Methods and systems are provided for increasing bandwidth efficiency in satellite communications. In some embodiments, a satellite communications method is provided that comprises receiving, at a satellite and from a plurality of user ground terminals, a plurality of source signals, wherein each of the source signals are modulated according to at least one source modulation method, and further receiving, at a satellite and from a plurality of user ground terminals, a plurality of information signals corresponding to the plurality of source signals. The method further includes combining, at the satellite, the plurality of source signals into a combined source signal with an overlapping bandwidth, wherein each of the source signals are further modulated according to at least one predetermined modulation method before they are combined, and transmitting, by a downlink transmission from the satellite to a gateway ground station, the combined source signal.

Methods and systems are provided for increasing bandwidth efficiency in satellite communications. In some embodiments, a satellite communications method is provided that comprises receiving, at a satellite and from a plurality of user ground terminals, a plurality of source signals, wherein each of the source signals are modulated according to at least one source modulation method, and further receiving, at a satellite and from a plurality of user ground terminals, a plurality of information signals corresponding to the plurality of source signals. The method further includes combining, at the satellite, the plurality of source signals into a combined source signal with an overlapping bandwidth, wherein each of the source signals are further modulated according to at least one predetermined modulation method before they are combined, and transmitting, by a downlink transmission from the satellite to a gateway ground station, the combined source signal.

An on-board method for the end-to-end transparent transport of data packets is implemented by a telecommunications system comprising a first, sending station, a second, receiving station, a first, sending satellite, connected directly to the first station, and a second, receiving satellite, connected directly to the second station, the first satellite and second satellite being interconnected via a spaceborne network. The transport method comprises steps allowing an end-to-end transparent adaptive control loop for the adaptive control of the modulation and of the coding of the access links between the first station and the first satellite and between the second station and the second satellite to be implemented.

A satellite system controller for a satellite system can comprise a receiving module, an interval selector, an epoch selector, and a scheduler. The receiving module can receive, from a transmission originator device, a set interval request message requesting the satellite system controller set a transmission interval and an epoch time for a satellite receiver, the transmission interval being an amount of time the satellite receiver is to remain in a sleep mode between expected transmissions and the epoch time being an instant at which the satellite receiver is to expect a satellite transmission. The interval selector can determine, based on the transmission interval, a sleep mode cycle for the satellite receiver. The epoch selector can select the epoch time according to the sleep mode cycle and the scheduler can schedule the satellite transmission with the satellite system at approximately the epoch time and according to the sleep mode cycle.

A satellite system controller for a satellite system can comprise a receiving module, an interval selector, an epoch selector, and a scheduler. The receiving module can receive, from a transmission originator device, a set interval request message requesting the satellite system controller set a transmission interval and an epoch time for a satellite receiver, the transmission interval being an amount of time the satellite receiver is to remain in a sleep mode between expected transmissions and the epoch time being an instant at which the satellite receiver is to expect a satellite transmission. The interval selector can determine, based on the transmission interval, a sleep mode cycle for the satellite receiver. The epoch selector can select the epoch time according to the sleep mode cycle and the scheduler can schedule the satellite transmission with the satellite system at approximately the epoch time and according to the sleep mode cycle.

Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for channel bonding in an adaptive coding and modulation mode. In some implementations, a system receives packets of a data stream for transmission in a satellite communications system. The system determines a modulation and coding arrangement for the received packets. The system generates code blocks that include data from the packets of the data stream. The system assigns the generated code blocks for transmission on different carriers. One or more of the different carriers is operated in an adaptive coding and modulation mode to support multiple modulation and coding arrangements within a single carrier. The system transmits the code blocks on the different carriers using the determined one or more modulation and coding arrangements.

Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for channel bonding in an adaptive coding and modulation mode. In some implementations, a system receives packets of a data stream for transmission in a satellite communications system. The system determines a modulation and coding arrangement for the received packets. The system generates code blocks that include data from the packets of the data stream. The system assigns the generated code blocks for transmission on different carriers. One or more of the different carriers is operated in an adaptive coding and modulation mode to support multiple modulation and coding arrangements within a single carrier. The system transmits the code blocks on the different carriers using the determined one or more modulation and coding arrangements.

Disclosed is a star network/mesh network accessing method and apparatus of a terminal in a satellite communication system, the method including receiving time slot resources from a central station and operating in a time division multiple access (TDMA) start network communication mode between the central station and a terminal, transferring, to the central station, a TDMA mesh network connection request message for a destination terminal, receiving traffic burst time plan (TBTP) information corresponding to the TDMA mesh network connection request message from the central station and operating in a TDMA mesh network communication mode between terminals, and switching from the TDMA mesh network communication mode between the terminals to a single channel per carrier (SCPC) mesh network communication mode between the terminals when Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) traffic is greater than a threshold.

Disclosed is a star network/mesh network accessing method and apparatus of a terminal in a satellite communication system, the method including receiving time slot resources from a central station and operating in a time division multiple access (TDMA) start network communication mode between the central station and a terminal, transferring, to the central station, a TDMA mesh network connection request message for a destination terminal, receiving traffic burst time plan (TBTP) information corresponding to the TDMA mesh network connection request message from the central station and operating in a TDMA mesh network communication mode between terminals, and switching from the TDMA mesh network communication mode between the terminals to a single channel per carrier (SCPC) mesh network communication mode between the terminals when Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) traffic is greater than a threshold.

A system (1000) is disclosed including a resource allocation optimization (RAO) platform (1002) for optimizing the allocation of resources in network (1004) for delivery of assets to user equipment devices (UEDs) (1012). The RAO platform (1002) determines probabilities that certain asset delivery opportunities (ADOs) will occur within a selected time window and uses these probabilities together with information concerning values of asset delivery to determine an optimal use of asset deliveries. In this regard, the RAO platform (1004) received historical data from repository (1014) that facilitates calculation of probabilities that ADOs will occur. Such information may be compiled based on asset delivery records for similar network environments in the recent past or over time.