Placement of gateways near service beams

• US 8,107,875 B2
• Filed: 03/25/2009
• Issued: 01/31/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ViaSat Incorporated
• Original Assignee: ViaSat Incorporated
• Inventors: Miller, Mark J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pham, Tuan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wang, Fanghwa
• Application Number:
  US12/411,315
• Publication Number:
  US 20090286467A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,042 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 455/3.02
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/2041 Spot beam multiple access

Abstract

A method and system are presented for operating a multibeam satellite system involving positioning a plurality of service beams associated with a plurality of service beam coverage areas and positioning a feeder beam associated with a feeder beam coverage area. The feeder beam coverage area is at a proximity to at least one service beam coverage area. The feeder beam coverage area includes at least one gateway. Each of the plurality of service beam coverage areas uses a color. The at least near service beam coverage area uses at least one color from the plurality of colors. The feeder beam uses at least one color, excluding the at least one color used by the at least one near service beam coverage area.

Claims

1. A spot beam satellite comprising:

an antenna system configured to create a beam pattern having a plurality of different colors, wherein a color has a unique combination of frequency band and polarization, the spot beam satellite being configured to receive data from a plurality of service beams and from at least one feeder beam, each service beam having an associated service beam coverage area and the at least one feeder beam having an associated feeder beam coverage area,

wherein the feeder beam coverage area is proximate to one or more of the service beam coverage areas,

wherein the at least one feeder beam and a service beam associated with each of the one or more service beam coverage areas proximate to the feeder beam coverage area are allocated different colors from the beam pattern, such that signals associated with different colors differ by a frequency band, a polarization, or both a frequency band and a polarization,

wherein the feeder beam coverage area is not proximate to one or more of the service beam coverage areas, and

wherein a set of colors allocated to a service beam associated with each of the one or more service beam coverage areas not proximate to the feeder beam coverage area includes at least one same color allocated to the at least one feeder beam, such that signals associated with the same color have the same frequency band and polarization.

2. The spot beam satellite of claim 1 wherein the spot beam satellite includes a directional antenna for receiving the plurality of service beams and the at least one feeder beam, and wherein the satellite is configured to identify signals received from the service beams and the at least one feeder beam using the direction from which the beams originate and the color of the beam.

3. The spot beam satellite of claim 1 wherein if a service beam coverage area associated with a service beam is not proximate to any other service beam coverage area or the feeder beam coverage area, the service beam is allocated all of the colors from the beam pattern.

4. The spot beam satellite of claim 1 wherein if a first service beam coverage area associated with a first service beam is proximate to a second service beam coverage area associated with a second service beam, the first service beam is allocated a first set of colors from the beam pattern and the second service beam is allocated a second set of colors from the beam pattern, wherein the first set and second set are disjoint sets.

5. The spot beam satellite of claim 1 wherein if a first service beam coverage area associated with a first service beam is not proximate to a second service beam coverage area associated with a second service beam, both the first service beam and the second service beam are allocated a same set of colors from the beam pattern.

6. The spot beam satellite of claim 1 wherein the service beams comprise an uplink component and a downlink component, and the uplink and downlink components are assigned different frequencies.

7. The spot beam satellite of claim 6 wherein the satellite is configured to convert a received signal from the uplink component from a first frequency associated with the uplink to a second frequency associated with the downlink.

8. The spot beam satellite of claim 1 wherein the at least one feeder beam further comprises an uplink feeder beam having at least one common frequency channel and a downlink feeder beam having at least one common frequency channel, wherein the at least one common frequency channel associated with the uplink feeder beam employs a first frequency range and the at least one common frequency channel associated with the downlink feeder beam employs a second frequency range, and wherein the first frequency range is different than the second frequency range.

9. The spot beam satellite of claim 8 wherein the satellite is configured to convert a received signal from the uplink component from a first frequency associated with the uplink to a second frequency associated with the downlink.

10. The spot beam satellite of claim 1 wherein each of the colors of the beam pattern are associated with a different set of frequencies.

11. The spot beam satellite of claim 1 wherein each of the colors of the beam pattern are associated with a different polarization.

12. The spot beam satellite of claim 1 wherein the satellite is configured to receive data from a second at least one feeder beam, the second at least one feeder beam being associated with a second feeder beam coverage area, wherein the second feeder beam coverage area is not proximate to any of the service beam coverage areas, and wherein the second at least one feeder beam is allocated all of the colors of the beam pattern.

