Aggregate radiated power control for multi-band/multi-mode satellite radiotelephone communications systems and methods

• US 20060111041A1
• Filed: 12/15/2005
• Published: 05/25/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/14/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ATC Technology Corporation (FedEx Corporation)
• Original Assignee: ATC Technology Corporation (FedEx Corporation)
• Inventors: Karabinis, Peter D.
• Granted Patent: US 7,706,826 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/13.400
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18513 Transmission in a satellite or space-based system
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18543 for adaptation of transmission parameters, e.g. power control for detecting or preventing errors in the information received H04L1/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18563 Arrangements for interconnecting multiple systems data switching networks H04L12/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/216 Code division or spread-spectrum multiple access [CDMA, SSMA]

Abstract

A satellite radiotelephone system includes a space-based component that is configured to communicate with multiple radiotelephones over multiple frequency bands and/or multiple air interfaces. An ancillary terrestrial network is configured to communicate terrestrially with the multiple radiotelephones over substantially the multiple frequency bands and/or substantially the multiple air interfaces. An aggregate radiated power controller is configured to limit an aggregate radiated power by the multiple radiotelephones to a maximum aggregate radiated power.

Claims

1. A satellite radiotelephone system comprising:

a space-based component that is configured to communicate with a plurality of radiotelephones over a plurality of frequency bands and/or a plurality of air interfaces;

an ancillary terrestrial network that is configured to communicate terrestrially with the plurality of radiotelephones over substantially the plurality of frequency bands and/or substantially the plurality of air interfaces; and

an aggregate radiated power controller that is configured to limit an aggregate radiated power by the plurality of radiotelephones to a maximum aggregate radiated power.

2. A system according to claim 1 wherein the aggregate radiated power controller is configured to control the plurality of radiotelephones and/or the ancillary terrestrial network so as to limit the aggregate radiated power by the plurality of radiotelephones to a maximum aggregate radiated power.

3. A system according to claim 2 wherein the aggregate radiated power controller is configured to control the plurality of radiotelephones by controlling at least one selected radiotelephone and/or at least one radiotelephone that is subject to a low structural attenuation margin, so as to limit the aggregate radiated power by a plurality of co-frequency radiotelephones to a maximum aggregate radiated power.

4. A system according to claim 2 wherein the aggregate radiated power controller is configured to control the plurality of radiotelephones by controlling at least one radiotelephone that is communicating with the ancillary terrestrial network over a frequency band and/or carrier frequency and/or air interface that has exceeded a maximum aggregate radiated power for the frequency band and/or carrier frequency and/or air interface, so as to limit the aggregate radiated power by the plurality of radiotelephones for the frequency band and/or carrier frequency and/or air interface to a maximum aggregate radiated power for the frequency band and/or carrier frequency and/or air interface.

5. A system according to claim 2 wherein the aggregate radiated power controller is configured to control the plurality of radiotelephones by reducing a radiated power of at least one of the radiotelephones, by reducing a vocoder rate of at least one of the radiotelephones, by reducing a rate of information transmission of at least one of the radiotelephones and/or by controlling at least one of the radiotelephones to communicate using a frequency that has not exceeded the maximum aggregated radiated power, so as to limit the aggregate radiated power by the plurality of radiotelephones to the maximum aggregate radiated power.

6. A system according to claim 2 wherein the ancillary terrestrial network comprises a plurality of ancillary terrestrial components and wherein the aggregate radiated power controller is configured to control the ancillary terrestrial network to diversity combine signals that are received from at least one radiotelephone by at least two ancillary terrestrial components and/or by an ancillary terrestrial component and an auxiliary antenna system to thereby reduce the radiated power by the at least one radiotelephone.

7. A system according to claim 1 wherein the aggregate radiated power controller is configured to limit an aggregate radiated power by a subset of the plurality of radiotelephones to a maximum aggregate radiated power.

