Method and apparatus for providing an integrated communications, navigation and surveillance satellite system

• US 20040130841A1
• Filed: 12/17/2003
• Published: 07/08/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/05/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Timothy A. Murphy
• Original Assignee: Timothy A. Murphy
• Inventors: Murphy, Timothy A.
• Granted Patent: US 6,963,304 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 361/115
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/00 Satellite radio beacon positioning systems; Determining position, velocity or attitude using signals transmitted by such systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/01 Satellite radio beacon positioning systems transmitting time-stamped messages, e.g. GPS [Global Positioning System], GLONASS [Global Orbiting Navigation Satellite System] or GALILEO
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/02 Details of the space or ground control segments
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/071 DGPS corrections
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/072 Ionosphere corrections
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/38 Determining a navigation solution using signals transmitted by a satellite radio beacon positioning system
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/39 the satellite radio beacon positioning system transmitting time-stamped messages, e.g. GPS [Global Positioning System], GLONASS [Global Orbiting Navigation Satellite System] or GALILEO
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18508 with satellite system used as relay, i.e. aeronautical mobile satellite service
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18552 using a telephonic control signal and a second ranging satellite determining absolute distances from a plurality of spaced points of known location G01S5/14

Abstract

A system for providing integrated communications, navigation and surveillance capabilities. A space segment comprises a plurality of time synchronized satellites broadcasting navigation signals and have two-way communication capabilities. Each satellite also has communication switching capabilities and is part of a network. A terrestrial segment comprises processing apparatus that communicates the satellites through the network. A user segment comprises at least one mobile user device capable of two way communication with the plurality of satellites and of using the navigation signals to derive its position. The user device broadcasts surveillance signals which the processing apparatus uses to derive the position of the user device. The signals are also used by the system to measure and transmit the state of the ionosphere.

Claims

1. A system for providing integrated communications, navigation and surveillance information, the system comprising:

a space segment having a plurality of time synchronized satellites networked together, each of said satellites broadcasting multiple navigation signals and being capable of two way communication and of receiving and relaying surveillance signals; and

a terrestrial segment including;

a processing apparatus capable of two way communication with any of said satellites through said network; and

at least one monitoring station having a known position, said monitoring station being capable of receiving said navigation signals broadcast by said satellites, of direct two way communication with each satellite within a line of site, and of two way communication with each satellite through the network, said monitoring station computing a position of said monitoring station based on received navigation signals and communicating said computed position to said processing apparatus so that integrity of the system can be checked.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising a user segment having at least one mobile user device, said user device being capable of direct two way communication with each satellite within a line of sight and of two way communication with any of said satellites through said network, said user device being capable of receiving at least one of said navigation signals broadcast by said satellites and using received navigation signal(s) to compute its position, and said user device being capable of broadcasting a surveillance signal to the plurality of satellites, and

wherein said processing apparatus is capable of determining a position of a user device that broadcasts said surveillance signal.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein each of said satellites has communication switching capabilities so that each of said satellites can route communication signals to a desired recipient.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein said network is formed by each of said satellites directly communicating with at least two other of said satellites so that redundant communication paths exist and each of said satellites is capable of communicating with any other of said satellites either directly or through said network.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein said terrestrial segment has a plurality of ground stations that are capable of direct two way communication with each satellite within a line of sight, each ground station is capable of two way communication using ground based telecommunication networks, and said network is formed by said ground stations and said satellites.

6. A system for providing integrated communications, navigation and surveillance information, the system comprising:

a space segment having a plurality of time synchronized satellites networked together, each of said satellites broadcasting multiple navigation signals and being capable of two way communication and of receiving and relaying surveillance signals; and

a user segment having at least one mobile user device, said user device being capable of direct two way communication with each of said satellites within a line of sight and of two way communication with any of said satellites through said network, said user device being capable of receiving at least one of said navigation signals broadcast by said satellites and using received navigation signal(s) to compute a position of said user device,

wherein said user device informs said space segment that said user device is not receiving said at least one navigation signal said user device is capable of receiving whenever said user device is not receiving said at least one navigation signal.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein said-user device is capable of broadcasting a surveillance signal to said space segment and further comprising a terrestrial segment having a processing apparatus capable of two way communication with any of said satellites through said network, said processing apparatus receiving surveillance signals relayed by said satellites and determining a position of said user device that broadcast said surveillance signal.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein said processing apparatus computes a probable location of an interference source that is preventing said user device from receiving said navigation signal(s).

9. The system of claim 6, wherein each of said satellites has communication switching capabilities so that each of said satellites can route communication signals to a desired recipient.

10. The system of claim 6, wherein said network is formed by each of said satellites directly communicating with at least two other of said satellites so that redundant communication paths exist and each of said satellites is capable of communicating with any other of said satellites either directly or through said network.

