Systems and methods for terrestrial reuse of cellular satellite frequency spectrum in a time-division duplex and/or frequency-division duplex mode

• US 8,078,101 B2
• Filed: 10/23/2009
• Issued: 12/13/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/14/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: ATC Technology Corporation (FedEx Corporation)
• Original Assignee: ATC Technology Corporation (FedEx Corporation)
• Inventors: Karabinis, Peter D., Churan, Gary G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Trinh, Sonny
• Application Number:
  US12/604,994
• Publication Number:
  US 20100039967A1
• Time in Patent Office: 781 Days
• Field of Search: 455/12.1, 455/427, 455/430, 455/63.1, 455/63.2, 455/428, 455/429, 455/450, 455/452.2
• US Class Current: 455/12.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18513 Transmission in a satellite or space-based system
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/1853 Satellite systems for providing telephony service to a mobile station, i.e. mobile satellite service for selecting H04W
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18563 Arrangements for interconnecting multiple systems data switching networks H04L12/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/216 Code division or spread-spectrum multiple access [CDMA, SSMA]
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13098 Mobile subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13196 Connection circuit/link/trunk/junction, bridge, router, gateway
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13292 Time division multiplexing, TDM
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13333 Earth satellites
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/14 Spectrum sharing arrangements between different networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/367 Power values between minimum and maximum limits, e.g. dynamic range

Abstract

A space-based component, such as a satellite, is configured to receive wireless communications from radiotelephones in a satellite footprint over an uplink satellite radiotelephone frequency, and to transmit wireless communications to the radiotelephones over a downlink radiotelephone frequency. An ancillary terrestrial network, that may include one or more ancillary terrestrial components, is configured to transmit wireless communications to, and receive wireless communications from, the radiotelephones over the uplink satellite radiotelephone frequency in a time-division duplex mode. An interference reducer is configured to reduce interference from the wireless communications that are received by the space-based component from the second radiotelephone and/or from the ancillary terrestrial network over the uplink satellite radiotelephone frequency, using the wireless communications that are transmitted by the ancillary terrestrial to, and/or received by the ancillary terrestrial network from, the second radiotelephone over the uplink satellite radiotelephone frequency.

Claims

1. A satellite radiotelephone system comprising:

a space-based component that is configured to communicate with radiotelephones; and

a wireless terrestrial network that is configured to transmit wireless communications to a radiotelephone over an uplink satellite radiotelephone frequency and to receive wireless communications from the radiotelephone over the uplink satellite radiotelephone frequency;

wherein the wireless terrestrial network is further configured to communicate with the radiotelephone in a time-division duplex mode, wherein a first time interval is used to transmit wireless communications to the radiotelephone over the uplink satellite radiotelephone frequency and wherein a second time interval, that does not overlap with the first time interval, is used to receive wireless communications from the radiotelephone over the uplink satellite radiotelephone frequency.

2. A satellite radiotelephone system according to claim 1 wherein the first time interval is greater than the second time interval.

3. A satellite radiotelephone system according to claim 1 wherein the first time interval is used to transmit wireless communications to the radiotelephone over the uplink satellite radiotelephone frequency using an OFDM/OFDMA and/or M-ary QAM modulation/protocol;

the second time interval is used to receive wireless communications from the radiotelephone over the uplink satellite radiotelephone frequency using an OFDM/OFDMA and/or L-ary QAM modulation/protocol; and

wherein L≦

M, and each one of L and M is an integer that is greater than or equal to one.

4. A satellite radiotelephone system according to claim 1 wherein the first time interval is used to transmit wireless communications to the radiotelephone over the uplink satellite radiotelephone frequency using a first modulation and/or protocol and wherein the second time interval is used to receive wireless communications from the radiotelephone over the uplink satellite radiotelephone frequency using a second modulation and/or protocol, wherein the first modulation and/or protocol is more spectrally efficient than the second modulation and/or protocol.