27. The spot beam satellite of claim 1 wherein a set of colors allocated to the at least one feeder beam includes all colors from the beam pattern not allocated to a service beam associated with each of the one or more service beam coverage areas proximate to the feeder beam coverage area.

29. The spot beam satellite of claim 1 wherein the at least one feeder beam comprises two or more feeder beams that have at least partially overlapping feeder beam coverage areas.

13. A method of operating a spot beam satellite, the method comprising:

receiving data at the spot beam satellite from a plurality of service beams and at least one feeder beam, each service beam having an associated service beam coverage area and the at least one feeder beam having an associated feeder beam coverage area, the spot beam satellite having an antenna system configured to create a beam pattern having a plurality of different colors, wherein a color has a unique combination of frequency band and polarization,

wherein the feeder beam coverage area is proximate to one or more of the service beam coverage areas,

wherein the at least one feeder beam and a service beam associated with each of the one or more service beam coverage areas proximate to the feeder beam coverage area are allocated different colors from the beam pattern, such that signals associated with different colors differ by a frequency band, a polarization, or both a frequency band and a polarization,

wherein the feeder beam coverage area is not proximate to one or more of the service beam coverage areas, and

wherein a set of colors allocated to a service beam associated with each of the one or more service beam coverage areas not proximate to the feeder beam coverage area includes at least one same color allocated to the at least one feeder beam, such that signals associated with the same color have the same frequency band and polarization.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the spot beam satellite includes a directional antenna for receiving the plurality of service beams and the at least one feeder beam;

the method further comprising;

identifying using the directional antenna signals received from the service beams and the at least one feeder beam using the direction from which the beams originate and the color of the beam.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

if a service beam coverage area associated with a service beam is not proximate to any other service beam coverage area or the feeder beam coverage area, allocating the service beam associated with the service beam coverage area all of the colors from the beam pattern.

16. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

if a first service beam coverage area associated with a first service beam is proximate to a second service beam coverage area associated with a second service beam, allocating the first service beam a first set of colors from the beam pattern and the second service beam a second set of colors from the beam pattern, wherein the first set and second set are disjoint sets.

17. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

if a first service beam coverage area associated with a first service beam is not proximate to a second service beam coverage area associated with a second service beam, allocating a same set of colors from the beam pattern to the first service beam and the second service beam.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

if the second service beam coverage area associated with the second service beam is proximate to a third service beam coverage area associated with the third service beam, allocating the second service beam a first set of colors from the beam pattern and the third service beam a second set of colors from the beam pattern, wherein the first set and second set are disjoint sets.

19. The method of claim 13 wherein the service beams comprise an uplink component and a downlink component, and the uplink and downlink components are assigned different frequencies.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

converting, at the satellite system, a received signal from the uplink component from a first frequency associated with the uplink to a second frequency associated with the downlink.

21. The method of claim 13 wherein the at least one feeder beam further comprises an uplink feeder beam having at least one common frequency channel and a downlink feeder beam having at least one common frequency channel, wherein the at least one common frequency channel associated with the uplink feeder beam employs a first frequency range and the at least one common frequency channel associated with the downlink feeder beam employs a second frequency range, and wherein the first frequency range is different than the second frequency range.

22. The method of claim 21 further comprising:

converting, at the spot beam satellite, a received signal from the uplink component from a first frequency associated with the uplink to a second frequency associated with the downlink.

23. The method of claim 13 wherein each of the colors of the beam pattern are associated with a different set of frequencies.

24. The method of claim 13 wherein each of the colors of the beam pattern are associated with a different polarization.

25. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

providing data to a second feeder beam coverage area using the spot beam satellite, wherein the second feeder beam coverage area is associated with a second at least one feeder beam, wherein the second feeder beam coverage area is not proximate to any of the service beam coverage areas, and wherein the second at least one feeder beam is allocated all of the colors of the beam pattern.

26. The method of claim 13 wherein a set of colors allocated to the at least one feeder beam includes all colors from the beam pattern not allocated to a service beam associated with each of the one or more service beam coverage areas proximate to the feeder beam coverage area.

28. The method of claim 13 wherein the at least one feeder beam comprises two or more feeder beams that have at least partially overlapping feeder beam coverage areas.