11. A system for providing integrated communications, navigation and surveillance information, the system comprising:

a space segment having a plurality of time synchronized satellites networked together, each of said satellites broadcasting multiple navigation signals and being capable of two way communication and of receiving and relaying surveillance signals; and

a user segment having at least one mobile user device, said user device being capable of direct two way communication with each of said satellites within a line of sight and of two way communication with any of said satellites through said network, said user device being capable of receiving at least one of said navigation signals broadcast by said satellites and using received navigation signal(s) to compute a position of said user device, and

wherein each of said satellites broadcasts a first navigation signal at a first frequency and sends a communication signal at said first frequency and said navigation signal acts as a pilot tone for the system.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein said pilot tone operates for initial acquisition and synchronization of said user device.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein said each of said satellites broadcasts three navigation signals at three different frequencies, one of said three different frequencies being said first frequency.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein said user device is capable of broadcasting a surveillance signal to said satellites, and further comprising a terrestrial segment having a processing apparatus capable of two way communication with any of said satellites through said network, said processing apparatus receiving surveillance signals relayed by said satellites and determining a position of said user device that broadcast said surveillance signal.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein each of said satellites has communication switching capabilities so that each of said satellites can route communication signals to a desired recipient.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein said network is formed by each of said satellites directly communicating with at least two other of said satellites so that redundant communication paths exist and each of said satellites is capable of communicating with any other of said satellites either directly or through said network.

17. A system for providing integrated communications and navigation information, the system comprising:

a space segment having a plurality of satellites networked together, each of said satellites broadcasting multiple navigation signals and being capable of two way communication; and

a terrestrial segment including;

a processing system capable of two way communication with at least one of said satellites;

at least one monitoring station capable of receiving navigation signals broadcast by said satellites, of direct two way communication with each of said satellites within a line of sight of said monitoring station, and of two way communication with each satellite through said network, said monitoring station computing a position of said monitoring station based on received navigation signals and communicating said computed position to said processing system so that an integrity of said navigation signals can be checked.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein said-monitoring station is at a known position and said processing system compares said computed position to said known position to check said integrity of said navigation signals.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein each of said satellites is capable of receiving and relaying surveillance signals and further comprising:

a user segment having at least one mobile user device, said user device being capable of receiving at least one of said navigation signals broadcast by said satellites and using said at least one received navigation signal to compute its position, and said user device being operable to broadcast a surveillance signal, and

wherein said processing system is capable of determining a position of a user device that broadcasts said surveillance signal.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein said user device is operable to communicate its computed position to said processing system and said processing system is operable to compare said computed position of said user device to a position of said user device determined by said processing system using received surveillance signal.

21. An integrated communications system comprising:

a space segment having a plurality of satellites networked together, each of said satellites being capable of two way communication, and each of said satellites broadcasting multiple navigation signals; and

a user segment having at least one mobile user device capable of direct two way communication with each of said satellites within a line of sight of said user device and of two way communication with each of said satellites through said network, and said user device being operable to receive at least one of said navigation signals broadcast by said satellites and using said at least one received navigation signal to compute a position of said user device.

22. A communications and surveillance system comprising:

a space segment having a plurality of satellites in communication with one another, each of said satellites being capable of bi-directional communication and of receiving and relaying surveillance signals; and

a user segment having at least one mobile user device capable of direct bi-directional communication with any of said satellites within a line of sight of said user device and operable to broadcast a surveillance signal to said satellites, and

wherein the system uses said surveillance signal to monitor a position of said user device.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein said satellites broadcast position locating information and said user device is operable to receive said broadcast position locating information and determine its position.

24. A system for monitoring position locating information and providing feedback regarding an integrity of the position locating information, the system comprising:

a space segment having a plurality of satellites in communication with one another, each of said satellites broadcasting position locating information and having bidirectional communication capability;

a terrestrial segment including;

a processing system able to bi-directionally communicate directly with at least one of said satellites;

at least one monitoring station in direct communication with at least one of said satellites for receiving said position locating information,

wherein said monitoring station extrapolates position information from said position locating information and transmits said position information to said processing system, and

wherein said processing system uses said position information to maintain an integrity of said position locating information being broadcast by said satellites.

25. The system of claim 24, further comprising a user segment having at least one user device in direct communication with at least one of said satellites for receiving said position locating information,

wherein said user device extrapolates position information from said position locating information and transmits said position information for said user device to said processing system, and

wherein said processing system uses said position information for said user device to maintain an integrity of said position locating information being broadcast by said satellites.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein said user device broadcasts surveillance information to at least one of said satellites and said processing system uses said surveillance information to maintain an integrity of said position locating information being broadcast by said satellites.

27. The system of claim 24, wherein said monitoring station is at a known position and said processing system uses said known position to maintain an integrity of said position locating information being broadcast by said satellites.