Communication system using multiple link terminals

• US 20020081969A1
• Filed: 09/28/2001
• Published: 06/27/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hughes Electronics Corporation (Rtx Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Hughes Electronics Corporation (Rtx Corporation)
• Inventors: Chang, Donald C.D., Lim, Wah L., Chang, Ming U., Beatson, Grant J.
• Granted Patent: US 7,400,857 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/13.1
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/007 specially adapted for indoor communication
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/26 varying the relative phase or relative amplitude of energisation between two or more active radiating elements; varying the distribution of energy across a radiating aperture H01Q3/12, H01Q3/22, H01Q3/24 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0408 using two or more beams, i.e. beam diversity
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18506 Communications with or from aircraft, i.e. aeronautical mobile service
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18508 with satellite system used as relay, i.e. aeronautical mobile satellite service

Abstract

A communication system has a communication infrastructure including at least two devices from the group including a cell tower, a first satellite constellation and a second satellite constellation, a stratospheric platform, that are coupled to user terminals through a plurality of dynamic links. The terminal monitors and changes the multiple and dynamic links as the position of the user terminal relative to the said at least two devices. The gateway terminal transmits and receives to said user terminals through at least two devices from the group.

Claims

1. A communication system comprising:

a communication infrastructure including at least two devices from a group including a cell tower, a first satellite constellation, a second satellite constellation and a stratospheric platform;

a user terminal establishing a plurality of multiple dynamic links corresponding respectively to said user terminal, said user terminal generating multiple communication portions of a communication signal and transmitting the multiple communication portions through said multiple dynamic links through said at least two devices from said group; and

a gateway terminal receiving the communication portions from said at least two devices from said group and reassembling the communication portions into the communication signal.

2. A system as recited in claim 1, wherein said first satellite constellation and said second satellite constellation are selected from a group consisting of a LEO satellite, a MEO satellite, or a GEO satellite.

3. A system as recited in claim 1, wherein said satellite comprises a first satellite from said first constellation and a second satellite from said second constellation.

4. A system as recited in claim 1, wherein said user terminal is mobile.

5. A system as recited in claim 1, wherein said multiple dynamic links have independently varying data rates.

6. A system as recited in claim 1, wherein said user terminal comprises a router for routing uplink communication portions through said links.

8. A system as recited in claim 1, wherein said user terminal comprises a multiple beam antenna capable of simultaneously generating the multiple dynamic links.

9. A system as recited in claim 1, wherein said user terminal establishes a plurality of forward links and a plurality of return links, wherein said plurality of forward user links is greater than said plurality of return links.

10. A system as recited in claim 1, wherein said user terminal comprises a hub and router circuit coupled to a digital beam former for receiving multiple dynamic links through said at least two devices.

11. A system as recited in claim 1, wherein said user terminal comprises a TCP/IP protocol for transmitting the multiple communication portions.

13. A user terminal as recited in claim 12, further comprising:

a plurality of transmitting elements coupled to a transmitting digital beam forming network;

a transmitting hub and router circuit coupled to the transmitting digital beam forming network for making a communication into a plurality of datagrams and routing the plurality of datagrams through multiple dynamic links formed by transmitting digital beam forming network to said at least two devices from the group; and

a transmitting direction control circuit coupled to said hub and router circuit and to said transmitting digital beam forming network for forming relative position vectors of said user terminal and high altitude device for transmitting digital beam forming network directs transmitting beams at said at least two devices from the group.

14. A user terminal as recited in claim 13, wherein said transmitting direction control circuit comprises estimation algorithms for generating a user state vector and a platform state vector.

15. A user terminal as recited in claim 14, wherein said user state vector and said platform state vector are used to generate relative position vectors.

16. A user terminal as recited in claim 13, wherein said transmitting hub and router circuit comprises a routing table which is updated with motion vectors from said transmitting direction control circuit.

17. A user terminal as recited in claim 13, wherein said transmitting digital beam forming circuit comprises a demodulator.

19. A method as recited in claim 18, further comprising the step of generating a second plurality of datagrams at a gateway station;

establishing a second plurality of dynamic communication links between a communication station and a user terminal through said at least two devices from the group; and

reassembling the second plurality of datagrams into the communication at a user terminal.

7. A system as recited in claim 7, wherein said router receives the communication portions and arranges the communication portions in a predetermined sequence.

12. A user terminal for a communication system having a communication infrastructure including at least two devices from a group including a cell tower, a first satellite constellation, a second satellite constellation, and a stratospheric platform, said user terminal comprising:

a plurality of receiving elements;

a receiving beam forming network for forming a plurality of receive beams from the plurality of receiving elements;

a receiving hub and router circuit coupled to the receiving digital beam forming network for assembling communication portions from the beams formed in the receiving beam forming network from the said at least two devices from the group; and

a receiving direction control circuit coupled to the hub and router circuit and the receiving digital beam forming circuit for estimating relative position vectors for said at least two devices and the user terminal.

18. A method of operating a communications system comprising:

forming a plurality of multiple communication links directed to a communication infrastructure including at least two devices from the group including a cell tower a first satellite constellation, a second satellite constellation and a stratospheric platform;

dividing a communication into a plurality of datagrams;

routing the plurality of datagrams through the plurality of multiple communication links;

directing the datagrams from the said at least two devices to a gateway station; and

reassembling the datagrams into the communication.

20. A user terminal for a communication system having a communication infrastructure including at least two devices from a group including a cell tower, a first satellite constellation and a second satellite constellation, a stratospheric platform comprising:

a plurality of reconfigurable elements;

a beam forming circuit coupled to the plurality of reconfigurable elements; and

a hub and router circuit coupled to the beam forming network for controlling the generation of and direction of a plurality of simultaneous multiple links for communication with said at least two devices from the group.