Same channel repeater for satellite and terrestrial links

• US 10,340,997 B2
• Filed: 05/08/2017
• Issued: 07/02/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 05/06/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ATC Technology Corporation (FedEx Corporation)
• Original Assignee: ATC Technology Corporation (FedEx Corporation)
• Inventors: Dutta, Santanu
• Primary Examiner(s): Pham, Brenda H
• Application Number:
  US15/589,512
• Publication Number:
  US 20170324460A1
• Time in Patent Office: 785 Days
• Field of Search: 3703102, 370328, 370338, 370316, 370319, 370344
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/24 with feedback of measurements to the transmitter
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2201/698 relating to Uplink
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0619 using feedback from receiving side feedback signaling for adaptive modulation/coding H04L1/0001
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/15542 Selecting at relay station its transmit and receive resources selection of wireless resources by user or terminal H04W72/02; arrangements affording multiple use of the transmission path by two-dimensional division of the resources H04L5/0003, or by allocating sub-channels H04L5/003
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/15585 by interference cancellation
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/208 Frequency-division multiple access [FDMA]
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/212 Time-division multiple access [TDMA]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/004 in the uplink, i.e. towards network
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/006 in the downlink, i.e. towards the terminal

Abstract

Systems and methods for same frequency/band repeaters for satellite and terrestrial links. One system includes a satellite antenna, a terrestrial antenna, a satellite transceiver coupled to the satellite antenna, a terrestrial transceiver coupled to the terrestrial antenna, and a controller communicatively coupled to transceivers. The controller is configured to receive a satellite downlink signal having a first frequency. The controller is configured to receive a plurality of terrestrial return link signals from a plurality of user terminals, the plurality of uplink signals having a second frequency. The controller is configured to generate a repeated, terrestrial downlink signal based on the satellite downlink signal. The controller is configured to generate a repeated satellite uplink signal that is a linearly amplified version of the combined terrestrial uplink signals. The controller is configured to transmit the repeated downlink signal at the first frequency. The controller is configured to transmit the combined uplink signal at the second frequency.

Claims

1. A repeater system comprising:

a satellite antenna;

a terrestrial antenna;

a satellite transceiver coupled to the satellite antenna;

a terrestrial transceiver coupled to the terrestrial antenna;

a pilot signal generator; and

a controller communicatively coupled to the pilot signal generator, the satellite transceiver, and the terrestrial transceiver, and configured to

receive a pilot signal from the pilot signal generator;

inject the pilot signal to an input of the terrestrial antenna;

receive, via the satellite antenna, a downlink signal having a first frequency;

receive, via the terrestrial antenna, a plurality of terrestrial return link signals from a plurality of user terminals, the plurality of terrestrial return link signals having a second frequency;

generate a repeated downlink signal based on the downlink signal;

multiplex the plurality of terrestrial return link signals into a combined uplink signal;

transmit, via the terrestrial transceiver, the repeated downlink signal at the first frequency; and

transmit, via the satellite transceiver, the combined uplink signal at the second frequency.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a cancellation signal generator communicatively coupled to the controller, wherein the controller is further configured to

receive, from the cancellation signal generator, a cancellation signal based on the downlink signal and a feedback channel response;

subtract the cancellation signal from the downlink signal to generate a substantially interference-free input signal; and

generate the repeated downlink signal based on the substantially interference-free input signal.

3. The system of claim 2, further comprising:

an amplifier communicatively coupled to the controller, wherein the controller is further configured to

amplify the substantially interference-free input signal to generate the repeated downlink signal.

4. The system of claim 2, further comprising:

a feedback channel response estimator communicatively coupled to the controller, wherein the controller is further configured to

receive, from the feedback channel response estimator, a feedback channel response based on the downlink signal.

5. The system of claim 2, wherein the controller is further configured to

demodulate the substantially interference-free input signal to generate a demodulated substantially interference-free input signal;

and

modulate the demodulated substantially interference-free input signal to generate the repeated downlink signal.

6. A repeater system comprising:

a satellite antenna array;

a terrestrial antenna;

a satellite transceiver coupled to the satellite antenna array;

a terrestrial transceiver coupled to the terrestrial antenna;

an adaptive null steerer; and

a controller communicatively coupled to the satellite transceiver, the terrestrial transceiver, and the adaptive null steerer, and configured to

receive, via satellite antenna array, a first downlink signal having a first frequency and a second downlink signal having the first frequency;

receive, via the terrestrial antenna, a plurality of terrestrial return link signals from a plurality of user terminals, the plurality of terrestrial return link signals having a second frequency;

adaptively steer pattern nulls for the satellite antenna array with the adaptive null steerer to generate a substantially interference-free input signal based on the first and second downlink signals;

generate a repeated downlink signal based on the substantially interference-free input signal;

multiplex the plurality of terrestrial return link signals into a combined uplink signal;

transmit, via the terrestrial transceiver, the repeated downlink signal at the first frequency; and

transmit, via the satellite transceiver, the combined uplink signal at the second frequency.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the controller is further configured to

demodulate the substantially interference-free input signal to generate a demodulated substantially interference-free input signal;

and

modulate the demodulated substantially interference-free input signal to generate the repeated downlink signal.

8. The system of claim 6, further comprising:

an amplifier communicatively coupled to the controller, wherein the controller is further configured to

amplify the substantially interference-free input signal to generate the repeated downlink signal.

9. The system of claim 6, further comprising:

a pilot signal generator communicatively coupled to the controller, wherein the controller is further configured to

receive a pilot signal from the pilot signal generator; and

inject the pilot signal to an input of the terrestrial antenna.

10. A method comprising:

receiving, via a satellite antenna, a downlink signal having a first frequency;

receiving, via a terrestrial antenna, a plurality of terrestrial return link signals from a plurality of user terminals, the plurality of terrestrial return link signals having a second frequency;

receiving, from a cancellation signal generator, a cancellation signal based on the downlink signal and a feedback channel response;

subtracting the cancellation signal from the downlink signal to generate a substantially interference-free input signal;

generating the repeated downlink signal based on the substantially interference-free input signal;

amplifying the substantially interference-free input signal to generate a repeated downlink signal based on the substantially interference-free input signal;

multiplexing the plurality of terrestrial return link signals into a combined uplink signal;

transmitting, via a terrestrial transceiver, the repeated downlink signal at the first frequency; and

transmitting, via a satellite transceiver, the combined uplink signal at the second frequency.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

receiving, from a feedback channel response estimator, the feedback channel response based on the downlink signal.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

demodulating the substantially interference-free input signal to generate a demodulated substantially interference-free input signal; and

modulating the demodulated substantially interference-free input signal to generate the repeated downlink signal.

13. The system of claim 10, further comprising:

receiving a pilot signal from a pilot signal generator; and

injecting the pilot signal to an input of the terrestrial antenna.