Multi-band/multi-mode satellite radiotelephone communications systems and methods

• US 20030054762A1
• Filed: 08/22/2002
• Published: 03/20/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/14/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ATC Technology Corporation (FedEx Corporation)
• Original Assignee: ATC Technology Corporation (FedEx Corporation)
• Inventors: Karabinis, Peter D.
• Granted Patent: US 7,181,161 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/12.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18513 Transmission in a satellite or space-based system
• 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]

Abstract

Satellite radiotelephone systems and communications methods include a space-based component that is configured to communicate with radiotelephones in a satellite footprint that is divided into satellite cells. The space-based component is configured to communicate with a first radiotelephone in a first satellite cell over a first frequency band and/or a first air interface, and to communicate with a second radiotelephone in the first or a second satellite cell over a second frequency band and/or a second air interface. An ancillary terrestrial network also is provided that is configured to communicate terrestrially with the first radiotelephone over substantially the first frequency band and/or substantially the first air interface, and to communicate terrestrially with the second radiotelephone over substantially the second frequency band and/or substantially the second air interface.

Claims

1. A satellite radiotelephone system comprising:

a space-based component that is configured to communicate with radiotelephones in a satellite footprint that is divided into a plurality of satellite cells;

the space-based component being configured to communicate with a first radiotelephone in a first satellite cell over a first frequency band and/or a first air interface and to communicate with a second radiotelephone in a second satellite cell over a second frequency band and/or a second air interface.

2. A satellite radiotelephone system according to claim 1 further comprising:

an ancillary terrestrial network that is configured to communicate terrestrially with the first radiotelephone over substantially the first frequency band and/or substantially the first air interface and to communicate terrestrially with the second radiotelephone over substantially the second frequency band and/or substantially the second air interface.

3. A satellite radiotelephone system according to claim 2 wherein the ancillary terrestrial network comprises a first ancillary terrestrial component in the first satellite cell that is configured to communicate terrestrially with the first radiotelephone over substantially the first frequency band and/or substantially the first air interface, and a second ancillary terrestrial component in the second satellite cell that is configured to communicate terrestrially with the second radiotelephone over substantially the second frequency band and/or substantially the second air interface.

4. A satellite radiotelephone system according to claim 3 wherein the first ancillary terrestrial component is operated by a first wireless network operator and the second ancillary terrestrial component is operated by a second wireless network operator.

5. A satellite radiotelephone system according to claim 2 wherein the ancillary terrestrial network comprises a first portion that is configured to communicate terrestrially with the first radiotelephone over substantially the first frequency band and/or substantially the first air interface, and a second portion that is configured to communicate terrestrially with the second radiotelephone over substantially the second frequency band and/or substantially the second air interface.

6. A satellite radiotelephone system according to claim 5 wherein the first portion is operated by a first wireless network operator and the second portion is operated by a second wireless network operator.

7. A satellite radiotelephone system according to claim 1 further comprising:

a gateway that is configured to communicate with the space-based component over a feeder link that comprises the first air interface and the second air interface.

8. A satellite radiotelephone system according to claim 1 further comprising:

a gateway that is configured to communicate with the space-based component over a feeder link that is configured to transport communications between the space-based component and the first and second radiotelephones.

9. A satellite radiotelephone system according to claim 1 wherein the first and second air interfaces each comprise a different one of a GSM, narrow-band CDMA or wideband CDMA air interfaces.

10. A satellite radiotelephone system comprising:

a space-based component that is configured to communicate with a first radiotelephone over a first frequency band and/or a first air interface and with a second radiotelephone over a second frequency band and/or a second air interface; and

an ancillary terrestrial network that is configured to communicate terrestrially with the first radiotelephone over substantially the first frequency band and/or substantially the first air interface and to communicate terrestrially with the second radiotelephone over substantially the second frequency band and/or substantially the second air interface.

11. A satellite radiotelephone system according to claim 10 wherein the satellite footprint is divided into a plurality of satellite cells, the first radiotelephone is in a first satellite cell and the second radiotelephone is in a second satellite cell.

