Radio signal broadcast system and method

• US 20040018834A1
• Filed: 04/18/2003
• Published: 01/29/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/19/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DIRECTV, LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hughes Electronics Corporation (Rtx Corporation)
• Inventors: Himes, John G., Talaie, Farzad, Johnson, Richard H., Noerpel, Anthony R., Rotondo, John L.
• Granted Patent: US 6,985,716 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/422.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18523 Satellite systems for providing broadcast service to terrestrial stations, i.e. broadcast satellite service arrangements specially adapted for satellite broadcast receiving H04H40/90; picture transmission via satellite H04N1/00103; television transmission via satellite H04N7/20
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18539 Arrangements for managing radio, resources, i.e. for establishing or releasing a connection
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18543 for adaptation of transmission parameters, e.g. power control for detecting or preventing errors in the information received H04L1/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/2041 Spot beam multiple access
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/06 Selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS]; Services to user groups; One-way selective calling services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/10 Push-to-Talk [PTT] or Push-On-Call services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/30 Resource management for broadcast services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/45 for Push-to-Talk [PTT] or Push-to-Talk over cellular [PoC] services

Abstract

A first transmitting device is used to transmit a first signal on a first carrier frequency to a relay device. The relay device receives the signal by demodulating the first carrier frequency. Subsequently, the relay device retransmits the signal by modulating a second and/or a third carrier frequency. The signal is then recovered at one or more receiving devices by demodulating the second and/or third carrier frequencies. Further, a second transmitting device transmits a second signal on a fourth carrier frequency and the relay device retransmits the signal by modulating a fifth and/or a sixth carrier frequency. The signal is then recovered at one or more receiving devices by demodulating the fifth and/or sixth carrier frequencies. The transmitting and/or receiving devices are preferably voice terminals, such as a wireless telephones or data terminals, such as portable computers. The transmitting and/or receiving devices are optionally coupled to a communications network, such as a public switched telephone network or the Internet. The relay device is preferably a multiple beam satellite and/or a ground station covering several distinct geographical regions.

Claims

1. A system for broadcasting a netted radio signal, comprising:

a first transmitting device for transmitting a first signal on a first carrier frequency;

a relay device for receiving the first signal on the first carrier frequency and transmitting the first signal on second and third carrier frequencies;

a first receiving device and a second receiving device for receiving the first signal on the second carrier frequency; and

,

a third receiving device and a fourth receiving device for receiving the first signal on the third carrier frequency.

2. A system as defined in claim 1, wherein the second carrier frequency is normally used for a point-to-point voice channel.

3. A system as defined in claim 2, wherein a control channel is used for the point-to-point channel, and the control channel is used for the netted radio signal.

4. A system as defined in claim 1, wherein the first signal comprises a digital voice signal.

5. A system as defined in claim 1, wherein the first transmitting device comprises at least one of (a) a voice terminal, (b) a data terminal, (c) a time division multiple access communication device, (d) a code division multiple access communication device, and (e) a frequency-division multiple access communication device.

6. A system as defined in claim 1, wherein the first transmitting device is coupled to a communications network.

7. A system as defined in claim 1, wherein the first carrier frequency comprises at least one of (a) an L-band frequency, (b) an S-band frequency, (c) a C-band frequency, (d) a Ku-band frequency, and (e) a Ka-band frequency.

8. A system as defined in claim 1, wherein the relay device comprises a multiple beam geosynchronous communications satellite.

9. A system as defined in claim 1, wherein the relay device comprises a ground station.

10. A system as defined in claim 1, wherein the relay device comprises at least one of (a) a time division multiple access communication device, (b) a code division multiple access communication device, and (c) a frequency-division multiple access communication device.

11. A system as defined in claim 1, wherein the second carrier frequency comprises at least one of (a) an L-band frequency, (b) an S-band frequency, (c) a C-band frequency, (d) a Ku-band frequency, and (e) a Ka-band frequency.

12. A system as defined in claim 1, wherein the first and second receiving device comprises at least one of (a) voice terminals, (b)data terminals, (c) time division multiple access communication devices, (d) code division multiple access communication devices, and (e) frequency-division multiple access communication devices.

13. A system as defined in claim 1, wherein the first receiving device is coupled to a communications network.

14. A system as defined in claim 1, further comprising:

a second transmitting device for transmitting a second signal on a fourth carrier frequency;

a fifth receiving device for receiving the second signal on a fifth carrier frequency; and

,

a sixth receiving device for receiving the second signal on a sixth carrier frequency, wherein the relay device receives the second signal on the fourth carrier frequency and transmits the second signal on the fifth and sixth carrier frequencies.

15. A method of broadcasting a netted radio signal, comprising:

transmitting a first message requesting participation in a predetermined distribution of the netted radio signal;

receiving a second message acknowledging participation in the predetermined distribution of the radio signal and identifying a frequency on which to receive the radio signal;

tuning a receiver to the identified frequency; and

receiving the radio signal on the identified frequency.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the first message is transmitted by a voice terminal.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the second message is transmitted by a relay device.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the relay device comprises a multiple beam geosynchronous communications satellite.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the relay device comprises a ground station.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein the second message identifies at least one of (a) an L-band frequency, (b) an S-band frequency, (c) a C-band frequency, (d) a Ku-band frequency, and (e) a Ka-band frequency.

21. The method of claim 15, wherein the radio signal comprises a voice signal.

22. A method of broadcasting a radio signal, comprising:

receiving a first message requesting participation in a predetermined distribution of the radio signal;

determining a frequency on which to transmit the radio signal;

transmitting a second message acknowledging participation in the predetermined distribution of the radio signal and identifying the frequency on which the radio signal is to be transmitted; and

,

transmitting the radio signal on the identified frequency.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the first message is transmitted by a voice terminal.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein the second message is transmitted by a relay device.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the relay device comprises a multiple beam geosynchronous communications satellite.

26. The method of claim 22, wherein the second message identifies at least one of (a) an L-band frequency, (b) an S-band frequency, (c) a C-band frequency, (d) a Ku-band frequency, and (e) a Ka-band frequency.

27. The method of claim 22, wherein the radio signal comprises a digital voice signal.