Satellite terminal system with wireless link

• US 10,270,523 B2
• Filed: 08/08/2017
• Issued: 04/23/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/21/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Blue DIGS LLC
• Original Assignee: Blue DIGS LLC
• Inventors: Garcia, Reed, Chang, Valerie, Gordon, James
• Primary Examiner(s): Rachedine, Mohammed
• Application Number:
  US15/672,180
• Publication Number:
  US 20180375572A1
• Time in Patent Office: 623 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/20 using microwaves or radio frequency waves
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18517 Transmission equipment in earth stations
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18584 Arrangements for data networking, i.e. for data packet routing, for congestion control data switching networks H04L12/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/19 Earth-synchronous stations

Abstract

A satellite system may have a constellation of communications satellites. Satellite terminal equipment may be used to communicate with the satellite constellation. The satellite terminal equipment may have indoor and outdoor equipment that can communicate wirelessly. Power may be conveyed wirelessly between the indoor equipment and the outdoor equipment. The indoor equipment may include communications circuitry for supporting communications with electronic devices. The outdoor equipment may include satellite communications circuitry. The satellite communications circuitry may include antennas, satellite transceiver circuitry, and modems. Wireless communications between the indoor and outdoor equipment may be supported using radio-frequency wireless communications circuits or optical communications circuits.

Claims

1. A satellite terminal configured to communicate wirelessly with a satellite constellation, comprising:

outdoor equipment including;

satellite communications circuitry configured to receive signals from at least one satellite; and

wireless power receiving circuitry configured to wirelessly receive power for the satellite communications circuitry; and

indoor equipment, separated from the outdoor equipment by an intervening barrier, including;

wireless power transmitting circuitry that is configured to wirelessly transmit power through the intervening barrier to the wireless power receiving circuitry.

2. The satellite terminal defined in claim 1 wherein the indoor equipment includes a first wireless communications circuit and the outdoor equipment includes a second wireless communications circuit configured to wirelessly transmit communications signals corresponding to the received signals to the first wireless communications circuit.

3. The satellite terminal defined in claim 2 wherein the first and second wireless communications circuits are configured to communicate at a data rate of between 100 Mbps and 10 Gbps.

4. The satellite terminal defined in claim 3 wherein the first wireless communications circuit includes a first radio-frequency transmitter, a first radio-frequency receiver, and a first antenna communicatively coupled to the first radio-frequency transmitter and the first radio-frequency receiver and wherein the second communications circuit includes a second radio-frequency transmitter, a second radio-frequency receiver, and a second antenna communicatively coupled to the second radio-frequency transmitter and the second radio-frequency receiver.

5. The satellite terminal defined in claim 3 wherein the first wireless communications circuit includes a first light source and a first light detector and wherein the second wireless communications circuit includes a second light source and a second light detector.

6. The satellite terminal defined in claim 5 further comprising at least one optical fiber through which light emitted from the first light source passes to reach the second light detector.

7. The satellite terminal defined in claim 6 wherein the first light source is configured to operate at multiple wavelengths and wherein the second light detector is configured to detect light emitted by the first light source after passing through a glass window pane.

8. The satellite terminal defined in claim 2 wherein the outdoor equipment includes first and second outdoor units, wherein the satellite communications circuitry is housed in the first outdoor unit and wherein the wireless power receiving circuitry and the second wireless communications circuit are housed in the second outdoor unit.

9. The satellite terminal defined in claim 8 wherein the indoor equipment includes first and second indoor units.

10. The satellite terminal defined in claim 9 wherein the first indoor unit includes the wireless power transmitting circuitry.

11. The satellite terminal defined in claim 10 wherein the first indoor unit includes the first wireless communication circuit.

12. The satellite terminal defined in claim 11 further comprising a first cable coupling the first and second indoor units and a second cable coupling the first and second outdoor units.

13. The satellite terminal defined in claim 12 wherein the second indoor unit comprises wireless communications circuitry configured to form a wireless local area network access point.

14. The satellite terminal defined in claim 13 wherein the second indoor unit includes a power converter configured to provide power to the wireless power transmitter over the first cable.

15. The satellite terminal defined in claim 1, wherein the indoor equipment comprises a first housing in which the wireless power transmitting circuitry is mounted, and wherein the indoor equipment comprises mounting structures configured to mount the first housing to the intervening barrier.

16. The satellite terminal defined in claim 15, wherein the outdoor equipment comprises a second housing in which the wireless power receiving circuitry is mounted, and wherein the outdoor equipment comprises additional mounting structures configured to mount the second housing to the intervening barrier.

17. The satellite terminal defined in claim 16, wherein the outdoor equipment comprises a third housing that is separate from the second housing and a cable that is external to the second and third housings, wherein the satellite communications circuitry is mounted in the third housing, and wherein the satellite communications circuitry is configured to convey the signals received from the at least one satellite to wireless communications circuitry in the second housing over the cable.

18. The satellite terminal defined in claim 16, wherein the additional mounting structures comprise a mounting structure selected from the group consisting of:

adhesive, a screw, a fastener, a mounting bracket, a suction cup, a clip, and a magnet.

19. Apparatus, comprising:

satellite communications circuitry;

first and second wireless communications circuits, wherein the first wireless communications circuit is configured to wirelessly transmit information received from the satellite communications circuitry to the second wireless communications circuit;

wireless power transmitting circuitry configured to transmit wireless power signals, wherein the second wireless communications circuit and the wireless power transmitting circuitry are mounted within a first housing;

wireless power receiving circuitry configured to receive the wireless power signals and provide corresponding power to the satellite communications circuitry;

a power converter mounted within a second housing separate from the first housing; and

a cable external to the first and second housings, wherein the power converter is configured to provide power to the wireless power transmitting circuitry over the cable.

20. The apparatus defined in claim 19 wherein the wireless power transmitting circuitry includes a first coil and a wireless power transmitter configured to transmit the wireless power signals with the first coil and wherein the wireless power receiving circuitry includes a second coil and wireless power receiver configured to receive the wireless power signals with the second coil.

21. The apparatus defined in claim 20 further comprising:

a first communications circuit mounted within the first housing, wherein the second wireless communications circuitry is configured to provide the information received from the satellite communications circuitry to the first communications circuit;

a second communications circuit mounted within the second housing, wherein the first communications circuit is configured to convey the information received from the satellite communications circuitry to the second communications circuit digitally over the cable;

an additional cable, wherein the wireless power receiving circuitry is configured to provide power to the satellite communications circuitry over the additional cable; and

third and fourth communications circuits that communicate digitally over the additional cable.

22. Satellite terminal equipment, comprising:

outdoor equipment including a first outdoor unit with a first housing, a second outdoor unit with a second housing separate from the first housing, and a cable external to the first and second housings that couples the first outdoor unit to the second outdoor unit;

satellite communications circuitry in the first outdoor unit that is configured to transmit information to a first wireless communications circuit in the second outdoor unit over the cable; and

indoor equipment having a second wireless communications circuit that is configured to wirelessly receive signals from the first wireless communications circuit.

23. The satellite terminal equipment defined in claim 22 wherein the indoor equipment comprises third wireless communications circuitry configured to form a wireless local area network access point and wherein the third wireless communications circuitry is configured to receive information from the second wireless communications circuit over an additional cable.

24. The satellite terminal equipment defined in claim 23 further comprising:

wireless power transmitting circuitry in the indoor equipment; and

wireless power receiving circuitry in the second outdoor unit that is configured to receive wireless power from the indoor equipment.