Low-cost multi-mission broadband communications payload

• US 6,628,919 B1
• Filed: 08/09/2000
• Issued: 09/30/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 08/09/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hughes Electronics Corporation (Rtx Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Hughes Electronics Corporation (Rtx Corporation)
• Inventors: Barnes, Scott P., Curello, Charles, Fishman, Barry, Rosen, Harold A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Maung, Nay
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lee, John J.
• Application Number:
  US09/636,394
• Time in Patent Office: 1,147 Days
• Field of Search: 455/7, 455/69, 455/13.1, 455/13.4, 455/427, 455/428, 455/429, 455/430, 455/18, 455/20, 455/426, 455/12.1, 455/450, 455/418, 455/419, 370/316, 370/319, 370/323, 370/320, 370/347, 370/318
• US Class Current: 455/12.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18521 Systems of inter linked satellites, i.e. inter satellite service for optical links between satellites H04B10/118
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18597 Arrangements for system physical machines management, i.e. for construction, operations control, administration, maintenance

Abstract

A method and system for communicating using satellites in a constellation in LEO, MEO or GEO orbits is disclosed. The system comprises a receive system, a downlink system, and a data processing system. The receive system receives an uplink signal comprising at least one data packet from at least one user in an uplink cell. The ground programmable downlink system transmits the data packet to a specific downlink cell and adjusts a power used to transmit the data packet to the specific downlink cell. The ground programmable data processing system processes and routes the data packet to an input of the downlink system such that the downlink system transmits the data packet to the specified downlink cell. The method comprises receiving at the satellite an uplink signal comprising at least one data packet from at least one user in an uplink cell, processing the data packet on the satellite, routing the data packet to a transmit antenna on the satellite, adjusting a power level of a transmitter used to transmit the data packet from the satellite to a specific downlink cell, and transmitting the data packet to the specified downlink cell.

Claims

1. A system for providing a communications link between diverse geographic users, using a constellation of satellites comprising at least one satellite in the constellation, comprising:

a receive system, located on the satellite, for receiving an uplink signal comprising at least one data packet from at least one user in an uplink cell;

a ground programmable downlink system, located on the satellite, wherein the ground programmable downlink system transmits the data packet to a specific downlink cell and other data packets to other downlink cells with a phased array antenna and adjusts a power used to transmit the data packet to the specific downlink cell, the downlink system comprising a power management system for providing additional power to specific downlink cells and for equalizing remaining transmitter power across substantally all remaining downlink cells; and

a ground programmable data processing system, located on the satellite and coupled between the receive system and the downlink system, for processing the data packet and routing the data packet to an input of the downlink system such that the downlink system transmits the data packet to the specified downlink cell.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising a crosslink system, wherein the crosslink system communicates between a first satellite and a second satellite in the constellation.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the crosslink system is an optical system.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the crosslink system is a radio frequency system.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the specified downlink cell is only one downlink cell in the system.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the specified downlink cell is more than one cell in the system.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the uplink system receives signals from multiple types of user terminals.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the uplink system receives uplink beams of more than one polarzation.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the uplink system comprises a multibeam antenna for receiving multiple uplink beams.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the power management system provides additional power to specific downlink cells based on updatable weather data.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the data processing system comprises a router to route a given uplink signal to at least one selected downlink cell.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the constellation of satellites is positioned in an orbit selected from a group comprising:

a Low Earth Orbit; and

a Mid-Earth Orbit.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the data processing system dequeues data packets from the downlink system according a power constraint.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the data packet is transmitted to the specified downlink cell via a first beam; and

the data processing system dequeues data packets from the downlink system according to a distance between the first beam and another beam.

15. A method for communicating using a satellite, comprising:

receiving, at the satellite, an uplink signal comprising at least one data packet from at least one user in an uplink cell;

processing the data packet on the satellite;

routing the data packet to a transmit antenna on the satellite;

adjusting a power level of a transmitter used to transmit the data packet from the satellite to a specific downlink cell; and

transmitting the data packet to the specified downlink cell via a phased array antenna;

wherein the data packet is transmitted to the specified downlink cell by a downlink system including the phased array antenna, and the method further comprises the step of dequeing data packet from the downlink system according to a power constraint.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the adjustment of the power level is performed using updatable weather data.

17. A method for communicating using a satellite, comprising:

receiving, at the satellite, an uplink signal comprising at least one data packet from at least one user in an uplink cell;

processing the data packet on the satellite;

routing the data packet to a transmit antenna on the satellite;

adjusting a power level of a tansmitter used to trasmit the data packet from the satellite to a specific downlink cell; and

transmitting the data packet to the specified downlink cell via a phased array antenna;

wherein the data packet is transmitted to the specified downlink cell by a downlink system via a first beam, and the data processing system dequeues data packets from the downlink system according to a distance between the first beam and another beam.