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Satellite system having increased communications capacity and methods for increasing the capacity of satellite systems

  • US 10,243,648 B2
  • Filed: 10/28/2016
  • Issued: 03/26/2019
  • Est. Priority Date: 10/28/2015
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. A method for increasing the bandwidth of a satellite system, the satellite system comprising a plurality of satellites, wherein the plurality of satellites are arranged in multiple planes, with a nominal number of satellites in each plane, wherein the method comprises:

  • establishing, between a minimal-set satellite network portal (SNP) having a first coverage area and a first one of at least two gateway antennas disposed on at least one satellite of the plurality thereof, a first communications link having a first bandwidth; and

    establishing, between an interstitial SNP having a second coverage area and a second one of the at least two gateway antennas disposed on the one satellite of the plurality thereof, a second communications link having a second bandwidth, wherein the second coverage area overlaps at least a portion of the first coverage area;

    channelizing, into a first group of channels each of which channels is associated with a different range of frequencies than the other channels in the first group, a first gateway beam received by the one satellite over the first communications link;

    channelizing, into a second group of channels each of which channels is associated with a different range of frequencies than the other channels in the first group, a second gateway beam received by the one satellite over the second communications link, wherein;

    (a) the first and second groups have the same number of channels,(b) for each channel having a particular range of frequencies in the first group, there is a channel in the second group having the same range of freauencies; and

    summing channels from the first group and the second group that have the same range of frequencies.

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