Systems and methods for increasing capacity and/or quality of service of terrestrial cellular and satellite systems using terrestrial reception of satellite band frequencies

• US 20040203742A1
• Filed: 12/12/2002
• Published: 10/14/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ATC Technology Corporation (FedEx Corporation)
• Original Assignee: ATC Technology Corporation (FedEx Corporation)
• Inventors: Karabinis, Peter D.
• Granted Patent: US 7,092,708 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/427
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18513 Transmission in a satellite or space-based system
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18563 Arrangements for interconnecting multiple systems data switching networks H04L12/00

Abstract

The capacity of a terrestrial wireless communications system that uses a terrestrial frequency band for communications with wireless terminals is expanded by utilizing a satellite frequency band for terrestrially receiving terrestrial communications from the wireless terminals. Since the wireless terminals are configured to transmit communications to a space-based component such as a satellite via a satellite frequency band, these transmissions also may be picked up (received) terrestrially. Thus, terrestrial base stations can be equipped with satellite frequency band receivers that can receive communications from the wireless terminals over a satellite frequency band. By using the satellite frequency band receiver in a terrestrial base station, additional capacity and/or quality of service may be provided for a terrestrial and/or satellite communications system.

Claims

1. A wireless communications system comprising:

a space-based component that is configured to transmit communications to wireless terminals over a satellite frequency band and to receive communications from the wireless terminals over a satellite frequency band; and

a terrestrial component that is configured to transmit communications to the wireless terminals over a terrestrial frequency band and to receive communications from the wireless terminals over the satellite frequency band.

2. A wireless communications system according to claim 1 wherein the terrestrial component is further configured to receive communications from the wireless terminals over a terrestrial frequency band.

3. A wireless communications system according to claim 1 wherein the terrestrial component is further configured to transmit communications to the wireless terminals over forward link and return link portions of the terrestrial frequency band.

4. A wireless communications system according to claim 1 wherein the terrestrial component is configured to transmit communications to the wireless terminals over the terrestrial frequency band and to receive communications from the wireless terminals over the satellite frequency band in a first operational mode and is configured to transmit communications to the wireless terminals over the terrestrial frequency band and to receive communications from the wireless terminals over the terrestrial frequency band in a second operational mode.

5. A wireless communications system according to claim 4 wherein the terrestrial component is further configured to receive communications from the wireless terminals over the terrestrial frequency band in the first operational mode.

6. A wireless communications system according to claim 4 wherein the terrestrial component is further configured to transmit communications to the wireless terminals over forward link and return link portions of the terrestrial frequency band in the first operational mode.

7. A wireless communications system according to claim 1 in combination with the wireless terminals.

8. A wireless communications system according to claim 1 wherein the satellite frequency band is a cellular satellite frequency band and/or wherein the terrestrial frequency band is a terrestrial cellular frequency band.

9. A terrestrial base station for a wireless communications system comprising:

a transmitter that is configured to transmit communications to wireless terminals over a terrestrial frequency band; and

a receiver that is configured to receive communications from the wireless terminals over a satellite frequency band.

10. A terrestrial base station according to claim 9 wherein the transmitter is configured to transmit communications to the wireless terminals over forward link and return link portions of the terrestrial frequency band.

11. A terrestrial base station according to claim 9 wherein the receiver is further configured to receive communications from the wireless terminals over a terrestrial frequency band.

12. A terrestrial base station according to claim 9 wherein the transmitter is configured to transmit communications to the wireless terminals over the terrestrial frequency band and the receiver is configured to receive communications from the wireless terminals over the satellite frequency band in a first operational mode and wherein the transmitter is configured to transmit communications to the wireless terminals over the terrestrial frequency band and the receiver is configured to receive communications from the wireless terminals over the terrestrial frequency band in a second operational mode.

13. A terrestrial base station according to claim 12 wherein the transmitter is further configured to transmit communications to the wireless terminals over forward link and return link portions of the terrestrial frequency band in the first operational mode.

14. A terrestrial base station according to claim 12 wherein the receiver is further configured to receive communications from the wireless terminals over the terrestrial frequency band in the first operational mode.

15. A terrestrial base station according to claim 9 in combination with the wireless terminals.

16. A terrestrial base station according to claim 9 wherein the satellite frequency band is a cellular satellite frequency band and/or wherein the terrestrial frequency band is a terrestrial cellular frequency band.

17. A terrestrial base station for a terrestrial wireless communications system comprising:

a receiver that is configured to receive communications from wireless terminals over a satellite frequency band, the base station being free of a transmitter that is configured to transmit communications to the wireless terminals over a satellite frequency band.

18. A terrestrial base station according to claim 17 wherein the receiver is further configured to receive communications from the wireless terminals over a terrestrial frequency band.

19. A terrestrial base station according to claim 17 in combination with the wireless terminals.

20. A terrestrial base station according to claim 17 wherein the satellite frequency band is a cellular satellite frequency band and/or wherein the terrestrial frequency band is a terrestrial cellular frequency band.

21. A wireless terminal comprising:

a receiver that is configured to receive communications over forward link and return link portions of a terrestrial frequency band; and

a transmitter that is configured to transmit communications over a satellite frequency band.

22. A wireless terminal according to claim 21:

wherein the receiver is further configured to receive communications over a satellite frequency band; and

wherein the transmitter is further configured to transmit communications over a terrestrial frequency band.

23. A wireless terminal according to claim 21 wherein the receiver is configured to receive communications over forward link and return link portions of the terrestrial frequency band and the transmitter is configured to transmit communications over the satellite frequency band in a first operational mode, and wherein the receiver is configured to receive communications over a satellite frequency band and the transmitter is configured to transmit communications over the satellite frequency band in a second operational mode.

24. A wireless terminal according claim 23 wherein the receiver is configured to receive communications over a terrestrial frequency band and the transmitter is configured to transmit communications over the terrestrial frequency band in a third operational mode.

25. A terrestrial base station according to claim 22 wherein the satellite frequency band is a cellular satellite frequency band and/or wherein the terrestrial frequency band is a terrestrial cellular frequency band.

26. A method for expanding capacity of a terrestrial wireless communications system that uses a terrestrial frequency band for communications with wireless terminals, the method comprising:

utilizing a satellite frequency band for terrestrially receiving communications from the wireless terminals.

27. A method according to claim 26 wherein the utilizing comprises:

utilizing the satellite frequency band for terrestrially receiving communications from the wireless terminals without utilizing the satellite frequency band for terrestrially transmitting communications to the wireless terminals.

28. A method according to claim 26 further comprising utilizing forward link and return link portions of a terrestrial frequency band for terrestrially transmitting communications to the wireless terminals.

29. A wireless communications system according to claim 26 wherein the satellite frequency band is a cellular satellite frequency band and/or wherein the terrestrial frequency band is a terrestrial cellular frequency band.

30. A method for expanding capacity of a terrestrial wireless communications system that uses a terrestrial frequency band for communications with wireless terminals, the method comprising:

utilizing forward link and return link portions of the terrestrial frequency band for terrestrially transmitting communications to the wireless terminals.

31. A method according to claim 30 further comprising utilizing a satellite frequency band for terrestrially receiving communications from the wireless terminals.

32. A wireless communications system according to claim 30 wherein the satellite frequency band is a cellular satellite frequency band and/or wherein the terrestrial frequency band is a terrestrial cellular frequency band.