Broadband Satellite with Dual Frequency Conversion and Bandwidth Aggregation

• US 20120094593A1
• Filed: 04/25/2011
• Published: 04/19/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/14/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Maxar Space LLC (Galileo Parent, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Space Systems/Loral Incorporated (Loral Space and Communications Incorporated)
• Inventors: Burr, Douglas G.
• Granted Patent: US 8,660,482 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/12.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18515 Transmission equipment in satellites or space-based relays
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/2041 Spot beam multiple access

Abstract

A broadband satellite having a payload subsystem configured to provide dual frequency conversion and bandwidth aggregation is communicatively coupled (i) to at least one gateway by a feeder link operating at a first frequency band; and (ii) to a plurality of user terminals by user links operating at a second frequency band. The payload subsystem has a first and a second frequency converter a satellite feeder link antenna feed, and a satellite user link antenna feed. The first frequency converter down converts, to a third frequency band, as an aggregated block, signals received at the satellite feeder link antenna feed from the gateway via the feeder link. The third frequency band is substantially lower than both the first and second frequency band. The down converted signals are routed to the second frequency converter for up converting to the second frequency band for transmission over the user link to the user terminals.

Claims

1. A satellite, comprising

a payload subsystem comprising a first frequency converter, a second frequency converter, a satellite feeder link antenna feed, and a satellite user link antenna feed, said payload subsystem being communicatively coupled (i) to at least one gateway by a feeder link operating at a first frequency band;

and (ii) to a plurality of user terminals by a user link operating at a second frequency band, wherein;

the first frequency converter downconverts, to a third frequency band, as an aggregated block, signals received at the satellite feeder link antenna feed from the gateway via the feeder link, said third frequency band being substantially lower than the first frequency band and the second frequency band;

the downconverted signals are processed by the payload subsystem and routed to the second frequency converter; and

the second frequency converter upconverts the downconverted signals to the second frequency band for transmission by the satellite user link antenna feed over the user link to the user terminals.

2. The satellite of claim 1, further comprising third frequency converter and a fourth frequency converter, wherein:

the third frequency converter downconverts, to a sub-band of the third frequency band, return path signals received at the satellite user link antenna feed from users via the user link;

the downconverted return path signals are processed by the payload subsystem and routed to the fourth frequency converter; and

the fourth frequency converter upconverts the down converted return path signals, to a fourth frequency band for transmission by the satellite feeder link antenna feed over the feeder link to the gateway.

3. The satellite of claim 1, wherein the first frequency converter is proximate to the satellite feeder link antenna feed array.

4. The satellite of claim 1, wherein the second frequency converter is proximate to the satellite user link antenna feed array.

5. The satellite of claim 1, wherein the user link comprises at least 100 Ka-band spot user antenna beams.

6. The satellite of claim 1, wherein the user link comprises at least 250 Ka-band spot user antenna beams.

7. The satellite of claim 1, wherein the spot user antenna beams are arranged to provide contiguous coverage of an area on the Earth.

8. The satellite of claim 7, wherein the area on the Earth comprises approximately half of the continental United States.

9. The satellite of claim 1, wherein the feeder link operates within at least one of V-band and Q-band.

10. The satellite of claim 1, wherein the satellite receives forward uplink signals transmitted by the gateway at V-band, said forward uplink signals comprising bandwidth aggregated at the gateway for transmission to users.

11. The satellite of claim 2, wherein the satellite receives signals transmitted by multiple users, located within a user beam at Ka-band.

12. The satellite of claim 11, wherein the received signals are aggregated within a user beam feed cluster and the aggregated received signals are routed, at the third frequency band, from a location proximate to the satellite user link antenna feed array to a location proximate to the satellite feeder link antenna feed array.

13. The satellite of claim 12, wherein the aggregated received signals comprise a bandwidth of approximately 4 GHz.

14. The satellite of claim 1, wherein third frequency band is at X band.

15. The satellite of claim 1, wherein third frequency band is within the range of approximately 4 to 10 GHz.

16. The satellite of claim 1, wherein a single antenna reflector is substantially dedicated to the feeder link.

17. The satellite of claim 16, wherein at least one reflector antenna is substantially dedicated to the user link.

18. The satellite of claim 1, wherein the user link is configured to provide a total forward data capacity of over 300 Gb/sec.

19. The satellite of claim 18, wherein at least one user terminal has a diameter no greater than one meter.

20. A system, said system comprising:

a satellite, a gateway, and a user terminal;

the satellite comprising;

a payload subsystem comprising a first frequency converter, a second frequency converter, a satellite feeder link antenna feed, and a satellite user link antenna feed, said payload subsystem being communicatively coupled (i) to the gateway by a feeder link operating at a first frequency band; and

(ii) to the user terminal by a user link operating at a second frequency band, wherein;

the first frequency converter downconverts, to a third frequency band, as an aggregated block, signals received at the satellite feeder link antenna feed from the gateway via the feeder link, said third frequency band being substantially lower than the first frequency band and the second frequency band;

the downconverted signals are processed by the payload subsystem and routed to the second frequency converter; and

the second frequency converter upconverts the downconverted signals to the second frequency band for transmission by the satellite user link antenna feed over the user link to the user terminal.

21. The system of claim 20, further comprising third frequency converter and a fourth frequency converter, wherein:

the third frequency converter downconverts, to a sub-band of the third frequency band, return path signals received at the satellite user link antenna feed from users via the user link;

the downconverted return path signals are processed by the payload subsystem and routed to the fourth frequency converter; and

the fourth frequency converter upconverts the down converted return path signals, to a fourth frequency band for transmission by the satellite feeder link antenna feed over the feeder link to the gateway.

22. The system of claim 20, wherein the first frequency converter is proximate to the satellite feeder link antenna feed array.

23. The system of claim 20, wherein the second frequency converter is proximate to the satellite user link antenna feed array.

24. The system of claim 20, wherein the user link comprises at least 100 Ka-band spot user antenna beams.

25. The system of claim 20, wherein the user link comprises at least 250 Ka-band spot user antenna beams.

26. The system of claim 20, wherein the spot user antenna beams are arranged to provide contiguous coverage of an area on the Earth.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein the area on the Earth comprises approximately half of the continental United States.

28. The system of claim 20, wherein the feeder link operates within at least one of V-band and Q-band.

29. The system of claim 20, wherein the satellite receives forward uplink signals transmitted by the gateway at V-band, said forward uplink signals comprising bandwidth aggregated at the gateway for transmission to users.

30. The system of claim 21, wherein the satellite receives signals transmitted by multiple users, located within a user beam at Ka-band

31. The system of claim 30, wherein the received signals are aggregated within a user beam feed cluster and the aggregated received signals are routed, at the third frequency band, from a location proximate to the satellite user link antenna feed array to a location proximate to the satellite feeder link antenna feed array.

32. The system of claim 31, wherein the aggregated received signals comprise a bandwidth of approximately 4 GHz.

33. The system of claim 20, wherein third frequency band is at X band.

34. The system of claim 20, wherein third frequency band is within the range of approximately 4 to 10 GHz.

35. The system of claim 20, wherein a single antenna reflector is substantially dedicated to the feeder link.

36. The system of claim 35, wherein at least one reflector antenna is substantially dedicated to the user link.

37. The system of claim 20, wherein the user link is configured to provide a total forward data capacity of over 300 Gb/sec.

38. The system of claim 37, wherein at least one user terminal has a diameter no greater than one meter.