5. A satellite radiotelephone system according to claim 1 wherein the time-division duplex mode contains a sequence of transmit/receive intervals and wherein a first transmit/receive interval is different from a second transmit/receive interval.

6. A satellite radiotelephone system according to claim 5 wherein the first transmit/receive interval is different from the second transmit/receive interval in a modulation, protocol and/or time duration thereof

7. A satellite radiotelephone system according to claim 1 wherein the time-division duplex mode contains a sequence of transmit/receive intervals and wherein a first transmit/receive interval is the same or substantially the same to a second transmit/receive interval in a modulation, protocol, and/or time duration thereof.

8. A satellite radiotelephone system according to claim 1 wherein the time-division duplex mode contains a sequence of identical or substantially identical transmit/receive intervals in terms of a modulation, protocol and/or time duration thereof.

9. A satellite radiotelephone system comprising:

a space-based component that is configured to communicate with radiotelephones; and

a wireless terrestrial network that is configured to transmit wireless communications to a radiotelephone over an uplink satellite radiotelephone frequency and to receive wireless communications from the radiotelephone over the uplink satellite radiotelephone frequency;

wherein the uplink satellite radiotelephone frequency is included in an uplink satellite radiotelephone frequency band and wherein the wireless terrestrial network is configured to transmit wireless communications to, and receive wireless communications from, radiotelephones over the uplink satellite radiotelephone frequency band.

10. A satellite radiotelephone system comprising:

a space-based component that is configured to communicate with radiotelephones; and

a wireless terrestrial network that is configured to transmit wireless communications to a radiotelephone over an uplink satellite radiotelephone frequency and to receive wireless communications from the radiotelephone over the uplink satellite radiotelephone frequency;

wherein the space-based component is configured to receive wireless communications from a first radiotelephone over an uplink satellite radiotelephone frequency band;

wherein the wireless terrestrial network is configured to transmit wireless communications to, and/or receive wireless communications from, a second radiotelephone over the uplink satellite radiotelephone frequency, the space-based component also receiving the wireless communications from the second radiotelephone and/or from the wireless terrestrial network over the uplink satellite radiotelephone frequency as interference along with the wireless communications from the first radiotelephone; and

wherein the satellite radiotelephone system further comprises an interference reducer that is responsive to the space-based component and to the wireless terrestrial network, and that is configured to reduce the interference that is received by the space-based component from the second radiotelephone and/or from the wireless terrestrial network over the uplink satellite radiotelephone frequency, using the wireless communications that are transmitted by the wireless terrestrial network to, and/or are received by the wireless terrestrial network from, the second radiotelephone over the uplink satellite radiotelephone frequency.

11. A satellite radiotelephone system according to claim 10 wherein the wireless terrestrial network is further configured to provide to the interference reducer a signal comprising the wireless communications that are transmitted by the wireless terrestrial network to the second radiotelephone and/or the wireless communications that are received by the wireless terrestrial network from the second radiotelephone;

and wherein the interference reducer is configured to generate at least one delayed replica of said signal and to subtract a measure of the at least one delayed replica of said signal from wireless communications that are provided to the interference reducer by the space-based component.

12. A satellite radiotelephone system according to claim 10 wherein the interference reducer comprises an adaptive interference reducer.

13. A satellite radiotelephone system according to claim 10 further comprising a gateway that communicates with the space-based component and with the wireless terrestrial network and wherein the interference reducer is at least partially included in the gateway.

14. A satellite radiotelephone system according to claim 10 wherein the interference reducer is at least partially included in the wireless terrestrial network.

15. A wireless terrestrial component that is associated with a satellite radiotelephone system that includes a space-based component that is configured to communicate with radiotelephones, the wireless terrestrial component comprising:

an electronics system that is configured to transmit wireless communications to a radiotelephone over an uplink satellite radiotelephone frequency and to receive wireless communications from the radiotelephone over the uplink satellite radiotelephone frequency;

wherein the electronics system is further configured to communicate with the radiotelephone in a time-division duplex mode wherein a first time interval is used to transmit wireless communications to the radiotelephone over the uplink satellite radiotelephone frequency and wherein a second time interval, that does not overlap with the first time interval, is used to receive wireless communications from the radiotelephone over the uplink satellite radiotelephone frequency.

