COMBINED LAND LINE AND SATELLITE COMMUNICATION SWITCHING SYSTEM

• US 3,842,350 A
• Filed: 12/26/1972
• Issued: 10/15/1974
• Est. Priority Date: 12/26/1972
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: William B. Gross
• Original Assignee: William B. Gross
• Inventors: Gross, William B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Mayer, Albert J.
• Application Number:
  US05/318,298
• Time in Patent Office: 658 Days
• Field of Search: 325/4,3,5,8-11,13,14,15,18,21,22
• US Class Current: 455/13.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/208 Frequency-division multiple access [FDMA]
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 11/02 for frequency-division multiplexing H04Q11/0001 takes precedence

Abstract

Ground terminal serving a number of individual telephone lines in a local region converts their signals to an intermediate frequency without regard to whether called station is in same local region or in remote region linked by relay satellite. Switching equipment routes remote region calls to up-frequency converter link to satellite, and local region calls to intermediate-frequency bus for connection to local region called line. Intermediate-frequency switching system thus replaces conventional combination of standard telephone exchange for local region calls plus separate switching system for ground link to relay satellite, with economy in equipment for appropriate mix of local and remote traffic.

Claims

1. A primary office earth station comprising a. directive antenna means connected to b. transmitter means to amplify without frequency change and transmit to the directive antenna means a plurality of modulated signals separated from each other in frequency but all lying within the transmission band of the transmitter means, which plurality it receives from c. transmitting frequency converter means to receive the said modulated signals at separated intermediate frequencies lying within a common intermediate frequency band and to translate them in frequency to lie within the transmission band of the transmitter means;

d. a plurality of transmitting intermediate frequency means each connected to receive signals from an access line and to convert them to a modulated signal at one of the said separated intermediate frequencies, and to transmit the said modulated signal to the transmitting frequency converter means and to receiving intermediate frequency means, comprising;

1. modulator means;

2. controllably programmable oscillator means programmable by control signals to oscillate at a frequency effective to produce the said modulated signal at an intermediate frequency determined by the said control signals;

3. controllable switching means controllable by control signals to selectively connect the transmitting intermediate frequency means to the transmitting frequency converter means and to a plurality of receiving intermediate frequency means;

e. receiver means to receive from the directive antenna means a plurality of modulated signals separated in frequency but lying within the transmission band of the receiver means, amplify them without frequency change, and transmit them to f. receiving frequency converter means to receive the said modulated signals and translate them to lie within the intermediate frequency band, and transmit them to g. a plurality of receiving intermediate frequency means each connected to receive separated modulated signals in the common intermediate frequency band from receiving frequency converter means and from a plurality of transmitting intermediate frequency means and to demodulate a separated modulated signal and transmit the demodulated signal to an access line, comprising;

1. demodulator means;

2. controllably programmable oscillator means programmable by control signals to oscillate at a frequency effective to cause the demodulator means to demodulate a signal at an intermediate frequency determined by the said control signals;

3. controllable switching means controllable by control signals to selectively connect the receiving intermediate frequency means to the receiving frequency converter means and to a plurality of transmitting intermediate frequency means;

h. a plurality of supervision and control means, one of which is uniquely associated with each access line, a transmitting intermediate frequency means and a receiving intermediate frequency means being also uniquely associated with said access line, comprising;

1. address means permanently connected to gate signals from the routing controller which include identification of the access line to 2. means to receive coded signals thus gated and, responsively thereto, to generate oscillator control signals to conTrol the frequency of the controllably adjustable oscillator means of the transmitting intermediate frequency means associated with the said access line and the controllably adjustable oscillator means of the receiving frequency means associated with the said access line, and to control the controllable switching means of the same transmitting intermediate frequency means and to control the controllable switching means of the same receiving frequency means; and

to transmit to the access line functional signals reresented by the said coded signals;

3. means to receive coded signals representing functional information from the access line and to transmit them to the routing controller;

i. routing controller means comprising;

1. means to receive the said coded signals recited in h)3) and to transmit them to 2. controller transmitting intermediate frequency means permanently connected to said transmitting frequency converter means, and adapted to receive coded signals and produce signals in a fixed intermediate transmitting frequency modulated to represent the said coded signals;

3. supplemental identification signal means to produce coded signals supplementary to the said coded signals recited in i)3) and to transmit them to the said controller transmitting intermediate frequency means;

4. controller receiving intermediate frequency means permanently connected to said receiving frequency converter means, and adapted to receive therefrom signals at a fixed intermediate receiving frequency modulated to represent coded signals and to demodulate them to produce the said coded signals, and connected to transmit them to the function table and storage and shift register means recited in i)2).

2. connecting the said first intermediate frequency signals to a frequency converter to change them to a first satellite relay channel frequency for relay by the satellite and

3. The method claimed in claim 2 in which a plurality of intermediate frequency signals are transmitted via a common channel to a plurality of intermediate frequency demodulators.

4. converting signal from the second said access line to a second selected intermediate frequency lower than the frequency of a satellite relay channel and different from the said first selected intermediate frequency;

5. connecting the said second intermediate frequency signals to a frequency converter to change them to a second satellite relay channel frequency for relay by the satellite and

6. transmitting the said second intermediate frequency signals to an intermediate frequency demodulator tuned to the said second intermediate frequency and connected to the first said access line for transmission of the said signals from the said second access line to the first said access line;

7. converting signals at a satellite relay channel frequency to intermediate frequency signals and transmitting the said intermediate frequency signals to an intermediate frequency demodulator tuned to the said signals and connected to the said first access line for transmission of the said signals, after demodulation, to the said first access line;

and

8. converting signals at a satellite relay channel frequency to intermediate frequency signals and transmitting the said intermediate frequency signals to an intermediate frequency demodulator tuned to the said signals and connected to the said second access line for transmission of the said signals, after demodulation, to the saId second access line.