FREQUENCY RE-USE FOR SERVICE AND GATEWAY BEAMS

• US 20090291633A1
• Filed: 03/18/2009
• Published: 11/26/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ViaSat Incorporated
• Original Assignee: ViaSat Incorporated
• Inventors: Miller, Mark J., Dankberg, Mark D., Wilson, Robert, Jaska, Kristi
• Granted Patent: US 8,254,832 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 7/18543 for adaptation of transmission parameters, e.g. power control for detecting or preventing errors in the information received H04L1/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18582 Arrangements for data linking, i.e. for data framing, for error recovery, for multiple access

Abstract

A method is presented for communicating data in a multibeam satellite system utilizing frequency re-use. The method comprises establishing uplink service beams and downlink service beams between a satellite and a plurality of subscriber terminals. A plurality of the uplink service beams are transmitted to the satellite by re-using at least one common uplink frequency channel, and a plurality of the downlink service beams are transmitted from the satellite by re-using at least one common downlink frequency channel. The method further comprises establishing at least one uplink service beam and at least one downlink service beam between the satellite and a gateway terminal. The at least one uplink service beam is transmitted to the satellite by further re-using the at least one common uplink frequency channel, and the at least one downlink service beam is transmitted from the satellite by further re-using the at least one common downlink frequency channel.

Claims

1. A method for communicating data in a geosynchronous satellite system, the method comprising:

receiving at a geosynchronous satellite a plurality of uplink service beams using a common uplink frequency channel, each of the plurality of uplink service beams being associated with a different service beam coverage area which together form a combined service beam coverage area;

transmitting, by the geosynchronous satellite, a plurality of downlink service beams using a common downlink frequency channel;

receiving, at the geosynchronous satellite, an uplink feeder beam in the common uplink frequency channel from a gateway located within a feeder beam coverage area at least partially not overlapping the combined service beam coverage area and, in response to receiving the uplink feeder beam, forming the plurality of downlink service beams; and

forming a downlink feeder beam responsive to the plurality of uplink service beams and transmitting, by the geosynchronous satellite, the downlink feeder beam in the common downlink frequency channel.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein at least one said uplink feeder beam comprises multiple uplink feeder beams, and at least one said downlink feeder beam comprises multiple downlink feeder beams, wherein a plurality of the uplink feeder beams are transmitted to the satellite by yet further re-using at least one common uplink frequency channel, and a plurality of the downlink feeder beams are transmitted from the satellite by yet further re-using at least one common downlink frequency channel.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein at least said one uplink feeder beam comprises four carriers, wherein at least one said common uplink frequency channel comprises two frequency channels, each of the two frequency channels capable of being separated by right hand circular polarization (RHCP) and left hand circular polarization (LHCP), to form four unique combinations of frequency and polarization, and wherein each of the four carriers is transmitted using one of the four unique combinations of frequency and polarization.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein at least one said downlink feeder beam comprises four carriers, wherein at least one said common downlink frequency channel comprises two frequency channels, each of the two frequency channels capable of being separated by right hand circular polarization (RHCP) and left hand circular polarization (LHCP), to form four unique combinations of frequency and polarization, and wherein each of the four carriers is transmitted using one of the four unique combinations of frequency and polarization.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein each uplink service beam comprises one carrier, wherein at least one said common uplink frequency channel comprises two frequency channels, each of the two frequency channels capable of being separated by right hand circular polarization (RHCP) and left hand circular polarization (LHCP), to form four unique combinations of frequency and polarization, and wherein each carrier of an uplink service beam is transmitted using one of the four unique combinations of frequency and polarization.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein each downlink service beam comprises one carrier, wherein at least one common said downlink frequency channel comprises two frequency channels, each of the two frequency channels capable of being separated by right hand circular polarization (RHCP) and left hand circular polarization (LHCP), to form four unique combinations of frequency and polarization, and wherein each carrier of a downlink service beam is transmitted using one of the four unique combinations of frequency and polarization.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein at least one said common uplink frequency channel includes a 500 MHz frequency channel.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one common downlink frequency channel includes a 500 MHz frequency channel.

