Satellite system using an RF GBBF feeder uplink beam from a gateway to a satellite, and using an optical ISL from the satellite to another satellite
First Claim
1. A subsystem of a satellite, the subsystem comprising:
- one or more antennas configured to receive a radio frequency (RF) feeder uplink beam that is transmitted from a ground based gateway subsystem;
a polarizer configured to separate the RF feeder uplink beam into first and second RF signals that are orthogonal to one another;
first and second amplifiers configured to respectively amplify the first and second RF signals that are orthogonal to one another to thereby produce first and second amplified RF signals that are orthogonal to one another;
first and second demultiplexers configured demultiplex and thereby separate, respectively, each of the first and second amplified RF signals that are orthogonal to one another into a plurality of demultiplexed RF signals;
a plurality of lasers, each of the lasers operable to emit an optical signal having a different peak wavelength within a specified optical wavelength range;
a plurality of electro-optical modulators (EOMs), each EOM of the plurality of EOMs configured to accept an optical carrier signal from a respective one of the plurality of lasers, accept a different one of a subset of the plurality of demultiplexed RF signals, which is optionally frequency up-converted and filtered prior to being accepted by the EOM, and output a respective optical signal in dependence on the optical carrier signal and the demultiplexed RF signal accepted by the EOM;
a wavelength-division multiplexing (WDM) multiplexer configured to accept the optical signals output by the plurality of EOMs, and combine the plurality of optical signals into a wavelength division multiplexed optical signal;
an optical amplifier configured to amplify the wavelength division multiplexed optical signal to thereby produce an optically amplified wavelength division multiplexed optical signal; and
transmitter optics configured to accept the optically amplified wavelength division multiplexed optical signal and transmit an optical inter-satellite-link (ISL) beam to another satellite in dependence thereon.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A system described herein includes a ground based gateway subsystem configured to transmit an RF feeder uplink beam to a satellite, and a space based subsystem of the satellite configured to receive the RF feeder uplink beam and produce in dependence thereon an optical ISL beam that is transmitted to another satellite. The ground based gateway subsystem can include a ground based beamformer used to produce the RF feeder uplink beam. The optical ISL beam, produced by the space based subsystem and transmitted to the other satellite, can comprise a wavelength division multiplexed optical signal having RF frequencies within a same specified RF frequency range within which the other satellite is configured to transmit a plurality of RF service downlink beams, thereby eliminating any need for the other satellite to perform any frequency conversions when producing the plurality of RF service downlink beams in dependence on the optical ISL beam.
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Citations
25 Claims
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1. A subsystem of a satellite, the subsystem comprising:
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one or more antennas configured to receive a radio frequency (RF) feeder uplink beam that is transmitted from a ground based gateway subsystem; a polarizer configured to separate the RF feeder uplink beam into first and second RF signals that are orthogonal to one another; first and second amplifiers configured to respectively amplify the first and second RF signals that are orthogonal to one another to thereby produce first and second amplified RF signals that are orthogonal to one another; first and second demultiplexers configured demultiplex and thereby separate, respectively, each of the first and second amplified RF signals that are orthogonal to one another into a plurality of demultiplexed RF signals; a plurality of lasers, each of the lasers operable to emit an optical signal having a different peak wavelength within a specified optical wavelength range; a plurality of electro-optical modulators (EOMs), each EOM of the plurality of EOMs configured to accept an optical carrier signal from a respective one of the plurality of lasers, accept a different one of a subset of the plurality of demultiplexed RF signals, which is optionally frequency up-converted and filtered prior to being accepted by the EOM, and output a respective optical signal in dependence on the optical carrier signal and the demultiplexed RF signal accepted by the EOM; a wavelength-division multiplexing (WDM) multiplexer configured to accept the optical signals output by the plurality of EOMs, and combine the plurality of optical signals into a wavelength division multiplexed optical signal; an optical amplifier configured to amplify the wavelength division multiplexed optical signal to thereby produce an optically amplified wavelength division multiplexed optical signal; and transmitter optics configured to accept the optically amplified wavelength division multiplexed optical signal and transmit an optical inter-satellite-link (ISL) beam to another satellite in dependence thereon. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A method for use by a subsystem of a satellite, the method comprising:
