Methods and systems providing adaptive feeder links for ground based beam forming and related systems and satellites

• US 7,609,666 B2
• Filed: 03/14/2006
• Issued: 10/27/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: ATC Technology Corporation (FedEx Corporation)
• Original Assignee: ATC Technology Corporation (FedEx Corporation)
• Inventors: Karabinis, Peter D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Anderson; Matthew D
• Assistant Examiner(s): Aminzay; Shaima Q
• Application Number:
  US11/375,422
• Publication Number:
  US 20060211419A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,323 Days
• Field of Search: 370/316, 370/310, 370/325, 370/331, 370/335, 370/342, 370/478, 455/12.1, 455/13.3, 455/427, 455/428, 455/435.1, 375/130
• US Class Current: 370/316
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/2041 Spot beam multiple access

Abstract

A method of operating a communications system including a satellite may include providing communications feeder links between the satellite and a plurality of satellite gateways, and providing a communications service link between the satellite and at least one radioterminal using a plurality of satellite service link antenna feed elements. During a first time period, signals of first and second service link antenna feed elements of the plurality of service link antenna feed elements may be coupled between a first one of the plurality of satellite gateways and the first and second service link antenna feed elements. During a second time period, a signal of the first service link antenna feed element may be coupled between the first satellite gateway and the first service link antenna feed element, and a signal of the second service link antenna feed element may be coupled between a second one of the plurality of satellite gateways and the second service link antenna feed element. Related communications systems and satellites are also discussed.

Claims

1. A method of operating a communications system including a satellite, the method comprising:

providing communications service links between the satellite and radioterminals using a plurality of satellite service link antenna feed elements;

during usage of a first portion of service link spectrum, coupling signals of first and second feed elements, of the plurality of service link antenna feed elements, to a first satellite gateway only; and

during usage of a second portion of service link spectrum that is larger than the first portion of service link spectrum, coupling signals of the first feed element to the first satellite gateway and to a second satellite gateway and coupling signals of the second feed element to the first satellite gateway and to the second satellite gateway.

2. A method according to claim 1 wherein at least some feed elements of the plurality of satellite service link antenna feed elements are configured to receive information from radioterminals over at least two different polarization orientations.

3. A method according to claim 2 wherein signals of the first and second feed elements are received at the satellite over a feeder link frequency band and transmitted from the first and second feed elements to radioterminals over a service link frequency band.

4. A method according to claim 3 wherein signals of the first and second feed elements are received from radioterminals at the first and second feed elements over a service link frequency band and over at least two different polarization orientations and transmitted to at least one satellite gateway over a feeder link frequency band.

5. A method according to claim 1, the method further comprising:

during usage of a third portion of service link spectrum that is larger than the second portion of service link spectrum, coupling signals of the first feed element to the first, second and a third satellite gateway and coupling signals of the second feed element to the first, second and third satellite gateway.

6. A method according to claim 1 wherein providing communications service links comprises:

providing a first service link between the satellite and a first radioterminal located in a first coverage area; and

providing a second service link between the satellite and a second radioterminal located in a second coverage area.

7. A method according to claim 6 wherein the first and second service links reuse at least one frequency.

8. A method according to claim 1 wherein the signals of the first and second feed elements include at least two differently polarized components of communications with at least one radioterminal in communications with the satellite.

9. A method of operating a communications system including a satellite having a plurality of satellite service link antenna feed elements, the method comprising:

during usage of a first portion of service link spectrum, providing a first feeder link between a first gateway and the satellite and communicating signals for first and second feed elements of the plurality of satellite service link antenna feed elements over the first feeder link only; and

during usage of a second portion of service link spectrum that is larger than the first portion of service link spectrum, providing the first feeder link between the first gateway and the satellite, providing a second feeder link between a second gateway and the satellite, communicating signals for the first feed element over the first and second feeder links, and communicating signals for the second feed element over the first and second feeder links.

10. A method according to claim 9 wherein at least some feed elements of the plurality of satellite service link antenna feed elements are configured to receive information from radioterminals over at least two different polarization orientations.

11. A method according to claim 10 wherein the signals for the first and second feed elements are received at the satellite over a feeder link frequency band and over at least two different polarizations.

12. A method according to claim 11 further comprising:

receiving communications for transmission from the satellite to a radioterminal; and

applying first and second weights to the communications to generate respective signal components for the first and second feed elements.

