Methods and systems for configuring satellite antenna cell patterns in response to terrestrial use of satellite frequencies

• US 20060135060A1
• Filed: 02/16/2006
• Published: 06/22/2006
• 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 7,295,807 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/12.100
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18513 Transmission in a satellite or space-based system
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18543 for adaptation of transmission parameters, e.g. power control for detecting or preventing errors in the information received H04L1/00
• 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]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/02 Resource partitioning among network components, e.g. reuse partitioning

Abstract

Space-based wireless radiotelephone communications are provided in a satellite footprint over a satellite radiotelephone frequency band. The satellite footprint is divided into satellite cells in which satellite radiotelephone frequencies of the satellite radiotelephone frequency band are spatially reused. At least one of the satellite radiotelephone frequencies that is assigned to a given satellite cell in the satellite footprint is terrestrially reused outside the given satellite cell. A radiation pattern of at least the given satellite cell is modified to reduce interference with the at least one of the satellite radiotelephone frequencies that is terrestrially reused outside the given satellite cell.

Claims

1. A wireless communications method comprising:

providing space-based communications over a space-based component using a frequency band;

providing terrestrial communications over at least one terrestrial component using at least one frequency of the frequency band; and

configuring at least one radiation pattern of the space-based component to reduce interference with the at least one frequency that is terrestrially used.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the space-based component provides communications using the frequency band in a Frequency Division Duplex (FDD) mode and the at least one terrestrial component provides communications using the at least one frequency of the frequency band in a Time Division Duplex (TDD) mode.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the configuring is performed once or repeatedly.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the space-based component provides communications using the frequency band in a Frequency Division Duplex (FDD) mode and the at least one terrestrial component provides communications using the at least one frequency of the frequency band in a FDD mode.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the configuring is performed once or repeatedly.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the at least one terrestrial component provides communications using a GSM-based and/or a CDMA-based-air interface protocol.

7. A wireless communications system comprising:

a space-based component that is configured to provide space-based communications over a frequency band; and

at least one terrestrial component configured to provide terrestrial communications over at least one frequency of the frequency band;

wherein at least one radiation pattern of the space-based component is configured to reduce interference with the at least one frequency that is used terrestrially by the at least one terrestrial component.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the space-based component provides communications using the frequency band in a Frequency Division Duplex (FDD) mode and the at least one terrestrial component provides communications using the at least one frequency of the frequency band in a Time Division Duplex (TDD) mode.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the at least one radiation pattern is configured once or repeatedly.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein the space-based component provides communications using the frequency band in a Frequency Division Duplex (FDD) mode and the at least one terrestrial component provides communications using the at least one frequency of the frequency band in a FDD mode.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the at least one radiation pattern is configured once or repeatedly.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the at least one terrestrial component provides communications using a GSM-based and/or a CDMA-based air interface protocol.

13. A system for reducing interference in a wireless communications system comprising a space-based component that is configured to provide space-based communications over a frequency band, and at least one terrestrial component that is configured to provide communications terrestrially by using at least one frequency of the frequency band, the interference reducing system comprising:

a controller that is operative to configure a radiation pattern of the space-based component to reduce interference with the at least one frequency that is terrestrially used by the at least one terrestrial component.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the controller is operative to configure the radiation pattern of the space-based component once or repeatedly.

15. A system for reducing interference in a wireless communications system comprising a space-based component that is configured to provide space-based communications over a frequency band, and at least one terrestrial component that is configured to provide terrestrial communications by using at least one frequency of the frequency band, the interference reducing system comprising:

means for configuring a radiation pattern of the space-based component to reduce interference with the at least one frequency of the frequency band that is used by the at least one terrestrial component.

16. A system according to claim 15 wherein the means for configuring comprises means for configuring the radiation pattern once or repeatedly.

17. A wireless communications method comprising:

providing space-based communications over a frequency band using a space-based component; and

configuring at least one radiation pattern of the space-based component to reduce interference with at least one frequency that is used terrestrially to provide wireless communications;

wherein the at least one frequency is a frequency of the frequency band.

18. A wireless communications method according to claim 17 wherein the configuring is performed once or repeatedly.

19. A wireless communications method comprising:

configuring at least one radiation pattern of a space-based component to reduce a level of interference at the space-based component due to terrestrial use of at least one frequency that is also used by the space-based component.

20. A wireless communications method according to claim 19 wherein the configuring is performed once or repeatedly.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the space-based component provides communications using the at least one frequency in a Frequency Division Duplex (FDD) mode and the terrestrial use provides communications using the at least one frequency in a Time Division Duplex (TDD) mode.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein the space-based component provides communications using the at least one frequency in a Frequency Division Duplex (FDD) mode and the terrestrial use provides communications using the at least one frequency in a FDD mode.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the terrestrial use provides communications using a GSM-based and/or a CDMA-based air interface protocol.