Method and apparatus for providing an integrated communications, navigation and surveillance satellite system
First Claim
1. A system for providing integrated communications, navigation and surveillance information, the system comprising:
- a space segment having a plurality of time synchronized satellites networked together, each of said satellites broadcasting multiple navigation signals and being capable of two way communication and of receiving and relaying surveillance signals; and
a terrestrial segment including;
a processing apparatus capable of two way communication with any of said satellites through said network; and
at least one monitoring station having a known position, said monitoring station being capable of receiving said navigation signals broadcast by said satellites, of direct two way communication with each satellite within a line of site, and of two way communication with each satellite through the network, said monitoring station computing a position of said monitoring station based on received navigation signals and communicating said computed position to said processing apparatus so that integrity of the system can be checked.
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Abstract
A system for providing integrated communications, navigation and surveillance capabilities. A space segment comprises a plurality of time synchronized satellites broadcasting navigation signals and have two-way communication capabilities. Each satellite also has communication switching capabilities and is part of a network. A terrestrial segment comprises processing apparatus that communicates the satellites through the network. A user segment comprises at least one mobile user device capable of two way communication with the plurality of satellites and of using the navigation signals to derive its position. The user device broadcasts surveillance signals which the processing apparatus uses to derive the position of the user device. The signals are also used by the system to measure and transmit the state of the ionosphere.
17 Citations
27 Claims
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1. A system for providing integrated communications, navigation and surveillance information, the system comprising:
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a space segment having a plurality of time synchronized satellites networked together, each of said satellites broadcasting multiple navigation signals and being capable of two way communication and of receiving and relaying surveillance signals; and
a terrestrial segment including;
a processing apparatus capable of two way communication with any of said satellites through said network; and
at least one monitoring station having a known position, said monitoring station being capable of receiving said navigation signals broadcast by said satellites, of direct two way communication with each satellite within a line of site, and of two way communication with each satellite through the network, said monitoring station computing a position of said monitoring station based on received navigation signals and communicating said computed position to said processing apparatus so that integrity of the system can be checked. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. A system for providing integrated communications, navigation and surveillance information, the system comprising:
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a space segment having a plurality of time synchronized satellites networked together, each of said satellites broadcasting multiple navigation signals and being capable of two way communication and of receiving and relaying surveillance signals; and
a user segment having at least one mobile user device, said user device being capable of direct two way communication with each of said satellites within a line of sight and of two way communication with any of said satellites through said network, said user device being capable of receiving at least one of said navigation signals broadcast by said satellites and using received navigation signal(s) to compute a position of said user device, wherein said user device informs said space segment that said user device is not receiving said at least one navigation signal said user device is capable of receiving whenever said user device is not receiving said at least one navigation signal. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A system for providing integrated communications, navigation and surveillance information, the system comprising:
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a space segment having a plurality of time synchronized satellites networked together, each of said satellites broadcasting multiple navigation signals and being capable of two way communication and of receiving and relaying surveillance signals; and
a user segment having at least one mobile user device, said user device being capable of direct two way communication with each of said satellites within a line of sight and of two way communication with any of said satellites through said network, said user device being capable of receiving at least one of said navigation signals broadcast by said satellites and using received navigation signal(s) to compute a position of said user device, and wherein each of said satellites broadcasts a first navigation signal at a first frequency and sends a communication signal at said first frequency and said navigation signal acts as a pilot tone for the system. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A system for providing integrated communications and navigation information, the system comprising:
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a space segment having a plurality of satellites networked together, each of said satellites broadcasting multiple navigation signals and being capable of two way communication; and
a terrestrial segment including;
a processing system capable of two way communication with at least one of said satellites;
at least one monitoring station capable of receiving navigation signals broadcast by said satellites, of direct two way communication with each of said satellites within a line of sight of said monitoring station, and of two way communication with each satellite through said network, said monitoring station computing a position of said monitoring station based on received navigation signals and communicating said computed position to said processing system so that an integrity of said navigation signals can be checked. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20)
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21. An integrated communications system comprising:
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a space segment having a plurality of satellites networked together, each of said satellites being capable of two way communication, and each of said satellites broadcasting multiple navigation signals; and
a user segment having at least one mobile user device capable of direct two way communication with each of said satellites within a line of sight of said user device and of two way communication with each of said satellites through said network, and said user device being operable to receive at least one of said navigation signals broadcast by said satellites and using said at least one received navigation signal to compute a position of said user device.
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22. A communications and surveillance system comprising:
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a space segment having a plurality of satellites in communication with one another, each of said satellites being capable of bi-directional communication and of receiving and relaying surveillance signals; and
a user segment having at least one mobile user device capable of direct bi-directional communication with any of said satellites within a line of sight of said user device and operable to broadcast a surveillance signal to said satellites, and wherein the system uses said surveillance signal to monitor a position of said user device. - View Dependent Claims (23)
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24. A system for monitoring position locating information and providing feedback regarding an integrity of the position locating information, the system comprising:
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a space segment having a plurality of satellites in communication with one another, each of said satellites broadcasting position locating information and having bidirectional communication capability;
a terrestrial segment including;
a processing system able to bi-directionally communicate directly with at least one of said satellites;
at least one monitoring station in direct communication with at least one of said satellites for receiving said position locating information, wherein said monitoring station extrapolates position information from said position locating information and transmits said position information to said processing system, and wherein said processing system uses said position information to maintain an integrity of said position locating information being broadcast by said satellites. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27)
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Specification