Communications system and network

• US 4,337,376 A
• Filed: 12/31/1979
• Issued: 06/29/1982
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/1979
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Broadcom, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Broadcom, Inc.
• Inventors: Gruenberg, Elliot L.
• Primary Examiner(s): PSITOS, ARISTOTELIS
• Application Number:
  US06/108,552
• Time in Patent Office: 911 Days
• Field of Search: 179/2 EB, 455/17, 455/20, 455/54, 455/56, 455/62, 343/100 TD
• US Class Current: 370/281
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/00 Radio transmission systems, i.e. using radiation field H04B10/00, H04B15/00 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/15542 Selecting at relay station its transmit and receive resources selection of wireless resources by user or terminal H04W72/02; arrangements affording multiple use of the transmission path by two-dimensional division of the resources H04L5/0003, or by allocating sub-channels H04L5/003
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18521 Systems of inter linked satellites, i.e. inter satellite service for optical links between satellites H04B10/118

Abstract

A communications system and network wherein communications links between subscribers are established by retrodirective oscillating loops between each subscriber and a node station. Provision is also made for establishment of links between nodes so that remotely located subscribers can communicate. Information is transmitted between subscribers by using a mixing process in the node whereby information transmitted from one subscriber to the node is transferred at the node to a carrier signal transmitted between the node and another subscriber.

Claims

1. A communications system having at least one retrodirective node station and at least a pair of subscriber stations for establishing a communications link between said subscriber stations to permit said subscriber stations to interchange information comprising means for establishing first and second interdependent retrodirective oscillating loops between respectively one of said subscriber stations and said retrodirective node and said other subscriber station and said retrodirective node by controlling the energy characteristics of the link between the first subscriber station and the retrodirective node for combination with the energy characteristic of the link between the second subscriber station and the retrodirective node to bring about the substantially simultaneous establishment of said first and second retrodirective oscillating loops, and means in said retrodirective node for receiving information directed to said subscriber stations whereby said subscriber stations can interchange information.

2. The communications system of claim 1, wherein said means for establishing said retrodirective oscillating loops includes means for establising a transmit and receive signal having frequencies which are selectively offset to enable communication between selected subscribers.

3. A communications system including at least one retrodirective node station and at least a pair of subscriber stations each identified by a particular signal frequency for establishing a communications link between said subscriber stations to permit said subscriber stations to interchange information, comprising, means at first subscriber station for providing a signal having a frequency related to the particular signal frequency associated with the second subscriber station, and means in said retrodirective node responsive to the signal of said first subscriber station and a signal provided by said second subscriber station for combining and processing these signals and for transmitting signals at particular frequencies to each of said subscribers to establish substantially simultaneously interdependent retrodirective oscillating loops between the subscriber stations and the retrodirective node whereby information can be transferred between subscriber stations by way of the retrodirective node.

4. A retrodirective node for use in a communication system including at least two subscriber stations, said retrodirective node comprising antenna means for receiving a first control carrier signal of the characteristic frequency transmitted by one of said subscriber stations and a second control carrier signal from said second subscriber station having a frequency related to the characteristic frequency of said first signal, a control carrier signal processor coupled to said antenna means for receiving said first and second control carrier signals and for combining said first and second control carrier signals to produce control carrier signals at particular frequencies, and antenna means coupled to said control carrier signal processor for transmitting a control carrier signal at one of the particular frequencies to each subscriber station whereby interdependent retrodirective oscillating loops are established substantially simultaneously between the ssubscriber stations and the retrodirective node to permit communications between subscriber stations.

5. A retrodirective node for use in a communication system including at least two subscriber stations, said retrodirective node comprising first means for receiving from the respective subscriber stations first and second control carrier signals having related frequencies, second means for combining said first and second control carrier signals to produce reference carrier signals at particular frequencies and correct phase for transmission to each subscriber station thereby establishing substantially simultaneously interdependent retrodirective oscillating loops between each subscriber station and the retrodirective node, and third means coupled to said first means for receiving information containing signals from the subscriber stations, said third means combining an information signal from one of said stations with a control carrier signal from the other said station to direct the information containing signal from one subscriber station to the other subscriber station to enable communication of information between subscriber stations.

