Satellite communication ranging

• US 10,200,885 B2
• Filed: 05/12/2016
• Issued: 02/05/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 05/12/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hughes Network Systems LLC (Echostar Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Hughes Network Systems LLC (Echostar Corporation)
• Inventors: Vasavada, Yash M., Antia, Yezdi
• Primary Examiner(s): Chriss, Andrew W
• Assistant Examiner(s): Fayed, Rasha
• Application Number:
  US15/152,602
• Publication Number:
  US 20170332252A1
• Time in Patent Office: 999 Days
• Field of Search: 370328, 370316, 370311, 370326, 455 98, 455 121, 455427, 455 631, 455296, 455430, 4554561, 455522, 455 14, 455 134
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/185 Space-based or airborne stations; Stations for satellite systemsH04B7/204 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/02 Arrangements for optimising operational condition

Abstract

A telecommunications system includes a plurality of ranging terminals programmed to communicate with a plurality of satellites over a plurality of frequencies. A processor, having a memory, is programmed to receive ranging data from each of the plurality of ranging terminals, determine a plurality of power levels for each of the plurality of terminals, and transmit the plurality of power levels to each of the plurality of ranging terminals. Each power level is associated with one of the plurality of frequencies. The plurality of ranging terminals is programmed to transmit signals to the plurality of satellites over the plurality of frequencies in accordance with the power levels determined by the processor.

Claims

1. A telecommunications system comprising:

a first ranging terminal and a second ranging terminal, each programmed to communicate with a plurality of satellites over a plurality of frequencies, wherein the first ranging terminal is programmed to perform a ranging process at a first frequency and wherein the second ranging terminal is programmed to perform a ranging process at a second frequency; and

a processor having a memory and programmed to receive ranging data from each of the ranging terminals, determine a first power level for the first ranging terminal operating at the second frequency based on the ranging process performed by the second ranging terminal and determine a second power level for the second ranging terminal operating at the first frequency based on the ranging process performed by the first ranging terminal, and transmit the first power level to the first ranging terminal and the second power level to the second ranging terminal,

wherein the first ranging terminal is programmed to transmit signals to the plurality of satellites in accordance with the first power level when the first ranging terminal is operating at the second frequency and wherein the second ranging terminal is programmed to transmit signals to the plurality of satellites in accordance with the second power level when the second ranging terminal is operating at the first frequency.

2. The telecommunication system of claim 1, wherein the ranging data received from each of the ranging terminals is affected by an interference floor value associated with one of the plurality of frequencies.

3. The telecommunication system of claim 2, wherein the ranging data received from each of the ranging terminals is affected by a terminal offset value associated with one of the ranging terminals.

4. The telecommunication system of claim 3, wherein the processor is programmed to aggregate the interference floor values and terminal offset values received from each of the ranging terminals.

5. The telecommunication system of claim 4, wherein the processor is programmed to determine, using the measured range data, the aggregated interference floor values and aggregated terminal offset values.

6. The telecommunication system of claim 5, wherein the processor is programmed to determine the power levels from the measured range data.

7. The telecommunication system of claim 3, wherein the ranging data received from each of the ranging terminals includes a noise value.

8. The telecommunication system of claim 7, wherein the processor is programmed to determine, using the measured range data, the aggregated interference floor values, aggregated terminal offset values, and aggregated noise values.