Radio frequency broadcasting systems and methods using two low-cost geosynchronous satellites and hemispherical coverage antennas
First Claim
1. A method for reducing multi-path fading in a radio broadcasting system adapted to broadcast signals having frequencies in the range of about 300 MHz to about 3,000 MHz comprising:
- broadcasting a first signal using spread spectrum modulation from a first satellite source traveling on a geosynchronous orbit;
substantially simultaneously broadcasting a second signal using spread spectrum modulation, said second signal having substantially the same content and frequency as said first signal from a second satellite source on said geosynchronous orbit, said second satellite source being spaced from said first satellite source a predetermined number of degrees to reduce multi-path fading and to reduce signal attenuation from physical objects in the paths of said first signal and said second signal andproducing an output signal from said first signal and said second signal at a plurality of fixed receivers, at least some of said fixed receivers being connected to substantially flat, hemispherical coverage antennas located at or near the surface of the earth, and having an outer diameter no greater than about 10 inches, said antennas being adapted to receive said frequencies in the range of about 300 MHz to about 3,000 MHz and a plurality of mobile receivers, at least some of said mobile receivers being connected to substantially flat, hemispherical coverage antennas located at or near the surface of the earth, and having an outer diameter no greater than about 10 inches, said antennas being adapted to receive said frequencies in the range of about 300 MHz to about 3,000 MHz.
12 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
The methods and systems for reducing multipath fading and outage from blockage in a radio broadcasting system that is adapted to simultaneously broadcast signals having frequencies in the range of about 300 MHz to about 3,000 MHz from two or more satellite sources traveling on a substantially geosynchronous orbit with the satellite sources separated from one another by a sufficient distance to minimize outage from physical blockages and multipath fading of signals from these satellites and received by a plurality of fixed and mobile platforms using substantially flat, hemispherical coverage antennas, each antenna having an outer diameter no greater than about 10 inches and each adapted to receive frequencies in the range of about 300 MHz to about 3,000 MHz.
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Citations
29 Claims
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1. A method for reducing multi-path fading in a radio broadcasting system adapted to broadcast signals having frequencies in the range of about 300 MHz to about 3,000 MHz comprising:
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broadcasting a first signal using spread spectrum modulation from a first satellite source traveling on a geosynchronous orbit; substantially simultaneously broadcasting a second signal using spread spectrum modulation, said second signal having substantially the same content and frequency as said first signal from a second satellite source on said geosynchronous orbit, said second satellite source being spaced from said first satellite source a predetermined number of degrees to reduce multi-path fading and to reduce signal attenuation from physical objects in the paths of said first signal and said second signal and producing an output signal from said first signal and said second signal at a plurality of fixed receivers, at least some of said fixed receivers being connected to substantially flat, hemispherical coverage antennas located at or near the surface of the earth, and having an outer diameter no greater than about 10 inches, said antennas being adapted to receive said frequencies in the range of about 300 MHz to about 3,000 MHz and a plurality of mobile receivers, at least some of said mobile receivers being connected to substantially flat, hemispherical coverage antennas located at or near the surface of the earth, and having an outer diameter no greater than about 10 inches, said antennas being adapted to receive said frequencies in the range of about 300 MHz to about 3,000 MHz. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A method for reducing satellite-based transmitter power in a radio broadcasting system adapted to broadcast radio signals having frequencies in the range of about 300 MHz to about 3,000 MHz comprising:
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broadcasting on a first path a first broadcast signal that includes audio program information from a first satellite source traveling on a substantially geosynchronous orbit; substantially simultaneously broadcasting on a second path a second broadcast signal having substantially the same content and frequency as said first broadcast signal from a second satellite source on said substantially geosynchronous orbit, said second satellite source and said second path being spaced from said first satellite source and said first path a predetermined number of degrees to reduce the power needed to transmit said first and said second signals to a receiver at or near the earth'"'"'s surface; and assembling and producing said broadcast signal as an output signal from said first broadcast signal and said second broadcast signal at a plurality of fixed receivers, at least some of said fixed receivers being connected to substantially flat, hemispherical coverage antennas located at or near the surface of the earth, and having an outer diameter no greater than about 10 inches, said antennas being adapted to receive said frequencies in the range of about 300 MHz to about 3,000 MHz having at least one channel to receive said first broadcast signal and at least one channel to receive said second broadcast signal, and a plurality of mobile receivers, at least some of said mobile receivers being connected to substantially flat, hemispherical coverage antennas located at or near the surface of the earth, and having an outer diameter no greater than about 10 inches, said antennas being adapted to receive said frequencies in the range of about 300 MHz to about 3,000 MHz having at least one channel to receive said first broadcast signal and at least one channel to receive said second broadcast signal located at or near the earth'"'"'s surface.
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9. A method for reducing satellite-based transmitter power in a radio broadcasting system adapted to broadcast radio signals having frequencies in the range of about 300 MHz to about 3,000 MHz comprising:
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broadcasting on a first path a first broadcast signal that includes audio program information from a first satellite source traveling on a substantially geosynchronous orbit; substantially simultaneously broadcasting on a second path a second broadcast signal with substantially identical content from a second satellite source on said substantially geosynchronous orbit, said second satellite source and said second path being spaced from said first satellite source and said first path a predetermined number of degrees to reduce the power needed to transmit said first and said second broadcast signal to the earth'"'"'s surface, said second broadcast signal having a frequency different from the frequency of said first broadcast signal; and assembling and producing said broadcast signal as an output signal from said first and said second broadcast signals at a plurality of fixed receivers at least some of said fixed receivers being connected to substantially flat, hemispherical coverage antennas having an outer diameter no greater than about 10 inches, said antennas being adapted to receive said frequencies in the range of about 300 MHz to about 3,000 MHz having at least one channel to receive said first broadcast signal and at least one channel to receive said second broadcast signal, and a plurality of mobile receivers, at least some of said mobile receivers being connected to substantially flat, hemispherical coverage antennas located at or near the surface of the earth, and having an outer diameter no greater than about 10 inches, said antennas being adapted to receive said frequencies in the range of about 300 MHz to about 3,000 MHz having at least one channel to receive said first broadcast signal and at least one channel to receive said second broadcast signal.
