High efficiency sub-orbital high altitude telecommunications system

• US 20040008637A1
• Filed: 11/26/2002
• Published: 01/15/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/1993
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LSI Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: LSI Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Seligsohn, Scott, Seligsohn, Sherwin I.
• Granted Patent: US 8,483,120 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/316
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18504 Aircraft used as relay or high altitude atmospheric platform

Abstract

A wireless telecommunications system comprising a plurality of telecommunications nodes that include receivers and transmitters that are located in a suborbital plane. The telecommunications signals are broadband digital radio signals which are modulated by code division multiple access spread spectrum technology. The receivers include a plurality of antennae that are operative to receive relatively weak telecommunications signals and which use spatial processing to identify their source so that maximum utilization of the spectrum is made available for use by the telecommunications signals without interference.

Claims

1. A wireless, telecommunications network system comprising:

a plurality of telecommunications nodes, said nodes being located in a sub-orbital plane at about 12 to 35 miles above the earth,

means for maintaining said nodes in preselected geographic locations in the sub-orbital plane,

each of said nodes comprising means for sending and receiving broadband, digital radio telecommunications signals over a wireless telecommunications channel between said node in the sub-orbital plane and a ground communication device, said radio telecommunications signals being modulated by broadband code division multiple access spread spectrum technology,

said means for sending and receiving said radio telecommunications signals further including a plurality of antennae that are operative to receive relatively weak telecommunications signals from said ground communication device,

means for decoding the telecommunications signals received by each of said antennae so that said node can identify said ground communication device, and

said antennae and said decoding means being operative to increase the sensitivity of said node so that it can detect and receive relatively weak telecommunications signals, so that maximum utilization of a spectrum is made available for use by said telecommunications signals without interference.

2. A system as defined in claim 1 wherein

said code division multiple access spread spectrum technology is direct sequence.

3. A system as defined in claim 1 wherein

said broadcast telecommunications channel has a frequency band width that is greater than about eight MHz.

5. A system as defined in claim 1 wherein

each of said nodes is stationary over its own point on the earth.

6. A system as defined in claim 1 wherein

said means for sending and receiving broadband, digital radio telecommunications signals over a wireless telecommunications channel comprises

at least one transmitter and receiver, and

said transmitter and receiver carry a plurality of duplex telecommunications channels.

7. A system as defined in claim 6 wherein said transmitter is low powered and light weight.

8. A system as defined in claim 1 including

a terrestrial based telecommunications network, and

means for connecting said wireless, telecommunications network system to said terrestrial based telecommunications network.

9. A system as defined in claim 8 wherein

said means for connecting said wireless, telecommunications network system to said terrestrial based telecommunications network includes switches.

10. A system as defined in claim 9 wherein

said switches are digital.

11. A system as defined in claim 9 wherein

said switches are analog.

12. A system as defined in claim 1 wherein

said nodes are supported by balloons.

13. A system as defined in claim 1 wherein

said wireless telecommunication channels are the same as those allocated for terrestrial communications.

14. A system as defined in claim 1 wherein

said means for sending and receiving broadband, digital radio telecommunications signals over a wireless telecommunications channel comprises

at least one transmitter and receiver and

said transmitter and receiver carry a plurality of simplex telecommunications channels.

15. A system as defined in claim 14 wherein

said transmitter is low powered and light weight.

16. A system as defined in claim 1 wherein

said means for sending and receiving broadband, digital radio telecommunications signals over a wireless telecommunications channel comprises

at least one transmitter and receiver, and

said transmitter and receiver carry a plurality of half duplex telecommunications channels.

17. A system as defined in claim 16 wherein said transmitter is low powered and light weight.

18. A system as defined in claim 1 wherein

said wireless telecommunication channels are the same as those allocated for orbital telecommunications.

19. A system as defined in claim 1 wherein

said wireless telecommunication channels are exclusively used by said telecommunications system.

4. A wireless, telecommunications network system comprising:

a plurality of telecommunications nodes, said nodes being located in a sub-orbital plane at about 12 to 35 miles above the earth,

means for maintaining said nodes in preselected geographic locations in the sub-orbital plane,

each of said nodes comprising means for sending and receiving broadband, digital radio telecommunications signals over a wireless telecommunications channel between said node in the sub-orbital plane and a ground communication device, said radio telecommunications signals being modulated by broadband code division multiple access spread spectrum technology,

said means for sending and receiving said radio telecommunications signals further including a plurality of antennae that are operative to receive relatively weak telecommunications signals from said ground communication device,

means for decoding the telecommunications signals received by each of said antennae so that said node can identify said ground communication device,

said antennae and said decoding means being operative to increase the sensitivity of said node so that it can detect and receive relatively weak telecommunications signals, so that maximum utilization of a spectrum is made available for use by said telecommunications signals without interference,

wherein said wireless telecommunications channel has a frequency bandwidth that is greater than about eight MHZ.

