Convolutional Neural Networks for Flexible Payload Management in VHTS Systems

in IEEE Systems Journal (2021), 15(3), 4675-4686

Very high throughput satellite (VHTS) systems are expected to have a large increase in traffic demand in the near future. However, this increase will not be uniform throughout the service area due to the ... [more ▼]

Very high throughput satellite (VHTS) systems are expected to have a large increase in traffic demand in the near future. However, this increase will not be uniform throughout the service area due to the nonuniform user distribution, and the changing traffic demand during the day. This problem is addressed using flexible payload architectures, enabling the allocation of the payload resources in a flexible manner to meet traffic demand of each beam, leading to dynamic resource management (DRM) approaches. However, DRM adds significant complexity to the VHTS systems, which is why in this article, we are analyzing the use of convolutional neural networks (CNNs) to manage the resources available in flexible payload architectures for DRM. The VHTS system model is first outlined, for introducing the DRM problem statement and the CNN-based solution. A comparison between different payload architectures is performed in terms of DRM response, and the CNN algorithm performance is compared by three other algorithms, previously suggested in the literature to demonstrate the effectiveness of the suggested approach and to examine all the challenges involved. [less ▲]

Cognitive approaches to enhance spectrum availability for satellite systems

in International Journal of Satellite Communications and Networking (2016)

Cognitive radio technologies have achieved in the recent years an increasing interest for the possible gain in terms of spectrum usage with respect to unshared approaches. While most of the attention has ... [more ▼]

Cognitive radio technologies have achieved in the recent years an increasing interest for the possible gain in terms of spectrum usage with respect to unshared approaches. While most of the attention has been devoted to the cognitive coexistence between terrestrial systems, the coexistence between terrestrial and satellite communications is also seen as a viable option. Cognitive radio for satellite communications (CoRaSat) has been a European Commission seventh Framework Program project funded under the ICT Call 8. CoRaSat aimed at investigating, developing, and demonstrating cognitive radio techniques in satellite communication systems for flexible and dynamic spectrum access. In this paper, the CoRaSat cognitive approaches and techniques, investigated, developed, and demonstrated as most relevant to satellite communications, are described. In particular, the focus is on spectrum awareness, that is, database and spectrum sensing approaches, and on spectrum exploitation algorithms, that is, resource allocation and beamforming algorithms, to enable the use of spectrum for satellite communications using shared bands. [less ▲]

Cognitive Spectrum Utilization in Ka Band Multibeam Satellite Communications

in IEEE Communications Magazine (2015), 53(3), 24-29

Multibeam satellite networks in Ka band have been designed to accommodate the increasing traffic demands of the coming years. However, these systems are spectrum limited due to the current spectrum ... [more ▼]

Multibeam satellite networks in Ka band have been designed to accommodate the increasing traffic demands of the coming years. However, these systems are spectrum limited due to the current spectrum allocation policies. This paper investigates the potentials of applying cognitive radio techniques in satellite communications in order to increase the spectrum opportunities for future generation of satellite networks without interfering operation of incumbent services. These extra spectrum opportunities can potentially amount to 2.4 GHz of bandwidth in downlink, and to 2 GHz of bandwidth in uplink for high density fixed satellite services (HDFSS). [less ▲]

Cognitive Radio for Ka Band Satellite Communications

in 32nd AIAA International Communications Satellite Systems Conference, August 2014 (2014, August)

The satellite communication data traffic is increasing dramatically over the coming years. High throughput multibeam satellite networks in Ka band are potentially able to accommodate the upcoming high ... [more ▼]

The satellite communication data traffic is increasing dramatically over the coming years. High throughput multibeam satellite networks in Ka band are potentially able to accommodate the upcoming high data rate demands. However, there is only 500 MHz of exclusive band for download and the same amount for upload. This spectrum shortage impose a barrier in order to satisfy the increasing demands. Cognitive satellite communication in Ka band is considered in this paper in order to potentially provide an additional 4.4 GHz bandwidth for downlink and uplink fixed-satellite-services. In this way, it is expected that the problem of spectrum scarcity for future generation of satellite networks is alleviated to a great extent. The underlying scenarios and enabling techniques are discussed in detail, and finally we investigate the implementation issues related to the considered techniques. [less ▲]

Technical Challenges for Cognitive Radio Application in Satellite Communications

in 9th International Conference on Cognitive Radio Oriented Wireless Networks and Communications (CROWNCOM), 2014 (2014, June)

During the last years, spectrum scarcity has become one of the major issues for the development of new communication systems. Cognitive Radio (CR) approaches have gained an ever increasing attention from ... [more ▼]

During the last years, spectrum scarcity has become one of the major issues for the development of new communication systems. Cognitive Radio (CR) approaches have gained an ever increasing attention from system designers and operators, as they promise a more efficient utilization of the available spectral resources. In this context, while the application of CRs in terrestrial scenarios has been widely considered from both theoretical and practical viewpoints, their exploitation in satellite communications is still a rather unexplored area. In this paper, we address the definition of several satellite communications scenarios, where cognitive radio techniques promise to introduce significant benefits, and we discuss the major enablers and the associated challenges [less ▲]