Satellite terminal wireless voltage control

• US 9,888,106 B2
• Filed: 04/13/2016
• Issued: 02/06/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 04/13/2016
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hughes Network Systems LLC (Echostar Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Hughes Network Systems LLC (Echostar Corporation)
• Inventors: Harrington, Emanuel, Ricker, Douglas
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Duc M
• Application Number:
  US15/097,655
• Publication Number:
  US 20170302777A1
• Time in Patent Office: 664 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/15528 Control of operation parameters of a relay station to exploit the physical medium
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18528 Satellite systems for providing two-way communications service to a network of fixed stations, i.e. fixed satellite service or very small aperture terminal [VSAT] system
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0203 in the radio access network or backbone network of wireless communication networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0235 where the received signal is a power saving command
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A satellite communication system, a method and a system are provided. In one aspect of the invention, an outdoor unit power source is connected to a switch of a satellite modem of an indoor unit. When the satellite modem receives a first signal from a wireless device, a first switch control signal is sent to the switch to open a connection between the outdoor unit power source and an inter-facility link connected to an antenna of an outdoor unit, thereby preventing power from flowing through the inter-facility link. When the satellite modem receives a second signal from the wireless device, a second switch control signal is sent to the switch to close a connection between the outdoor unit power source and the inter-facility link, thereby causing the power to flow through the inter-facility link. Other wirelessly received signals may cause various control signals to be sent via the inter-facility link.

Claims

1. A satellite communication system comprising:

a wireless device; and

a satellite modem of an indoor unit, the satellite modem further comprising;

at least one processing device connected with the wireless device,

a switch, and

an outdoor unit power source connected to the switch, the switch being arranged to receive a switch control signal from the at least one processing device, the switch control signal controlling the switch to either provide power to an outdoor unit via an inter-facility link or prevent the power from being provided to the outdoor unit via the inter-facility link, wherein;

when the at least one processing device receives a first signal from the wireless device, the at least one processing device sends a first switch control signal to the switch to open a connection between the outdoor unit power source and the inter-facility link, thereby preventing the power from flowing through the inter-facility link,

when the at least one processing device receives a second signal from the wireless device, the at least one processing device sends a second switch control signal to the switch to close the connection between the outdoor unit power source and the inter-facility link, thereby allowing the power to flow through the inter-facility link, and

when the at least one processing device receives a third signal from the wireless device, the at least one processing device reads information from a file and provides the information to the wireless device for wireless transmission.

2. The satellite communication system of claim 1, wherein the wireless device is a wireless router included in the satellite modem.

3. The satellite communication system of claim 1, wherein the wireless device is external to the satellite modem and is physically connected to the satellite modem.

4. The satellite communication system of claim 1, wherein:

the satellite modem further comprises;

a multiplexor arranged to output to the inter-facility link,

at least one control logic unit connected to the at least one processing device and arranged to provide at least one input to the multiplexer; and

responsive to receiving one of a plurality of signals via the wireless device, the at least one processor provides one of a plurality of control signals to the at least one control logic unit to cause the at least one control logic unit to output a corresponding output control signal of a plurality of output control signals via the multiplexor and the inter-facility link.

5. The satellite communication system of claim 4, wherein the plurality of output control signals include at least one of a first voltage to configure a first type of polarization of an antenna, a second voltage to configure a second type of polarization of the antenna, a first tone to select a first frequency band, a second tone to select a second frequency band, a continuous wave tone to enable cross polarization testing and adjustments, and a receive pointing on/off control signal for antenna alignment.

6. The satellite communication system of claim 1, wherein:

when the at least one processing device receives, from the wireless device, a fourth signal, including location information of the satellite communication system and location information of a satellite, the at least one processing device processes the location information of the satellite communication system and the location information of the satellite to produce antenna adjustment parameters, which the at least one processing device provides to the wireless device for wireless transmission.

7. The satellite communication system of claim 1, wherein:

when the at least one processing device receives a fourth signal from the wireless device, the at least one processing device sends a corresponding command to a remote processing device via the inter-facility link and an antenna of the outdoor unit, and

when the at least one processing device receives a response from the remote processing device, via the antenna and the inter-facility link, the at least one processing device provides the response to the wireless device for wireless transmission to a receiving device for displaying.

