Reducing service outages in a multibeam satellite system

• US 20050272370A1
• Filed: 07/07/2005
• Published: 12/08/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/25/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Leonard Norman Schiff
• Original Assignee: Leonard Norman Schiff
• Inventors: Schiff, Leonard Norman
• Granted Patent: US 7,599,657 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/13.300
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18513 Transmission in a satellite or space-based system
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18534 for enhancing link reliablility, e.g. satellites diversity
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/2041 Spot beam multiple access

Abstract

A satellite is linked to a number of gateways by a number of feeder links. When a degraded link is detected among the feeder links, communications are switched from the degraded link to a diversity link shared among the feeder links. In one embodiment, said diversity link is connected to a diversity gateway located outside a service area of the satellite. In another embodiment, the diversity link comprises channels distributed among the feeder links within the service area.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a plurality of feeder horns adapted to provide a plurality of feeder links between a satellite and a corresponding plurality of gateways, each feeder horn coupled to at least one data path;

a diversity horn adapted to provide a diversity link between the satellite and a diversity gateway located outside a service area of the satellite, the diversity horn coupled to a switch matrix; and

a plurality of terminal horns corresponding to the plurality of feeder horns, said plurality of terminal horns adapted to provide a plurality of terminal beams, each terminal horn coupled to at least one data path;

wherein the data paths are coupled to the switch matrix, and the switch matrix is adapted to selectively couple any one of the plurality of terminal horns to the diversity horn rather than a corresponding one of the plurality of feeder horns.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of terminal horns supports K terminal beams.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a plurality of additional diversity horns, each adapted to provide a plurality of additional diversity links between the satellite and a plurality of additional diversity gateways located outside the service area, the switch matrix adapted to selectively couple any one of the plurality of terminal horns to any one of the plurality of additional diversity horns rather than a corresponding one of the plurality of feeder horns.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, further comprising means for receiving switch commands which determine the operation of the switch matrix.

5. An apparatus comprising:

a plurality of feeder horns adapted to provide a plurality of feeder links between a satellite and a corresponding plurality of gateways, each of the plurality of feeder links comprising a plurality of feeder channels, and the plurality of feeder channels in at least one of the plurality of feeder links comprising at least one diversity channel;

a plurality of terminal horns corresponding to the plurality of feeder horns, the plurality of terminal horns adapted to provide a plurality of terminal beams, and each of the plurality of terminal beams comprising a plurality of terminal channels; and

a switch matrix coupled to the plurality of feed horns and to the plurality of terminal horns, the switch matrix adapted to selectively couple any one of the plurality of terminal channels from the plurality of terminal horns, to the at least one diversity channel rather than a corresponding feeder channel.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein each of the plurality of terminal horns supports K terminal beams.