Demand-Aware Distributed Link Allocation in a Multilayer Heterogeneous Satellite Network: A Game Theory Approach

Satellite networks play important roles in fields such as communication, meteorology, and the Internet of Things. However, in highly dynamic multilayer heterogeneous satellite networks, the diverse satellite transmission demands pose challenges for network management. In large-scale satellite networks, conventional centralized network management methods have various adverse effects, such as high latency, high communication overhead, and high computational complexity. In this article, to overcome these challenges, we propose a distributed scheme for allocating intersatellite links between satellites at different orbital heights considering their different transmission demands. Specifically, we model the distributed link allocation framework as a Stackelberg game. Low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites, as leaders, apply for access to medium Earth orbit (MEO) satellites using a proposed link selection algorithm based on a stochastic best response strategy. The MEO satellites, as followers, allocate link resources using a proposed heuristic-based time slot resource allocation algorithm in accordance with the accessing applications. Simulation results show that the proposed algorithm outperforms benchmark algorithms in terms of the degree of matching between the transmission capacity and transmission requirements.