Radiotelephones and operating methods that use a single radio frequency chain and a single baseband processor for space-based and terrestrial communications

• US 20050245192A1
• Filed: 06/01/2005
• Published: 11/03/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/14/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ATC Technology Corporation (FedEx Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Mobile Satellite Venture LP
• Inventors: Karabinis, Peter D.
• Granted Patent: US 7,603,081 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/12.100
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/006 using switches for selecting the desired band H04B1/0057 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/406 with more than one transmission mode, e.g. analog and digital modes
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals

Abstract

A radiotelephone includes a single radio frequency chain and a single baseband processor that is connected thereto. The single radio frequency chain and the single baseband processor are configured to communicate with a space-based system using frequencies of a satellite band and an air interface, and to communicate with a terrestrial wireless network using frequencies of the satellite band and substantially the air interface.

Claims

1. A radiotelephone comprising:

a single radio frequency chain and a single baseband processor that is connected thereto and that are configured to communicate with a space-based system using frequencies of a satellite band and an air interface and to communicate with a terrestrial wireless network using frequencies of the satellite band and substantially the air interface.

2. A radiotelephone according to claim 1 wherein the single radio frequency chain comprises:

a common antenna that is configured to communicate with the space-based system using frequencies of the satellite band and the air interface and to communicate with the terrestrial wireless network using frequencies of the satellite band and substantially the air interface;

a common transmit chain that is configured to transmit communications from the baseband processor to the space-based system via the common antenna using frequencies of the satellite band and the air interface and to transmit communications from the baseband processor to the terrestrial wireless network via the common antenna using frequencies of the satellite band and substantially the air interface; and

a common receive chain that is configured to receive communications for the baseband processor from the space-based system via the common antenna using frequencies of the satellite band and the air interface and to receive communications for the baseband processor from the terrestrial wireless network via the common antenna using frequencies of the satellite band and substantially the air interface.

3. A radiotelephone according to claim 2 wherein the common transmit chain comprises:

a common up converter that is responsive to the baseband processor; and

a common power amplifier that is responsive to the common up converter;

wherein the common antenna is responsive to the common power amplifier.

4. A radiotelephone according to claim 2 wherein the common receive chain comprises:

a common low noise amplifier that is responsive to the common antenna; and

a common down converter that is responsive to the common low noise amplifier;

wherein the baseband processor is responsive to the common down converter.

5. A radiotelephone according to claim 3 further comprising:

a common low pass filter connected between the baseband processor and the common up converter; and

a common band pass filter connected between the common power amplifier and the common antenna.

6. A radiotelephone according to claim 4 further comprising:

a common band pass filter connected between the common antenna and the common down converter; and

a common low pass filter connected between the common down converter and the baseband processor.

7. A radiotelephone according to claim 1 wherein the baseband processor comprises:

a satellite unique vocoder, a satellite unique forward error correction coder and/or a satellite unique interleaver.

8. A radiotelephone according to claim 1 wherein the baseband processor comprises:

a common logic and memory section;

a first logic section that is configured to provide terrestrial wireless network communication functionality; and

a second logic section that is configured to provide space-based system communication functionality.

9. A radiotelephone according to claim 1 wherein the satellite band comprises a satellite S-band and/or a satellite L-band.

10. A radiotelephone according to claim 2 wherein the common antenna is of a size that is similar to a conventional cellular/PCS radiotelephone antenna.

11. A radiotelephone according to claim 3 wherein the common power amplifier and the common antenna are configured to radiate no more maximum power when transmitting to the space-based system than when transmitting to the terrestrial wireless network.

12. A radiotelephone according to claim 1 in combination with the space-based system and the terrestrial wireless network.

13. A radiotelephone according to claim 2 wherein the common antenna is smaller than an antenna of a Globalstar or Iridium radiotelephone.

14. A radiotelephone according to claim 1 wherein the air interface is a Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA), Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), Frequency Division Multiple Access (FDMA), Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexed (OFDM), Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (OFDMA), Frequency Division Duplex (FDD) and/or Time Division Duplex (TDD) air interface.

