Methods, radioterminals, and ancillary terrestrial components for communicating using spectrum allocated to another satellite operator

• US 20060205367A1
• Filed: 02/16/2006
• Published: 09/14/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/08/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ATC Technology Corporation (FedEx Corporation)
• Original Assignee: ATC Technology Corporation (FedEx Corporation)
• Inventors: Karabinis, Peter D.
• Granted Patent: US 7,756,490 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/95
• 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 7/195 Non-synchronous stations
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/14 Spectrum sharing arrangements between different networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/06 Airborne or Satellite Networks space-based or airborne stations H04B7/185

Abstract

A method of providing communications can be provided by at least one space-based and/or terrestrial component of a first system/operator transmitting/receiving information using spectrum allocated to a second system/operator at an aggregate interference level at a space-based component of the second system/operator that is less than or substantially equal to a predetermined threshold. Related other methods, systems, and radioterminals are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A method of providing communications comprising:

at least one space-based and/or terrestrial component of a first system/operator transmitting/receiving information using spectrum allocated to a second system/operator at an aggregate interference level at a space-based component of the second system/operator that is less than or substantially equal to a predetermined threshold.

2. A method according to claim 1 wherein transmitting/receiving comprises:

selecting a portion of spectrum allocated to the second system/operator to be used for communicating by the first system/operator; and

transmitting/receiving information by the first system/operator using the portion of spectrum allocated to the second system/operator.

3. A method according to claim 1 wherein the predetermined threshold is less than or substantially equal to 6% Δ

T/T.

4. A method according to claim 1 wherein the predetermined threshold is an interference threshold specified by the International Telecommunications Union.

5. A method according to claim 2 further comprising:

adjusting at least one parameter associated with transmitting/receiving information by the first system/operator using the portion of spectrum allocated to the second system/operator to control an interference level at the space-based component of the second system/operator to be less than or substantially equal to the predetermined threshold.

6. A method according to claim 5 wherein adjusting at least one parameter comprises limiting a number of users, assigning a data rate for communications and/or assigning a vocoder rate for communications.

7. A method according to claim 6 wherein assigning a data-rate for communications comprises assigning paging and/or low data rate communications.

8. A method according to claim 7 further comprising:

at least one terrestrial component of the first system/operator transmitting/receiving information using the portion of spectrum allocated to the second system/operator.

9. A method according to claim 8 wherein transmitting/receiving comprises a band of spectrum for communications by the first system/operator including a portion of spectrum allocated to the second system/operator and a portion of spectrum allocated to the first system/operator.

10. A method according to claim 8 wherein transmitting/receiving comprises a data rate that is greater compared to a data rate associated with the paging, the data rate for communications, the vocoder rate for communications and/or the low data rate communications.

11. A method according to claim 1 wherein transmitting/receiving comprises:

configuring a plurality of first radioterminals to communicate with the at least one space-based and/or terrestrial component of the first system/operator using spectrum allocated to the second system/operator to provide an aggregate in-band interference level; and

/or

configuring a plurality of second radioterminals to communicate with the at least one space-based and/or terrestrial component using spectrum allocated to the first system/operator to provide an aggregate out-of-band interference level, wherein a combination of the in-band and the out-of-band interference levels is less than or substantially equal to the predetermined threshold.

12. A method of providing communications comprising:

configuring a space-based component of a first system/operator to transmit and/or receive information using spectrum allocated to a second system/operator.

13. A method of providing communications comprising:

a space-based component of a first system/operator transmitting/receiving information using spectrum allocated to a second system/operator to provide an in-band space-based interference component at a space-based component of the second system/operator; and

/or

at least one terrestrial component of the first system/operator transmitting/receiving information using spectrum allocated to the second system/operator to provide an in-band terrestrial interference component at the space-based component of the second system/operator.

14. A method according to claim 13 wherein the in-band space-based interference component and the in-band terrestrial interference component at the space-based component of the second system/operator provide an interference level that is less than or substantially equal to 6% Δ

T/T.

15. A method according to claim 13 wherein a space-based component of a first system/operator transmitting/receiving information comprises communicating with relatively few users, communicating using relatively low data rate communications and/or communicating using relatively low rate vocoder communications.

