System and method for providing a two-way satellite system

• US 7,164,661 B2
• Filed: 02/16/2001
• Issued: 01/16/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/14/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hughes Network Systems LLC (Echostar Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Hughes Network Systems LLC (Echostar Corporation)
• Inventors: Kelly, Frank
• Primary Examiner(s): To; Doris H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tran; Thien D.
• Application Number:
  US09/785,755
• Publication Number:
  US 20010043575A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,160 Days
• Field of Search: 370/277, 370/316, 370/319, 370/321, 370/323, 370/325, 370/326, 370/329, 370/320, 370/322, 370/333
• US Class Current: 370/323
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18578 Satellite systems for providing broadband data service to individual earth stations for selecting H04W; provisions for broadband connection, H04Q11/0478

Abstract

A two-way satellite communication system is disclosed. A transceiver transmit signals over a return channel to a satellite and receives signals over a downlink channel from the satellite. A hub communicates with the transceiver over the return channel, wherein the hub provides connectivity between the transceiver and a packet switched network.

Claims

1. A two-way satellite communication system, comprising:

a transceiver configured to transmit signals over a plurality of return channels to a satellite and to receive signals over a downlink channel from the satellite;

a network control cluster (NCC) configured to dynamically manage available bandwidth associated with the plurality of return channels during transmission, which includes at least the use of ALOHA channels to dynamically allocate additionally bandwidth if it is established that insufficient bandwidth exits;

a burst channel demodulator (BCD) coupled to the NCC and configured to demodulate the signals that are received from each of the plurality of return; and

a hub configured to communicate with the transceiver over the plurality of return channels, wherein the hub provides connectivity between the transceiver and a packet switched network.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the transceiver transmits the signals over the plurality of return channel using a plurality of carriers, each of the carriers being a Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) stream.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein the packet switched network is the Internet.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein the packet switched network is an Internet Protocol (IP) network.

5. The system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a user terminal coupled to the transceiver and configured to generate data for transmission over the packet switched network; and

an antenna coupled to the transceiver.

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein the user terminal is configured to perform auto-commissioning via a temporary channel to the satellite.

7. The system according to claim 6, wherein the user terminal couples to the transceiver through a Universal Serial Bus (USB).

8. The system according to claim 1, wherein the transceiver supports IP multicasting.

9. The system according to claim 1, wherein the transceiver supports IP multicasting.

10. The system according to claim 1, wherein the signals represent packets that includes a Medium Access Control (MAC) address that is based upon traffic type.

11. A method for exchanging frames over a two-way satellite communication system, the method comprising:

establishing connection to a packet switched network;

dynamically assigning bandwidth provided over a plurality of return channels to a plurality of remotes;

communicating the frames over a respective return channel to a satellite;

determining is sufficient bandwidth is allocated to each communicating channel;

sending data via ALOHA channels to dynamically allocate additional bandwidth if the determining step establishes that insufficient bandwidth exists; and

generating signals associated with the frames using a plurality of carriers, each of the carriers being a Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) stream.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the transmitting step is performed by a transceiver.

13. The method according to claim 11, wherein the packet switched network in the establishing step is the Internet.

14. The method according to claim 11, wherein the packet switched network in the establishing step is an Internet Protocol (IP) network.

15. The method according to claim 11, further comprising:

generating data for transmission over the packet switched network via the respective return channel.

16. The method according to claim 15, further comprising:

performing auto-commissioning over a temporary channel to the satellite.

17. The method according to claim 15, wherein the step of generating data is performed by a

user terminal, the user terminal coupling to a transceiver through a Universal Serial Bus (USB).

18. The method according to claim 12, wherein the transceiver supports IP multicasting.

19. The method according to claim 11, further comprising:

demodulating signals corresponding to the frames that are received from the return channel.

20. The method according to claim 11, wherein the frames in the transmitting step includes a Medium Access Control (MAC) address that is based upon traffic type.

21. A two-way satellite communication system for exchanging frames, the system comprising:

means for transmitting the frames over a plurality of return channel to a satellite and to receive signals over a downlink channel from the satellite;

means for dynamically managing available bandwidth associated with the plurality of return channels during transmission, which includes at least the use of ALOHA channels to dynamically allocate additionally bandwidth if it is established that insufficient bandwidth exits;

means for demodulating the signals that are received from each of the plurality of return channel, said means for demodulating being communicatively coupled to the means for dynamically managing bandwidth; and

means for communicating with the transmitting means over the plurality of return channels, wherein the communicating means provides connectivity between the transmitting means and a packet switched network.

22. The system according to claim 21, wherein the transmitting means is a transceiver.

23. The system according to claim 22, further comprising:

means for generating signals associated with the frames using a plurality of carriers, each of the carriers being a Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) stream.

24. The system according to claim 21, wherein the packet switched network is the Internet.

25. The system according to claim 21, wherein the packet switched network is an Internet Protocol (IP) network.

26. The system according to claim 22, further comprising:

means for generating data for transmission over the packet switched network via the return channel.

27. The system according to claim 26, further comprising:

means for performing auto-commissioning over a temporary channel to the satellite.

28. The system according to claim 26, wherein the generating means is a user terminal, the user terminal coupling to a transceiver through a Universal Serial Bus (USB).

29. The system according to claim 21, wherein the transceiver supports IP multicasting.

30. The system according to claim 21, further comprising:

means for managing bandwidth associated with the return channel; and

means for demodulating signals corresponding to the frames that are received from the return channel.

31. The system according to claim 21, wherein the frames includes a Medium Access Control (MAC) address that is based upon traffic type.

32. A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of one or more instructions for exchanging frames over a two-way satellite communication system, the one or more sequences of one or more instructions including instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform the steps of:

establishing connection to a packet switched network;

dynamically assigning bandwidth provided over a plurality of return channels to a plurality of remotes;

communicating the frames over a respective return channel to a satellite;

determining is sufficient bandwidth is allocated to each communicating channel;

sending data via ALOHA channels to dynamically allocate additional bandwidth if the determining step establishes that insufficient bandwidth exists; and

generating signals associated with the frames using a plurality of carriers, each of the carriers being a Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) stream.

33. The computer-readable medium according to claim 32, further comprising:

generating signals associated with the frames using a plurality of carriers, each of the carriers being a Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) stream.

34. The computer-readable medium according to claim 32, wherein the packet switched network in the establishing step is the Internet.

35. The computer-readable medium according to claim 32, wherein the packet switched network in the establishing step is an Internet Protocol (IP) network.

36. The computer-readable medium according to claim 32, wherein the one or more processors further perform the step of:

generating data for transmission over the packet switched network via the return channel.

37. The computer-readable medium according to claim 32, wherein the one or more processors further perform the step of:

performing auto-commissioning over a temporary channel to the satellite.

38. The computer-readable medium according to claim 32, wherein the one or more processors further perform the steps of:

demodulating signals corresponding to the frames that are received from the return channel.

39. The computer-readable medium according to claim 32, wherein the frames in the transmitting step includes a Medium Access Control (MAC) address that is based upon traffic type.