NON-INTERFERING UTILIZATION OF NON-GEOSTATIONARY SATELLITE FREQUENCY BAND FOR GEOSTATIONARY SATELLITE COMMUNICATION

• US 20090093213A1
• Filed: 10/09/2008
• Published: 04/09/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/09/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ViaSat Incorporated
• Original Assignee: ViaSat Incorporated
• Inventors: Miller, Mark J., Tchorz, John C.
• Granted Patent: US 8,068,827 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/12.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/185 Space-based or airborne stations; Stations for satellite systemsH04B7/204 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18515 Transmission equipment in satellites or space-based relays
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18528 Satellite systems for providing two-way communications service to a network of fixed stations, i.e. fixed satellite service or very small aperture terminal [VSAT] system
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/19 Earth-synchronous stations
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/195 Non-synchronous stations

Abstract

A method and system of utilizing non-geostationary satellite orbit (NGSO) frequency spectrum in a geostationary satellite orbit (GSO) satellite communication system in a non-interfering manner. The GSO satellite communication system comprises an Earth terminal to transmit signals to a GSO satellite using a GSO frequency spectrum, the Earth terminal further operable to transmit signals to the GSO satellite using an extended frequency spectrum, the extended frequency band including the GSO frequency spectrum and a non-geostationary (NGSO) frequency spectrum; a command center operative to instruct the Earth terminal to transmit signals to the GSO satellite using the GSO frequency spectrum, when an NGSO satellite is expected to be in-line with respect to the Earth terminal and the GSO satellite; and wherein the command center is further operative to instruct the Earth terminal to transmit signals to the GSO satellite using the extended frequency spectrum, when no NGSO satellite is expected to be in-line with respect to the Earth terminal and the GSO satellite.

Claims

1. A geostationary (GSO) satellite communication system comprising:

an Earth terminal operative to transmit signals to a GSO satellite using a GSO frequency spectrum, the Earth terminal further operable to transmit signals to the GSO satellite using an extended frequency spectrum, the extended frequency spectrum including the GSO frequency spectrum and a non-geostationary (NGSO) frequency spectrum;

a command center operative to instruct the Earth terminal to transmit signals to the GSO satellite using the GSO frequency spectrum, when an NGSO satellite is expected to be in-line with respect to the Earth terminal and the GSO satellite; and

wherein the command center is further operative to instruct the Earth terminal to transmit signals to the GSO satellite using the extended frequency spectrum, when no NGSO satellite is expected to be in-line with respect to the Earth terminal and the GSO satellite.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the command center further instructs the Earth terminal to transmit signals to the GSO satellite using the extended frequency spectrum continuously when a NGSO satellite does not operate in the NGSO frequency spectrum.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the command center further instructs the Earth terminal to transmit signals to the GSO satellite using the extended frequency spectrum continuously when no NGSO satellite operates in the NGSO frequency spectrum and to transmit signals to the GSO satellite using only the GSO spectrum once an NGO satellite begins operating in the NGSO frequency spectrum.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the NGSO frequency spectrum is in proximity range of the GSO frequency spectrum.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the extended frequency spectrum comprises an uplink extended frequency spectrum and a downlink extended frequency spectrum.

6. The system of claim 4 wherein the uplink extended frequency spectrum has a higher frequency than the downlink extended frequency spectrum.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the GSO satellite is operative to transmit frequency down-converted signals to at least one area on earth.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the command center comprises a data processing unit coupled to a memory unit adapted to store orbital ephemeris data of the NGSO satellite.

9. The system of claim 7 wherein the orbital ephemeris data is updatable.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein the command center is located at one location on earth.

11. The system of claim 1 wherein the command center is distributed among a plurality of locations on earth.

12. The system of claim 1 wherein the GSO satellite is operative to receive signals in the GSO frequency spectrum and in the extended frequency spectrum.