16. A method of providing communications comprising:

a space-based component and/or at least one terrestrial component of a first system/operator transmitting/receiving information using spectrum allocated to a second system/operator to allow a continuous band of spectrum for transmitting/receiving information by the first system/operator.

17. A radioterminal comprising:

a transmitter/receiver circuit configured to transmit/receive information to/from a space-based component and/or to/from at least one ancillary terrestrial component of a first system/operator using spectrum allocated to a second system/operator.

18. A radioterminal according to claim 17 further comprising a baseband processor circuit configured to provide data to/from the transmitter/receiver circuit.

19. A radioterminal according to claim 18 wherein an aggregate interference controller is configured to adjust at least one parameter associated with the radioterminal to maintain an aggregate interference to be less than or substantially equal to a predetermined threshold.

20. A radioterminal according to claim 19 wherein the aggregate interference controller is configured to limit a number of radioterminals, assign a data mode and/or a vocoder mode to radioterminals using spectrum allocated to the second system/operator.

21. A radioterminal according to claim 19 wherein the predetermined threshold is less than or substantially equal to 6% Δ

T/T at a space-based component of the second satellite operator.

22. A radioterminal according to claim 19 wherein the predetermined threshold comprises a level that is specified by the International Telecommunications Union.

23. An Ancillary Terrestrial Network (ATN) of a first system/operator comprising:

an aggregate interference controller for controlling space-based and/or terrestrial communications of the first system/operator using spectrum allocated to a second system/operator and to maintain an aggregate interference level at a space-based component of the second system/operator at less than or substantially equal to a predetermined threshold.

24. An ATN according to claim 23 wherein the aggregate interference controller is further configured to select at least one portion of spectrum allocated to the second system/operator to be used by the first system/operator and configuring radioterminals of the first system/operator to transmit/receive information using the at least one portion of spectrum allocated to the second system/operator.

25. An ATN according to claim 23 wherein the predetermined threshold is less than or substantially equal to 6% Δ

T/T at a space-based component of the second system/operator.

26. An ATN according to claim 23 wherein the predetermined threshold is an interference threshold specified by the International Telecommunications Union.

27. An ATN according to claim 24 wherein the aggregate interference controller is further configured to adjust at least one parameter associated with at least one radioterminal to maintain the aggregate interference at the space-based component of the second system/operator less than or substantially equal to the predetermined threshold.

28. An ATN according to claim 27 wherein adjusting at least one parameter comprises limiting a number of radioterminals, assigning a data mode and/or assigning a vocoder mode.

29. An ATN according to claim 23 further comprising a controller that configures a plurality of first radioterminals to communicate with the space-based component and/or with the ATN of the first system/operator using spectrum allocated to the second system/operator to provide an aggregate in-band interference component and/or configures a plurality of second radioterminals to communicate with the space-based component and/or the ATN using spectrum allocated to the first system/operator to provide an aggregate out-of-band interference component, wherein a combination of the aggregate in-band interference component and the aggregate out-of-band interference component at the space-based component of the second system/operator is less than or substantially equal to the predetermined threshold.

30. A terrestrial system that is configured to transmit and/or receive information wirelessly using at least some spectrum allocated to another system and to maintain a level of interference at the other system at less than or substantially equal to a predetermined threshold.

31. A method of reusing spectrum of a second system/operator by a first system/operator comprising:

reusing the spectrum of the second system/operator for space-based and/or terrestrial communications by the first system/operator at an aggregate interference level at the second system/operator that is less than or substantially equal to a predetermined threshold.

32. A space-based component of a system configured to transmit and/or receive information using at least some spectrum allocated to another system and to maintain a level of interference at the other system that is less than or substantially equal to a predetermined threshold.

33. A radioterminal configured to transmit/receive information to/from an element of a first wireless system using spectrum allocated to a second wireless system and to maintain a level of interference at the second wireless system that is less than or substantially equal to a predetermined threshold.

34. A first wireless system configured to transmit/receive information using spectrum allocated to a second wireless system and to maintain a level of interference at the second wireless system that is less than or substantially equal to a predetermined threshold.

35. A method of providing communications comprising:

at least one component of a first system/operator transmitting/receiving information using spectrum allocated to a second system/operator and maintaining a level of interference at a component of the second system/operator that is less than or substantially equal to a predetermined threshold.