Extraterrestrial communications systems and methods including ancillary extraterrestrial components
First Claim
1. A communications system composing:
- a first space-based component that is configured to provide wireless communications to a plurality of radioterminals located on an extraterrestrial body using frequencies of a first satellite frequency band wherein the first space-based component includes at least one satellite orbiting the extraterrestrial body; and
a first ancillary extraterrestrial component on the extraterrestrial body that is configured to establish first wireless links directly between itself and the first space-based component and directly between itself and a first radioterminal and to use the first wireless links to provide wireless communications between the first radioterminal and a second radioterminal;
wherein the second radioterminal communicates with the first radioterminal via a second ancillary extraterrestrial component on the extraterrestrial body that is configured to establish second wireless links directly between itself and the first space-based component and directly between itself and the second radioterminal; and
wherein the first ancillary extraterrestrial component is further configured to detect transmissions of the second ancillary extraterrestrial component, to establish a link therebetween responsive to having detected the transmissions and to use the link that is established to coordinate frequency reuse, transmission power and/or hand-off of radioterminals with the second ancillary extraterrestrial component.
14 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A system for communications on an extraterrestrial body may include a space-based component and an ancillary extraterrestrial component on the extraterrestrial body. The space-based component may be configured to provide wireless communications with a plurality of radioterminals located on the extraterrestrial body over a satellite frequency band wherein the space-based component includes at least one satellite orbiting the extraterrestrial body. The ancillary extraterrestrial component may be configured to provide wireless communications with the plurality of radioterminals located on the extraterrestrial body. Moreover, the ancillary extraterrestrial component may reuse at least one satellite frequency of the satellite frequency band, and the space-based component and the ancillary extraterrestrial component may be configured to relay communications therebetween. Related methods are also discussed.
-
Citations
37 Claims
-
1. A communications system composing:
-
a first space-based component that is configured to provide wireless communications to a plurality of radioterminals located on an extraterrestrial body using frequencies of a first satellite frequency band wherein the first space-based component includes at least one satellite orbiting the extraterrestrial body; and a first ancillary extraterrestrial component on the extraterrestrial body that is configured to establish first wireless links directly between itself and the first space-based component and directly between itself and a first radioterminal and to use the first wireless links to provide wireless communications between the first radioterminal and a second radioterminal; wherein the second radioterminal communicates with the first radioterminal via a second ancillary extraterrestrial component on the extraterrestrial body that is configured to establish second wireless links directly between itself and the first space-based component and directly between itself and the second radioterminal; and wherein the first ancillary extraterrestrial component is further configured to detect transmissions of the second ancillary extraterrestrial component, to establish a link therebetween responsive to having detected the transmissions and to use the link that is established to coordinate frequency reuse, transmission power and/or hand-off of radioterminals with the second ancillary extraterrestrial component. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
-
-
16. An extraterrestrial communications system comprising:
-
a first space-based component that is configured to provide wireless communications to a first plurality of radioterminals located on an extraterrestrial body wherein the first space-based component includes at least one satellite orbiting the extraterrestrial body; an ancillary extraterrestrial component on the extraterrestrial body that is configured to provide wireless communications to the first plurality of radioterminals located on the extraterrestrial body, wherein the first space-based component and the ancillary extraterrestrial component are configured to relay communications therebetween and wherein the ancillary extraterrestrial component is configured to detect transmissions of at least one other ancillary extraterrestrial component, to establish a link therebetween responsive to having detected the transmissions and to use the link that is established to coordinate frequency reuse, transmission power and/or hand-off of radioterminals with the at least one other ancillary extraterrestrial component; a second space-based component that is configured to provide wireless communications to a second plurality of radioterminals located on earth wherein the second space-based component includes at least one satellite orbiting earth; and an ancillary terrestrial component on earth that is configured to provide wireless communications to the second plurality of radioterminals located on earth, wherein the second space-based component and the ancillary terrestrial component are configured to relay communications therebetween; wherein the first space-based component, the ancillary extraterrestrial component, the second space-based component, and the ancillary terrestrial component are configured to relay communications between a radioterminal on the extraterrestrial body and a radioterminal on earth such that communications between the radioterminal on the extraterrestrial body and the radioterminal on earth are relayed through at least two of the first space-based component, the ancillary extraterrestrial component, the second space-based component and the ancillary terrestrial component. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
