Flexible bandwidth assignment to spot beams

• US 10,136,438 B2
• Filed: 05/02/2016
• Issued: 11/20/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 01/22/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Maxar Space LLC (Galileo Parent, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Space Systems/Loral Incorporated (Loral Space and Communications Incorporated)
• Inventors: Chan, Hampton
• Primary Examiner(s): Ng, Christine
• Application Number:
  US15/144,487
• Publication Number:
  US 20170215176A1
• Time in Patent Office: 932 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/185 Space-based or airborne stations; Stations for satellite systemsH04B7/204 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18508 with satellite system used as relay, i.e. aeronautical mobile satellite service
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18513 Transmission in a satellite or space-based system
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18541 for handover of resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/2041 Spot beam multiple access
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/046 the resource being in the space domain, e.g. beams
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/21 in the uplink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards the network

Abstract

A wireless communication platform utilizes flexible bandwidth assignment to re-allocate bandwidth between spot beams. The platform may assign a first combination of frequency and polarization (FP) to a first spot beam and a second combination of frequency and polarization to a second spot beam that is adjacent and at least partially overlapping the first spot beam. The platform may assign to the first spot beam a reserved combination of frequency and polarization during a first time period, and at second time, assign the reserved combination to the second spot beam. The platform may also assign the reserved combination simultaneously to adjacent spot beams by managing user of the reserved combination by geographically isolated terminals in the spot beams. The platform may further assign different portions of the reserved combination to adjacent spot beams without geographical limitations.

Claims

1. A method of operating a satellite system, comprising:

providing by a satellite a first spot beam;

providing by the satellite a second spot beam, the second spot beam is adjacent to and at least partially overlaps the first spot beam;

generating the first spot beam to concurrently include a first combination of frequency and polarization and a reserved combination of frequency and polarization during a first time period;

generating the second spot beam to include a second combination of frequency and polarization during the first time period;

generating the first spot beam to include the first combination during a second time period; and

generating the second spot beam to concurrently include the second combination and the reserved combination during the second time period, wherein the first combination, the second combination and the reserved combination are distinct.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

assigning the reserved combination to a first user terminal in the first spot beam during the first time period; and

assigning the reserved combination to a second user terminal in the second spot beam during the second time period.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

filtering an input signal to generate a first filtered signal including the first combination, a second filtered signal including the second combination, and a third filtered signal including the reserved combination;

combining the first filtered signal with the third filtered signal during the first time period to generate a first output signal for the first spot beam; and

combining the second filtered signal with the third filtered signal during the second time period to generate a second output signal for the second spot beam.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

providing the first filtered signal to a first multiplexer, the first multiplexer providing the first output signal for the first spot beam;

providing the second filtered signal to a second multiplexer, the second multiplexer providing the second output signal for the second spot beam;

providing the third filtered signal to a switch;

placing the switch in a first position to provide the third filtered signal to the first multiplexer during the first time period; and

placing the switch in a second position to provide the third filtered signal to the second multiplexer during the second time period.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein:

generating the second spot beam during the first time period comprises generating the second spot beam to include the second combination exclusive of the reserved combination; and

generating the first spot beam during the second time period comprises generating the first spot beam

to include the first combination exclusive of the reserved combination.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein:

generating the second spot beam during the first time period comprises generating the second spot beam to include the reserved combination; and

generating the first spot beam during the second time period comprises generating the first spot beam to include the reserved combination.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

assigning a first channel from the reserved combination to a first user terminal in the first spot beam during the first time period; and

assigning the first channel from the reserved combination to a second user terminal in the second spot beam during the first time period, wherein the first user terminal is geographically isolated from the second user terminal.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the spot beam is a user beam.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the spot beam is a gateway beam.

10. A satellite, comprising:

at least one circuit configured to provide a first spot beam and a second spot beam during a first time period and a second time period, the second spot beam is adjacent to and at least partially overlaps the first spot beam;

wherein the at least one circuit is configured to generate the first spot beam to concurrently include a first combination of frequency and polarization and a reserved combination of frequency and polarization during the first time period and is configured to generate the first spot beam to include the first combination during the second time period; and

wherein the at least one circuit is configured to generate the second spot beam to include a second combination of frequency and polarization during the first time period and is configured to generate the second spot beam to concurrently include the second combination and the reserved combination during the second time period, wherein the first combination, the second combination and the reserved combination are distinct.

11. The satellite of claim 10, wherein the at least one circuit includes:

a first filter circuit configured to receive a downconverted signal and provide a first filtered signal including the first combination of frequency and polarization for the first spot beam;

a second filter circuit configured to receive the downconverted signal and provide a second filtered signal including the second combination of frequency and polarization for the second spot beam; and

a third filter circuit configured to receive the downconverted signal and provide a third filtered signal including the reserved combination of frequency and polarization.

12. The satellite of claim 11, wherein the at least one circuit includes:

a switch having an input that receives the third filtered signal, a first output that provides the third filtered signal when the switch is in a first position, and a second output that provides the third filtered signal when the switch is in a second position;

a first multiplexer having a first input that receives the first filtered signal and a second input that receives the first output of the switch, the first multiplexer has an output that combines the first input and the second input to generate the first spot beam; and

a second multiplexer having a first input that receives the second filtered signal and a second input that receives the second output of the switch, the second multiplexer has an output that combines the first input and the second input to generate the second spot beam;

wherein the second spot beam includes the second combination exclusive of the reserved combination during the first time period; and

wherein the first spot beam includes the first combination exclusive of the reserved combination during the second time period.

13. The satellite of claim 10, wherein the at least one circuit includes:

a first filter circuit configured to generate the first spot beam, the first filter circuit passes the first combination of frequency and polarization and the reserved combination of frequency and polarization, the first spot beam is associated with a first coverage area;

a second filter circuit configured to generate the second spot beam, the second filter circuit passes the second combination of frequency and polarization and the reserved combination of frequency and polarization, the second spot beam is associated with a second coverage area that is adjacent to and at least partially overlaps the first coverage area;

at least one antenna configured to transmit during the first time period the first spot beam including the first combination and the reserved combination; and

wherein the at least one antenna is configured to transmit during the first time period the second spot beam including the second combination and the reserved combination.

14. The satellite of claim 10, wherein:

the first combination is a first downlink combination of frequency and polarization, the second combination is a second downlink combination of frequency and polarization, and the reserved combination is a reserved downlink combination of frequency and polarization;

the at least one circuit further comprises a first receiver configured to receive at least one feeder uplink signal including a first uplink combination of frequency and polarization, a second uplink combination of frequency and polarization, and a reserved uplink combination of frequency and polarization;

a first filter circuit is configured to generate the first spot beam based on downconverting the first uplink combination and the reserved uplink combination;

a second filter circuit is configured to generate the second spot beam based on downconverting the second uplink combination and the reserved uplink combination;

the second spot beam includes the second combination and the reserved combination during the first time period; and

the first spot beam includes the first combination and the reserved combination during the second time period.