Methods, systems, and computer program products for providing uplink collision identification

• US 9,294,186 B2
• Filed: 11/28/2007
• Issued: 03/22/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/01/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TFCF Digital Enterprises Incorporated (The Walt Disney Company)
• Original Assignee: Fox Digital Enterprises, Inc (The Walt Disney Company)
• Inventors: Wetmore, Robert Evans
• Primary Examiner(s): Pham, Chi H
• Assistant Examiner(s): LOPATA, ROBERT J
• Application Number:
  US11/946,410
• Publication Number:
  US 20080130551A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,037 Days
• Field of Search: 370/310, 370/315, 370/316, 455/3.01, 455/3.02, 455/7, 455/11.1, 455/12.1
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/1851 Systems using a satellite or space-based relay H04B7/18508, H04B7/18521 take precedence; providing specific services H04B7/18523 - H04B7/18576

Abstract

A method for providing uplink collision identification includes at a first satellite uplink, transmitting a first signal to a satellite; at the first satellite uplink, transmitting a first unique satellite uplink identification signal to the satellite; at a satellite downlink, receiving the first signal and the first unique satellite uplink identification signal; and at the satellite downlink, identifying the first satellite uplink in response to the first unique satellite uplink identification signal.

Claims

1. A method for providing uplink collision identification, the method comprising:

at a first satellite uplink, transmitting a first signal to a satellite;

at the first satellite uplink, transmitting a first unique satellite uplink identification signal to the satellite, wherein the first unique satellite uplink identification signal is a carrier that is separate from the first signal, said first unique satellite uplink identification signal identifying the uplink that transmits the first signal;

at a satellite downlink, receiving the first signal and the first unique satellite uplink identification signal; and

at the satellite downlink, identifying the first satellite uplink in response to the first unique satellite uplink identification signal, wherein

the first signal is transmitted on a first frequency band having an upper frequency band edge, the first unique satellite uplink identification signal being transmitted on a frequency spaced a predetermined frequency from the upper frequency band edge.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the predetermined frequency is within a band having a predefined width.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein:

the band has a predefined width is about 0.5 MHz.

5. The method of claim 1,

wherein the first unique satellite uplink identification signal is a carrier wave modulated by an identification code.

6. The method of claim 1,

wherein identifying the first satellite uplink in response to the first unique satellite uplink identification signal includes extracting an identification code from the identification signal and accessing a database of identification codes.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

at a second satellite uplink, transmitting a second signal to the satellite;

at the second satellite uplink, transmitting a second unique satellite uplink identification signal to the satellite;

at the satellite downlink, receiving the second signal and the second unique satellite uplink identification signal; and

at the satellite downlink, identifying the second satellite uplink in response to the second unique satellite uplink identification signal.

2. A method for providing uplink collision identification, the method comprising:

at a first satellite uplink, transmitting a first signal to a satellite;

at the first satellite uplink, transmitting a first unique satellite uplink identification signal to the satellite, wherein the first unique satellite uplink identification signal is a carrier that is separate from the first signal, said first unique satellite uplink identification signal identifying the uplink that transmits the first signal;

at a satellite downlink, receiving the first signal and the first unique satellite uplink identification signal; and

at the satellite downlink, identifying the first satellite uplink in response to the first unique satellite uplink identification signal, wherein

the first signal is transmitted on a first frequency band having a lower frequency band edge, the first unique satellite uplink identification signal being transmitted on a frequency spaced a predetermined frequency from the lower frequency band edge.

8. A system for providing uplink collision identification, the system comprising:

a first satellite uplink transmitting a first signal to a satellite;

the first satellite uplink transmitting a first unique satellite uplink identification signal to the satellite, wherein the first unique satellite uplink identification signal is a carrier that is separate from the first signal, said first unique satellite uplink identification signal identifying the uplink that transmits the first signal;

a satellite downlink receiving the first signal and the first unique satellite uplink identification signal; and

an identification system identifying the first satellite uplink in response to the first unique satellite uplink identification signal, wherein

the first signal is transmitted on a first frequency band having an upper frequency band edge, the first unique satellite uplink identification signal being transmitted on a frequency spaced a predetermined frequency from the upper frequency band edge.

10. The system of claim 8 wherein:

the predetermined frequency is within a band having a predefined width.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein:

the band having a predefined width is about 0.5 MHz.

12. The system of claim 8,

wherein the first unique satellite uplink identification signal is a carrier wave modulated by an identification code.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein

the identification system identifies the first satellite uplink in response to the first unique satellite uplink identification signal by extracting an identification code from the identification signal and accessing a database of identification codes.

14. The system of claim 8 further comprising:

a second satellite uplink transmitting a second signal to the satellite;

the second satellite uplink transmitting a second unique satellite uplink identification signal to the satellite;

wherein the satellite downlink receives the second signal and the second unique satellite uplink identification signal; and

wherein the identification system identifies the second satellite uplink in response to the second unique satellite uplink identification signal.

9. A system for providing uplink collision identification, the system comprising:

a first satellite uplink transmitting a first signal to a satellite;

the first satellite uplink transmitting a first unique satellite uplink identification signal to the satellite, wherein the first unique satellite uplink identification signal is a carrier that is separate from the first signal, said first unique satellite uplink identification signal identifying the uplink that transmits the first signal;

a satellite downlink receiving the first signal and the first unique satellite uplink identification signal; and

an identification system identifying the first satellite uplink in response to the first unique satellite uplink identification signal, wherein

the first signal is transmitted on a first frequency band having a lower frequency band edge, the first unique satellite uplink identification signal being transmitted on a frequency spaced a predetermined frequency from the lower frequency band edge.

15. A computer program product for providing uplink collision identification, the computer program product comprising:

a non-transitory storage medium readable by a processing circuit and storing instructions for execution by the processing circuit for performing a method comprising;

at a first satellite uplink, transmitting a first signal to a satellite;

at the first satellite uplink, transmitting a first unique satellite uplink identification signal to the satellite, wherein the first unique satellite uplink identification signal is a carrier that is separate from the first signal, said first unique satellite uplink identification signal identifying the uplink that transmits the first signal;

at a satellite downlink, receiving the first signal and the first unique satellite uplink identification signal; and

at the satellite downlink, identifying the first satellite uplink in response to the first unique satellite uplink identification signal wherein

the first signal is transmitted on a first frequency band having an upper frequency band edge, the first unique satellite uplink identification signal being transmitted on a frequency spaced a predetermined frequency from the upper frequency band edge.