Synchronization system for time division multiple access relay communications system
First Claim
1. A synchronization system for a satellite communication Time Division Multiplex Access (TDMA) relay system having a predetermined frame period within which data bursts are transmitted and including a satellite relay and a plurality of ground stations, one of which is designated a reference station, said system comprising at each ground station:
- transmitter means for transmitting a carrier signal having a frequency which is characteristic of the respectively corresponding ground station thereby defining a frequency division channel characteristic of the respectively corresponding ground station,modulation means for modulating said carrier signal with a periodic signal having a period harmonically related to said frame period but which periodic signal is separate and distinct from said data bursts,phase comparator means at each non-reference ground station for comparing the phase relationship of its respectively corresponding periodic signal after transmission to and return from the satellite relay relative to the periodic signal transmitted from the designated reference ground station via the satellite, andcontrol means at said non-reference ground stations responsive to said phase relationship to align the phase relationship of the compared periodic signals to achieve synchronization of the TDMA signals at the satellite.
5 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A Time-Division Multiple Access (TDMA) synchronization system for a satellite relay system is provided by designating one of the ground stations a "Reference" station and arranging for a sinusoidal signal transmitted from the reference station to be received by other ground stations via the satellite and compared with their own sinusoidal synchronization signals after transmission to and from the satellite. The sinusoidal signal from the "Reference" station uses only a small proportion of the bandwidth of a satellite global beam transponder. Most of the traffic is transmitted to one or more spot beam transponders of the satellite. Each station derives from its symbol-rate clock a pulse indicating the start of each TDMA frame and a local synchronization sinusoidal signal at the frame repetition frequency. The phase of this local sinusoidal signal is such that its positive-going zero crossings coincide with the frame-start pulses. These local sinusoidal signals transmitted and received back through the satellite using high-index frequency modulation are compared in phase with the received Reference station sinusoidal signal. The phase difference signal derived from the comparison of the local and reference sinusoidal signals is used to adjust the station'"'"'s transmit frame timing to achieve synchronization with the reference station frame timing.
33 Citations
31 Claims
-
1. A synchronization system for a satellite communication Time Division Multiplex Access (TDMA) relay system having a predetermined frame period within which data bursts are transmitted and including a satellite relay and a plurality of ground stations, one of which is designated a reference station, said system comprising at each ground station:
-
transmitter means for transmitting a carrier signal having a frequency which is characteristic of the respectively corresponding ground station thereby defining a frequency division channel characteristic of the respectively corresponding ground station, modulation means for modulating said carrier signal with a periodic signal having a period harmonically related to said frame period but which periodic signal is separate and distinct from said data bursts, phase comparator means at each non-reference ground station for comparing the phase relationship of its respectively corresponding periodic signal after transmission to and return from the satellite relay relative to the periodic signal transmitted from the designated reference ground station via the satellite, and control means at said non-reference ground stations responsive to said phase relationship to align the phase relationship of the compared periodic signals to achieve synchronization of the TDMA signals at the satellite. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
-
-
12. A synchronized time division multiple access relay communications system comprising:
-
a plurality of ground communications stations each including means for transmitting and for receiving information bearing radio frequency signals, a remote relay means for receiving said information bearing radio frequency signals transmitted from any one of said ground stations and for retransmitting corresponding information bearing radio frequency signals to at least one of said ground stations, said relay means including at least one transponder means for simultaneously servicing all said ground stations on distinct frequency divided communications channels, each ground station being uniquely associated with a respectively associated one of said channels, said means for transmitting and for receiving at said ground stations including time division multiple access means for defining successive synchronized time frames within which each ground station transmits a burst of its respectively associated information bearing radio frequency signals during a corresponding predetermined portion of said time frame, a predetermined one of said ground stations constituting a reference station and including means for transmitting a periodic reference synchronization signal over its respectively associated distinct communications channel to all other ground stations, said periodic reference synchronization signal being harmonically related to the repetition rate of said time frames, each of the remaining ground stations including means for locally generating a periodic local synchronization signal and for transmitting and receiving same over its respectively associated distinct communications channel, said local synchronization signal having a nominal harmonic relationship to the expected repetition rate of said time frames, each of said remaining ground stations also including phase comparison means for comparing the phase of the received reference synchronization signal and the received local synchronization signal and means for determining the sense and magnitude of any detected phase difference therebetween, and each of said remaining ground stations also including phase control means for controllably advancing and retarding the phase of said local synchronization signal in response to said detected phase difference to reduce any such difference towards zero. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
-
-
22. A synchronized communication station for use in a synchronized time division multiple access relay communications system which includes a plurality of communications stations each including means for transmitting and for receiving information bearing radio frequency signals, a remote relay means for receiving said information bearing radio frequency signals transmitted from any one of said communications stations and for retransmitting corresponding information bearing radio frequency signals to at least one of said communication stations, said relay means including at least one transponder means for simultaneously servicing all said communications stations on distinct frequency divided communications channels, each communications station being uniquely associated with a respectively associated one of said channels, said means for transmitting and for receiving at said communications stations including time division multiple access means for defining successive synchronized time frames within which each ground station transmits a burst of its respectively associated information bearing radio frequency signals during a corresponding predetermined portion of said time frame, a predetermined one of said communications stations constituting a reference station and including means for transmitting a periodic reference synchronization signal over its respectively associated distinct communications channel to all other stations, said periodic reference synchronization signal being harmonically related to the repetition rate of said time frames;
- said synchronized communication station comprising;
means for locally generating a periodic local synchronization signal and for transmitting and receiving same over its respectively associated distinct communications channel, said local synchronization signal having a nominal harmonic relationship to the expected repetition rate of said time frames, phase comparison means for comparing the phase of the received reference synchronization signal and the received local synchronization signal and means for determining the sense and magnitude of any detected phase difference therebetween, and phase control means for controllably advancing and retarding the phase of said local synchronization signal in response to said detected phase difference to reduce any such difference towards zero. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
- said synchronized communication station comprising;
Specification