Transmit and receive payload pair and method for use in communication systems
First Claim
1. In a satellite communication system which uses a plurality of transmit and receive payload pairs, which are coupled to each other via long crosslinks, to provide communication services to a plurality of communication units, a method of providing said communication services comprising the steps of:
- configuring a first number of receive payload satellites having at least one antenna optimized to operate in a receive-only mode at first locations in orbits around the earth;
configuring a second number of transmit payload satellites having at least one antenna optimized to operate in a transmit-only mode at second locations in orbits around the earth, wherein said first locations and said second locations being chosen to separate high power transmitter operations associated with said transmit payload satellites from sensitive receive operations associated with said receive payload satellites;
positioning said first number of receive payload satellites at said first locations in orbits around the earth, wherein said first number of receive payload satellites are adapted to perform substantially only receiving functions and substantially none of the transmitting functions for uplink communication channels from said plurality of communication units, transmitting functions for short crosslink communication channels, receiving functions for long crosslink communication channels, and a first set of space-based processing functions;
establishing at least one uplink communication channel between a first receive payload satellite and a first communication unit;
positioning said second number of transmit payload satellites at said second locations in orbits around the earth, wherein said second number of transmit payload satellites are adapted to perform substantially only transmitting functions and substantially none of the receiving functions for downlink communication channels to said plurality of communication units, receiving functions for short crosslink communication channels, transmitting functions for long crosslink communication channels, and a second set of space-based processing functions;
establishing a first short crosslink from said first receive payload satellite to a first transmit payload satellite, said first short crosslink providing at least one short crosslink communication channel for passing data between said first transmit payload satellite and said first receive payload satellite, thereby forming a first transmit and receive payload pair;
establishing a second short crosslink from a second receive payload satellite to a second transmit payload satellite, said second short crosslink providing at least one short crosslink communication channel for passing data between said second transmit payload satellite and said second receive payload satellite, thereby forming a second transmit and receive payload pair;
establishing at least one downlink communication channel between said second transmit payload satellite and a second communication unit; and
establishing at least one long crosslink communication channel between said first transmit payload satellite and said second receive payload satellite, thereby coupling said first transmit and receive payload pair to said second transmit and receive payload pair so that communication service data sent from said first communication unit is received by said second communication unit, wherein said communication service data is sent over said at least one uplink communication channel, said first short crosslink, said at least one long crosslink communication channel, said second short crosslink, and said at least one downlink communication channel.
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0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Transmit, receive, and processing functions of a communication satellite are performed by two communication payload satellites. A transmit payload satellite (20) and a receive payload satellite (10) communicate via a crosslink (30,28) which provides the communication path between the two parts of the transmit and receive payload pair (50). The receive payload satellite (10) is optimized to perform substantially all of the receiving and processing functions required in space. The transmit payload satellite (20) is optimized to perform substantially all of the transmitting functions. The optimization process takes into account the location in space for the two separate payloads, where trade-offs are made with respect to electromagnetic signal interference issues, size, weight, power, and complexity.
19 Citations
23 Claims
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1. In a satellite communication system which uses a plurality of transmit and receive payload pairs, which are coupled to each other via long crosslinks, to provide communication services to a plurality of communication units, a method of providing said communication services comprising the steps of:
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configuring a first number of receive payload satellites having at least one antenna optimized to operate in a receive-only mode at first locations in orbits around the earth; configuring a second number of transmit payload satellites having at least one antenna optimized to operate in a transmit-only mode at second locations in orbits around the earth, wherein said first locations and said second locations being chosen to separate high power transmitter operations associated with said transmit payload satellites from sensitive receive operations associated with said receive payload satellites; positioning said first number of receive payload satellites at said first locations in orbits around the earth, wherein said first number of receive payload satellites are adapted to perform substantially only receiving functions and substantially none of the transmitting functions for uplink communication channels from said plurality of communication units, transmitting functions for short crosslink communication channels, receiving functions for long crosslink communication channels, and a first set of space-based processing functions; establishing at least one uplink communication channel between a first receive payload satellite and a first communication unit; positioning said second number of transmit payload satellites at said second locations in orbits around the earth, wherein said second number of transmit payload satellites are adapted to perform substantially only transmitting functions and substantially none of the receiving functions for downlink communication channels to said plurality of communication units, receiving functions for short crosslink communication channels, transmitting functions for long crosslink communication channels, and