-
-
31. A communications system comprising:
-
a space-based component that is configured to provide wireless communications to a plurality of radioterminals located on earth over a first satellite frequency band wherein the space-based component includes at least one satellite orbiting earth; and an ancillary terrestrial component on earth that is configured to provide wireless communications to with the plurality of radioterminals located on earth; wherein the ancillary terrestrial component uses at least one frequency of the first satellite frequency band, is configured to detect transmissions of at least one other ancillary terrestrial component, to establish a link therebetween responsive to having detected the transmissions and to use the link that is established to coordinate frequency reuse, transmission power and/or hand-off of radioterminals with the at least one other ancillary terrestrial component; and wherein the space-based component and the ancillary terrestrial component are configured to relay communications therebetween and at least one of the space-based component and the ancillary terrestrial component is configured to relay communications between one of the plurality of radioterminals located on earth and a radioterminal located on an extraterrestrial body. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33, 34)
-
-
35. A method of operating a communications system comprising a space-based component including at least one satellite orbiting an extraterrestrial body and an ancillary extraterrestrial component on the extraterrestrial body, the method comprising:
-
providing wireless communications by the space-based component to a plurality of radioterminals located on the extraterrestrial body over a satellite frequency band; providing wireless communications by the ancillary extraterrestrial component to the plurality of radioterminals located on the extraterrestrial body, wherein the ancillary extraterrestrial component uses at least one frequency of the satellite frequency band; establishing direct wireless links between the space-based component and the ancillary extraterrestrial component and relaying communications between the space-based component and the ancillary extraterrestrial component using the direct wireless links; and detecting by the ancillary extraterrestrial component transmissions of at least one other ancillary extraterrestrial component, establishing a link therebetween responsive to the detecting and coordinating with the at least one other ancillary extraterrestrial component, using the link that is established, frequency reuse, transmission power and/or hand-off of radioterminals.
-
-
36. A method of operating a communications system comprising a first space-based component including at least one satellite orbiting an extraterrestrial body, an ancillary extraterrestrial component on the extraterrestrial body, a second space-based component including at least one satellite orbiting earth, and an ancillary terrestrial component on earth, the method comprising:
-
providing wireless communications by the first space-based component to a plurality of radioterminals located on the extraterrestrial body; providing wireless communications by the ancillary extraterrestrial component to the plurality of radioterminals located on the extraterrestrial body; establishing direct wireless links between the first space-based component and the ancillary extraterrestrial component and relaying communications between the first space-based component and the ancillary extraterrestrial component using the direct wireless links; providing wireless communications by the second space-based component to a plurality of radioterminals located on earth; providing wireless communications by the ancillary terrestrial component to the plurality of radioterminals located on earth; establishing direct wireless communications links between the second space-based component and the ancillary terrestrial component and relaying wireless communications therebetween using the direct wireless communications links; detecting by the ancillary extraterrestrial component transmissions of at least one other ancillary extraterrestrial component, establishing a link therebetween responsive to the detecting and coordinating with the at least one other ancillary extraterrestrial component, using the link that is established, frequency reuse, transmission power and/or hand-off of radioterminals; and relaying communications between a radioterminal on the extraterrestrial body and a radioterminal on earth such that communications between the radioterminal on the extraterrestrial body and the radioterminal on earth are relayed through at least two of the first space-based component, the ancillary extraterrestrial component, the second space-based component and the ancillary terrestrial component.
-
-
37. A method of operating a communications system comprising a space-based component including at least one satellite orbiting earth, and an ancillary terrestrial component on earth, the method comprising:
-
providing wireless communications by the space-based component to a plurality of radioterminals located on earth using service link frequencies of a satellite frequency band; providing wireless communications by the ancillary terrestrial component to the plurality of radioterminals located on earth using service link frequencies of the satellite frequency band; relaying communications between the space-based component and the ancillary terrestrial component; detecting by the ancillary terrestrial component transmissions of at least one other ancillary terrestrial component, establishing a link therebetween responsive to the detecting and coordinating with the at least one other ancillary terrestrial component, using the link that is established responsive to the detecting, frequency reuse, transmission power and/or hand-off of radioterminals; and relaying communications between one of the plurality of radioterminals located on earth and a radioterminal located on an extraterrestrial body using the space-based component and the ancillary terrestrial component.
-
Specification