Satellite Communications Management System

• US 20150131703A1
• Filed: 02/08/2013
• Published: 05/14/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/01/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Balter, Irwin, Gottman, Dennis, Botzong, Bret Michael, Sullivan, John M.
• Granted Patent: US 9,577,704 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 375/133
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/715 Interference-related aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18508 with satellite system used as relay, i.e. aeronautical mobile satellite service
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18513 Transmission in a satellite or space-based system

Abstract

A method and apparatus for processing a signal is present. Information is carried in a frequency hopping signal. The frequency hopping signal is sent to a gateway in a communications network through a satellite. The frequency hopping signal is unprocessed by the satellite to identify the information in the frequency hopping signal.

Claims

1. A communication system comprising:

a number of terminals-configured to-send and receive information, such that, in operation, the number of terminals sends and receives information;

a number of gateways configured to send and receive information, such that, in operation, the number of gateways sends and receives information;

a number of satellites; and

a control system located terrestrially and configured to;

control the number of terminals, the number of gateways, and the number of satellites, to transfer, via synchronizing reception of all signals at a satellite in the number of satellites via synchronizing transmissions of uplink signals from the number of terminals and the number of gateways, a signal in the all signals being a frequency hopping signal, and each hop characterized by at least one of an individual;

gain, and power level, being digitally adjusted on the satellite on a hop-by-hop basis; and

control a tunable master oscillator used to lock a time and a frequency of the frequency hopping signal transmitted by the satellite, such that, in operation, the control system;

controls the number of terminals, the number of gateways, and the number of satellites, to transfer, via synchronizing reception of all signals at the satellite in the number of satellites via synchronizing transmissions of uplink signals from the number of terminals and the number of gateways, the signal in the all signals being the frequency hopping signal, and each hop characterized by at least one of the individual;

gain, and power, being digitally adjusted on the satellite on the hop-by-hop basis; and

controls the tunable master oscillator used to lock the time and the frequency of the frequency hopping signal transmitted by the satellite.

2. The communication system of claim 1, wherein a gateway in the number of gateways is configured to identify the information carried by the frequency hopping signal to form a processed signal.

3. The communication system of claim 2, wherein the gateway is configured to send the processed signal to at least one of a terminal device, the satellite, another satellite, another gateway, and the control system.

4. The communication system of claim 2, wherein the processed signal is another frequency hopping signal.

6. The communication system of claim 1, wherein the control system includes at least one of a mission control system, a payload control system, a resource control system, a mission planning system, a key facility, and a health management system.

5. (canceled)

7. An apparatus comprising:

a control system, terrestrial based, configured to synchronize reception of a frequency hopping signal at a satellite via synchronizing transmissions, of signals from a number of terminals and a number of gateways in a communication network, to the satellite, such that in operation the control system synchronizes reception of the frequency hopping signal at the satellite via synchronizing transmissions, of signals from the number of terminals and the number of gateways in the communication network, to the satellite;

a transmitter system, in the satellite, configured to transmit the frequency hopping signal, such that in operation the transmitter system transmits the frequency hopping signal, such that the frequency hopping signal comprises;

a channelization bandwidth, a gain, and a power level, such that the satellite digitally adjusts, via individually adjusting at least one of;

an individual gain, and a power level, each frequency hop in the frequency hopping signal on a hop by hop basis;

locking the frequency hopping signal to a tunable master oscillator controlled by the control systematically controls the gain, the power level, and the channelization bandwidth, on a dynamic hop-by-hop basis;

a receiver system in a gateway configured to receive the signal from the satellite, the signal comprising a range of frequencies in which information is carried in a number of channels having a number of frequencies within the range of frequencies such that the number of frequencies for a channel changes within the range of frequencies over time, such that, in operation, the receiver system in the gateway receives the signal from the satellite; and

a communication processor, in the gateway, configured to identify the channel in the number of channels and transmit the signal to a destination device, such that, in operation, the communication processor, in the gateway, identifies the channel in the number of channels and transmits the signal to the destination device.

9. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the signal having the range of frequencies is a wideband frequency hopping signal in which the number of frequencies for the channel changes within the range of frequencies.

10. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the communication processor is configured to transmit a processed signal using frequency hopping.

11. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein a processed signal is transmitted to at least one of a selected satellite, a computer, and another gateway.

12. The apparatus of claim 7, further comprising jam resistant beacon information, in the signal such that the control system uses the beacon information to:

track a location of the satellite that transmits the beacon information;

synchronize;

the satellite, the number of terminals, and the number of gateways, and

enable antenna autotracking.

13. The apparatus of claim 7, further comprising the gateway being associated with a platform selected from one of an aircraft, a surface ship, a ground vehicle, a submarine, a building, a spacecraft, a space station, and a human operator.

14. The apparatus of claim 7, further comprising the signal being a first signal such that the receiver system in the gateway receives the first signal with a first polarization and a second signal with a second polarization having the range of frequencies at a same time.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the first polarization is orthogonal to the second polarization.

8. (canceled)

16. A method for processing a signal, the method comprising:

synchronizing reception of a frequency hopping signal at a satellite via synchronizing, via a control system, transmissions of signals from;

a number of terminals, and a number of gateways, in a communication network to the satellite, the control system being terrestrial based;

digitally adjusting, via individually adjusting at least one of;

an individual gain, and a power level, each frequency hop in the frequency hopping signal on a hop by hop basis;

locking the frequency hopping signal to a tunable master oscillator controlled by the control system; and

sending the frequency hopping signal to at least one of;

the gateway, and the terminal, in the communication network, through the satellite.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

sending the signal to at least one of a terminal device, the satellite, another satellite, another gateway, and the control system.

20. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

synchronizing at least one of;

another satellite, another gateway, and the control system.

17. (canceled)

19. (canceled)