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receiving a radio frequency (RF) feeder uplink beam that is transmitted from a ground based gateway sub system; separating the RF feeder uplink beam into first and second RF signals that are orthogonal to one another; amplifying the first and second RF signals that are orthogonal to one another to thereby produce first and second amplified RF signals that are orthogonal to one another; demultiplexing and thereby separating each of the first and second amplified RF signals that are orthogonal to one another to collectively produce a plurality of demultiplexed RF signals; emitting a plurality of optical carrier signals each having a different peak wavelength within a specified optical wavelength range; at each of a plurality of electro-optical modulators (EOMs), accepting a different one of the plurality of optical carrier signals, accepting a different one of a subset of the plurality of demultiplexed RF signals, which is optionally frequency up-converted and filtered prior to being accepted by the EOM, and outputting a respective optical signal in dependence on the optical carrier signal and the demultiplexed RF signal accepted by the EOM; multiplexing the optical signals output by the plurality of EOMs to thereby combine the plurality of optical signals into a wavelength division multiplexed optical signal; amplifying the wavelength division multiplexed optical signal to thereby produce an optically amplified wavelength division multiplexed optical signal; and providing the optically amplified wavelength division multiplexed optical signal to transmitter optics to thereby produce and transmit an optical inter-satellite-link (ISL) beam to another satellite. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A system comprising:
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a ground based gateway subsystem configured to transmit a radio frequency (RF) feeder uplink beam to a satellite; and a subsystem of the satellite, the subsystem configured to receive the RF feeder uplink beam that is transmitted by the ground based gateway sub system, separate the RF feeder uplink beam into first and second RF signals that are orthogonal to one another, amplify the first and second RF signals that are orthogonal to one another to thereby produce first and second amplified RF signals that are orthogonal to one another, and demultiplex each of the first and second amplified RF signals that are orthogonal to one another to thereby collectively produce a plurality of demultiplexed RF signals; the subsystem also configured to produce and transmit, in dependence on a first subset of the demultiplexed RF signals, an optical inter-satellite-link (ISL) beam that is transmitted to another satellite; and the subsystem also configured to produce and transmit, in dependence on a second subset of the demultiplexed RF signals, one or more RF service downlink beams that is/are transmitted to one or more service terminals. - View Dependent Claims (22, 24)
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23. A system comprising:
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a ground based gateway subsystem configured to transmit a radio frequency (RF) feeder uplink beam to a satellite; and a subsystem of the satellite, the subsystem configured to receive the RF feeder uplink beam that is transmitted by the ground based gateway subsystem; the subsystem also configured to produce, in dependence on the RF feeder uplink beam, an optical inter-satellite-link (ISL) beam that is transmitted to another satellite; wherein the optical ISL beam, which is produced by the subsystem and transmitted to the other satellite, comprises a wavelength division multiplexed optical signal having RF frequencies within a same specified RF frequency range within which the other satellite is configured to transmit a plurality of RF service downlink beams, thereby eliminating any need for the other satellite to perform any frequency conversions when producing the plurality of RF service downlink beams in dependence on the optical ISL beam.
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25. A subsystem for a satellite, the subsystem comprising:
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one or more antennas configured to receive a radio frequency (RF) feeder uplink beam that is transmitted from a ground based gateway subsystem; and forward link equipment configured to produce, in dependence on the RF feeder uplink beam, an optical inter-satellite-link (ISL) beam that is transmitted to another satellite; wherein the optical ISL beam, which is produced by the forward link equipment of the subsystem and transmitted to the other satellite, comprises a wavelength division multiplexed optical signal having RF frequencies within a same specified RF frequency range within which the other satellite is configured to transmit a plurality of RF service downlink beams, thereby eliminating any need for the other satellite to perform any frequency conversions when producing the plurality of RF service downlink beams in dependence on the optical ISL beam.
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Specification