Device for broadcasting digital information via satellite from a plurality of earth stations

• US 6,473,900 B1
• Filed: 09/17/1997
• Issued: 10/29/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 09/20/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Agence Spatiale Europeenne, Eutelsat, SA (Eutelsat Communications SA)
• Original Assignee: Agence Spatiale Europeenne, Organisation Europeenne De Telecommunications Par Satellite Eutelsat
• Inventors: Gouta, Maria, Elia, Carlo, Pham, Huu Nghia
• Primary Examiner(s): Faile, Andrew
• Assistant Examiner(s): BUI, KIEU OANH T
• Application Number:
  US08/932,533
• Time in Patent Office: 1,868 Days
• Field of Search: 725/63, 725/67, 725/68, 725/70, 725/72, 455/3.01, 455/3.02, 455/3.03, 455/3.04, 455/3.06, 455/7, 455/11.1, 455/12.1, 455/91, 455/98, 370/315, 370/316, 370/319, 370/321, 370/322, 370/323, 370/324
• US Class Current: 725/63
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18523 Satellite systems for providing broadcast service to terrestrial stations, i.e. broadcast satellite service arrangements specially adapted for satellite broadcast receiving H04H40/90; picture transmission via satellite H04N1/00103; television transmission via satellite H04N7/20

Abstract

In the device:

at least one set of links sends packet formated digital information to the satellite, on at least two different frequencies;

at least one satellite-borne module receives, multiplexes and re-formates the information on only one downlink;

at least one of the links works in a Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) mode.

Claims

1. A device for broadcasting digital information via satellite from a plurality of earth stations, comprising:

at least one set of links sending packet formatted digital information to the satellite, on at least two different frequencies;

at least, one satellite-borne module which receives, multiplexes and re-formats the information on only one downlink;

at least one of the links which works in a Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) mode;

wherein the structure of MPEG2 packets of the signal transmitted via the satellite is used as follows for a definition of the TDMA frames, these TDMA frames being generated on board the satellite;

in lack of received data, the multiplexer generates jamming packets, the program identification (PID) of which takes a single value corresponding to each uplink;

when an going uplink is configured in TDMA mode, the multiplexer makes a numbering, in a cyclic manner, of the order of the generated packets, a 5-bit field for numbering the jamming packets, in the useful part of the MPEG2 packet, is used for this purpose;

when a burst in an going up station, among n stations, comes to the satellite in phase with a portion of TDMA frame, the DVB packets of this burst will be substituted to the jamming packets for this portion of TDMA frame.

2. The device as set forth in claim 1, wherein the signal that is transmitted via the satellite is a time multiplex signal containing all the useful information, individually transmitted toward the satellite by a plurality of earth stations and rigorously compatible with receivers designed for a reception of signals according to a standard of digital television broadcasting via satellite in the KU bands, called DVB-S.

3. The device as set forth in claim 1, wherein the activation or termination of the transmission of a TDMA station is made in an autonomous manner without coordination with the other stations sharing a same link.

4. The device as set forth in claim 1, wherein a short burst and predetermined packets are used for enabling the earth stations to make a fast, reliable and precise acquisition according to a protocols between them and a receiving part of the satellite-borne module.

5. The device as set froth in claim 1, wherein basic parameters, frame length, guard-time and synchronization protocols and the like, are chosen so to enable a simple implementation of the satellite-borne module.

6. The device as set forth in claim 1, wherein a frame structure transmitted via the satellite comprises a fixed number.

7. The device as set forth in claim 1, wherein adjunction of the TDMA mode is a modular adjunction, whereby only a few changes are made in the equipment of the earth transmission stations with respect to the continuous transmission mode.

8. The device as set forth in claim 1, wherein a compatibility of the multiplexed signal on the down link is made with earth receivers that are designed for receiving signals according to the DVB-S standard with adjunction of the TDMA mode.

9. A device for broadcasting digital information via satellite from a plurality of earth stations, comprising:

at least one set of links sending packet formatted digital information to the satellite, on at least two different frequencies;

at least, one satellite-borne module which receives, multiplexes and re-formats the information on only one downlink;

at least one of the links which works in a Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) mode;

wherein a 52/48 ratio is used for the flow rate increase on the uplinks that are re-configured in TDMA mode.