8. A system according to claim 7 wherein the plurality of frequency bands comprises a first frequency band and a second frequency band and wherein the subset of the plurality of radiotelephones comprises radiotelephones that communicate terrestrially with the ancillary terrestrial network over substantially the first frequency band.

9. A system according to claim 8 wherein the first frequency band comprises L-band frequencies.

10. A system according to claim 9 wherein the second frequency band comprises S-band frequencies.

11. A system according to claim 8 wherein the first frequency band comprises L-band frequencies that are used substantially inter-radio-horizon by another system and wherein the second frequency band comprises L-band frequencies that are not used substantially inter-radio-horizon by another system.

12. A system according to claim 11 wherein the second frequency band further comprises S-band frequencies.

13. A system according to claim 1 wherein the space-based component comprises a gateway and wherein the aggregate radiated power controller is located at least in part in the gateway, in the ancillary terrestrial network and/or in a stand-alone component that interfaces with the gateway and/or the ancillary terrestrial network.

14. A system according to claim 1 wherein the ancillary terrestrial network comprises a first portion that is configured to communicate terrestrially with a first radiotelephone over substantially a first frequency band and/or substantially a first air interface, and a second portion that is configured to communicate terrestrially with a second and/or the first radiotelephone over substantially a second frequency band and/or substantially a second air interface.

15. A system according to claim 1 further comprising a plurality of radiotelephones that are controlled by the aggregate radiated power controller.

61. A system according to claim 1 wherein the aggregate radiated power controller is configured to determine the aggregate radiated power by the plurality of radiotelephones and to limit the aggregate radiated power by the plurality of radiotelephones to the maximum aggregate radiated power.

62. A system according to claim 1 wherein the maximum aggregate radiated power is independent of the number the radiotelephones.

16. A satellite radiotelephone communications method comprising:

communicating between a space-based component and a plurality of radiotelephones over a plurality of frequency bands and/or a plurality of air interfaces;

communicating terrestrially with the plurality of radiotelephones over substantially the plurality of frequency bands and/or substantially the plurality of air interfaces; and

limiting an aggregate radiated power by the plurality of radiotelephones to a maximum aggregate radiated power.

17. A method according to claim 16 wherein limiting an aggregate radiated power by the plurality of radiotelephones to a maximum aggregate radiated power comprises controlling the plurality of radiotelephones and/or the ancillary terrestrial network so as to limit the aggregate radiated power by the plurality of radiotelephones to a maximum aggregate radiated power.

18. A method according to claim 17 wherein controlling the plurality of radiotelephones comprises controlling at least one selected radiotelephone and/or at least one radiotelephone that is subject to a lowest structural attenuation margin, so as to limit the aggregate radiated power by a plurality of co-frequency radiotelephones to a maximum aggregate radiated power.

19. A method according to claim 17 wherein controlling the plurality of radiotelephones comprises controlling at least one radiotelephone that is communicating with the ancillary terrestrial network over a frequency band and/or carrier frequency and/or air interface that has exceeded a maximum aggregate radiated power for the frequency band and/or carrier frequency and/or air interface, so as to limit the aggregate radiated power by the plurality of radiotelephones for the frequency band and/or carrier frequency and/or air interface to a maximum aggregate radiated power for the frequency band and/or carrier frequency and/or air interface.

20. A method according to claim 17 wherein controlling the plurality of radiotelephones comprises reducing a radiated power of at least one of the radiotelephones, by reducing a vocoder rate of at least one of the radiotelephones, and/or by reducing a rate of information transmission of at least one of the radiotelephones and/or controlling at least one of the radiotelephones to communicate using a frequency that has not exceeded the maximum aggregated radiated power, so as to limit the aggregate radiated power by the plurality of radiotelephones to the maximum aggregate radiated power.

21. A method according to claim 17 wherein the ancillary terrestrial network comprises a plurality of ancillary terrestrial components and wherein controlling the ancillary terrestrial network comprises diversity combining signals that are received from at least one radiotelephone by at least two ancillary terrestrial components and/or by an ancillary terrestrial component and an auxiliary antenna system to thereby reduce the radiated power by the at least one radiotelephone.