8. A method for use with a satellite communication system, the method comprising:

responsive to at least one processing device of a satellite modem receiving a first signal from a wireless device, outputting a first switch control signal to a switch to open a connection between an output unit power source, connected to the switch, and an inter-facility link connected to the switch, thereby preventing power from the outdoor unit power source from flowing through the inter-facility link;

responsive to the at least one processing device receiving a second signal from the wireless device, outputting a second switch control signal to the switch to close the connection between the outdoor power unit source and the inter-facility link, thereby allowing the power to flow through the inter-facility link;

responsive to the at least one processing device receiving a third signal from the wireless device, reading, by the at least one processing device, information received from a file; and

providing, by the at least one processing device, the information to the wireless device for wireless transmission.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the wireless device is a wireless router included in the satellite modem.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the wireless device is external to the satellite modem and is physically connected to the satellite modem.

11. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

responsive to receiving one of a plurality of signals via the wireless device, providing, by the at least one processing device, one of a plurality of control signals to at least one control logic unit to cause the at least one control logic unit to output a corresponding output control signal of a plurality of output control signals via a multiplexor connected to the inter-facility link.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the plurality of output control signals include at least one of a first voltage to configure a first type of polarization of an antenna, a second voltage to configure a second type of polarization of the antenna, a first tone to select a first frequency band, a second tone to select a second frequency band, a continuous wave tone to enable cross polarization testing and adjustments, and a receive pointing on/off control signal for antenna alignment.

13. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

responsive to the at least one processing device receiving, from the wireless device, a fourth signal including location information of the satellite communication system and location information of a satellite, processing, by the at least one processing device, the location information of the satellite communication system and the location information of the satellite to produce antenna adjustment parameters, which the at least one processing device provides to the wireless device for wireless transmission.

14. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

responsive to the at least one processing device receiving a fourth signal from the wireless device, sending, by the at least one processing device, a corresponding command to a remote processing device via the inter-facility link and an antenna of the outdoor unit; and

responsive to the at least one processing device receiving a response from the remote processing device, via the antenna and the inter-facility link, providing, by the at least one processing device, the response to the wireless device for wireless transmission to a receiving device for displaying.

15. A system comprising:

a satellite modem;

an antenna of an outdoor unit;

an inter-facility link connecting the satellite modem with the antenna;

a portable processing device having a wireless communication interface; and

a wireless device having a physical connection to at least one processing device of the satellite modem, wherein;

when the wireless device receives a first command from the portable processing device, the wireless device provides the first command to the at least one processing device,

responsive to receiving the first command from the wireless device, the at least one processing device reads information from a file and provides the information to the wireless device,

in response to receiving the information from the at least one processing device, the wireless device wirelessly transmits the information to the portable processing device,

in response to receiving the information from the wireless device, the portable processing device displays a representation of the information on a display screen of the portable processing device.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein:

when the wireless device receives a second command from the portable processing device, the wireless device provides the second command to the at least one processing device;

responsive to the at least one processing device receiving the second command from the wireless device, the at least one processing device provides the second command to a satellite gateway via a network;

responsive to the at least one processing device providing the second command to the satellite gateway, the at least one processing device receives second information from the satellite gateway via the network and provides the second information to the wireless device for transmission to the portable processing device; and

responsive to the portable processing device receiving the second information from the wireless device, the portable processing device displays a representation of the second information on the display screen of the portable processing device.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein:

when the wireless device receives one of a plurality of commands from the portable processing device, the wireless device provides the one of the plurality of commands to the at least one processing device, and

responsive to receiving the one of the plurality of commands from the wireless device, the at least one processing device provides a corresponding one of a plurality of control signals to at least one control logic unit to cause the at least one control logic unit to output a corresponding output control signal of a plurality of output control signals over the inter-facility link.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the satellite modem further comprises:

a multiplexor arranged to output to the inter-facility link;

a switch;

an outdoor power unit source connected to the switch, the switch being arranged to receive a switch control signal from the processing device, the switch control signal controlling the switch to either provide power to an outdoor unit via an inter-facility link or prevent the power from being provided to the outdoor unit via the inter-facility link, wherein;

when the wireless device receives a second command from the portable processing device, the wireless device provides the second command to the at least one processing device,

responsive to receiving the second command from the wireless device, the at least one processing device sends a first switch control signal to the switch to close a connection between the outdoor unit power source and the inter-facility link, thereby causing the power to flow through the inter-facility link,

when the wireless device receives a third command from the portable processing device, the wireless device provides the third command to the at least one processing device,

responsive to receiving the third command from the wireless device, the at least one processing device sends a second switch control signal to the switch to open a connection between the outdoor unit power source and the inter-facility link, thereby preventing the power from flowing through the inter-facility link.