21. The device as set forth in claim 9, wherein the TDMA or continuous configuration of an uplink is made without a working of the other links be affected thereby, by providing an increase of the transmission flow rate on the going up path of a link with respect to the continuous mode working on this link, and this increase is used for accommodating the preamble and guard-time functions of the transmission in a burst mode.

10. A device for broadcasting digital information via satellite from a plurality of earth stations, comprising:

at least one set of links sending packet formatted digital information to the satellite, on at least two different frequencies;

at least, one satellite-borne module which receives, multiplexes and re-formats the information on only one downlink;

at least one of the links which works in a Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) mode;

wherein a management of the TDMA mode is ensured by an indicator field, called PID field.

11. A device for broadcasting digital information via satellite from a plurality of earth stations, comprising:

at least one set of links sending packet formatted digital information to the satellite, on at least two different frequencies;

at least, one satellite-borne module which receives, multiplexes and re-formats the information on only one downlink;

at least one of the links which works in a Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) mode;

wherein the PID field is used in a telemetry protocol.

12. The device as set forth in claim 11, wherein the signal that is transmitted via the satellite is a time multiplex signal containing all the useful information, individually transmitted toward the satellite by a plurality of earth stations and rigorously compatible with receivers designed for a reception of signals according to a standard of digital television broadcasting via satellite in the KU bands, called DVB-S.

13. The device as set forth in claim 11, wherein the activation or termination of the transmission of a TDMA station is made in an autonomous manner without coordination with the other stations sharing a same link.

14. The device as set forth in claim 11, wherein a short burst and predetermined packets are used for enabling the earth stations to make a fast, reliable and precise acquisition according ,to a protocols between them and a receiving part of the satellite-borne module.

15. The device as set froth in claim 11, wherein basic parameters, frame length, guard-time and synchronization protocols and the like, are chosen so to enable a simple implementation of the satellite-borne module.

16. The device as set forth in claim 11, wherein a frame structure transmitted via the satellite comprises a fixed number equal to 48 DVB packets.

17. The device as set forth in claim 11, wherein adjunction of the TDMA mode is a modular adjunction, whereby only a few changes are made in the equipment of the earth transmission stations with respect to the continuous transmission mode.

18. The device as set forth in claim 11, wherein a compatibility of the multiplexed signal on the down link is made with earth receivers that are designed for receiving signals according to the DVB-S standard with adjunction of the TDMA mode.

19. A device for broadcasting digital information via satellite from a plurality of earth stations, comprising:

at least one set of links sending packet formatted digital information to the satellite, on at least two different frequencies;

at least, one satellite-borne module which receives, multiplexes and re-formats the information on only one downlink;

at least one of the links which works in a Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) mode;

wherein the PID field is used for synchronization management.

20. A device for broadcasting digital information via satellite from a plurality of earth stations, comprising:

at least one set of links sending packet formatted digital information to the satellite, on at least two different frequencies;

at least, one satellite-borne module which receives, multiplexes and re-formats the information on only one downlink;

wherein at least one of the links of a going up path (1a, 1b, . . . , 1n) of a transmission system of an earth station is configured in a Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) transmission mode while at least one other link is configured in the continuous transmissions made.

22. The device as set forth in claim 20, wherein the signal that is transmitted via the satellite is a time multiplex signal containing all the useful information, individually transmitted toward the satellite by a plurality of earth stations and rigorously compatible with receivers designed for a reception of signals according to a standard of digital television broadcasting via satellite in the KU bands, called DVB-S.

23. The device as set forth in claim 20, wherein the activation or termination of the transmission of a TDMA station is made in an autonomous manner without coordination with the other stations sharing a same link.

24. The device as set forth in claim 20, wherein a short burst and predetermined packets are used for enabling the earth stations to make a fast, reliable and precise acquisition according to a protocole between them and a receiving part of the satellite-borne module.

25. The device as set froth in claim 20, wherein basic parameters, frame length, guard-time and synchronization protocole and the Like, are chosen so to enable a simple implementation of the satellite-borne module.

26. The device as set forth in claim 20, wherein a frame structure transmitted via the satellite comprises a fixed number equal to 48 DVB packets.

27. The device as set forth in claim 20, wherein adjunction of the TDMA mode is a modular adjunction, whereby only a few changes are made in the equipment of the earth transmission stations with respect to the continuous transmission mode.

28. The device as set forth in claim 20, wherein a compatibility of the multiplexed signal on the down link is made with earth receivers that are designed for receiving signals according to the DVB-S standard with adjunction of the TDMA mode.