16. A wireless terrestrial component according to claim 15 wherein the first time interval is greater than the second time interval.

17. A wireless terrestrial component according to claim 15 wherein the first time interval is used to transmit wireless communications to the radiotelephone over the uplink satellite radiotelephone frequency using an OFDM/OFDMA and/or M-ary QAM modulation/protocol;

the second time interval is used to receive wireless communications from the radiotelephone over the uplink satellite radiotelephone frequency using an OFDM/OFDMA and/or L-ary QAM modulation/protocol; and

wherein L≦

M, and each one of M and L is an integer that is greater than or equal to one.

18. A wireless terrestrial component according to claim 15 wherein the first time interval is used to transmit wireless communications to the radiotelephone over the uplink satellite radiotelephone frequency using a first modulation and/or protocol and wherein the second time interval is used to receive wireless communications from the radiotelephone over the uplink satellite radiotelephone frequency using a second modulation and/or protocol, wherein the first modulation and/or protocol is more spectrally efficient than the second modulation and/or protocol.

19. A wireless terrestrial component that is associated with a satellite radiotelephone system that includes a space-based component that is configured to communicate with radiotelephones, the wireless terrestrial component comprising:

an electronics system that is configured to transmit wireless communications to a radiotelephone over an uplink satellite radiotelephone frequency and to receive wireless communications from the radiotelephone over the uplink satellite radiotelephone frequency;

wherein the uplink satellite radiotelephone frequency is included in an uplink satellite radiotelephone frequency band and wherein the electronics system is further configured to transmit wireless communications to, and receive wireless communications from, radiotelephones over the uplink satellite radiotelephone frequency band.

20. A wireless terrestrial component that is associated with a satellite radiotelephone system that includes a space-based component that is configured to communicate with radiotelephones, the wireless terrestrial component comprising:

an electronics system that is configured to transmit wireless communications to a radiotelephone over an uplink satellite radiotelephone frequency and to receive wireless communications from the radiotelephone over the uplink satellite radiotelephone frequency;

wherein the space-based component is configured to receive wireless communications from a first radiotelephone;

wherein the wireless terrestrial component is configured to transmit wireless communications to, and/or receive wireless communications from, a second radiotelephone over the uplink satellite radiotelephone frequency, the space-based component also receiving the wireless communications from the second radiotelephone and/or from the wireless terrestrial component over the uplink satellite radiotelephone frequency as interference along with the wireless communications from the first radiotelephone; and

wherein the wireless terrestrial component and/or the satellite radiotelephone system further comprises an interference reducer that is responsive to the space-based component and to the wireless terrestrial component, and that is configured to reduce the interference that is received by the space-based component from the second radiotelephone and/or from the wireless terrestrial component over the uplink satellite radiotelephone frequency, using the wireless communications that are transmitted by the wireless terrestrial component to, and/or are received by the wireless terrestrial component from, the second radiotelephone over the uplink satellite radiotelephone frequency.

21. A wireless terrestrial component according to claim 20:

wherein the wireless terrestrial component is further configured to transmit to a satellite gateway, a measure of the wireless communications that are transmitted to, and/or a measure of the wireless communications that are received from, the second radiotelephone.

22. A wireless terrestrial component according to claim 20:

wherein the wireless terrestrial component further comprises the interference reducer, at least partially.

23. A wireless terrestrial component according to claim 20:

wherein the wireless terrestrial component is further configured to provide to the interference reducer a signal comprising the wireless communications that are transmitted by the wireless terrestrial component to the second radiotelephone and/or the wireless communications that are received by the wireless terrestrial component from the second radiotelephone; and

wherein the interference reducer is configured to generate at least one delayed replica of said signal and to subtract a measure of the at least one delayed replica of said signal from wireless communications that are provided to the interference reducer by the space-based component.

