Satellite communication system which concurrently transmits a scanning spot beam and a plurality of fixed spot beams
First Claim
1. An antenna means for a satellite repeater comprising in combinationa first antenna section (16a-16k, 17a-17k) capable of concurrently receiving and transmitting a plurality of k paired first type directional up-link and down-link spot beams of radiated energy (12a-13a;
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12k-13k) containing signals within a predetermined frequency spectrum, where each pair of up-link and down-link directional spot beams is associated with a separate one of a plurality of k spaced-apart first type remote ground station areas; and
a second antenna section capable of concurrently receiving and transmitting a separate second type up-link and down-link beam (14,
15) of radiated energy, respectively, containing signals within the predetermined frequency spectrum for providing communication with plurality of x spaced-apart second type remote ground station areas;
characterized in thatthe second antenna section comprises a first portion (181 -18m) which is capable of being directionally changeable to scan over the plurality of x second type spaced-apart remote ground station areas in a first predetermined scanning format and in synchronism with the expected arrival of up-link signals from each of the second type spaced-apart remote ground station areas on a time-division multiple access basis, and a second portion (191 -19m) which is capable of being directionally changeable to scan over the plurality of x second type spaced-apart remote ground station areas in a second predetermined scanning format and in synchronism with the transmission of signals destined for each of the second type spaced-apart remote ground station areas.
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Abstract
The present invention relates to a satellite communication system which uses a separate up-link and down-link fixed spot beam for communication with each of a plurality of, for example, spaced-apart high traffic demand ground areas and an up-link and a down-link scanning spot beam for communication with a plurality of, for example, spaced-apart low traffic demand ground areas on a time division multiple access (TDMA) basis. More particularly, a satellite repeater is disclosed for accomplishing the switching of signals concurrently received via the up-link fixed and scanning spot beams to the appropriate down-link fixed and scanning spot beams. Additionally, a transmission and a switching format is disclosed for the efficient multiple access of the low traffic demand ground station areas while still providing minimal buffering demands for the high traffic demand ground station areas.
51 Citations
10 Claims
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1. An antenna means for a satellite repeater comprising in combination
a first antenna section (16a-16k, 17a-17k) capable of concurrently receiving and transmitting a plurality of k paired first type directional up-link and down-link spot beams of radiated energy (12a-13a; - . . . ;
12k-13k) containing signals within a predetermined frequency spectrum, where each pair of up-link and down-link directional spot beams is associated with a separate one of a plurality of k spaced-apart first type remote ground station areas; anda second antenna section capable of concurrently receiving and transmitting a separate second type up-link and down-link beam (14,
15) of radiated energy, respectively, containing signals within the predetermined frequency spectrum for providing communication with plurality of x spaced-apart second type remote ground station areas;characterized in that the second antenna section comprises a first portion (181 -18m) which is capable of being directionally changeable to scan over the plurality of x second type spaced-apart remote ground station areas in a first predetermined scanning format and in synchronism with the expected arrival of up-link signals from each of the second type spaced-apart remote ground station areas on a time-division multiple access basis, and a second portion (191 -19m) which is capable of being directionally changeable to scan over the plurality of x second type spaced-apart remote ground station areas in a second predetermined scanning format and in synchronism with the transmission of signals destined for each of the second type spaced-apart remote ground station areas. - View Dependent Claims (2)
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3. A satellite repeater for use in a satellite communication system comprising in combination
antenna means comprising a first antenna section (16a-16k, 17a-17k) capable of concurrently receiving and transmitting a plurality of k paired first type directional up-link and down-link spot beams of radiated energy (12a-13a; - . . . ;
12k-13k) containing signals within a predetermined frequency spectrum, where each pair of up-link and down-link directional spot beams is associated with a separate one of a plurality of k spaced-apart first type remote ground station areas, and a second antenna section capable of concurrently receiving and transmitting a separate second type up-link and down-link beam (14,
15) of radiated energy, respectively, containing signals within the predetermined frequency spectrum for providing communication with a plurality of x spaced-apart second type remote ground station areas; anda time-division switching matrix (32) capable of concurrently switching the signals received via the first and second type up-link beams by the first and second antenna sections, respectively, to the appropriate first and second type down-link beams for transmission via the first and second antenna sections, respectively, in accordance with a predetermined switching format, characterized in that the second antenna section comprises a first portion (181 -18m) which is capable of being directionally changeable to scan over the plurality of x second type spaced-apart remote ground station areas in a first predetermined scanning format and in synchronism with the expected arrival of up-link signals from each of the second type spaced-apart remote ground station areas on a time-division multiple access basis, and a second portion (191 -19m) which is capable of being directionally changeable to scan over the plurality of x second type spaced-apart remote ground station areas in a second predetermined scanning format and in synchronism with the transmission of signals destined for each of the second type spaced-apart remote ground station areas. - View Dependent Claims (4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A method of concurrently providing two-way communications between various combinations of a plurality of k first type ground station areas and a plurality of x second type ground station areas via a satellite repeater, the method comprises the steps of:
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at the satellite repeater (a) concurrently receiving separate continuous up-link signals from each of the plurality of k first type spaced-apart ground station areas via an up-link portion of a first antenna section and an up-link signal from the plurality of x second type spaced-apart ground station areas via an up-link portion of a second antenna section which provide access on a time-division multiple access basis, each of the concurrently received up-link signals having a destination for a separate one of the plurality of k first type spaced-apart ground station areas and one of the plurality of x second type spaced-apart ground station areas at any instant of time; and (b) concurrent with step (a), concurrently transmitting at any instant of time each of the received up-link signals (a) via a down-link portion of the first antenna section to the appropriately destined ground station areas in separate ones of a plurality of k first type down-link spot beams and (b) via a down-link portion of the second antenna section to the appropriately destined ground station area in the plurality of x second type spaced-apart ground station areas in a second down-link beam, characterized in that the method comprises the further steps (c) in performing step (a) changing the directionality of the up-link portion of the second antenna section for scanning the plurality of x second type spaced-apart ground station areas in accordance with a first predetermined scanning format and in synchronism with the expected arrival of the up-link signals from each of the second type spaced-apart ground station areas on a time-division multiple access basis; and (d) in performing step (b) changing the directionality of the down-link portion of the second antenna section for scanning the plurality of x second type spaced-apart ground station areas in accordance with a second predetermined scanning format and in synchronism with the transmission of signals destined for each of the second type spaced-apart ground station areas. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10)
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Specification