Dynamically reconfiguring satellite pools of bandwidth based on real-time and predetermined factors

摘要

A process for managing satellite bandwidth available to a moving vessel includes configuring a satellite to associate the vessel with a group of multiple vessels; configuring the satellite to guarantee a committed information rate (CIR) bandwidth to the vessel and to associate a maximum information rate (MIR) with the vessel, and to combine the CIR of the vessel into a CIR bandwidth pool for the group of vessels, and to combine the MIR of the vessel into a MIR bandwidth pool for the group of vessels, and to provide the vessel with a priority burst rate up to the combined CIR bandwidth of the group of vessels, and to provide the vessel with a burst rate up to the combined MIR bandwidth of the group of vessels, conditional on availability of bandwidth beyond the combined CIR bandwidth of the group of vessels; and re-configuring the satellite to release the guarantee of CIR bandwidth for the vessel upon the vessel gaining access to a terrestrial network connection of higher speed than the satellite connection.

主权项

1. A process for managing satellite bandwidth available to a moveable vessel utilizing a satellite communication channel, the process comprising:
configuring a satellite providing the satellite communication channel to associate the vessel with a group of multiple vessels; configuring the satellite to guarantee a committed information rate bandwidth to the vessel (vessel CIR bandwidth); configuring the satellite to associate a maximum information rate with the vessel (vessel MIR bandwidth); configuring the satellite to combine the vessel CIR bandwidth into a CIR bandwidth pool for a group of vessels comprising the vessel, the CIR bandwidth pool comprising a combined CIR bandwidth; configuring the satellite to combine the vessel MIR bandwidth into a MIR bandwidth pool for the group of vessels, the MIR bandwidth pool comprising a combined MIR bandwidth; configuring the satellite to provide the vessel with a priority burst rate up to the combined CIR bandwidth; configuring the satellite to provide the vessel with a burst rate up to the combined MIR bandwidth, conditional on availability of the satellite bandwidth beyond the combined CIR bandwidth; and re-configuring the satellite to release the guarantee of the vessel CIR bandwidth and configuring a new lower but nonzero guarantee of the vessel CIR bandwidth upon the vessel gaining access to a terrestrial network connection of higher bandwidth than the satellite communication channel.