22. A method according to claim 16 wherein limiting an aggregate radiated power by the plurality of radiotelephones to a maximum aggregate radiated power comprises limiting an aggregate radiated power by a subset of the plurality of radiotelephones to a maximum aggregate radiated power.

23. A method according to claim 22 wherein the plurality of frequency bands comprises a first frequency band and a second frequency band and wherein the subset of the plurality of radiotelephones comprises radiotelephones that communicate terrestrially with the ancillary terrestrial network over substantially the first frequency band.

24. A method according to claim 23 wherein the first frequency band comprises L-band frequencies.

25. A method according to claim 24 wherein the second frequency band comprises S-band frequencies.

26. A method according to claim 23 wherein the first frequency band comprises L-band frequencies that are used substantially inter-radio-horizon by another system and wherein the second frequency band comprises L-band frequencies that are not used substantially inter-radio-horizon by another system.

27. A method according to claim 26 wherein the second frequency band further comprises S-band frequencies.

28. A method according to claim 17 wherein the space-based component comprises a gateway and wherein controlling the plurality of radiotelephones and/or the ancillary terrestrial network so as to limit an aggregate radiated power by the plurality of radiotelephones to a maximum aggregate radiated power is performed at least in part in the gateway, in the ancillary terrestrial network, and/or in a stand-alone component that interfaces with the gateway and/or the ancillary terrestrial network.

29. A method according to claim 16 wherein communicating terrestrially with the plurality of radiotelephones over substantially the plurality of frequency bands and/or substantially the plurality of air interfaces is performed by respective first and second portions of an ancillary terrestrial network that are configured to communicate terrestrially with a first radiotelephone over substantially the first frequency band and/or substantially the first air interface, and to communicate terrestrially with the second and/or first radiotelephone over substantially the second frequency band and/or substantially the second air interface, respectively.

30. A method according to claim 29 wherein the first portion is operated by a first wireless network operator and the second portion is operated by a second wireless network operator.

63. A method according to claim 16 wherein limiting an aggregate radiated power by the plurality of radiotelephones to a maximum aggregate radiated power is preceded by determining the aggregate radiated power by the plurality of radiotelephones.

64. A method according to claim 16 wherein the maximum aggregate radiated power is independent of the number the radiotelephones.

31. Apparatus for controlling a satellite radiotelephone system that comprises a space-based component that is configured to communicate with a plurality of radiotelephones over a plurality of frequency bands and/or a plurality of air interfaces and an ancillary terrestrial network that is configured to communicate terrestrially with the plurality of radiotelephones over substantially the plurality of frequency bands and/or substantially the plurality of air interfaces, the apparatus comprising:

an aggregate radiated power controller that is configured to limit an aggregate radiated power by the plurality of radiotelephones to a maximum aggregate radiated power.

32. An apparatus according to claim 31 wherein the aggregate radiated power controller is configured to control the plurality of radiotelephones and/or the ancillary terrestrial network so as to limit the aggregate radiated power by the plurality of radiotelephones to a maximum aggregate radiated power.

33. An apparatus according to claim 32 wherein the aggregate radiated power controller is configured to control the plurality of radiotelephones by controlling at least one selected radiotelephone and/or at least one radiotelephone that is subject to a low structural attenuation margin, so as to limit the aggregate radiated power by a plurality of co-frequency radiotelephones to a maximum aggregate radiated power.

34. An apparatus according to claim 32 wherein the aggregate radiated power controller is configured to control the plurality of radiotelephones by controlling at least one radiotelephone that is communicating with the ancillary terrestrial network over a frequency band and/or carrier frequency and/or air interface that has exceeded a maximum aggregate radiated power for the frequency band and/or carrier frequency and/or air interface, so as to limit the aggregate radiated power by the plurality of radiotelephones for the frequency band and/or carrier frequency and/or air interface to a maximum aggregate radiated power for the frequency band and/or carrier frequency and/or air interface.