24. A wireless terrestrial component according to claim 20 wherein the interference reducer comprises an adaptive interference reducer.

25. A radiotelephone comprising:

an electronics system that is configured to transmit wireless communications to a wireless terrestrial component over an uplink satellite radiotelephone frequency and to receive wireless communications from the wireless terrestrial component over the uplink satellite radiotelephone frequency;

wherein the electronics system is further configured to communicate with the wireless terrestrial component in a time-division duplex mode wherein a first time interval is used to transmit wireless communications to the wireless terrestrial component over the uplink satellite radiotelephone frequency and wherein a second time interval, that does not overlap with the first time interval, is used to receive wireless communications from the wireless terrestrial component over the uplink satellite radiotelephone frequency.

26. A radiotelephone according to claim 25 wherein the second time interval is greater than the first time interval.

27. A radiotelephone according to claim 25 wherein the second time interval is used to receive wireless communications at the radiotelephone over the uplink satellite radiotelephone frequency using an OFDM/OFDMA and/or M-ary QAM modulation/protocol;

the first time interval is used to transmit wireless communications by the radiotelephone over the uplink satellite radiotelephone frequency using an OFDM/OFDMA and/or L-ary QAM modulation/protocol; and

wherein L≦

M, and each one of L and M is an integer that is greater than or equal to one.

28. A radiotelephone according to claim 25 wherein the second time interval is used to receive wireless communications at the radiotelephone over the uplink satellite radiotelephone frequency using a respective second modulation and/or protocol and wherein the first time interval is used to transmit wireless communications by the radiotelephone over the uplink satellite radiotelephone frequency using a respective first modulation and/or protocol, wherein the respective second modulation and/or protocol is more spectrally efficient than the respective first modulation and/or protocol.

29. A radiotelephone comprising:

an electronics system that is configured to transmit wireless communications to a wireless terrestrial component over an uplink satellite radiotelephone frequency and to receive wireless communications from the wireless terrestrial component over the uplink satellite radiotelephone frequency;

wherein the uplink satellite radiotelephone frequency is included in an uplink satellite radiotelephone frequency band and wherein the electronics system also is configured to transmit wireless communications to, and receive wireless communications from, the wireless terrestrial component over the uplink satellite radiotelephone frequency band.

30. A radiotelephone comprising:

an electronics system that is configured to transmit wireless communications to a wireless terrestrial component over an uplink satellite radiotelephone frequency and to receive wireless communications from the wireless terrestrial component over the uplink satellite radiotelephone frequency;

wherein the electronics system is further configured to transmit wireless communications to a space-based component over an uplink satellite radiotelephone frequency band and/or to receive wireless communications from the space-based component over a downlink satellite radiotelephone frequency band.

31. A radiotelephone according to claim 30 wherein the electronics system is further configured to transmit wireless communications to a space-based component over an uplink satellite radiotelephone frequency band and/or to receive wireless communications from the space-based component over a downlink satellite radiotelephone frequency band.

32. A wireless communications method comprising:

communicating between a space-based component and radiotelephones; and

transmitting wireless communications from a wireless terrestrial network to a radiotelephone over an uplink satellite radiotelephone frequency and receiving wireless communications from the radiotelephone at the wireless terrestrial network over the uplink satellite radiotelephone frequency;

wherein communicating between a space-based component and radiotelephones comprises receiving at the space-based component communications from a first radiotelephone;

wherein transmitting wireless communications from a wireless terrestrial network to a radiotelephone over an uplink satellite radiotelephone frequency and receiving wireless communications from the radiotelephone at the wireless terrestrial network over the uplink satellite radiotelephone frequency comprises transmitting wireless communications from the wireless terrestrial network to a second radiotelephone over the uplink satellite radiotelephone frequency and receiving wireless communications from the second radiotelephone at the wireless terrestrial network over the uplink satellite radiotelephone frequency, the space-based component also receiving the wireless communications that are transmitted from the wireless terrestrial network to the second radiotelephone and/or the wireless communications that are received at the wireless terrestrial network from the second radiotelephone over the uplink satellite radiotelephone frequency as interference; and

wherein the method further comprises reducing said interference by using the wireless communications that are transmitted from the wireless terrestrial network to, and/or are received by the wireless terrestrial network from, the second radiotelephone.

