Radio signal broadcast system and method

• US 6,711,398 B1
• Filed: 04/19/2000
• Issued: 03/23/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/19/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hughes Electronics Corporation (Rtx Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Hughes Electronics Corporation (Rtx Corporation)
• Inventors: Himes, John G., Talaie, Farzad, Johnson, Richard H., Noerpel, Anthony R., Rotondo, John L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gary, Erika
• Assistant Examiner(s): Afshar, Kamran
• Application Number:
  US09/552,297
• Time in Patent Office: 1,434 Days
• Field of Search: 455/7, 455/3.01, 455/12.1, 455/3.02, 455/13.1, 455/20, 455/427, 455/11.1, 455/13.3, 455/13.2, 455/447, 455/429, 455/17, 455/62, 455/63, 370/315, 370/316, 370/319, 370/320, 370/321, 370/95, 370/50, 370/75, 380/33, 380/34
• US Class Current: 455/403
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18539 Arrangements for managing radio, resources, i.e. for establishing or releasing a connection
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18543 for adaptation of transmission parameters, e.g. power control for detecting or preventing errors in the information received H04L1/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/2041 Spot beam multiple access
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/06 Selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS]; Services to user groups; One-way selective calling services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/10 Push-to-Talk [PTT] or Push-On-Call services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/30 Resource management for broadcast services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/45 for Push-to-Talk [PTT] or Push-to-Talk over cellular [PoC] services

Abstract

A first transmitting device is used to transmit a first signal on a first carrier frequency to a relay device. The relay device receives the signal by demodulating the first carrier frequency. Subsequently, the relay device retransmits the signal by modulating a second and/or a third carrier frequency. The signal is then recovered at one or more receiving devices by demodulating the second and/or third carrier frequencies. Further, a second transmitting device transmits a second signal on a fourth carrier frequency and the relay device retransmits the signal by modulating a fifth and/or a sixth carrier frequency. The signal is then recovered at one or more receiving devices by demodulating the fifth and/or sixth carrier frequencies. The transmitting and/or receiving devices are preferably voice terminals, such as a wireless telephones or data terminals, such as portable computers. The transmitting and/or receiving devices are optionally coupled to a communications network, such as a public switched telephone network or the Internet. The relay device is preferably a multiple beam satellite and/or a ground station covering several distinct geographical regions.

Claims

1. A system for broadcasting a netted signal, comprising:

a first one-to-many network defined by an authentication protocol and first, second and third carrier frequencies, the first one-to-many network including;

a first transmitting device utilizing the authentication protocol for transmitting a first signal on the first carrier frequency;

a relay device for receiving the first signal and the authentication protocol on the first carrier frequency and transmitting the authentication protocol and the first signal on a plurality of angularly separated frequency sharing beams including the second and third carrier frequencies;

a first receiving device utilizing the authentication protocol and a second receiving device utilizing the authentication protocol for receiving, within a first angularly separated beam, the first signal on the second carrier frequency; and

,

a third receiving device utilizing the authentication protocol and a fourth receiving device utilizing the authentication protocol for receiving, within a second angularly separated beam, the first signal oh the third carrier frequency.

2. A system as defined in claim 1, wherein the second carrier frequency is normally used for a point-to-point voice channel.

3. A system as defined in claim 2, wherein a control channel is used for the point-to-point voice channel, and the control channel is used for a netted radio signal.

4. A system as defined in claim 1, wherein the first signal comprises a digital voice signal.

5. A system as defined in claim 1, wherein the first transmitting device comprises at least one of (a) a voice terminal, (b) a data terminal, (c) a time division multiple access communication device, (d) a code division multiple access communication device, and (e) a frequency-division multiple access communication device.

6. A system as defined in claim 1, wherein the first transmitting device is coupled to a communications network.

7. A system as defined in claim 1, wherein the first carrier frequency comprises at least one of (a) an L-band frequency, (b) an S-band frequency, (c) a C-band frequency, (d) a Ku-band frequency, and (e) a Ka-band frequency.

8. A system as defined in claim 1, wherein the relay device comprises a multiple beam geosynchronous communications satellite.