a second set of space-based processing functions; establishing a first short crosslink from said first receive payload satellite to a first transmit payload satellite, said first short crosslink providing at least one short crosslink communication channel for passing data between said first transmit payload satellite and said first receive payload satellite, thereby forming a first transmit and receive payload pair; establishing a second short crosslink from a second receive payload satellite to a second transmit payload satellite, said second short crosslink providing at least one short crosslink communication channel for passing data between said second transmit payload satellite and said second receive payload satellite, thereby forming a second transmit and receive payload pair; establishing at least one downlink communication channel between said second transmit payload satellite and a second communication unit; and establishing at least one long crosslink communication channel between said first transmit payload satellite and said second receive payload satellite, thereby coupling said first transmit and receive payload pair to said second transmit and receive payload pair so that communication service data sent from said first communication unit is received by said second communication unit, wherein said communication service data is sent over said at least one uplink communication channel, said first short crosslink, said at least one long crosslink communication channel, said second short crosslink, and said at least one downlink communication channel. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. In a satellite communication system which uses a plurality of transmit and receive payload pairs, which are coupled to each other via long crosslinks, to provide communication services to a plurality of communication units, a method of operating a receive payload satellite in a transmit and receive payload pair, said method comprising the steps of:
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configuring said receive payload satellite to perform substantially all of the uplink receiving and processing functions and substantially none of the associated downlink transmitting functions; positioning said receive payload satellite in a first location in orbit around the earth wherein said first location is chosen to separate high power transmitter operations associated with at least one transmit payload satellite at a second location in orbit from sensitive receive operations associated with said receive payload satellite; receiving uplink received signals from at least one of said plurality of communication units; converting said uplink received signals into uplink received data; receiving crosslink received signals from at least one transmit payload satellite in another transmit and receive payload pair, said transmit and receive payload pair being coupled to said another transmit and receive payload pair using a long crosslink; converting said crosslink received signals into crosslink received data; processing said uplink received data and crosslink received data into payload data and crosslink transmitted data; converting said crosslink transmitted data into crosslink transmitted signals; sending said crosslink transmitted signals to a transmit payload satellite via a short crosslink, said short crosslink coupling said transmit payload satellite to said receive payload satellite, thereby forming said transmit and receive payload pair; and using some of said payload data to control said receive payload satellite. - View Dependent Claims (15)
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16. In a satellite communication system which uses a plurality of transmit and receive payload pairs, which are coupled to each other via long crosslinks, to provide communication services to a plurality of communication units, a method of operating a transmit payload satellite in a transmit and receive payload pair, said method comprising the steps of:
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configuring said transmit payload satellite to perform substantially all of the downlink transmitting functions and substantially none of the associated uplink receiving functions; positioning said transmit payload satellite in a second location in orbit around the earth, wherein said second location is chosen to separate high power transmitter operations associated with said transmit payload satellite at said second location from sensitive receive operations associated with at least one receive payload satellite at a first location in orbit around the earth; establishing a short crosslink to a receive payload satellite, said short crosslink coupling said transmit payload satellite to said receive payload satellite to form said transmit and receive payload pair; receiving crosslink received signals from said receive payload satellite via said short crosslink; converting said crosslink received signals into crosslink received data; using said crosslink received data to determine payload data, crosslink transmitted data, and downlink transmitted data; using said payload data to control said transmit payload satellite; converting said crosslink transmitted data into crosslink transmitted signals; establishing a long crosslink to a receive payload satellite in a different orbital plane, said long crosslink coupling said transmit payload satellite in said transmit and receive payload pair to said receive payload satellite which is in another transmit and receive payload pair; transmitting said crosslink transmitted signals to said receive payload satellite in said another transmit and receive payload pair via said long crosslink; converting said downlink transmitted data into downlink transmitted signals; and transmitting said downlink transmitted signals to at least one of said plurality of communication units. - View Dependent Claims (17)
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18. A satellite communication system which uses a plurality of transmit and receive payload pairs, which are coupled to each other via long crosslinks, to provide communication services to a plurality of communication units, a transmit and receive payload pair comprising:
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a receive payload satellite comprising means for receiving signals via uplink communication channels from said plurality of communication units, said means for receiving including an uplink antenna that has been optimized to operate in a receive-only mode when said receive payload satellite is positioned in a first orbit around the earth, means for transmitting signals via short crosslink communication channels to a transmit payload satellite in said transmit and receive payload pair, means for receiving signals via long crosslink communication channels from a second transmit payload satellite in a second transmit and receive payload pair, and means for performing a first set of space-based processing functions required to provide said communication services, said first set comprising on-board processing functions for said receive payload satellite and substantially all processing functions for said transmit payload satellite in said transmit and receive payload pair; and a transmit payload satellite comprising means for transmitting signals via downlink communication channels to said plurality of communication units, said means for transmitting including a downlink antenna that has been optimized to operate in a transmit-only mode when said transmit payload satellite is positioned in a second orbit around the earth, means for receiving signals via short crosslink communication channels from a receive payload satellite in a transmit and receive payload pair, means for transmitting signals via long crosslink communication channels to another receive payload satellite in another transmit and receive payload pair, and means for performing a second set of space-based processing functions required to provide said communication services, wherein said first orbit and said second orbit are chosen to physically separate high power transmitter operations associated with said transmit payload satellite from sensitive receive operations associated with said receive payload satellite. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21)
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22. In a satellite communication system which uses a plurality of transmit and receive payload pairs, which are coupled to each other via long crosslinks, to provide communication services to a plurality of communication units, wherein a transmit and receive payload pair comprises a receive payload satellite and a transmit payload satellite that are coupled to each other using a short crosslink communication channel, said receive payload satellite comprising:
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an uplink antenna for receiving uplink received signals from at least one of said plurality of communication units, said uplink antenna being optimized to operate in a receive-only mode at a first location in orbit around the earth, wherein said first location is chosen to separate high power transmitter operations associated with at least one transmit payload satellite at a second location in orbit from sensitive receive operations associated with said receive payload satellite; an uplink receiver unit coupled to said uplink antenna for converting said uplink received signals from at least one of said plurality of communication units into uplink received data;
performs substantially all space-based receiving functions that are required to provide said communication services said uplink receiver unit being optimized to operate at said first location;a crosslink antenna unit for providing said short crosslink communication channel between said receive payload satellite and said transmit payload satellite in said transmit and receive payload pair, said transmit payload satellite being in a second location in orbit around the earth and for providing at least one long crosslink communication channel between said receive payload satellite and at least one other transmit payload satellite in another transmit and receive payload pair; a crosslink receiver unit coupled to said crosslink antenna unit for converting crosslink received signals into crosslink received data; a crosslink transmitter unit coupled to said crosslink antenna unit for converting crosslink transmitted data into crosslink transmitted signals; and a processing unit coupled to said uplink receiver unit, to said crosslink receiver unit, and to said crosslink transmitter unit for processing said uplink received data, said crosslink received data, said crosslink transmitted data, and payload data, said processing unit providing all on-board processing functions for said receive payload satellite and substantially all processing functions for said transmit payload satellite in said transmit and receive payload pair.
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23. In a satellite communication system which uses a plurality of transmit and receive payload pairs, which are coupled to each other via long crosslinks, to provide communication services to a plurality of communication units, wherein a transmit and receive payload pair comprises a receive payload satellite and a transmit payload satellite that are coupled to each other using a short crosslink communication channel, said transmit payload satellite comprising:
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a downlink antenna for transmitting downlink transmitted signals to at least one of said plurality of communication units, said downlink antenna being optimized to operate in a transmit-only mode at a second location in orbit around the earth, wherein said second location is chosen to separate high power transmitter operations associated with said transmit payload satellite at said second location from sensitive receive operations associated with at least one receive payload satellite at a first location in orbit around the earth; a downlink transmitter unit coupled to said downlink antenna for converting downlink transmitted data into said downlink transmitted signals, said downlink transmitter unit performing substantially all associated space-based transmitting functions that are required to provide said communication services and substantially none of space-based receiving functions that are required to provide said communication services; a crosslink receiver unit coupled to said downlink transmitter unit for converting crosslink received signals into crosslink received data, wherein said crosslink received signals are received on said short crosslink communication channel from said receive payload satellite of said transmit and receive payload pair, said crosslink received data comprising instructional data from said receive payload satellite which said transmit payload satellite uses to modify its operations; a crosslink transmitter unit coupled to said crosslink receiver unit for converting crosslink transmitted data into crosslink transmitted signals which are transmitted on at least one long crosslink communication channel between said transmit payload satellite and at least one other receive payload satellite in another transmit and receive payload pair; and a crosslink antenna unit coupled to said crosslink receiver unit for providing said short crosslink communication channel and to said crosslink transmitter unit for providing said at least one long crosslink communication channel.
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Specification