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10. A method for improving signal reception in a radio system comprising:
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broadcasting on a first path a first broadcast signal that includes audio program information having a frequency in the range of about 300 MHz to about 3,000 MHz from a first satellite source traveling on a substantially geosynchronous orbit; substantially simultaneously broadcasting on a second path a second broadcast signal with identical content having substantially the same frequency as said first broadcast signal or having a frequency different from the frequency of said first broadcast signal from a second satellite source on said substantially geosynchronous orbit, said second satellite source and said second path being spaced from said first satellite source and said first path a predetermined number of degrees to improve reception of said first and said second broadcast signals at a plurality of fixed receivers located at or near the earth'"'"'s surface, and at least some of said fixed receivers being connected to substantially flat, hemispherical coverage antennas having an outer diameter no greater than about 10 inches, said antennas being adapted to receive said frequencies in the range of about 300 MHz to about 3,000 MHz, and a plurality of mobile receivers, at least some of said mobile receivers being connected to substantially flat, hemispherical coverage antennas located at or near the surface of the earth, and having an outer diameter no greater than about 10 inches, said antennas being adapted to receive said frequencies in the range of about 300 MHz to about 3,000 MHz; assembling and producing said broadcast signal as an output signal from said first broadcast signal and said second broadcast signal at said plurality of fixed receivers, at least some of said fixed receivers being connected to substantially flat, hemispherical coverage antennas located at or near the surface of the earth, and having an outer diameter no greater than about 10 inches, said antennas being adapted to receive said frequencies in the range of about 300 MHz to about 3,000 MHz having at least one channel to receive said first broadcast signal and at least one channel to receive said second broadcast signal, and said plurality of mobile receivers, at least some of said mobile receivers being connected to substantially flat, hemispherical coverage antennas located at or near the surface of the earth, and having an outer diameter no greater than about 10 inches, said antennas being adapted to receive said frequencies in the range of about 300 MHz to about 3,000 MHz having at least one channel to receive said first broadcast signal and at least one channel to receive said second broadcast signal. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 24, 25, 26, 28)
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11. A method for reducing foliage attenuation and signal outage from radio path blockage in a radio broadcasting system adapted to broadcast signals having frequencies in the range of about 300 MHZ to about 3,000 MHZ comprising:
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broadcasting on a first path a first broadcast signal that includes audio program information having a frequency in said range from a first satellite source traveling on a substantially geosynchronous orbit; substantially simultaneously broadcasting on a second path a second broadcast signal with identical content having substantially the same frequency as said first broadcast signal or having a frequency different from the frequency of said first broadcast signal from a second satellite source on said geosynchronous orbit, said second satellite source and said second path being spaced from said first satellite source and said first path a predetermined number of degrees to minimize foliage attenuation or radio path blockage; and assembling and producing said broadcast signal as an output signal from said first broadcast signal and said second broadcast signal at a plurality of fixed receivers at least some of said fixed receivers being connected to substantially flat, hemispherical coverage antennas located at or near the surface of the earth, and having an outer diameter no greater than about 10 inches, said antennas being adapted to receive said frequencies in the range of about 300 MHz to about 3,000 MHz having at least one channel to receive said first broadcast signal and at least one channel to receive said second broadcast signal, and a plurality of mobile receivers, at least some of said mobile receivers being connected to substantially flat, hemispherical coverage located at or near the surface of the earth, and antennas having an outer diameter no greater than about 10 inches, said antennas being adapted to receive said frequencies in the range of about 300 MHz to about 3,000 MHz having at least one channel to receive said first broadcast signal and at least one channel to receive said second broadcast signal.
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17. A UHF radio system adapted to broadcast signals having frequencies in a range of about 300 MHz to about 3,000 MHz comprising:
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a broadcasting source for broadcasting on a first path a first broadcast signal that includes audio program information on a first satellite source traveling in a substantially geosynchronous orbit; a broadcasting source for broadcasting on a second path a second broadcast signal from a second satellite source traveling in said substantially geosynchronous orbit, said second satellite source and said second path being spaced from said first satellite source and said first path a predetermined number of degrees to minimize outage and fading of said first and said second broadcast signals; and a plurality of fixed receivers, at least some of said fixed receivers being connected to substantially flat, hemispherical coverage antennas located at or near the surface of the earth, and having an outer diameter no greater than about 10 inches, said antennas being adapted to receive said frequencies in the range of about 300 MHz to about 3,000 MHz, and a plurality of mobile receivers, at least some of said mobile receivers being connected to substantially flat, hemispherical coverage antennas located at or near the surface of the earth, and having an outer diameter no greater than about 10 inches, said antennas being adapted to receive said frequencies in the range of about 300 MHz to about 3,000 MHz for receiving said first and said second broadcast signals, each of said fixed and said mobile receivers being located at or near the surface of the earth, each of said receivers being adapted to produce said broadcast signal as an output signal from said first and said second broadcast signals, each of said receivers including at least one channel to receive said first broadcast signal and at least one channel to receive said second broadcast signal. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 27, 29)
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Specification