9. A system as defined in claim 1, wherein the relay device comprises a ground station.

10. A system as defined in claim 1, wherein the relay device comprises at least one of (a) a time division multiple access communication device, (b) a code division multiple access communication device, and (c) a frequency-division multiple access communication device.

11. A system as defined in claim 1, wherein the second carrier frequency comprises at least one of (a) an L-band frequency, (b) an S-band frequency, (c) a C-band frequency, (d) a Ku-band frequency, and (e) a Ka-band frequency.

12. A system as defined in claim 1, wherein the first and second receiving device comprises at least one of (a) voice terminals, (b)data terminals, (c) time division multiple access communication devices, (d) code division multiple access communication devices, and (e) frequency-division multiple access communication devices.

13. A system as defined in claim 1, wherein the first receiving device is coupled to a communications network.

14. The system as defined in claim 1, further comprising:

a second one-to-many network defined by a second authentication protocol and fourth, fifth and sixth carrier frequencies, the second one-to-many network including;

a second transmitting device utilizing the second authentication protocol for transmitting a second signal on the fourth carrier frequency;

a fifth receiving device utilizing the second authentication protocol for receiving within a third angularly separated beam the second signal on the fifth carrier frequency; and

a sixth receiving device utilizing the second authentication protocol for receiving, within a fourth angularly separated beam, the second signal on the sixth carrier frequency,

wherein the relay device receives the second signal and the second authentication protocol on the fourth carrier frequency and transmits the second signal and the second authentication protocol on a plurality of angularly separated frequency sharing beams including the fifth and sixth carrier frequencies.

15. The system as defined in claim 8, wherein the multiple beam geosynchronous communications satellite utilizes a GEM protocol.

16. A system for broadcasting a netted radio signal, comprising:

a multiple beam geosynchronous communications satellite to receive, convert and transmit radio signals on a plurality of angularly separated frequency sharing beams;

a one-to-many radio signal network defined by an authentication protocol having an user identification and a priority code and a first and second carrier frequencies, the one-to-many radio signal network including;

a first transmitting device utilizing the authentication protocol and the first carrier frequency to transmit, within a first angularly separated beam, a first signal to the satellite;

a first receiving device utilizing the authentication protocol and a second carrier frequency to receive, within a second angularly separated beam, the first signal from the satellite;

a second receiving device utilizing the authentication protocol and the second carrier frequency to receive, within the second angularly separated beam, the first signal from the satellite.

17. The system defined in claims 16 wherein the one-to-many radio signal network further includes a third carrier frequency, the system further comprising:

a third receiving device utilizing the authentication protocol and the third carrier frequency to receive, within the second angularly separated beam, the first signal; and

a fourth receiving device utilizing the authentication protocol and the third carrier frequency to receive, within the second angularly separated beam, the first signal.

18. The system defined in claims 16 wherein the system further comprises:

a second one-to-many radio signal network defined by an a second authentication protocol and a third and fourth carrier frequencies, the second one-to-many radio-signal network including;

a third transmitting device utilizing the second authentication protocol and the third carrier frequency to transmit, within a third angularly separated beam, a second signal to the satellite;

a first receiving device utilizing the second authentication protocol and a fourth carrier frequency to receive, within a fourth angularly separated beam, the second signal from the satellite;

a second receiving device utilizing the authentication protocol and the fourth carrier frequency to receive, within the fourth angularly separated beam the second signal from the satellite.

19. A satellite system for broadcasting netted signals, comprising:

a multiple beam geosynchronous communications satellite to generate a plurality of beams, wherein the plurality of beams are angularly separated to allow frequency sharing;

a one-to-many network defined by an authentication protocol and a first and second frequencies, the one-to-many network including;

a first transmitting device in a first beam utilizing the authentication protocol and the first carrier frequency to transmit a first signal to the satellite; and

a first receiving device in a second beam utilizing the authentication protocol and a second carrier frequency to receive the first signal from the satellite.

20. The satellite system defined in claim 19 wherein the network further includes a third carrier frequency, the satellite system further comprising:

a second receiving device in a third beam second utilizing the authentication protocol and the third carrier frequency to receive the first signal from the satellite.

21. The system as defined in claim 20, wherein the multiple beam geosynchronous communications satellite utilizes a GEM protocol.