Interactive fixed and mobile satellite network

• US 20020132578A1
• Filed: 03/21/2002
• Published: 09/19/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/1996
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Globalstar Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Globalstar Incorporated
• Inventors: Wiedeman, Robert A.
• Application Number:
  US10/103,070
• Publication Number:
  US 20020132578A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/12.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18515 Transmission equipment in satellites or space-based relays
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18558 Arrangements for managing communications, i.e. for setting up, maintaining or releasing a call between stations
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/195 Non-synchronous stations
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/216 Code division or spread-spectrum multiple access [CDMA, SSMA]

Abstract

A communications system includes at least one low earth orbit first satellite (10), at least one second satellite (11) in other than a low earth orbit, and a ground segment (12) that includes a plurality of user transceivers (78, 80, 82, 84) and at least one gateway (76) coupled to a publicly-accessible terrestrial communications system, such as a PSTN and/or a fiber optic network. The first satellite includes a first transceiver for communication with the at least one gateway, a second transceiver for communication with at least one user transceiver, and a third transceiver for communication with the at least one second satellite. The first, second and third transceivers are switchably coupled together on-board the first satellite by on-board processors and a switching matrix for relaying a user communication between the at least one gateway and the at least one user transceiver via the at least one second satellite. The plurality of user transceivers can include a plurality of data processors which are interconnected into a network through the at least one first satellite. This network can be considered as a virtual network, and can have a mesh, star, or other topology. In a presently preferred, but not limiting embodiment of this invention, the user transceivers are adapted to transmit and receive direct sequence, code division/multiple access communications. Transmission of signals to and from the user transceivers is accomplished by spreading a digital data stream (e.g., voice, data, image, video) with assigned spreading codes.

Claims

1. A communications system, comprising:

at least one low earth orbit first satellite;

at least one second satellite in other than a low earth orbit; and

a ground segment comprising a plurality of user transceivers and at least one gateway coupled to a terrestrial communications system;

wherein

said first satellite comprises a first transceiver for communication with said at least one gateway, a second transceiver for communication with at least one user transceiver, and a third transceiver for communication with said at least one second satellite, said first, second and third transceivers being switchably coupled together on-board said first satellite for relaying a user communication between said at least one gateway and said at least one user transceiver via said at least one second satellite.

2. A communications system as set forth in claim 1, wherein said at least one first satellite further comprises a first on-board processor that is bidirectionally coupled to said first transceiver;

a second on-board processor that is bidirectionally coupled to said second transceiver; and

a switching network that is bidirectionally coupled to said first and second on-board processors and to said third transceiver for selectively establishing communication paths between said first and second on-board processors and said third transceiver.

3. A communications system as set forth in claim 1, wherein said publicly-accessible terrestrial communications system is comprised of a fiber optic network that is bidirectionally coupled to said at least one gateway.

4. A communications system as set forth in claim 1, wherein said plurality of user transceivers are comprised of a plurality of data processors, and wherein said plurality of data processors are interconnected into a network through said at least one first satellite.

5. A communications system as set forth in claim 1, wherein said plurality of user transceivers are adapted to transmit and receive direct sequence, code division/multiple access communications.

6. A communications system, comprising:

at least one low earth orbit first satellite;

at least one second satellite in other than a low earth orbit; and

a ground segment comprising a plurality of user transceivers and at least one gateway coupled to a terrestrial communications system comprised of fiber optic infrastructure, said at least one gateway comprising a gateway transceiver for bidirectionally coupling said gateway to said at least one first satellite;

wherein

a plurality of said user transceivers each comprise a data processor that is bidirectionally coupled to said fiber optic infrastructure through at least one of said first and second satellites and said at least one gateway.

7. A communication system as set forth in claim 6, wherein said at least one first satellite comprises a first transceiver for communication with said at least one gateway, a second transceiver for communication with at least one user transceiver, and a third transceiver for communication with said at least one second satellite, said first, second and third transceivers being switchably coupled together on-board said first satellite for relaying a user communication between said at least one gateway and said at least one user transceiver via said at least one second satellite.