12. A satellite radiotelephone system according to claim 10 wherein the ancillary terrestrial network comprises a first ancillary terrestrial component that is configured to communicate terrestrially with the first radiotelephone over substantially the first frequency band and/or substantially the first air interface, and a second ancillary terrestrial component that is configured to communicate terrestrially with the second radiotelephone over substantially the second frequency band and/or substantially the second air interface.

13. A satellite radiotelephone system according to claim 12 wherein the first ancillary terrestrial component is operated by a first wireless network operator and the second ancillary terrestrial component is operated by a second wireless network operator.

14. A satellite radiotelephone system according to claim 10 wherein the ancillary terrestrial network comprises a first portion that is configured to communicate terrestrially with the first radiotelephone over substantially the first frequency band and/or substantially the first air interface, and a second portion that is configured to communicate terrestrially with the second radiotelephone over substantially the second frequency band and/or substantially the second air interface.

15. A satellite radiotelephone system according to claim 14 wherein the first portion is operated by a first wireless network operator and the second portion is operated by a second wireless network operator.

16. A satellite radiotelephone system according to claim 10 further comprising:

a gateway that is configured to communicate with the space-based component over a feeder link that comprises the first air interface and the second air interface.

17. A satellite radiotelephone system according to claim 10 further comprising:

a gateway that is configured to communicate with the space-based component over a feeder link that is configured to transport communications between the space-based component and the first and second radiotelephones.

18. A satellite radiotelephone system according to claim 10 wherein the first and second air interfaces each comprise a different one of a GSM, narrow-band CDMA or wideband CDMA air interfaces.

19. A satellite radiotelephone communications method comprising:

communicating between a space-based component and a first radiotelephone in a first satellite cell over a first frequency band and/or a first air interface; and

communicating between the space-based component and a second radiotelephone in a second satellite cell over a second frequency band and/or a second air interface.

20. A method according to claim 19 further comprising:

communicating terrestrially with the first radiotelephone over substantially the first frequency band and/or substantially the first air interface; and

communicating terrestrially with the second radiotelephone over substantially the second frequency band and/or substantially the second air interface.

21. A method according to claim 20:

wherein the communicating terrestrially with the first radiotelephone is performed by a first ancillary terrestrial component in the first satellite cell that is configured to communicate terrestrially with the first radiotelephone over substantially the first frequency band and/or substantially the first air interface; and

wherein the communicating terrestrially with the second radiotelephone is performed by a second ancillary terrestrial component in the second satellite cell that is configured to communicate terrestrially with the second radiotelephone over substantially the second frequency band and/or substantially the second air interface.

22. A method according to claim 21 wherein the first ancillary terrestrial component is operated by a first wireless network operator and the second ancillary terrestrial component is operated by a second wireless network operator.

23. A method according to claim 20:

wherein the communicating terrestrially with the first radiotelephone is performed by a first portion of an ancillary terrestrial network that is configured to communicate terrestrially with the first radiotelephone over substantially the first frequency band and/or substantially the first air interface; and

wherein the communicating terrestrially with the second radiotelephone is performed by a second portion of the ancillary terrestrial network that is configured to communicate terrestrially with the second radiotelephone over substantially the second frequency band and/or substantially the second air interface.

24. A method according to claim 23 wherein the first portion is operated by a first wireless network operator and the second portion is operated by a second wireless network operator.

25. A method according to claim 19 further comprising:

communicating between the space-based component and a gateway over a feeder link that comprises the first air interface and the second air interface.

26. A satellite radiotelephone system according to claim 19 further comprising:

communicating between the space-based component and a gateway over a feeder link that is configured to transport communications between the space-based component and the first and second radiotelephones.

27. A method according to claim 19 wherein the first and second air interfaces each comprise a different one of a GSM, narrow-band CDMA or wideband CDMA air interfaces.

28. A satellite radiotelephone communications method comprising:

communicating between a space-based component and a first radiotelephone over a first frequency band and/or a first air interface and a second radiotelephone over a second frequency band and/or a second air interface; and

communicating terrestrially with the first radiotelephone over substantially the first frequency band and/or substantially the first air interface and with the second radiotelephone over substantially the second frequency band and/or substantially the second air interface.

