Integrated or autonomous system and method of satellite-terrestrial frequency reuse using signal attenuation and/or blockage, dynamic assignment of frequencies and/or hysteresis

• US 7,831,251 B2
• Filed: 03/01/2005
• Issued: 11/09/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/02/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ATC Technology Corporation (FedEx Corporation)
• Original Assignee: ATC Technology Corporation (FedEx Corporation)
• Inventors: Karabinis, Peter D., Singh, Rajendra
• Primary Examiner(s): Anderson; Matthew
• Assistant Examiner(s): Safaipour; Bobbak
• Application Number:
  US11/069,305
• Publication Number:
  US 20050164701A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,079 Days
• Field of Search: 455/12.1, 455427-428, 455/426.1, 455429-431, 455447-448
• US Class Current: 455/427
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18563 Arrangements for interconnecting multiple systems data switching networks H04L12/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/2041 Spot beam multiple access
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/14 Spectrum sharing arrangements between different networks

Abstract

A cellular communications system comprising a space based system comprising a first set of cells, and a ground based system comprising a second set of cells. The space and ground systems can optionally function substantially autonomously, with each using spectrum from at least one predetermined frequency band.

Claims

1. A wireless communications system comprising a space-based system and a ground-based system configured to communicate with radioterminals in respective first and second service regions that at least partially overlap using at least a portion of a satellite service link frequency band, wherein the space-based system and the ground-based system are configured to communicate with radioterminals using a plurality of respective first contiguous cells and second contiguous cells, to segregate radioterminal communications thereof in the plurality of respective first contiguous cells and second contiguous cells to respective separate first and second portions of the satellite service link frequency band in at least one region of overlap of the first and second regions, and to independently manage their respective radio resources.

2. A wireless communications system according to claim 1, wherein radioterminal communications of the plurality of first contiguous cells of the space-based system and the plurality of second contiguous cells of the ground-based system are segregated to respective separate first and second sub-bands of the satellite service link frequency band.

3. A wireless communications system according to claim 2, wherein radioterminal communications of the plurality of first contiguous cells of the space-based system and the plurality of second contiguous cells of the ground-based system are segregated to the respective separate first and second sub-bands of the satellite service link frequency band in substantially all regions of overlap of the first and second service regions.

4. A wireless communications system according to claim 1, wherein the space-based system and the ground-based system comprise respective first and second controllers configured to independently manage respective radio resources of the ground-based system and the space-based system.

5. A wireless communications system according to claim 1, wherein the ground-based system is configured to communicate with radioterminals using a CDMA air interface and wherein the space-based system is configured to communicate with radioterminals using a TDMA air interface.

6. A wireless communications method comprising:

communicating between a space-based system and radioterminals in a first service region using at least a portion of a satellite service link frequency band and a plurality of first contiguous cells;

communicating between a ground-based system and radioterminals in a second service region that at least partially overlaps the first service region using at least a portion of the satellite service link frequency band and a plurality of second contiguous cells;

segregating radioterminal communications of the space-based system and the ground-based system in the plurality of respective first contiguous cells and second contiguous cells to respective separate first and second portions of the satellite service link frequency band in at least one region of overlap of the first and second regions; and

independently managing respective radio resources of the spaced-based system and the ground-based system.

7. A method according to claim 6, wherein radioterminal communications of the space-based system and the ground-based system in the plurality of respective first contiguous cells and second contiguous cells are segregated to respective separate first and second sub-bands of the satellite service link frequency band.

8. A method according to claim 7, wherein radioterminal communications of the space-based system and the ground-based system in the plurality respective first contiguous cells and second contiguous cells are segregated to the respective separate first and second sub-bands of the satellite service link frequency band in substantially all regions of overlap of the first and second service regions.

9. A method according to claim 6:

wherein communicating between a space-based system and radioterminals in a first service region using at least a portion of a satellite service link frequency band and a plurality of first contiguous cells comprises communicating between the space-based system and radioterminal using a TDMA interface; and

wherein communicating between a ground-based system and radioterminals in a second service region that at least partially overlaps the first service region using at least a portion of the satellite service link frequency band and a plurality of second contiguous cells comprises communicating between the ground-based system and radioterminal using a CDMA air interface.