9. A geosynchronous satellite for communicating data, the geosynchronous satellite comprising:

a first receiver configured to receive a plurality of uplink service beams using a common uplink frequency channel, each of the plurality of uplink service beams being associated with a different service beam coverage area which together form a combined service beam coverage area;

a first transmitter configured to transmit a plurality of downlink service beams using a common downlink frequency channel;

a second receiver configured to receive an uplink feeder beam in the common uplink frequency channel from a gateway located within a feeder beam coverage area at least partially non-overlapping the combined service beam coverage area;

a processor coupled to the first and second receivers and the first transmitter and configured to form the plurality of downlink service beams responsive to receiving the uplink feeder beam and to form a downlink feeder beam responsive to receiving the plurality of uplink service beams; and

a second transmitter coupled to the processor and configured to transmit the downlink feeder beam in the common downlink frequency channel.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein at least one said uplink feeder beam comprises multiple uplink feeder beams, and at least one said downlink feeder beam comprises multiple downlink feeder beams, wherein a plurality of the uplink feeder beams are transmitted to the satellite by yet further re-using at least one common uplink frequency channel, and a plurality of the downlink feeder beams are transmitted from the satellite by yet further re-using at least one common downlink frequency channel.

11. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein at least said one uplink feeder beam comprises four carriers, wherein at least one said common uplink frequency channel comprises two frequency channels, each of the two frequency channels capable of being separated by right hand circular polarization (RHCP) and left hand circular polarization (LHCP), to form four unique combinations of frequency and polarization, and wherein each of the four carriers is transmitted using one of the four unique combinations of frequency and polarization.

12. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein at least one said downlink feeder beam comprises four carriers, wherein at least one said common downlink frequency channel comprises two frequency channels, each of the two frequency channels capable of being separated by right hand circular polarization (RHCP) and left hand circular polarization (LHCP), to form four unique combinations of frequency and polarization, and wherein each of the four carriers is transmitted using one of the four unique combinations of frequency and polarization.

13. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein each uplink service beam comprises one carrier, wherein at least one said common uplink frequency channel comprises two frequency channels, each of the two frequency channels capable of being separated by right hand circular polarization (RHCP) and left hand circular polarization (LHCP), to form four unique combinations of frequency and polarization, and wherein each carrier of an uplink service beam is transmitted using one of the four unique combinations of frequency and polarization.

14. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein each downlink service beam comprises one carrier, wherein at least one common said downlink frequency channel comprises two frequency channels, each of the two frequency channels capable of being separated by right hand circular polarization (RHCP) and left hand circular polarization (LHCP), to form four unique combinations of frequency and polarization, and wherein each carrier of a downlink service beam is transmitted using one of the four unique combinations of frequency and polarization.

15. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the at least one common uplink frequency channel includes a 500 MHz frequency channel.

16. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the at least one common downlink frequency channel includes a 500 MHz frequency channel.

17. A system for communicating data in a multibeam satellite system utilizing frequency re-use comprising:

means for establishing service beams including uplink service beams and downlink service beams between a satellite and a plurality of subscriber terminals, each downlink service beam being associated with a different service beam coverage area, to form a plurality of service beam coverage areas;

wherein a plurality of the uplink service beams are transmitted to the satellite by re-using at least one common uplink frequency channel, and a plurality of the downlink service beams are transmitted from the satellite by re-using at least one common downlink frequency channel;

means for establishing at least one uplink feeder beam and at least one downlink feeder beam between the satellite and a gateway terminal, the at least one downlink feeder beam being associated with a feeder beam coverage area separated from the plurality of service beam coverage areas, the at least one uplink feeder beam being received at the satellite to form a plurality of the downlink service beams, a plurality of the uplink service beams being received at the satellite to form the at least one downlink feeder beam; and

wherein the at least one uplink feeder beam is transmitted to the satellite by further re-using the at least one common uplink frequency channel, and the at least one downlink feeder beam is transmitted from the satellite by further re-using the at least one common downlink frequency channel.

