Methods of ground based beamforming and on-board frequency translation and related systems
First Claim
1. A method of operating a communications system including a satellite and a satellite gateway, the method comprising:
- providing a feeder link between the satellite and the satellite gateway, wherein the feeder link is provided over a feeder link frequency band for communication of information between the satellite gateway and the satellite, wherein the feeder link comprises a frequency segment including at least first and second bands of frequencies that provide information between the satellite gateway and the satellite and wherein the first and second bands of frequencies are non-contiguous and separated by a third band of frequencies that does not provide any information between the satellite gateway and the satellite;
providing a service link between the satellite and at least one radioterminal in a coverage area of the satellite, wherein the service link is provided over a service link frequency band and wherein the feeder link and service link frequency bands are different and non-overlapping; and
linearly frequency translating the frequency segment of the feeder link including the first, second, and third bands from the feeder link frequency band to the service link frequency band to provide a frequency segment of the service link including fourth and fifth bands of frequencies including the information provided by the respective first and second bands of frequencies, wherein the fourth and fifth bands of frequencies are non-contiguous and separated by a sixth band of frequencies corresponding to the third band of frequencies that does not provide any information.
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Abstract
Methods are provided to operate a communications system including a satellite and a satellite gateway. In particular, a feeder link may be provided between the satellite and the satellite gateway over a feeder link frequency band for communication of information between the satellite gateway and the satellite. A service link may be provided between the satellite and at least one radioterminal in a coverage area of the satellite over a service link frequency band. Moreover, the feeder link and service link frequency bands may be different. In addition, a frequency segment of the feeder link may be linearly translated from the feeder link frequency band to the service link frequency band to provide a frequency segment of the service link. Related satellites are also discussed.
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Citations
48 Claims
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1. A method of operating a communications system including a satellite and a satellite gateway, the method comprising:
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providing a feeder link between the satellite and the satellite gateway, wherein the feeder link is provided over a feeder link frequency band for communication of information between the satellite gateway and the satellite, wherein the feeder link comprises a frequency segment including at least first and second bands of frequencies that provide information between the satellite gateway and the satellite and wherein the first and second bands of frequencies are non-contiguous and separated by a third band of frequencies that does not provide any information between the satellite gateway and the satellite; providing a service link between the satellite and at least one radioterminal in a coverage area of the satellite, wherein the service link is provided over a service link frequency band and wherein the feeder link and service link frequency bands are different and non-overlapping; and linearly frequency translating the frequency segment of the feeder link including the first, second, and third bands from the feeder link frequency band to the service link frequency band to provide a frequency segment of the service link including fourth and fifth bands of frequencies including the information provided by the respective first and second bands of frequencies, wherein the fourth and fifth bands of frequencies are non-contiguous and separated by a sixth band of frequencies corresponding to the third band of frequencies that does not provide any information. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 45)
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12. A method of operating a communications system including a satellite and a satellite gateway, the method comprising:
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providing a feeder link between the satellite and the satellite gateway, wherein the feeder link is provided over a feeder link frequency band for communication of information between the satellite gateway and the satellite; providing a service link between the satellite and at least one radioterminal in a coverage area of the satellite, wherein the service link is provided over a service link frequency band and wherein the feeder link and service link frequency bands are different and non-overlapping, wherein the service link comprises a frequency segment including at least first and second bands of frequencies that provide information between the satellite and the at least one radioterminal and wherein the first and second bands of frequencies are non-contiguous and separated by a third band of frequencies that does not provide any information between the satellite and the at least one radioterminal; and linearly frequency translating the frequency segment of the service link including the first, second, and third bands from the service link frequency band to the feeder link frequency band to provide a frequency segment of the feeder link including fourth and fifth bands of frequencies including the information provided by the respective first and second bands of frequencies, wherein the fourth and fifth bands of frequencies are non-contiguous and separated by a sixth band of frequencies corresponding to the third band of frequencies that does not provide any information. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 46)
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23. A satellite for relaying communications between a satellite gateway and at least one radioterminal in a coverage area of the satellite, the satellite comprising;
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a feeder link receiver configured to receive information from the satellite gateway using a feeder link provided over a feeder link frequency band, wherein the feeder link comprises a frequency segment including at least first and second bands of frequencies that provide information between the satellite gateway and the satellite and wherein the first and second bands of frequencies are non-contiguous and separated by a third band of frequencies that does not provide any information between the satellite gateway and the satellite; a service link transmitter configured to transmit information to the at least one radioterminal in the coverage area using a service link provided over a service link frequency band, wherein the service link frequency band and the feeder link frequency band are different and non-overlapping; and a frequency translator coupled between the feeder link receiver and the service link transmitter, wherein the frequency translator is configured to provide linear frequency translation of the frequency segment of the feeder link including the first, second, and third bands from the feeder link frequency band to the service link frequency band to provide a frequency segment of the service link including fourth and fifth bands of frequencies including the information provided by the respective first and second bands of frequencies, wherein the fourth and fifth bands of frequencies are non-contiguous and separated by a sixth band of frequencies corresponding to the third band of frequencies that does not provide any information. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 47)
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34. A satellite for relaying communications between a satellite gateway and at least one radioterminal in a coverage area of the satellite, the satellite comprising:
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a service link receiver configured to receive information from the at least one radioterminal in the coverage area using a service link provided over a service link frequency band, wherein the service link comprises a frequency segment including at least first and second bands of frequencies that provide information between the satellite and the at least one radioterminal and wherein the first and second bands of frequencies are non-contiguous and separated by a third band of frequencies that does not provide any information between the satellite and the at least one radioterminal; a feeder link transmitter configured to transmit information to the satellite gateway using a feeder link provided over a feeder link frequency band, wherein the service link frequency band and the feeder link frequency band are different and non-overlapping; and a frequency translator coupled between the service link receiver and the feeder link transmitter, wherein the frequency translator is configured to provide linear frequency translation of the frequency segment of the service link including the first, second, and third bands from the service link frequency band to the feeder link frequency band to provide a frequency segment of the feeder link including fourth and fifth bands of frequencies including the information provided by the respective first and second bands of frequencies, wherein the fourth and fifth bands of frequencies are non-contiguous and separated by a sixth band of frequencies corresponding to the third band of frequencies that does not provide any information. - View Dependent Claims (35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 48)
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Specification