29. A method according to claim 28 wherein the satellite footprint is divided into a plurality of satellite cells, the first radiotelephone is in a first satellite cell and the second radiotelephone is in a second satellite cell.

30. A method according to claim 28 wherein the communicating terrestrially is performed by a first ancillary terrestrial component that is configured to communicate terrestrially with the first radiotelephone over substantially the first frequency band and/or substantially the first air interface, and a second ancillary terrestrial component that is configured to communicate terrestrially with the second radiotelephone over substantially the second frequency band and/or substantially the second air interface.

31. A method according to claim 30 wherein the first ancillary terrestrial component is operated by a first wireless network operator and the second ancillary terrestrial component is operated by a second wireless network operator.

32. A method according to claim 28 wherein the communicating terrestrially is performed by a first portion of an ancillary terrestrial network that is configured to communicate terrestrially with the first radiotelephone over substantially the first frequency band and/or substantially the first air interface and by a second portion of the ancillary terrestrial network that is configured to communicate terrestrially with the second radiotelephone over substantially the second frequency band and/or substantially the second air interface.

33. A method according to claim 32 wherein the first portion is operated by a first wireless network operator and the second portion is operated by a second wireless network operator.

34. A method according to claim 28 further comprising:

communicating between the space-based component and a gateway over a feeder link that comprises the first air interface and the second air interface.

35. A satellite radiotelephone system according to claim 28 further comprising:

communicating between the space-based component and a gateway over a feeder link that is configured to transport communications between the space-based component and the first and second radiotelephones.

36. A method according to claim 28 wherein the first and second air interfaces each comprise a different one of a GSM, narrow-band CDMA or wideband CDMA air interfaces.

37. A method of adding space-based communications to a first terrestrial network that is configured to communicate with a first radiotelephone over a first frequency band and/or a first air interface and to a second terrestrial network that is configured to communicate with a second radiotelephone over a second frequency band and/or a second air interface, the method comprising:

communicating between a space-based component and the first radiotelephone over substantially the first frequency band and/or the first air interface and between the space-based component and the second radiotelephone over substantially the second frequency band and/or substantially the second air interface.

38. A method according to claim 37 wherein the first terrestrial network is operated by a first wireless network operator and the second terrestrial network is operated by a second wireless network operator.

39. A method according to claim 37 further comprising:

communicating between the space-based component and a gateway over a feeder link that comprises the first air interface and the second air interface.

40. A satellite radiotelephone system according to claim 37 further comprising:

communicating between the space-based component and a gateway over a feeder link that is configured to transport communications between the space-based component and the first and second radiotelephones.

41. A method according to claim 37 wherein the first and second air interfaces each comprise a different one of a GSM, narrow-band CDMA or wideband CDMA air interfaces.

42. A system for adding space-based communications to a first terrestrial network that is configured to communicate with a first radiotelephone over a first frequency band and/or a first air interface and to a second terrestrial network that is configured to communicate with a second radiotelephone over a second frequency band and/or a second air interface, the system comprising:

a space-based component that is configured to communicate with the first radiotelephone over substantially the first frequency band and/or the first air interface and with the second radiotelephone over substantially the second frequency band and/or substantially the second air interface.

43. A system according to claim 42 wherein the first terrestrial network is operated by a first wireless network operator and the second terrestrial network is operated by a second wireless network operator.

44. A satellite radiotelephone system according to claim 42 further comprising:

a gateway that is configured to communicate with the space-based component over a feeder link that comprises the first air interface and the second air interface.

45. A satellite radiotelephone system according to claim 42 further comprising:

a gateway that is configured to communicate with the space-based component over a feeder link that is configured to transport communications between the space-based component and the first and second radiotelephones.

46. A satellite radiotelephone system according to claim 42 wherein the first and second air interfaces each comprise a different one of a GSM, narrow-band CDMA or wideband CDMA air interfaces.