20. A method for making wireless telecommunications comprising the steps of:

providing a plurality of telecommunications nodes, said nodes defining a network,

locating said nodes in a sub-orbital plane at about 12 to 35 miles above the earth and maintaining said nodes in preselected geographic locations in the suborbital plane,

providing each of said nodes with means for sending and receiving broadband, digital radio telecommunications signals over a wireless telecommunications channel between said node in the suborbital plane and a ground communication device,

providing each of said nodes with a plurality of antennae that are operative to receive relatively weak digital, radio telecommunications signals from said ground communication device,

modulating said telecommunications signals by broadband code division multiple access spread spectrum technology,

decoding said telecommunications signals received by each of said antennae so that said node can identify said ground communication device, and

said antennae and said decoding means being operative to increase the sensitivity of said nodes so that they can detect and receive said relatively weak telecommunications signals, so that maximum utilization of a spectrum is made available for use by said telecommunications signals without interference.

21. A method as defined in claim 20 wherein

said code division multiple access spread spectrum technology is modified by direct sequence.

22. A method as defined in claim 20 wherein

said code division multiple access spread spectrum technology is modified by frequency hopping.

24. A method as defined in claim 20 wherein

each of said nodes is stationary over its own point on the earth.

25. A method as defined in claim 20 wherein

said step of sending and receiving broadband, digital radio telecommunications signals over a wireless telecommunications channel comprises

the step of providing a plurality of transmitters and receivers, and

each of said transmitters carrying a plurality of duplex telecommunications channels.

26. A method as defined in claim 25 wherein

said transmitters are low powered and light weight.

27. A method as defined in claim 20 including the steps of

providing a terrestrial based telecommunications network, and

connecting said wireless, telecommunications network system to said terrestrial based telecommunications network.

28. A method as defined in claim 27 including the step of

providing switches for connecting said wireless, telecommunications network system to said terrestrial based telecommunications network.

29. A method as defined in claim 28 wherein

said switches are digital.

30. A method as defined in claim 28 wherein

said switches are analog.

31. A method as defined in claim 20 including the step of

supporting said nodes by balloons.

32. A method as defined in claim 20 wherein

said wireless telecommunication channels are the same as those allocated for terrestrial telecommunications.

33. A method as defined in claim 20 wherein

said step of sending and receiving broadband, digital radio telecommunications signals over a wireless telecommunications channel comprises

the step of providing at least one transmitter and one receiver, and

said transmitter and receiver carry a plurality of simplex telecommunications channels.

34. A method as defined in claim 33 wherein

said transmitter is low powered and light weight.

35. A method as defined in claim 20 wherein

said step of sending and receiving broadband, digital telecommunications signals over a wireless telecommunications channel comprises

the step of providing at least one transmitter and one receiver, and

said transmitter and receiver carry a plurality of half duplex telecommunications channels.

36. A method as defined in claim 35 wherein

said transmitter is low powered and light weight.

37. A method as defined in claim 20 wherein

said wireless telecommunication channels are the same as those allocated for orbital telecommunications.

38. A method as defined in claim 20 wherein

said wireless telecommunication channels are exclusively used by said telecommunications system.

23. A method for making wireless telecommunications comprising the steps of:

providing a plurality of telecommunications nodes, said nodes defining a network,

locating said nodes in a sub-orbital plane at about 12 to 35 miles above the earth and maintaining said nodes in preselected geographic locations in the suborbital plane,

providing each of said nodes with means for sending and receiving broadband, digital radio telecommunications signals over a wireless telecommunications channel between said node in the suborbital plane and a ground communication device,

providing each of said nodes with a plurality of antennae that are operative to receive relatively weak digital, radio telecommunications signals from said ground communication device,

modulating said telecommunications signals by broadband code division multiple access spread spectrum technology,

decoding said telecommunications signals received by each of said antennae so that said node can identify said ground communication device,

said antennae and said decoding means being operative to increase the sensitivity of said nodes so that they can detect and receive said relatively weak telecommunications signals, so that maximum utilization of a spectrum is made available for use by said telecommunications signals without interference,

wherein said wireless telecommunications channel has a frequency bandwidth that is greater than about eight MHZ.