Satellite communications systems and methods using substantially co-located feeder link antennas
First Claim
1. A satellite communications system comprising:
- a plurality of feeder link antennas that are substantially co-located therebetween and are connected to a same gateway processor;
a primary satellite that is configured to receive information from radioterminals through a plurality of return service links, to communicate a first portion of the information over at least one return feeder link to a first one of the feeder link antennas, and to communicate another second portion of the information over at least one inter-satellite link; and
an auxiliary satellite that is spaced apart from the primary satellite, and configured to receive the second portion of the information from the primary satellite via the at least one inter-satellite link, and to communicate the second portion of the information over at least one return feeder link to a second one of the feeder link antennas,wherein the primary satellite is further configured to distribute an aggregate of signal spectrum associated with the return service links across a combination of signal spectrum of the at least one return feeder link to the first one of the feeder link antennas and, via the inter-satellite link, signal spectrum of the at least one return feeder link from the auxiliary satellite to the second one of the feeder link antennas.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A satellite communications system includes a plurality of feeder link antennas, a primary satellite, and an auxiliary satellite. The feeder link antennas are substantially co-located relative to one another. The primary satellite is configured to receive information over a plurality of return service links from radioterminals, to communicate a first portion of the information over at least one return feeder link directly to a first one of the feeder link antennas, and to communicate a second portion of the information over at least one inter-satellite link. The auxiliary satellite is spaced apart from the primary satellite, and configured to receive the second portion of the information from the primary satellite via the at least one inter-satellite link, and to communicate the second portion of the information across at least one return feeder link to a second one of the feeder link antennas.
278 Citations
54 Claims
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1. A satellite communications system comprising:
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a plurality of feeder link antennas that are substantially co-located therebetween and are connected to a same gateway processor; a primary satellite that is configured to receive information from radioterminals through a plurality of return service links, to communicate a first portion of the information over at least one return feeder link to a first one of the feeder link antennas, and to communicate another second portion of the information over at least one inter-satellite link; and an auxiliary satellite that is spaced apart from the primary satellite, and configured to receive the second portion of the information from the primary satellite via the at least one inter-satellite link, and to communicate the second portion of the information over at least one return feeder link to a second one of the feeder link antennas, wherein the primary satellite is further configured to distribute an aggregate of signal spectrum associated with the return service links across a combination of signal spectrum of the at least one return feeder link to the first one of the feeder link antennas and, via the inter-satellite link, signal spectrum of the at least one return feeder link from the auxiliary satellite to the second one of the feeder link antennas. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A method of communicating in a satellite communications system, the method comprising:
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receiving information at a primary satellite from radioterminals through a plurality of return service links; communicating a first portion of the information from the primary satellite over at least one return feeder link to a first one of a plurality of feeder link antennas that are connected to a same gateway processor; communicating another second portion of the information from the primary satellite over at least one inter-satellite link to an auxiliary satellite that is spaced apart from the primary satellite; communicating the second portion of the information from the auxiliary satellite over at least one return feeder link to a second one of the feeder link antennas that is substantially co-located with the first one of the feeder link antennas, wherein communication of the first and second portions of the information is carried out to distribute an aggregate of signal spectrum associated with the return service links across a combination of signal spectrum of the at least one return feeder link to the first one of the feeder link antennas and, via the inter-satellite link, signal spectrum of the at least one return feeder link from the auxiliary satellite to the second one of the feeder link antennas. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37)
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38. A primary satellite comprising:
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a return service link receiver that is configured to receive information over a plurality of return service links from radioterminals; an information spreader that is configured to distribute the information into at least a first portion and another second portion; a feeder link transmitter that is configured to transmit the first portion of the information over at least one return feeder link directly to a first one of a plurality of feeder link antennas that are connected to a same gateway processor; and an inter-satellite link transmitter that is configured to transmit the second portion of the information over at least one inter-satellite link to an auxiliary satellite for transmission over at least one return feeder link to a second one of the feeder link antennas that is substantially co-located relative to the first one of the feeder link antennas and that is connected to the same gateway processor as the first one of the feeder link antennas, wherein the information spreader is further configured to distribute an aggregate of signal spectrum associated with the return service links across a combination of signal spectrum of the at least one return feeder link to the first one of the feeder link antennas and, via the inter-satellite link, signal spectrum of the at least one return feeder link from the auxiliary satellite to the second one of the feeder link antennas. - View Dependent Claims (39, 40, 41)
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42. An auxiliary satellite comprising:
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an inter-satellite link receiver that is configured to receive information over at least one inter-satellite link from a primary satellite that received the information from radioterminals through a plurality of return service links; and a feeder link transmitter that is configured to transmit the information over at least one return feeder link directly to a first one of a plurality of feeder link antennas that is substantially co-located relative to a second one of the plurality of feeder link antennas that the primary satellite is transmitting to directly over at least one return feeder link to distribute an aggregate of signal spectrum associated with the return service links across a combination of signal spectrum of the at least one return feeder link to the first one of the feeder link antennas and signal spectrum of the at least one return feeder link from the primary satellite to the second one of the feeder link antennas, wherein the first and second feeder link antennas are connected to a same gateway processor. - View Dependent Claims (43, 44)
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45. Satellite communications equipment comprising:
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a plurality of feeder link antennas that are substantially co-located therebetween, are connected to a same gateway processor, and are configured to transmit and/or receive information over feeder links to a primary satellite and to at least one auxiliary satellite, wherein a first one of the feeder link antennas is configured to provide a substantially higher gain in a direction associated with the primary satellite and a substantially lower gain in a direction associated with the at least one auxiliary satellite, and a second one of the feeder link antennas is configured to provide a substantially higher gain in a direction associated with one of the at least one auxiliary satellite and a substantially lower gain in a direction associated with the primary satellite; and a gateway processor that is configured to distribute information that is directed to a plurality of radioterminals simultaneously over at least one forward feeder link to the primary satellite and over at least one forward feeder link to the at least one auxiliary satellite for subsequent aggregation of the information at the primary satellite and retransmission of the information by the primary satellite to the radioterminals over a plurality of forward service links to distribute an aggregate of signal spectrum of the plurality of forward service links across a combination of the signal spectrum of the at least one forward feeder link to the primary satellite and the at least one forward feeder link to the at least one auxiliary satellite. - View Dependent Claims (46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54)
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Specification