18. A geosynchronous satellite for communicating data, the geosynchronous satellite comprising:

first receiving means for receiving a plurality of uplink service beams using a common uplink frequency channel, each of the plurality of uplink service beams being associated with a different service beam coverage area which together form a combined service beam coverage area;

means for transmitting a plurality of downlink service beams using a common downlink frequency channel;

second receiving means, coupled to the transmitting means, for receiving an uplink feeder beam in the common uplink frequency channel from a gateway located within a feeder beam coverage area at least partially non-overlapping the combined service beam coverage area and, in response to receiving the uplink feeder beam, forming the plurality of downlink service beams; and

means, coupled to the first receiving means, for forming a downlink feeder beam responsive to the plurality of uplink service beams and transmitting the downlink feeder beam in the common downlink frequency channel.

19. A geosynchronous satellite system comprising:

a plurality of user terminals configured to establish composite service beams including uplink service beams using a common uplink frequency channel and downlink service beams between the user terminals and a geosynchronous satellite using a common downlink frequency channel, each downlink service beam being associated with a different service beam coverage area which together form a combined service beam coverage areas;

a gateway configured to establish an uplink feeder beam corresponding to the downlink service beams over the common uplink frequency channel and configured to establish a downlink feeder beam associated with the uplink service beams between the gateway and the geosynchronous satellite over the common downlink frequency channel, the downlink feeder beam being associated with a feeder beam coverage area at least partially non-overlapping the combined service beam coverage areas.

20. A geosynchronous satellite comprising:

a downstream translator configured to;

establish a plurality of composite service beams between the geosynchronous satellite and a plurality of user terminals, each composite service beam including an uplink service beam and a downlink service beam, each downlink service beam being associated with a different service beam coverage area which together form a composite service beam coverage area,

transmit the downlink service beams from the geosynchronous satellite on a common downlink frequency channel,

receive the uplink service beams at the geosynchronous satellite on a common uplink frequency channel; and

an upstream translator configured to;

establish an uplink feeder beam and a downlink feeder beam between the geosynchronous satellite and a gateway, the downlink feeder beam being associated with a feeder beam coverage area separated at least partially non-overlapping the composite service beam coverage area,

receive the uplink feeder beam on the common uplink frequency channel,

form the plurality of downlink service beams from the uplink feeder beam,

form the downlink feeder beam from the plurality of uplink service beams, and

transmit the downlink feeder beam on the common downlink frequency channel.

21. A geosynchronous satellite comprising:

means for establishing a plurality of composite service beams between the geosynchronous satellite and a plurality of user terminals, each composite service beam including an uplink service beam and a downlink service beam, each downlink service beam being associated with a different service beam coverage area which together form a composite service beam coverage area;

first transmitting means for transmitting the downlink service beams from the geosynchronous satellite on a common downlink frequency channel;

means for receiving the uplink service beams at the geosynchronous satellite on a common uplink frequency channel;

means for establishing an uplink feeder beam and a downlink feeder beam between the geosynchronous satellite and a gateway, the downlink feeder beam being associated with a feeder beam coverage area separated at least partially not overlapping the combined service beam coverage area;

means for receiving the uplink feeder beam on the common uplink frequency channel;

means, coupled to the first transmitting means, for forming the plurality of downlink service beams from the uplink feeder beam;

means for forming the downlink feeder beam from the plurality of uplink service beams; and

second transmitting means, coupled to the means for forming the downlink feeder beam, for transmitting the downlink feeder beam on the common downlink frequency channel.

22. A geosynchronous satellite, comprising:

a first antenna configured to;

establish a plurality of composite service beams between the satellite and a plurality of user terminals, each composite service beam including an uplink service beam and a downlink service beam, each downlink service beam being associated with a different service beam coverage area, to form a plurality of service beam coverage areas,

transmit the downlink service beams from the satellite on a common downlink frequency channel,

receive the uplink service beams at the satellite on a common uplink frequency channel,

a second antenna configured to;

establish an uplink feeder beam and a downlink feeder beam between the satellite and a gateway, the downlink feeder beam being associated with a feeder beam coverage area separated at least in part from the plurality of service beam coverage areas,

receive the uplink feeder beam on the common uplink frequency channel, and

transmit the downlink feeder beam on the common downlink frequency channel; and

a plurality of frequency translators coupled to the first and second antennas, configured to;

form the plurality of downlink service beams from the uplink feeder beam,

form the downlink feeder beam from the plurality of uplink service beams,

frequency translate the uplink feeder beam and one or more of the plurality of uplink service beams.