System for concurrent mobile two-way data communications and TV reception

• US 20060046648A1
• Filed: 08/26/2004
• Published: 03/02/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/26/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gilat Satellite Networks Limited
• Original Assignee: RaySat, Inc.
• Inventors: Spirtus, Danny, Gat, Yoel, DiFonzo, Daniel F., Gachev, Mario
• Granted Patent: US 7,379,707 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/12.100
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/3275 mounted on a horizontal surface of the vehicle, e.g. on roof, hood, trunk
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/08 for varying two co-ordinates of the orientation
• 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

Abstract

A low profile mobile in-motion antenna and transmit/receive terminal system for two-way “VSAT” type satellite communication using FSS service, preferably in Ku band, supporting at the same time TV signal reception from the same satellite or a separate DBS satellite located at the same or nearby geo-stationary orbital position.

Claims

1. A mobile in-motion terminal system for concurrently communicating by at least one antenna with (1) one satellite disposed at a geostationary orbital location and providing both TV broadcast and two-way data communications and/or (2) at least two satellites located at substantially the same geo-stationary orbital position, with one satellite providing TV broadcast and another satellite providing two-way data communications, said terminal system comprising:

a transmit/receive system coupled to said antenna and comprising a transmitter and receiver operative to provide two-way type data communication using a first frequency band with said one satellite, and

a receive system coupled to said antenna and comprising a receiver operative to receive TV signals from said same or other satellite.

2. The mobile in-motion terminal system of claim 1, further comprising:

an antenna adapted for integration into a roof of a mobile vehicle and being electro-mechanically or electronically adjustable in at both azimuth and elevation, said antenna having at least one flat antenna array operative for at least one of transmission and reception of signals from at least one satellite.

3. The mobile in-motion terminal system of claim 1, further comprising:

an antenna mountable on a mobile vehicle and being adjustable in at least azimuth, said antenna comprising at least one multi-panel array operative for at least one of transmission and reception of signals from at least one satellite.

4. The mobile in-motion terminal system of claim 1, further comprising:

an antenna mountable on a mobile vehicle and being adjustable in at least azimuth, said antenna comprising at least one array for transmit and at least one array for receive.

5. The mobile in-motion terminal system of claim 1, further comprising:

an antenna mountable on a mobile vehicle and being adjustable in azimuth and elevation, said antenna further comprising at least one phased array antenna panel with electronic beam steering in an elevation plane.

6. The mobile in-motion terminal system of claim 1, further comprising:

a phase controlling and combining block operative to provide phasing and summation of the signals coming from a plurality of antenna array outputs.

7. The mobile in-motion terminal system of claim 6, further comprising a polarization control block operative to control and adjust a polarization tilt offset for linearly polarized signals reception.

8. The mobile in-motion terminal system of claim 7, wherein the said polarization control block comprises at least one electronically controlled phase controlling device and at least one attenuator.

9. The mobile in-motion terminal system of claim 7, further comprising a polarization forming block operative to form left hand (LH) and right hand (RH) circular polarizations in order to process the TV signals.

10. The mobile in-motion terminal system of claim 7, further comprising a plurality of down converters, at least one down converter being operative for FSS and a second down converter being operative for DBS signal processing.

11. The mobile in-motion terminal system of claim 10, further comprising means for stacking IF signals for different circular polarizations, coming from the outputs of said DBS down converter.

12. The mobile in-motion terminal system of claim 11, wherein the IF signal from the output of the said down converter for FSS signals is transferred to an IF/baseband transceiver block arranged on the same rotating platform.

13. The mobile in-motion terminal system as recited in claims 2, 3 and 4, further comprising at least one high power amplifiers, said amplifier being integrated directly to an input of the transmit antenna array.

14. The mobile in-motion terminal system as recited in claim 13, further comprising a polarization control unit operative to control linear polarization tilt offset of the signals transmitted by the said transmit array.

15. The mobile in-motion terminal system as recited in claim 14, wherein said polarization control unit comprises at least one electronically controlled phase controlling device and at least one attenuator.

16. The mobile in-motion terminal system as recited in claim 15, further comprising an up converter, said up converter being connected to an IF/baseband transceiver, arranged on a same rotating platform.

17. The mobile in-motion terminal system as recited in one of claims 2, 3 and 4, wherein transmit and receive antenna arrays are disposed on a common rotating platform, whereby main beams of said arrays may be pointed in the same direction.

18. The mobile in-motion terminal system as recited in claim 17, further comprising a gyro sensor and an RSSI module,

wherein transmit antenna tracking is accomplished using the tracking information received in a receive mode using said gyro sensor and said RSSI module.

19. The mobile in-motion terminal system as recited in claim 18, further comprising a central control unit,

wherein the transmission mode is allowed by said central control unit only when an acquisition process is completed and a selected satellite is locked by a tracking system in receive mode.

20. The mobile in-motion terminal system as recited in claim 1, wherein at least one of a Bluetooth or other wireless connection is used between an outdoor set top box of said terminal and indoor equipment installed in the vehicle.

21. A method of providing in-motion mobile concurrent communication for direct broadcast satellite television reception and two-way data communication, comprising:

receiving at an antenna coupled to a mobile terminal mounted on a vehicle in motion at least one of direct broadcast television signals and data communication signals transmitted by satellite from substantially the same orbital location in geostationary orbit;

identifying at said mobile terminal said orbital location;

adjusting an antenna in at least one of azimuth and elevation so that it is pointed to said orbital location while said vehicle is in motion; and

transmitting data to said orbital location from said antenna while said vehicle is in motion.

22. The method as recited in claim 21, further comprising concurrently receiving at said mobile terminal both data and direct broadcast television signals.