6. The retrodirective node according to claim 5, wherein said third means includes first means for mixing said control carrier signal from said first subscriber station with information signals from said first and second subscriber stations, and second means for mixing said control carrier signal from said second subscriber station with information signals from said first and second subscriber stations so that properly spatially phased information signal components are created for transmission to the correct subscriber station so that information can be transmitted between said first and second subscriber stations.

7. A retrodirective node for use in a communications system according to claim 6, wherein said third means further includes a first filter means coupled to an output of said first mixing means, said first filter means arranged to produce an output signal consisting of only said information signal and said control carrier signal from said first subscriber station and a second filter means coupled to an output of said second mixing means, said second filter means arranged to produce an output signal consisting of only said information signal and said control carrier signal from said second subscriber station.

8. A retrodirective node for use in a communications system according to claim 7, wherein there is further included means for mixing an output signal from said first filter means with said control carrier signal from said second subscriber station and means for mixing an output signal from said second filter means with said control carrier signal from said first subscriber station.

9. A communication system having at least two retrodirective node stations, at least one subscriber station associated with each retrodirective node station and a communications link between said at least two retrodirective node stations, said communication systems comprising means for establishing a first retrodirective oscillating loop between one of said subscriber stations and its associated retrodirective node station and for establishing a second retrodirective oscillating loop between the other of said subscriber stations and its associated node stations, said first and second retrodirective oscillating loops being interdependent and being established substantially simultaneously via said communications link which conveys energy characteristic of a first retrodirective oscillating loop to said second retrodirective node and which conveys energy characteristic of said second retrodirective oscillating loop to said first retrodirective node so that the energy characteristic of each of said retrodirective oscillating loops combine in each of said retrodirective nodes and means for transferring information between said subscriber stations via said first and second retrodirective oscillating loops and said communications link.

10. A communications system according to claim 9, wherein said communications link includes a satellite.

11. A retrodirective node station for use in a communications system having at least two subscriber stations, said retrodirective node station comprising a retrodirective array transceiver including receiving and transmitting antenna arrays, each antenna array having individual antenna elements, means coupling said receiver antenna elements to said transmitting antenna elements including filter means having a pass band selected to pass a reference carrier signal provided by each subscriber station, said reference carrier signals being of complementary frequencies, and means for receiving signals passed by the filter means to produce therefrom characteristic signals for transmission to each subscriber station thereby establishing substantially simultaneously interdependent retrodirective oscillating loops between subscriber stations and said retrodirective node station to permit communications between the subscriber stations.

12. The retrodirective node station of claim 11, wherein the characteristics signals transmitted to each subscriber station have the same frequency and spatial phases dependent upon the receiving subscriber station.

13. The retrodirective node station of claim 11, wherein the characteristic signals transmitted to each subscriber station have unequal and related frequencies and spatial phases dependent upon the receiving station.

14. A communication system having at least two retrodirective node stations and a communications link between said node stations and at least one subscriber station associated with each retrodirective node station, each of said retrodirective node stations comprising a retrodirective array transceiver including receiving and transmitting antenna arrays, each antenna array having individual antenna elements, means coupling said receiver antenna elements to said transmitting antenna elements including filter means having a pass band selected to pass reference carrier signals of complementary frequency provided by each subscriber station, mixer means for receiving signals passed by the filter means and producing therefrom signals of a characteristic frequency, means for combining the signals of characteristic frequency with the reference carrier signals to produce control carrier signals for transmission to each subscriber station for establishing substantially simultaneously first and second interdependent retrodirective oscillating loops between the subscriber stations and the respective retrodirective node stations, said first and second interdependent retrodirective oscillating loops being established via said communications link which conveys energy characteristic of said second retrodirective oscillating loop to said first retrodirective node and which conveys energy characteristics of said first retrodirective oscillating loop to said second retrodirective oscillating node so that energy characteristics of each of said retrodirective oscillating loops combine in each of said retrodirective nodes and means for transferring information between said subscriber stations via said first and second retrodirective oscillating loops and said communications link.

15. A communications system according to claim 14, wherein said mixer multiplies the signals to produce a signal having a characteristic frequency equal to the sum of the complementary frequencies.

16. A communications system according to claim 15, wherein said means for producing control carrier signals includes a filter coupled to an output of said mixer, said filter having a pass band capable of passing the output signal from the mixer, a reference oscillator for producing a reference oscillator signal having a frequency related to the frequency of the reference carrier signals and means for mixing an output signal of said filter with said reference oscillator signal.