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

• US 8,285,278 B2
• Filed: 08/13/2009
• Issued: 10/09/2012
• 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.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, John J
• Application Number:
  US12/540,729
• Publication Number:
  US 20090305696A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,153 Days
• Field of Search: 455/427, 455/447, 455/429, 455/12.1, 455/451, 455/452.1, 455/13.2, 455/428, 455/430, 455/452.2, 370/316, 370/320
• US Class Current: 455/427
• 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: 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 downlink satellite radiotelephone frequency in a time-division duplex mode. By terrestrially transmitting and receiving wireless communications over the downlink satellite radiotelephone frequency in a time-division duplex mode, interference at the space-based component and/or at the gateway, by the ancillary terrestrial network and/or the radiotelephones due to terrestrial reuse of cellular satellite frequency spectrum, may be reduced or eliminated.

Claims

1. A radiotelephone communications method comprising:

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

transmitting wireless communications from the terrestrial wireless network directly to the radiotelephone and receiving wireless communications directly from the radiotelephone at the terrestrial wireless network over a second satellite radiotelephone frequency.

2. A method according to claim 1 wherein the transmitting is devoid of any time overlap with the receiving.

3. A radiotelephone that is configured to perform the method of claim 1.

4. A terrestrial wireless network component that is configured to perform the method of claim 1.

5. A radiotelephone communications method comprising:

transmitting wireless communications from a terrestrial wireless network directly to a radiotelephone over a satellite radiotelephone frequency and receiving wireless communications directly from the radiotelephone at the terrestrial wireless network over the satellite radiotelephone frequency,

wherein the satellite radiotelephone frequency is included in a satellite radiotelephone frequency band and wherein the transmitting comprises transmitting wireless communications directly from the terrestrial wireless network to the radiotelephone over the satellite radiotelephone frequency band and wherein the receiving comprises receiving wireless communications directly from the radiotelephone at the terrestrial wireless network over the satellite radiotelephone frequency band.

6. A method according to claim 5 wherein the transmitting is devoid of any time overlap with the receiving.

7. A radiotelephone that is configured to perform the method of claim 5.

8. A terrestrial wireless network component that is configured to perform the method of claim 5.

9. A radiotelephone communications method comprising:

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

providing to an electronics system a measure of the wireless communications that are transmitted by the terrestrial wireless network and providing to the electronics system a measure of the wireless communications that are received at the terrestrial wireless network.

10. A method according to claim 9 wherein the transmitting is devoid of any time overlap with the receiving.

11. A radiotelephone that is configured to perform the method of claim 9.

12. A terrestrial wireless network component that is configured to perform the method of claim 9.

13. A radiotelephone communications method comprising:

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

receiving wireless communications directly from the terrestrial wireless network at the radiotelephone and transmitting wireless communications from the radiotelephone directly to the terrestrial wireless network over a second satellite radiotelephone frequency.

14. A method according to claim 13 wherein the receiving is devoid of any time overlap with the transmitting.

15. A radiotelephone that is configured to perform the method of claim 13.

16. A terrestrial wireless network component that is configured to perform the method of claim 13.

17. A radiotelephone communications method comprising:

receiving wireless communications directly from a terrestrial wireless network at a radiotelephone over a satellite radiotelephone frequency and transmitting wireless communications from the radiotelephone directly to the terrestrial wireless network over the satellite radiotelephone frequency,

wherein the first satellite radiotelephone frequency is included in a satellite radiotelephone frequency band and wherein the receiving comprises receiving wireless communications directly from the terrestrial wireless network over the satellite radiotelephone frequency band and wherein transmitting comprises transmitting wireless communications directly to the terrestrial wireless network over the satellite radiotelephone frequency band.

18. A method according to claim 17 wherein the receiving is devoid of any time overlap with the transmitting.

19. A radiotelephone that is configured to perform the method of claim 17.

20. A terrestrial wireless network component that is configured to perform the method of claim 17.

21. A radiotelephone communications method comprising:

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

providing to an electronics system a measure of the wireless communications that are transmitted by the radiotelephone and providing to the electronics system a measure of the wireless communications that are received at the radiotelephone.

22. A method according to claim 21 wherein the receiving is devoid of any time overlap with the transmitting.

23. A radiotelephone that is configured to perform the method of claim 21.

24. A terrestrial wireless network component that is configured to perform the method of claim 21.