SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR SATELLITE COMMUNICATION

• US 20110116441A1
• Filed: 11/03/2010
• Published: 05/19/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/16/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: O3b Ltd. (SES SA)
• Original Assignee: O3b Ltd. (SES SA)
• Inventors: Wyler, Gregory Thane
• Application Number:
  US12/938,760
• Publication Number:
  US 20110116441A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/316
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18584 Arrangements for data networking, i.e. for data packet routing, for congestion control data switching networks H04L12/00

Abstract

A system and method are disclosed which may include a plurality of ground stations operable to transmit and receive analog signal energy; at least one satellite in orbit around the earth and in communication with at least two ground stations, wherein the satellite comprises: a plurality of transponders, wherein at least two transponders are configured to communicate with at least two different transceiver stations; at least one routing mechanism for routing each analog data packet signal received at the satellite to a selected one of said at least two transponders based on a transmission frequency of each said analog data packet signal.

Claims

1. A communication system comprising:

a plurality of ground stations operable to transmit and receive analog signal energy;

at least one satellite in orbit around the earth and in communication with at least two said ground stations, wherein the satellite comprises;

a plurality of transponders, wherein at least two said transponders are configured to communicate with at least two different communication devices; and

at least one routing mechanism for routing an analog data packet signal received at the satellite to a selected one of said at least two transponders based on a transmission frequency of each said analog data packet signal.

2. The communication system of claim 1 wherein a transmission path of said analog data packet signal through said satellite includes only analog equipment.

3. The communication system of claim 1 wherein the routing mechanism comprises at least one frequency divider.

4. The communication system of claim 1 wherein the routing mechanism is operable to select from a) a first said transponder broadcasting toward a footprint on the earth in proximity to a current location of the satellite;

and b) a second said transponder configured to communicate with a gateway station, for rebroadcast of analog data packet signals routed by said routing mechanism.

5. The communication system of claim 4 wherein said first transponder broadcasting toward said proximate footprint is operable to provide intra-region backhaul between transceiving devices within said footprint not having land-based, wired connections disposed therebetween.

6. The communication system of claim 1 further comprising:

a computing system in communication with at least one said ground station, the computing system having a memory for storing a data table containing a plurality of IP addresses and a respective plurality of transmission frequencies corresponding to the IP addresses.

7. The communication system of claim 6 wherein the computing system is operable to read IP (Internet Protocol) addresses of digital data packets received at the ground station.

8. The communication system of claim 7 wherein the computing system is operable to retrieve a transmission frequency corresponding to the IP address of each said received digital data packet.

9. The communication system of claim 8 wherein the at least one ground station comprises a modem for converting the received digital data packets into respective analog data packet signals.

10. The communication system of claim 1 wherein each said communication device is one of:

a) a ground station capable of both receiving and transmitting data;

b) a satellite capable of both receiving and transmitting data; and

c) a receiver.

11. A method for sending data within a satellite communications system, the method comprising:

receiving a digital data packet at a first ground station within the communications system;

converting the digital data packet into an analog signal;

establishing a magnitude of a selected physical characteristic of the analog packet signal as a function of a destination of the digital data packet;

transmitting the analog packet signal from the first ground station to a first satellite;

routing the analog packet signal to a given transponder aboard the first satellite based on the magnitude of the selected physical characteristic of the analog packet signal; and

transmitting the analog packet signal from the given transponder to a transceiver station.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the transceiver station is one of:

a) a second satellite; and

b) a ground station having a land-based connection with the digital data packet destination.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein the physical characteristic is selected from the group consisting of:

transmission frequency;

amplitude; and

signal shape.

14. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

identifying a destination Internet Protocol (IP) address of the digital data packet; and

wherein the establishing step comprises;

establishing a transmission frequency for the analog packet signal based on the IP address of the digital data packet.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the step of transmitting the analog packet signal to the satellite comprises:

transmitting the analog packet signal using the established transmission frequency.

16. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

performing the step of routing the analog packet signal aboard the satellite using only analog equipment.

17. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

performing the step of routing the analog packet signal aboard the satellite without demodulating the analog packet signal.

18. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

performing the step of routing the analog packet signal using at least one frequency divider.

19. The method of claim 11 wherein the step of transmitting the analog packet signal to the destination of the digital data packet comprises one of:

transmitting the analog packet signal to a gateway station; and

transmitting the analog packet signal out of a satellite transponder toward a region on the earth including the first ground station, to effect intra-region backhaul.

20. A method, comprising:

providing at least one satellite;

receiving a signal at the satellite from a customer site;

determining a transmission frequency of the customer signal;

routing the customer signal to an output port of a transponder selected according to the determined transmission frequency; and

retransmitting the customer signal from the selected transponder.

21. The method of claim 20 further comprising:

prior to sending the signal to the satellite, determining a destination IP (Internet Protocol) address for the signal; and

assigning a transmission frequency to the signal based on the determined destination IP address.

22. The method of claim 20 wherein the routing step comprises:

deploying a frequency divider having an input and a plurality of outputs, wherein the frequency divider is operable to direct signals within a plurality of frequency ranges along a plurality of respective signal routing paths within the satellite.

23. The method of claim 22 further comprising:

configuring the frequency divider to associate a plurality of transmission frequency ranges with a plurality of signal routing paths emerging from the frequency divider.

24. The method of claim 23 further comprising:

coordinating the association of the transmission frequency ranges with the signal routing paths of the frequency divider with a corresponding association of frequency ranges to data transmission destinations resident within a ground station transmission system.

25. A method comprising:

receiving a data packet at a ground station within a satellite communication system, the data packet including a destination IP (Internet Protocol) address;

identifying the destination IP address of the data packet;

selecting a transmission frequency channel for the data packet based on the IP address of the data packet; and

transmitting the data packet to a satellite, of the satellite communication system, using the selected transmission frequency.

26. The method of claim 25 further comprising:

assigning a plurality of transmission frequencies to a plurality of respective transmission destinations.

27. The method of claim 25 further comprising:

modulating the data packet to provide an analog signal indicative of the data packet, prior to the transmitting step.

28. The method of claim 25 further comprising:

selecting a sub-channel, of the selected channel, for transmission of the data packet based on at least one of;

a) an identification of the ground station from which the data packet is being transmitted; and

b) an identification of a customer site from which the data packet originated.

29. The method of claim 25 further comprising:

receiving the data packet at the satellite;

routing the data packet within the satellite in accordance with the transmission frequency of the data packet; and

transmitting the data packet to a destination transceiver station within the satellite communication system.

30. The method of claim 29 wherein the transceiver station is either a satellite or a ground station.