33. A method according to claim 32 wherein reducing said interference comprises:

generating at least one delayed replica of the wireless communications that are received at the wireless terrestrial network from the second radiotelephone and/or of the wireless communications that are transmitted from the wireless terrestrial network to the second radiotelephone; and

subtracting a measure of said at least one delayed replica from the wireless communications that are received by the space-based component.

34. A method of operating a wireless terrestrial component that is associated with a satellite radiotelephone system that includes a space-based component that is configured to communicate with radiotelephones;

the method comprising;

transmitting wireless communications to a radiotelephone over an uplink satellite radiotelephone frequency and receiving wireless communications from the radiotelephone over the uplink satellite radiotelephone frequency;

wherein the space-based component is configured to receive wireless communications from a first radiotelephone;

wherein the wireless terrestrial component is configured to transmit wireless communications to, and/or receive wireless communications from, a second radiotelephone over the uplink satellite radiotelephone frequency, the space-based component also receiving the wireless communications from the second radiotelephone and/or from the wireless terrestrial component as interference along with the wireless communications that are received from the first radiotelephone; and

wherein the method further comprises reducing interference that is received by the space-based component from the second radiotelephone and/or from the wireless terrestrial component over the uplink satellite radiotelephone frequency, using the wireless communications that are transmitted by the wireless terrestrial component to, and/or are received by the wireless terrestrial component from, the second radiotelephone over the uplink satellite radiotelephone frequency.

35. A method according to claim 34 further comprising:

transmitting from the wireless terrestrial component to a satellite gateway, a measure of the wireless communications that are transmitted to, and/or a measure of the wireless communications that are received from, the second radiotelephone.

36. A method according to claim 35 wherein reducing interference comprises:

reducing the interference at the satellite gateway.

37. A method according to claim 36 wherein reducing interference comprises:

generating at least one delayed replica of the wireless communications that are received by the wireless terrestrial component from the second radiotelephone and/or of the wireless communications that are transmitted by the wireless terrestrial component to the second radiotelephone; and

subtracting a measure of the at least one delayed replica from the wireless communications that are received by the space-based component.

38. A method of operating a gateway that is associated with a satellite radiotelephone system that includes a space-based component that is configured to receive wireless communications from radiotelephones;

wherein the gateway is also associated with a wireless terrestrial network that is configured to transmit wireless communications to, and/or receive wireless communications from, a radiotelephone over an uplink satellite radiotelephone frequency;

the method comprising;

receiving from the space-based component wireless communications; and

receiving from the wireless terrestrial network wireless communications that are transmitted to and/or are received from the radiotelephone over the uplink satellite radiotelephone frequency.

39. A method according to claim 38:

wherein the space-based component is configured to receive wireless communications from a first radiotelephone;

wherein the wireless terrestrial network is configured to transmit wireless communications to, and receive wireless communications from, a second radiotelephone over the uplink satellite radiotelephone frequency, the space-based component also receiving the wireless communications from the second radiotelephone and/or the wireless communications from the wireless terrestrial network as interference along with the wireless communications that are received from the first radiotelephone; and

wherein the method further comprises reducing said interference by using the wireless communications that are transmitted by the wireless terrestrial network to, and/or are received by the wireless terrestrial network from, the second radiotelephone over the uplink satellite radiotelephone frequency.

40. A method according to claim 39 wherein reducing interference comprises:

generating at least one delayed replica of the wireless communications that are received by the wireless terrestrial network from the second radiotelephone and/or the wireless communications that are transmitted from the wireless terrestrial network to the second radiotelephone; and

subtracting a measure of the at least one delayed replica from the wireless communications that are received by the space-based component.