TERMINAL AND A METHOD FOR COMMUNICATING SIMULTANEOUSLY ON TWO FREQUENCIES

• US 20120307720A1
• Filed: 12/29/2010
• Published: 12/06/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/04/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Thrane & Thrane A/S (Cobham PLC)
• Original Assignee: Thrane & Thrane A/S (Cobham PLC)
• Inventors: Madsen, Lars Peter, Norgaard, Kristjan Sonne, Christensen, Anders Christian
• Granted Patent: US 8,588,129 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/316
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18513 Transmission in a satellite or space-based system
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18534 for enhancing link reliablility, e.g. satellites diversity

Abstract

A system for communicating with one or more satellites over two frequencies, where information identifying the second frequency is transmitted over the first frequency. Usually, the most important data is transmitted over the first frequency at which communication usually is the most stable, whereas communication over the second frequency usually has a higher bandwidth.

Claims

1. A terminal for communicating with one or more remote transponders, the terminal comprising:

means for performing wireless communication with the transponder(s) on each of two different frequencies,

means for receiving or accessing data to be transmitted to the transponder(s),

means for determining any first part of the data for transmission on a first of the two frequencies and any remaining, second part of the data for communication on a second of the frequencies,

the performing means being adapted to;

receive, from the transponder(s) and on the first of the frequencies, information identifying the second frequency,

communicate the first part, if any, to the transponder(s) using the first frequency, and

communicate the second part, if any, to the transponder(s) using the second frequency.

2. A terminal according to claim 1, wherein the performing means is adapted to simultaneously, at a first point in time, transmit the first and/or second parts on the first and/or second frequencies, respectively, and receive information identifying one or more third frequencies, the performing means being adapted to, at a second, later point in time, communicate the second part using the third frequency/ies.

3. A terminal according to claim 1, wherein the performing means are adapted to communicate with one or more satellites.

4. A terminal according to claim 3, wherein the performing means comprise a single directional antenna adapted to communicate with a plurality of clustered satellites.

5. A terminal according to claim 2, wherein the antenna(s) is/are provided on a single movable/rotatable element.

8. A terminal according to claim 1, wherein the performing means comprises:

means for directing a beam of electromagnetic radiation having the second frequency in a predetermined direction and

means for receiving, from the transponder(s) and on the first of the frequencies, information identifying a position or direction and for operating the directing means to direct the beam along the direction or toward the position.

9. A system comprising one or more satellites and one or more ground based stations adapted to communicate with the satellite(s) and a terminal according to claim 1 adapted to communicate with the satellite(s), one or more of the ground based stations being adapted to transmit, to the terminal and in the first frequency, the information identifying the second frequency.

10. A system according to claim 9, wherein the performing means is adapted to receive frequency information from a ground station via the satellite(s), and wherein the determining means is adapted to perform the determination on the basis of the frequency information.

6-7. -7. (canceled)

11-12. -12. (canceled)

13. A method of communicating with one or more remote transponders, the method comprising:

performing wireless communication with the transponder(s) on each of two different frequencies,

receiving or accessing data to be transmitted to the transponder(s),

determining any first part of the data for transmission on a first of the two frequencies and any remaining, second part of the data for communication on a second of the frequencies,

the performing step comprising;

receiving, from the transponder(s) and on the first of the frequencies, information identifying the second frequency,

communicating the first part, if any, to the transponder(s) using the first frequency,

communicating the second part, if any, to the transponder(s) using the second frequency.

14. A method according to claim 13, wherein the performing step comprises simultaneously, at a first point in time, transmitting the first and/or second parts on the first and/or second frequencies, respectively, and receiving information identifying one or more third frequencies, the performing means being adapted to, at a second, later point in time, communicate the second part using the third frequency/ies.

15. A method according to claim 13, wherein the performing step comprises communicating with, as the transponder(s), one or more satellites.

16. A method according to claim 15, wherein the performing step comprises communicating with a plurality of clustered satellites via a single directional antenna.

17. A terminal according to claim 16, wherein the antenna(s) is/are provided on a single movable/rotatable element, the performing step comprising moving/rotating the element to maintain a direction of the antenna(s) toward the satellite(s).

20. A method according to claim 13, wherein the performing step comprises communicating with one or more satellites and one or more ground based stations communicating with the satellite(s), wherein the receiving step comprises one or more of the ground based stations transmitting, to the terminal and in the first frequency, the information identifying the second frequency.

21. A method according to claim 20, wherein the performing step comprises receiving frequency information from a ground station via the satellite(s), and wherein the determining step comprises performing the determination on the basis of the frequency information.

24. A method according to claim 13, wherein the performing step furthermore comprises receiving, from the transponder(s) and on the first of the frequencies, information identifying a position or direction, and wherein the step of communicating the second part comprises directing a beam of radiation representing the second part along the direction or toward the position.

18-19. -19. (canceled)

22-23. -23. (canceled)