A system and method for Time Division Multiplexing (TDM) a signal for a beam hopping relay including generating the signal by interleaving a first multi-variable length SuperFrames (VLSFs) with a second multi-VLSFs; and transmitting the signal to the beam hopping relay. The first multi-VLSFs and the second multi-VLSFs each include at least one VLSF including at least one SuperFrame unit (SFU), each of the first multi-VLSFs has a duration of a first dwell period, and each of the second multi-VLSFs has a duration of a second dwell period. Each of the at least one first VLSF has a first duration, each of the at least one second VLSF has a second duration, the first dwell period is an integral multiple of the first duration, the second dwell period is an integral multiple of the second duration, and the first duration is different than the second duration.