8. A communications system as set forth in claim 6, wherein said at least one gateway transmits digital information to and receives digital information from said at least one satellite, the digital information being comprised of at least one of voice, data, video and image.

9. A communications system as set forth in claim 7, wherein said at least one first satellite further comprises a first on-board processor that is bidirectionally coupled to said first transceiver;

a second on-board processor that is bidirectionally coupled to said second transceiver; and

a switching network that is bidirectionally coupled to said first and second on-board processors and to said third transceiver for selectively establishing communication paths between said first and second on-board processors and said third transceiver.

10. A communications system as set forth in claim 6, wherein said terrestrial communications system is comprised of a public switched telephone network.

11. A communications system as set forth in claim 8, wherein said at least one gateway transmits and receives the digital information using a direct sequence, code division/multiple access technique.

13. A communications system as set forth in claim 12, wherein said first band of frequencies includes frequencies in at least one of S-band and L-band, wherein said second band of frequencies includes frequencies in at least one of Ka-band and Ku-band, wherein said third band of frequencies includes frequencies in a C-band or Ka band, and wherein said fourth band of frequencies includes frequencies in at least one of Ka-band and Ku-band.

14. A communications system as set forth in claim 12, wherein said first terrestrial communications system is comprised of a public switched telephone network.

15. A communications system as set forth in claim 12, wherein said transceivers of said at least one first and second gateways transmit and receive RF signals using a direct sequence, code division/multiple access technique.

16. A communications system as set forth in claim 12, wherein said transceivers of said at least one first and second gateways transmit and receive RF signals that are modulated to convey digital information comprised of at least one of voice, data, video and image.

12. A communications system, comprising:

a first constellation of earth orbiting satellites;

a second constellation of earth orbiting satellites, said second constellation orbiting at a higher altitude than said first constellation;

a plurality of terrestrial mobile user terminals each comprising a transceiver for bidirectionally coupling said mobile user terminal to at least one satellite of said first constellation using a first band of frequencies;

a plurality of terrestrial fixed user terminals each comprising a transceiver for bidirectionally coupling said fixed user terminal to at least one satellite of said first constellation using a second band of frequencies;

at least one first gateway that is bidirectionally coupled to a first terrestrial communication network, said at least one first gateway comprising a transceiver for bidirectionally coupling said first gateway to at least one satellite of said first constellation using a third band of frequencies; and

at least one second gateway that is bidirectionally coupled to a second terrestrial communication network that comprises a fiber optic infrastructure portion, said at least one second gateway comprising a transceiver for bidirectionally coupling said second gateway to at least one satellite of said first constellation using a fourth band of frequencies;

wherein each of said satellites of said first constellation is comprised of a plurality of transceivers operable within said first, second, third, and fourth frequency bands, a further transceiver operable for providing an inter-satellite link with said at least one satellite of said second constellation, a plurality of on-board processors that are bidirectionally coupled to said plurality of transceivers, a switching matrix that is bidirectionally coupled to each of said plurality of on-board processors and to said further transceiver for selectably coupling individual ones of said plurality of on-board processors and said further transceiver together for routing communication signals between said plurality of transceivers and said further transceiver.

17. A fiber optic communications network, comprising:

a terrestrially-based fiber optic network segment having at least one gateway bidirectionally coupled thereto; and

a space-based fiber optic network segment comprised of a constellation of low earth orbit satellites;

at least one other satellite in other than a low earth orbit;

inter-satellite links between said constellation of low earth orbit satellites and said at least one other satellite;

a first transceiver on-board each of said low earth orbit satellites for bidirectional communication with said terrestrially-based fiber optic network segment via said at least one gateway; and

a second transceiver on-board each of said low earth orbit satellites for bidirectional communication with a terrestrial subscriber transceiver, said first and second transceivers being coupled together and to said inter-satellite links on-board each of said low earth orbit satellites.