13. A method according to claim 9 wherein signals for the first and second feed elements are transmitted to the satellite over a feeder link frequency band.

14. A method according to claim 13 further comprising:

combining components of the signals for the first and second feed elements to establish communications with at least one radioterminal.

15. A method according to claim 9, the method further comprising:

during usage of a third portion of service link spectrum that is larger than the second portion of service link spectrum, providing the first feeder link between the first gateway and the satellite, providing the second feeder link between the second gateway and the satellite, providing a third feeder link between a third gateway and the satellite, communicating signals for the first feed element between the first gateway and the satellite, between the second gateway and the satellite and between the third gateway and the satellite over the first, second and third feeder links, respectively, and communicating signals for the second feed element between the first gateway and the satellite, between the second gateway and the satellite and between the third gateway and the satellite over the first, second and third feeder links, respectively.

16. A method according to claim 9 wherein the signals for the first and second feed elements include components of communications with at least one radioterminal in communications with the satellite.

17. A method of operating a communications system including a satellite having a plurality of satellite service link antenna feed elements, the method comprising:

during usage of a first portion of service link spectrum, providing a feeder link between a gateway and the satellite and communicating signals for first and second feed elements of the plurality of satellite service link antenna feed elements between the gateway and the satellite over the feeder link, wherein the signals for the first and second feed elements are separated by a first frequency offset in a feeder link frequency band that is used by the feeder link; and

during usage of a second portion of service link spectrum that is larger than the first portion of service link spectrum, providing the feeder link between the gateway and the satellite and communicating signals for first and second feed elements of the plurality of satellite service link antenna feed elements between the gateway and the satellite over the feeder link, wherein the signals for the first and second feed elements are separated by a second frequency offset in the feeder link frequency band, wherein the first and second frequency offsets are different.

18. A method according to claim 17 wherein at least some feed elements of the plurality of satellite service link antenna feed elements are configured to receive information from radioterminals over at least two different polarization orientations.

19. A method according to claim 18 wherein signals for the first and second feed elements are transmitted over the feeder link frequency band over at least two different polarization orientations.

20. A method according to claim 19 further comprising:

receiving communications for transmission from the satellite to a radioterminal; and

applying first and second weights to the communications to generate respective signal components for the first and second feed elements.

21. A method according to claim 17 wherein signals for the first and second feed elements are received at the satellite over the feeder link frequency band and over at least two different polarization orientations.

22. A method according to claim 21 further comprising:

combining components of the signals for the first and second feed elements to establish communications with at least one radioterminal.

23. A method according to claim 17 further comprising:

during usage of the first portion of service link spectrum, coupling signals associated with the first and second feed elements to a first satellite gateway only; and

during usage of the second portion of service link spectrum that is larger than the first portion of service link spectrum, coupling signals associated with the first feed element to the first satellite gateway and to a second satellite gateway and coupling signals associated with the second feed element to the first satellite gateway and to the second satellite gateway.

24. A method according to claim 17 wherein the signals for the first and second feed elements include components of communications for first and second radioterminals.

25. A method according to claim 17, further comprising:

during usage of a third portion of service link spectrum that is larger than the second portion of service link spectrum, providing the feeder link between the gateway and the satellite and communicating signals for first and second feed elements of the plurality of satellite service link antenna feed elements between the gateway and the satellite over the feeder link, wherein the signals for the first and second feed elements are separated by a third frequency offset in the feeder link frequency band, wherein the first and third frequency offsets are different and wherein the second and third frequency offsets are different.

26. A satellite for a communications system, the satellite comprising:

at least one antenna including a plurality of satellite service link antenna feed elements, the at least one antenna providing communications service links between the satellite and radioterminals using the plurality of satellite service link antenna feed elements; and

a translator configured to couple signals of first and second feed elements of the plurality of service link antenna feed elements to a first satellite gateway only during usage of a first portion of service link spectrum, and to couple signals of the first feed element to the first satellite gateway and to a second satellite gateway and to couple signals of the second feed element to the first satellite gateway and to the second satellite gateway during usage of a second portion of service link spectrum that is larger than the first portion of service link spectrum.

27. A satellite according to claim 26 wherein at least some feed elements of the plurality of satellite service link antenna feed elements are configured to receive information from radioterminals over at least two different polarization orientations.