35. An apparatus according to claim 32 wherein the aggregate radiated power controller is configured to control the plurality of radiotelephones by reducing a radiated power of at least one of the radiotelephones, by reducing a vocoder rate of at least one of the radiotelephones, by reducing a rate of information transmission of at least one of the radiotelephones and/or by controlling at least one of the radiotelephones to communicate using a frequency that has not exceeded the maximum aggregated radiated power, so as to limit the aggregate radiated power by the plurality of radiotelephones to the maximum aggregate radiated power.

36. An apparatus according to claim 32 wherein the ancillary terrestrial network comprises a plurality of ancillary terrestrial components and wherein the aggregate radiated power controller is configured to control the ancillary terrestrial network to diversity combine signals that are received from at least one radiotelephone by at least two ancillary terrestrial components and/or by an ancillary terrestrial component and an auxiliary antenna system to thereby reduce the radiated power by the at least one radiotelephone.

37. An apparatus according to claim 31 wherein the aggregate radiated power controller is configured to limit an aggregate radiated power by a subset of the plurality of radiotelephones to a maximum aggregate radiated power.

38. An apparatus according to claim 37 wherein the plurality of frequency bands comprises a first frequency band and a second frequency band and wherein the subset of the plurality of radiotelephones comprises radiotelephones that communicate terrestrially with the ancillary terrestrial network over substantially the first frequency band.

39. An apparatus according to claim 38 wherein the first frequency band comprises L-band frequencies.

40. An apparatus according to claim 39 wherein the second frequency band comprises S-band frequencies.

41. An apparatus according to claim 38 wherein the first frequency band comprises L-band frequencies that are used substantially inter-radio-horizon by another system and wherein the second frequency band comprises L-band frequencies that are not used substantially inter-radio-horizon by another system.

42. An apparatus according to claim 41 wherein the second frequency band further comprises S-band frequencies.

43. An apparatus according to claim 31 wherein the space-based component comprises a gateway and wherein the aggregate radiated power controller is located at least in part in the gateway, in the ancillary terrestrial network and/or in a stand-alone component that interfaces with the gateway and/or the ancillary terrestrial network.

44. An apparatus according to claim 31 wherein the ancillary terrestrial network comprises a first portion that is configured to communicate terrestrially with a first radiotelephone over substantially a first frequency band and/or substantially a first air interface, and a second portion that is configured to communicate terrestrially with a second and/or the first radiotelephone over substantially a second frequency band and/or substantially a second air interface.

45. An apparatus according to claim 31 further comprising a plurality of radiotelephones that are controlled by the aggregate radiated power controller.

65. An apparatus according to claim 31 wherein the aggregate radiated power controller is configured to determine the aggregate radiated power by the plurality of radiotelephones and to limit the aggregate radiated power by the plurality of radiotelephones to the maximum aggregate radiated power.

66. An apparatus according to claim 31 wherein the maximum aggregate radiated power is independent of the number the radiotelephones.

46. A method for controlling a satellite radiotelephone system that comprises a space-based component that is configured to communicate with a plurality of radiotelephones over a plurality of frequency bands and/or a plurality of air interfaces and an ancillary terrestrial network that is configured to communicate terrestrially with the plurality of radiotelephones over substantially the plurality of frequency bands and/or substantially the plurality of air interfaces, the method comprising:

limiting an aggregate radiated power by the plurality of radiotelephones to a maximum aggregate radiated power.

47. A method according to claim 46 wherein limiting an aggregate radiated power by the plurality of radiotelephones to a maximum aggregate radiated power comprises controlling the plurality of radiotelephones and/or the ancillary terrestrial network so as to limit the aggregate radiated power by the plurality of radiotelephones to a maximum aggregate radiated power.

