Satellite communications systems and methods using radiotelephone
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A processor for use in a satellite communications system, the processor comprising:
- a selector that is configured to select a subset of a plurality of signals that are received at a satellite; and
a detector that is configured to detect a transmission of a terminal responsive to the selected subset of the plurality of signals;
wherein the selector and the detector are positioned at a distance from the satellite and wherein the subset of the plurality of signals is selected by the selector responsive to a location of the terminal, andwherein the selector is configured to select a first subset of the plurality of signals responsive to a transmission of the terminal, wherein the detector is configured to associate location information with the terminal responsive to the first subset of the plurality of signals, wherein the selector is further configured to select a second subset of the plurality of signals responsive to the location information, and wherein the detector is further configured to detect a subsequent transmission of the terminal responsive to the second subset of the plurality of signals.
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Abstract
A processor for use in a satellite communications system includes a selector that is configured to select a subset of a plurality of spatially diverse satellite signals based upon a location of a radioterminal. The processor further includes a signal processor that is configured to detect a return-link transmission from the radioterminal responsive to the selected subset of the spatially diverse satellite signals. The respective spatially diverse satellite signals may include respective signals corresponding to respective antenna elements of a satellite. The selector and the signal processor may be ground based.
130 Citations
26 Claims
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1. A processor for use in a satellite communications system, the processor comprising:
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a selector that is configured to select a subset of a plurality of signals that are received at a satellite; and a detector that is configured to detect a transmission of a terminal responsive to the selected subset of the plurality of signals; wherein the selector and the detector are positioned at a distance from the satellite and wherein the subset of the plurality of signals is selected by the selector responsive to a location of the terminal, and wherein the selector is configured to select a first subset of the plurality of signals responsive to a transmission of the terminal, wherein the detector is configured to associate location information with the terminal responsive to the first subset of the plurality of signals, wherein the selector is further configured to select a second subset of the plurality of signals responsive to the location information, and wherein the detector is further configured to detect a subsequent transmission of the terminal responsive to the second subset of the plurality of signals. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A satellite communications system comprising:
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a satellite configured to receive a plurality of spatially diverse signals from a radioterminal; and a processor configured to select a subset of the plurality of spatially diverse signals and to detect a transmission of the radioterminal responsive to the selected subset of the plurality of spatially diverse signals; wherein the processor is positioned at a distance from the satellite, the plurality of spatially diverse signals are received at the satellite via a respective plurality of antenna elements of the satellite and wherein the processor is configured to select the subset of the plurality of spatially diverse signals based upon a location of the radioterminal, and wherein the processor is configured to select a first subset of the plurality of spatially diverse signals responsive to a transmission of the radioterminal, to detect location information associated with the radioterminal responsive to the first subset of the plurality of spatially diverse signals, to select a second subset of the plurality of spatially diverse signals responsive to the detected location information, and to detect a subsequent transmission of the radioterminal responsive to the second subset of the plurality of spatially diverse signals. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A satellite communications system comprising:
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a satellite-based processor configured on a satellite to receive first spatially diverse signals from a satellite antenna and to responsively generate a feeder link signal, wherein the satellite-based processor discards at least one signal of the first spatially diverse signals and generates the feeder link signal by spectrally distributing second spatially diverse signals corresponding to selected frequency components of the first spatially diverse signals; and a signal processor configured to select a subset of the second spatially diverse signals based upon a location of a radioterminal and to detect a transmission of the radioterminal responsive to the selected subset of the second spatially diverse signals, and wherein the signal processor is configured to select a first subset of the second spatially diverse signals responsive to a transmission of the radioterminal, to associate location information with the radioterminal responsive to the first subset of the second spatially diverse signals, to select a second subset of the second spatially diverse signals responsive to the location information, and to detect a subsequent transmission of the radioterminal responsive to the second subset of the second spatially diverse signals; wherein the signal processor is positioned at a distance from the satellite. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A satellite communications method comprising:
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generating at a satellite a plurality of spatially diverse signals based upon a transmission of a radioterminal; selecting a subset of the plurality of spatially diverse signals based upon a location of the radioterminal; and detecting a transmission of the radioterminal responsive to the selected subset of the spatially diverse signals wherein selecting a subset of the plurality of spatially diverse signals based upon a location of a radioterminal comprises selecting a first subset of the plurality of spatially diverse signals responsive to a transmission of a radioterminal; wherein detecting a transmission of the radioterminal responsive to the selected subset of the spatially diverse signals comprises detecting location information associated with the radioterminal responsive to the first subset of the plurality of spatially diverse signals; wherein selecting a subset of the plurality of spatially diverse signals based upon a location of a radioterminal further comprises selecting a second subset of the plurality of spatially diverse signals responsive to the detected location information; and wherein detecting a transmission of the radioterminal responsive to the selected subset of the spatially diverse signals further comprises detecting a subsequent transmission of the radioterminal responsive to the second subset of the plurality of spatially diverse signals; wherein the selecting and detecting are performed at a distance from the satellite. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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Specification