Distribution control unit providing simultaneous hybrid FDMA and SS-TDMA operation in a transitional satellite switched system
First Claim
1. In a communications satellite system of the space division type including spot beam antennas receiving uplink communications signals from a plurality of earth stations and transmitting said uplink signals over downlinks to said earth stations, said uplinks being communicated to said downlinks through a switching matrix forming an array of inputs and outputs interconnected in a row and column fashion through electrically controllable crosspoint switching elements, each uplink being designated to a different matrix input and each downlink to a different matrix output, and a distribution control unit for controlling the conductive states of said crosspoint switching elements, the improvement comprising:
- (a) means associated with said distribution control unit for generating digital control words, each bit position of said words functioning to control the conductive state of a different crosspoint switching element, and(b) means responsive to said digital control words for selectively and simultaneously rendering any number of said crosspoint switching elements conductive to thereby effect point-to-multipoint interconnection between the matrix inputs and outputs.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An SS-TDMA satellite system providing uplink and downlink interconnections through an on-board microwave switching matrix controlled by an on-board distribution control unit responsive to ground command signals. The distribution control unit is configured to permit both point-to-point and point-to-multipoint interconnections of uplinks to downlinks through the switching matrix. Point-to-point interconnections under system static mode control may be effected simultaneously with point-to-point interconnections under system dynamic mode control.
83 Citations
3 Claims
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1. In a communications satellite system of the space division type including spot beam antennas receiving uplink communications signals from a plurality of earth stations and transmitting said uplink signals over downlinks to said earth stations, said uplinks being communicated to said downlinks through a switching matrix forming an array of inputs and outputs interconnected in a row and column fashion through electrically controllable crosspoint switching elements, each uplink being designated to a different matrix input and each downlink to a different matrix output, and a distribution control unit for controlling the conductive states of said crosspoint switching elements, the improvement comprising:
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(a) means associated with said distribution control unit for generating digital control words, each bit position of said words functioning to control the conductive state of a different crosspoint switching element, and (b) means responsive to said digital control words for selectively and simultaneously rendering any number of said crosspoint switching elements conductive to thereby effect point-to-multipoint interconnection between the matrix inputs and outputs. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3)
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Specification