INTERFERENCE REMOVAL

• US 20100232350A1
• Filed: 06/19/2009
• Published: 09/16/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/12/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Astrium Limited (Airbus SE)
• Original Assignee: Astrium Limited (Airbus SE)
• Inventors: Craig, Anthony Duncan, Hughes, Robert Julian Francis, Brown, Stephen Phillip, Leong, Chiok Keng
• Application Number:
  US12/488,248
• Publication Number:
  US 20100232350A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/317
• 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 7/1858 Arrangements for data transmission on the physical system, i.e. for data bit transmission between network components

Abstract

Apparatus for a satellite communication system, comprising: a processor arrangement to monitor a plurality of frequency channels demultiplexed from a signal comprising one or more carriers, identify at least one frequency channel of the plurality of frequency channels comprising interference and remove the at least one identified frequency channel before the one or more carriers are reformed. By removing the frequency channels comprising interference, the signal-to-noise ratio of a carrier can be improved. Also, if the interference occurs within a carrier, the carrier is usable as long as the removed frequency channels are considerably narrower than the carrier.

Claims

1. Apparatus for a satellite communication system, comprising:

a processor arrangement to monitor a plurality of frequency channels demultiplexed from a signal comprising one or more carriers, identify at least one frequency channel of the plurality of frequency channels comprising interference and remove the at least one identified frequency channel before the one or more carriers are reformed.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processor arrangement is operable to remove at least one frequency channel demultiplexed from a carrier of said one or more carriers to remove interference within said carrier.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processor arrangement is operable to remove at least one frequency channel located adjacent to a carrier.

4. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processor arrangement is configured to null the identified at least one frequency channel.

5. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processor arrangement is configured to determine whether the signal level of a frequency channel exceeds a signal level threshold.

6. Apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the processor arrangement provides a spectrum analysis function.

7. Apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the signal level threshold is determined based on an expected power profile of the signal comprising the one or more carriers.

8. Apparatus according to claim 1, comprising:

a demultiplexer for dividing a carrier into a plurality of frequency channels;

a digital signal processor for processing the frequency channels, and

a multiplexer for reforming the carrier from the processed channels.

9. Apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the digital signal processor comprises the processor arrangement.

10. A satellite communication system comprising the apparatus of claim 1.

11. A method of rejecting interference in a satellite communication system comprising:

monitoring a plurality of frequency channel demultiplexed from a signal comprising one or more carriers;

identifying at least one frequency channel comprising interference; and

removing the identified at least one frequency channel before reforming the one or more carriers.

12. A method according to claim 11, wherein removing the identified at least one frequency channel comprises removing a frequency channel demultiplexed from a carrier of said one or more carriers to remove interference within said carrier.

13. A method according to claim 11, wherein identifying a frequency channel comprises determining whether the signal level of a frequency channel exceeds a signal level threshold.

14. A method according to claim 13, wherein the signal level threshold is determined based on an expected power profile of the signal comprising the one or more carriers.

15. A method according to claim 11, further comprising

demultiplexing a carrier into a plurality of frequency channels;

processing the frequency channels, and

after the identified at least one frequency channel with interference has been removed, reforming the carrier from the processed frequency channels.