28. A satellite according to claim 27 wherein signals of the first and second feed elements are received at the satellite over a feeder link frequency band and transmitted from the first and second feed elements to radioterminals over a service link frequency band.

29. A satellite according to claim 28 wherein signals of the first and second feed elements are received at the first and second feed elements over a service link frequency band and over at least two different polarization orientations and transmitted from the satellite to at least one satellite gateway over a feeder link frequency band.

30. A satellite according to claim 26 wherein the translator is further configured to couple signals of the first feed element to the first satellite gateway, to the second satellite gateway and to a third satellite gateway and to couple signals of the second feed element to the first satellite gateway, to the second satellite gateway and to the a third satellite gateway during usage of a third portion of service link spectrum that is larger than the second portion of service link spectrum.

31. A satellite according to claim 26 wherein the at least one antenna is configured to provide a first service link between the satellite and a first radioterminal located in a first coverage area, and to provide a second service link between the satellite and a second radioterminal located in a second coverage area.

32. A satellite according to claim 31 wherein the first and second service links reuse at least one frequency.

33. A satellite according to claim 26 wherein the signals of first and second feed elements include at least two differently polarized components of communications with at least one radioterminal in communications with the satellite.

34. A space-based communications system comprising:

a first gateway configured to provide a first feeder link to a satellite;

the satellite including a plurality of satellite service link antenna feed elements, wherein the first gateway is configured to communicate signals for first and second feed elements of the plurality of satellite service link antenna feed elements over the first feeder link during usage of a first portion of service link spectrum and to communicate signals for the first and second feed elements over the first feeder link during usage of a second portion of service link spectrum that is larger than the first portion of service link spectrum; and

a second gateway configured to provide a second feeder link to the satellite, and to communicate signals for the first and second feed elements over the second feeder link during usage of the second portion of service link spectrum;

wherein the second gateway does not provide any feeder link to the satellite during usage of the first portion of service link spectrum and does not communicate any signals for the first and/or second feed elements during usage of the first portion of service link spectrum.

35. A communications system according to claim 34 wherein at least some feed elements of the plurality of satellite service link antenna feed elements are configured to receive information from radioterminals over at least two different polarization orientations.

36. A communications system according to claim 35 wherein the signals of the first and second feed elements are received at a gateway from the satellite over a feeder link frequency band and over at least two different polarization orientations.

37. A communications system according to claim 36 further comprising:

a beamformer coupled to the first and/or second gateways wherein the beamformer is configured to receive communications for transmission from the satellite to a radioterminal, and to apply first and second weights to the communications to generate respective signal components for the first and second feed elements.

38. A communications system according to claim 34 wherein signals for the first and second feed elements are transmitted to the satellite over a feeder link frequency band.

39. A communications system according to claim 38 further comprising:

a beamformer configured to combine signal components of the first and second feed elements to establish communications with a radioterminal.

40. A communications system according to claim 34 wherein during usage of a third portion of service link spectrum that is larger than the second portion of service link spectrum the first gateway is configured to provide the first feeder link to the satellite and to communicate signals for the first and second feed elements over the first feeder link and the second gateway is configured to provide the second feeder link to the satellite and to communicate signals for the first and second feed elements over the second feeder link, the communications system further comprising:

a third gateway configured to provide a third feeder link to the satellite, and to communicate signals for the first and second feed elements over the third feeder link.

41. A space-based communications system comprising:

a gateway configured to provide a feeder link to a satellite and to communicate signals for first and second feed elements of a plurality of satellite service link antenna feed elements of the satellite over the feeder link during usage of a first portion of service link spectrum; and

to communicate signals for the first and second feed elements over the feeder link during usage of a second portion of service link spectrum that is larger than the first portion of service link spectrum;

wherein the signals for the first and second feed elements during usage of the first portion of service link spectrum are separated by a first frequency offset in a feeder link frequency band and wherein the signals for the first and second feed elements during usage of the second portion of service link spectrum are separated by a second frequency offset, in the feeder link frequency band, that is different than the first frequency offset.

42. A communications system according to claim 41 wherein at least some feed elements of the plurality of satellite service link antenna feed elements are configured to receive information from radioterminals over at least two different polarization orientations.

43. A communications system according to claim 42 wherein signals of the first and second feed elements are transmitted over the feeder link frequency band over at least two different polarization orientations.