15. A radiotelephone according to claim 1 wherein the single radio frequency chain and the single baseband processor that is connected thereto are configured to communicate with the space-based system using frequencies of the satellite band and the air interface and to communicate with the terrestrial wireless network using frequencies of the satellite band and substantially the air interface in a common geographic area.

16. A radiotelephone according to claim 1 wherein the single radio frequency chain and the single baseband processor that is connected thereto are also configured to communicate with an ad hoc short range wireless network.

17. A radiotelephone operating method comprising:

communicating with a space-based system using frequencies of a satellite band and an air interface and communicating with a terrestrial wireless network using frequencies of the satellite band and substantially the air interface via a single radio frequency chain and a single baseband processor that is connected thereto.

18. A method according to claim 17 wherein the single radio frequency chain comprises:

a common antenna that is configured to communicate with the space-based system using frequencies of the satellite band and the air interface and to communicate with the terrestrial wireless network using frequencies of the satellite band and substantially the air interface;

a common transmit chain that is configured to transmit communications from the baseband processor to the space-based system via the common antenna using frequencies of the satellite band and the air interface and to transmit communications from the baseband processor to the terrestrial wireless network via the common antenna using frequencies of the satellite band and substantially the air interface; and

a common receive chain that is configured to receive communications for the baseband processor from the space-based system via the common antenna using frequencies of the satellite band and the air interface and to receive communications for the baseband processor from the terrestrial wireless network via the common antenna using frequencies of the satellite band and substantially the air interface.

19. A method according to claim 18 wherein the common transmit chain comprises:

a common up converter that is responsive to the baseband processor; and

a common power amplifier that is responsive to the common up converter;

wherein the common antenna is responsive to the common power amplifier.

20. A method according to claim 18 wherein the common receive chain comprises:

a common low noise amplifier that is responsive to the common antenna; and

a common down converter that is responsive to the common low noise amplifier;

wherein the baseband processor is responsive to the common down converter.

21. A method according to claim 19 further comprising:

a common low pass filter connected between the baseband processor and the common up converter; and

a common band pass filter connected between the common power amplifier and the common antenna.

22. A method according to claim 20 further comprising:

a common band pass filter connected between the common antenna and the common down converter; and

a common low pass filter connected between the common down converter and the baseband processor.

23. A method according to claim 17 wherein the baseband processor comprises:

a satellite unique vocoder, a satellite unique forward error correction coder and/or a satellite unique interleaver.

24. A method according to claim 17 wherein the baseband processor comprises:

a common logic and memory section;

a first logic section that is configured to provide terrestrial wireless network communication functionality; and

a second logic section that is configured to provide space-based system functionality.

25. A method according to claim 17 wherein the satellite band comprises a satellite S-band and/or a satellite L-band.

26. A method according to claim 18 wherein the common antenna is of a size that is similar to a conventional cellular/PCS radiotelephone antenna.

27. A method according to claim 19 wherein the common power amplifier and the common antenna are configured to radiate no more maximum power when transmitting to the space-based system than when transmitting to the terrestrial wireless network.

28. A method according to claim 18 wherein the common antenna is smaller than an antenna of a Globalstar or Iridium radiotelephone.

29. A method according to claim 17 wherein the air interface is a Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA), Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), Frequency Division Multiple Access (FDMA), Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexed (OFDM), Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (OFDMA), Frequency Division Duplex (FDD) and/or Time Division Duplex (TDD) air interface.

30. A method according to claim 17 wherein communicating comprises communicating with the space-based system using frequencies of the satellite band and the air interface and communicating with the terrestrial wireless network using frequencies of the satellite band and substantially the air interface via the single radio frequency chain and the single baseband processor that is connected thereto in a common geographic area.

31. A method according to claim 17 further comprising communicating with an ad hoc short range wireless network via the single radio frequency chain and the single baseband processor that is connected thereto.