48. A method according to claim 47 wherein controlling the plurality of radiotelephones comprises controlling at least one selected radiotelephone and/or at least one radiotelephone that is subject to a low structural attenuation margin, so as to limit the aggregate radiated power by a plurality of co-frequency radiotelephones to a maximum aggregate radiated power.

49. A method according to claim 47 wherein controlling the plurality of radiotelephones comprises controlling at least one radiotelephone that is communicating with the ancillary terrestrial network over a frequency band and/or carrier frequency and/or air interface that has exceeded a maximum aggregate radiated power for the frequency band and/or carrier frequency and/or air interface, so as to limit the aggregate radiated power by the plurality of radiotelephones for the frequency band and/or carrier frequency and/or air interface to a maximum aggregate radiated power for the frequency band and/or carrier frequency and/or air interface.

50. A method according to claim 47 wherein controlling the plurality of radiotelephones comprises reducing a radiated power of at least one of the radiotelephones, by reducing a vocoder rate of at least one of the radiotelephones, and/or by reducing a rate of information transmission of at least one of the radiotelephones and/or controlling at least one of the radiotelephones to communicate using a frequency that has not exceeded the maximum aggregated radiated power, so as to limit the aggregate radiated power by the plurality of radiotelephones to the maximum aggregate radiated power.

51. A method according to claim 47 wherein the ancillary terrestrial network comprises a plurality of ancillary terrestrial components and wherein controlling the ancillary terrestrial network comprises diversity combining signals that are received from at least one radiotelephone by at least two ancillary terrestrial components and/or by an ancillary terrestrial component and an auxiliary antenna system to thereby reduce the radiated power by the at least one radiotelephone.

52. A method according to claim 46 wherein limiting an aggregate radiated power by the plurality of radiotelephones to a maximum aggregate radiated power comprises limiting an aggregate radiated power by a subset of the plurality of radiotelephones to a maximum aggregate radiated power.

53. A method according to claim 52 wherein the plurality of frequency bands comprises a first frequency band and a second frequency band and wherein the subset of the plurality of radiotelephones comprises radiotelephones that communicate terrestrially with the ancillary terrestrial network over substantially the first frequency band.

54. A method according to claim 53 wherein the first frequency band comprises L-band frequencies.

55. A method according to claim 54 wherein the second frequency band comprises S-band frequencies.

56. A method according to claim 53 wherein the first frequency band comprises L-band frequencies that are used substantially inter-radio-horizon by another system and wherein the second frequency band comprises L-band frequencies that are not used substantially inter-radio-horizon by another system.

57. A method according to claim 56 wherein the second frequency band further comprises S-band frequencies.

58. A method according to claim 47 wherein the space-based component comprises a gateway and wherein controlling the plurality of radiotelephones and/or the ancillary terrestrial network so as to limit an aggregate radiated power by the plurality of radiotelephones to a maximum aggregate radiated power is performed at least in part in the gateway, in the ancillary terrestrial network, and/or in a stand-alone component that interfaces with the gateway and/or the ancillary terrestrial network.

59. A method according to claim 46 wherein communicating terrestrially with the plurality of radiotelephones over substantially the plurality of frequency bands and/or substantially the plurality of air interfaces is performed by respective first and second portions of an ancillary terrestrial network that are configured to communicate terrestrially with a first radiotelephone over substantially the first frequency band and/or substantially the first air interface, and to communicate terrestrially with the second and/or first radiotelephone over substantially the second frequency band and/or substantially the second air interface, respectively.

60. A method according to claim 59 wherein the first portion is operated by a first wireless network operator and the second portion is operated by a second wireless network operator.

67. A method according to claim 46 wherein limiting an aggregate radiated power by the plurality of radiotelephones to a maximum aggregate radiated power is preceded by determining the aggregate radiated power by the plurality of radiotelephones.

68. A method according to claim 46 wherein the maximum aggregate radiated power is independent of the number the radiotelephones.