High capacity communications satellite
First Claim
1. A two-way communication system using only one satellite, said system comprising:
- receiving means for receiving a first set of N beams, each of said first set of N beams servicing M customers simultaneously, where N and M are integers;
optical channel forming means for forming a first set of N optical channels from respective ones of said N beams;
spreading means for spreading each of said first set of N optical channels in one dimension to irradiate a first N×
M array;
switching means for switching a signal existing at one position of the first N×
M array to any position of a second N×
M array;
unspreading means for forming said second N×
M array into a second set of N optical channels;
beam forming means for transforming the second set of N optical channels from said unspreading means into a second set of N beams; and
transmitting means for transmitting the second set of N beams from said beam forming means, each of said second set of N beams servicing M customers simultaneously.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A high capacity communication satellite uses a large number of parallel beams and optical processing to effect a fully interactive, high bandwidth, high channel capacity fully switched communication system. The satellite reuses its assigned bandwidth in each of the multiple beams. The beams are formed by either RF or optical means. The specific users in each beam are then separated optically using spatial light modulation (SLM) array correlation techniques. A single large SLM, or multiple smaller SLMs in combination, may be used. The individual customers are then repositioned in the array by optical SLM mixing and recorrelation. The result is then remodulated by another SLM array used as a mixer, and then recombined to reform the appropriate outgoing beams. The entire system then becomes a fully switched, high bandwidth, high channel capacity communications network on a single satellite.
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Citations
31 Claims
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1. A two-way communication system using only one satellite, said system comprising:
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receiving means for receiving a first set of N beams, each of said first set of N beams servicing M customers simultaneously, where N and M are integers; optical channel forming means for forming a first set of N optical channels from respective ones of said N beams; spreading means for spreading each of said first set of N optical channels in one dimension to irradiate a first N×
M array;switching means for switching a signal existing at one position of the first N×
M array to any position of a second N×
M array;unspreading means for forming said second N×
M array into a second set of N optical channels;beam forming means for transforming the second set of N optical channels from said unspreading means into a second set of N beams; and transmitting means for transmitting the second set of N beams from said beam forming means, each of said second set of N beams servicing M customers simultaneously. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
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Specification