Multi-band satellite and/or ancillary terrestrial component radioterminal communications systems and methods with diversity operation
First Claim
1. A satellite radioterminal communications system comprising:
- a first space-based component that is configured to communicate with a first radioterminal over a first forward link using a first band of frequencies and over a first return link using a second band of frequencies;
a second space-based component that is configured to communicate with a second radioterminal over a second forward link using a third band of frequencies and over a second return link using a fourth band of frequencies and to receive return link communications from the first radioterminal over the first return link using the second band of frequencies wherein the first and third bands of frequencies comprise substantially different portions of a common frequency band and/or substantially different portions of at least two different frequency bands; and
a return link diversity combiner that is configured to combine return link communications received from the first radioterminal at the first and second space-based components.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A satellite radioterminal communications system may include first and second space-based components and a return link diversity combiner. The first space-based component may be configured to communicate uni-directionally and/or bidirectionally with a first radioterminal over a first forward link using a first band of frequencies (F1) and/or over a first return link using a second band of frequencies (F2). The second space-based component may be configured to communicate uni-directionally and/or bidirectionally with a second radioterminal over a second forward link using a third band of frequencies (F3) and/or over a second return link using a fourth band of frequencies (F4). The second space-based component may also be configured to receive return link communications from the first radioterminal over the first return link using the second band of frequencies (F2), and the first and third bands of frequencies may be different bands of frequencies. The return link diversity combiner may be configured to combine return link communications received from the first radioterminal at the first and second space-based components. A satellite radioterminal communications system may also include an ancillary terrestrial network comprising a plurality of ancillary terrestrial components and a plurality of radioterminals. A radioterminal may be operatively configured to establish communications with at least one ancillary terrestrial component, with at least one space-based component and/or with at least one other network, and the at least one ancillary terrestrial component and the radioterminal may be configured to preferentially establish communications thereinbetween to thereby improve at least one measure of communications performance relative to a value of the at least one measure of communications performance when the radioterminal is communicating with an alternate network, such as, for example, a space-based network. Related methods are also discussed.
292 Citations
105 Claims
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1. A satellite radioterminal communications system comprising:
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a first space-based component that is configured to communicate with a first radioterminal over a first forward link using a first band of frequencies and over a first return link using a second band of frequencies;
a second space-based component that is configured to communicate with a second radioterminal over a second forward link using a third band of frequencies and over a second return link using a fourth band of frequencies and to receive return link communications from the first radioterminal over the first return link using the second band of frequencies wherein the first and third bands of frequencies comprise substantially different portions of a common frequency band and/or substantially different portions of at least two different frequency bands; and
a return link diversity combiner that is configured to combine return link communications received from the first radioterminal at the first and second space-based components. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A method of operating a satellite radioterminal communications system, the method comprising:
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providing communication between a first space-based component and a first radioterminal over a first forward link using a first band of frequencies and over a first return link using a second band of frequencies;
providing communication between a second space-based component and a second radioterminal over a second forward link using a third band of frequencies and over a second return link using a fourth band of frequencies wherein the first and third bands of frequencies comprise substantially different portions of a common frequency band and/or substantially different portions of at least two different frequency bands;
receiving return link communications at the second space-based component from the first radioterminal over the first return link using the second band of frequencies; and
diversity combining return link communications received from the first radioterminal at the first and second space-based components. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40)
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41. A satellite radioterminal communications system comprising:
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a first space-based component that is configured to communicate uni-directionally and/or bidirectionally with a first radioterminal over forward and/or return links using a first band of frequencies and to receive return link communications from a second radioterminal using a portion of a second band of frequencies;
a second space-based component that is configured to communicate uni-directionally and/or bidirectionally with a second radioterminal over forward and/or return links using the second band of frequencies and to receive return link communications from the first radioterminal using a portion of the first band of frequencies;
a diversity combiner that is configured to combine return link communications that are received from the first radioterminal at the first and second space-based components and to combine return link communications that are received from the second radioterminal at the first and second space-based components; and
an ancillary terrestrial network that is configured to communicate with the first radioterminal over substantially the first and/or second band of frequencies and/or over at least one other frequency that is not substantially included in the first and/or second band of frequencies and/or to communicate with the second radioterminal over substantially the second and/or first band of frequencies and/or over at least one other frequency that is not substantially included in the first and/or second band of frequencies. - View Dependent Claims (42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48)
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49. A method of operating a satellite radioterminal communications system, the method comprising:
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providing uni-directional and/or bidirectional communications between a first space-based component and a first radioterminal over forward and/or return links using a first band of frequencies;
receiving return link communications from a second radioterminal at the first space-based component using a portion of a second band of frequencies;
providing uni-directional and/or bidirectional communication between a second space-based component and a second radioterminal over forward and/or return links using the second band of frequencies;
receiving return link communications from the first radioterminal at the second space-based component using a portion of the first band of frequencies;
diversity combining return link communications that are received from the first radioterminal at the first and second space-based components;
diversity combining return link communications that are received from the second radioterminal at the first and second space-based components; and
providing communications between the first and/or second radioterminal and an ancillary terrestrial network over substantially the first and/or second band of frequencies and/or over at least one other frequency that is not substantially contained in the first and/or second band of frequencies. - View Dependent Claims (50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57)
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58. A satellite radioterminal communications system comprising:
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a first space-based component that is configured to communicate with a first radioterminal over a first forward link using a first band of frequencies and over a first return link using a second band of frequencies;
a second space-based component that is configured to communicate with a second radioterminal over a second forward link using a third band of frequencies and over a second return link using a fourth band of frequencies and to receive return link communications from the first radioterminal over the first return link using the second band of frequencies wherein the first and third bands of frequencies comprise different frequency bands; and
a return link diversity combiner that is configured to diversity combine return link communications received from the first radioterminal at the first and second space-based components. - View Dependent Claims (59, 60, 61)
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62. A method of operating a satellite radioterminal communications system, the method comprising:
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providing communication between a first space-based component and a first radioterminal over a first forward link using a first band of frequencies and over a first return link using a second band of frequencies;
providing communication between a second space-based component and a second radioterminal over a second forward link using a third band of frequencies and over a second return link using a fourth band of frequencies wherein the first and third bands of frequencies comprise different bands of frequencies;
receiving return link communications at the second space-based component from the first radioterminal over the first return link using the second band of frequencies; and
diversity combining return link communications received from the first radioterminal at the first and second space-based components. - View Dependent Claims (63, 64, 65)
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66. A wireless communications system comprising:
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at least one space-based network comprising at least one space-based component;
at least one ancillary terrestrial network comprising at least one plurality of ancillary terrestrial components; and
at least one plurality of radioterminals operative to communicate with the at least one space-based network and/or the at least one ancillary terrestrial network using a frequency band;
wherein at least one radioterminal of the at least one plurality of radioterminals and the at least one plurality of ancillary terrestrial components are operatively configured to preferentially establish communications thereinbetween. - View Dependent Claims (67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85)
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86. A method of operating a wireless communications system including at least one space-based network including at least one space-based component and/or at least one ancillary terrestrial network including at least one plurality of ancillary terrestrial components:
preferentially establishing communications between a radioterminal and at least one ancillary terrestrial component of the ancillary terrestrial network. - View Dependent Claims (87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 100, 101, 102, 103, 104, 105)
Specification