Global gateway architecture for interconnecting regional satellites into a communication network

• US 7,409,160 B2
• Filed: 07/19/2004
• Issued: 08/05/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/07/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: The DIRECTV Group, Inc. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: The DIRECTV Group, Inc. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Ionov, Stanislav I., Valley, George C., Acampora, Anthony S., Izadpanah, Hossein H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Li; Shi K
• Application Number:
  US10/894,950
• Publication Number:
  US 20040264970A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,478 Days
• Field of Search: 398/121, 398/124, 398/125, 398/208
• US Class Current: 398/121
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/118 specially adapted for satellite communication

Abstract

A satellite constellation has a plurality of network satellites that form a network. A gateway satellite is disposed adjacent to the network. The gateway satellites receive an optical signal from the network and converts the signal to an electrical signal. The gateway satellite has a sorter and a reshaping circuit for reshaping the electrical signal to form a reshaped signal. The electrical signal is converted back to an optical signal corresponding to the reshaped signal. The optical signal corresponding to the reshaped signal has reduced noise in comparison to the input optical signal. The optical signal is then retransmitted to another satellite.

Claims

1. A method of communicating between satellites comprising the steps of:

receiving an optical signal from a network satellite at a gateway satellite not part of the network;

converting the optical signal into first electrical signal;

reshaping said first electrical signal into a reshaped electrical signal;

coupling the reshaped electrical signal to a first sorter;

coupling the reshaped electrical signal to a second sorter;

converting the reshaped electrical signal into a reshaped optical signal; and

transmitting the reshaped optical signal from the gateway satellite to another satellite.

2. A method of communicating between satellites as recited in claim 1 further comprising the step of coupling the reshaped electrical signal to an optical transmitter.

3. A method of communicating between satellites as recited in claim 1 wherein the step of reshaping comprises the step of reshaping the first electrical signal into the reshaped electrical signal in a reshaping circuit.

4. A method of communicating between satellites as recited in claim 3 wherein the reshaping circuit comprises a level detector for statistically determining a “

0”

or “

1”

in spite of a noise level in the first electrical signal.

5. A method of communicating between satellites as recited in claim 1 wherein prior to the step of converting amplifying the first electrical signal.

6. A method of communicating between satellites as recited in claim 1 wherein the step of reshaping comprises the step of filtering noise from the first electrical signal.

7. A method of communicating between satellites as recited in claim 6 wherein the step of filtering noise comprises the step of digitally filtering the first electrical signal.

8. A method of communicating between satellites as recited in claim 1 wherein the step of converting the optical signal comprises converting the optical signal into a first digital electrical signal.

9. A satellite communication system comprising:

a plurality of network satellites forming a network; and

a gateway satellite disposed adjacent to and not part of the network, said gateway satellite receiving a first optical signal from said network and converting the signal to an electrical signal, said gateway satellite having a first sorter and a reshaping circuit for reshaping the electrical signal to form a reshaped electrical signal and retransmitting a second optical signal corresponding to said reshaped electrical signal, wherein said gateway satellite comprises

an optical receiver for receiving a plurality of optical signals;

an optical demultiplexer for resolving a first optical signal from said plurality of optical signals;

an optical-to-electrical signal converter for converting the first optical signal of said plurality of optical signals to a first electrical signal;

a reshaping circuit for reshaping said first electrical signal to a reshaped electrical signal;

a first sorter coupled to said reshaping circuit, said first sorter routing said reshaped electrical signal from said plurality of electrical signals;

a second sorter coupled to said first sorter, said first sorter routing said reshaped signal to said second sorter; and

an optical transmitter coupled to said second sorter for receiving said reshaped electrical signal and converting said reshaped electrical signal to a reshaped optical signal.

10. A satellite communication system as recited in claim 9 wherein the shaping and resorting circuit comprises a level detector for statistically determining a “

0”

or “

1”

in spite of a noise level in the electrical signal.