13. The system of claim 1 wherein the GSO satellite further comprises:

a low-noise amplifier operative to amplify the transmitted signals and output an amplified signal;

a frequency mixer having a first input adapted to receive the amplified signal, a second input coupled to a local oscillator, and an output having a plurality of frequency products including a downlink extended frequency spectrum;

a splitter having an input coupled to the mixer output, a first splitter output and a second splitter output;

a first bandpass filter having a first bandpass input coupled to the first splitter output and a first bandpass output coupled to a first input of a switch;

a second bandpass filter having a second bandpass input coupled to the second splitter output and a second output coupled to a second input of the switch;

wherein the first bandpass filter passes the bandwidth of the GSO frequency spectrum;

wherein the second bandpass filter passes the bandwidth of the extended frequency spectrum; and

wherein an output of the switch is selectively coupled to either the first switch input or the second switch input.

14. The system of claim 12 wherein the GSO satellite further comprises a control device adapted to decode instructions transmitted from the command center, wherein the control device connects the output of the switch to the first input or the second input according to the decoded instructions, wherein the output of the switch is connected to the first input when at least one NGSO satellite is expected to be in-line with respect to the Earth terminal and the GSO satellite, and wherein the output of the switch is connected to the second input when no NGSO satellite is expected to be in-line with respect to the Earth terminal and the GSO satellite.

16. The method of claim 14 wherein the command center further instructs the Earth terminal to transmit signals to the GSO satellite using the extended frequency spectrum continuously when the NGSO satellite does not operate in the NGSO frequency spectrum.

17. The method of claim 14 wherein the command center further instructs the Earth terminal to transmit signals to the GSO satellite using the extended frequency spectrum continuously when no NGSO satellite operates in the NGSO frequency spectrum and to transmit signals to the GSO satellite using only the GSO spectrum once an NGO satellite begins operating in the NGSO frequency spectrum.

18. The method of claim 14 wherein the GSO satellite is operative to transmit frequency down-converted signals to at least one area on earth.

19. The method of claim 14 wherein the command center comprises a data processing unit coupled to a memory unit adapted to store orbital ephemeris data of the NGSO satellite.

20. The method of claim 17 wherein the orbital ephemeris data is updatable.

21. The method of claim 14 wherein the command center is located at one location on earth.

22. The method of claim 14 wherein the command center is distributed among a plurality of locations on earth.

23. The method of claim 14 wherein the GSO satellite comprises:

a low-noise amplifier operative to amplify the transmitted signals and output an amplified signal;

a frequency mixer having a first input adapted to receive the amplified signal, a second input coupled to a local oscillator, and an output having a plurality of frequency products including a downlink extended frequency spectrum;

a splitter having an input coupled to the mixer output, a first splitter output and a second splitter output;

a first bandpass filter having a first bandpass input coupled to the first splitter output and a first bandpass output coupled to a first input of a switch;

a second bandpass filter having a second bandpass input coupled to the second splitter output and a second output coupled to a second input of the switch;

wherein the first bandpass filter passes the bandwidth of the GSO frequency spectrum;

wherein the second bandpass filter passes the bandwidth of the extended frequency spectrum; and

wherein an output of the switch is selectively coupled to either the first switch input or the second switch input.

24. The method of claim 14 wherein the GSO satellite further comprises a control device adapted to decode instructions transmitted from the command center, wherein the control device connects the output of the switch to the first input or the second input according to the decoded instructions, wherein the output of the switch is connected to the first input when at least one NGSO satellite is expected to be in-line with respect to the Earth terminal and the GSO satellite, and wherein the output of the switch is connected to the second input when no NGSO satellite is expected to be in-line with respect to the Earth terminal and the GSO satellite.

15. A method for operating a geostationary (GSO) satellite systems comprising:

transmitting signals from an Earth terminal to a GSO satellite using a GSO frequency spectrum, the Earth terminal further operable to transmit signals to the GSO satellite using an extended frequency spectrum, the extended frequency spectrum including the GSO frequency spectrum and a non-geostationary (NGSO) frequency spectrum;

instructing the Earth terminal to transmit signals to the GSO satellite using the GSO frequency spectrum, when an NGSO satellite is expected to be in-line with respect to the Earth terminal and the GSO satellite by a command center, and

instructing the Earth terminal to transmit signals to the GSO satellite using the extended frequency spectrum, when no NGSO satellite is expected to be in-line with respect to the Earth terminal and the GSO satellite by the command center.