Reconfigurable multibeam communications satellite having frequency channelization

• US 6,442,148 B1
• Filed: 12/23/1998
• Issued: 08/27/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hughes Electronics Corporation (Rtx Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Hughes Electronics Corporation (Rtx Corporation)
• Inventors: Tarbuck, Paul D., La France, Thomas S., Adams, Gerald J., Rao, Sudhakar K., Wu, Shih-Chang, Vaughan, Robert E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hsu, Alpus H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Qureshi, Afsar M.
• Application Number:
  US09/222,200
• Time in Patent Office: 1,343 Days
• Field of Search: 370/323, 370/325, 370/316, 370/319, 370/334, 370/335, 370/344, 370/330, 342/356, 342/373, 342/352, 342/368, 455/12.1, 455/13.1, 455/13.3, 455/17, 455/18, 455/20, 455/22, 455/427, 455/428
• US Class Current: 370/325
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/2041 Spot beam multiple access

Abstract

A satellite subsystem for a satellite employs a reconfigurable communications payload and active array antennas. The subsystem includes an active receive array antenna having a reconfigurable beam forming network for forming input beam signals from input signals received by the receive antenna from sources. An input switch matrix power divides the input beam signals into sets of input beam signals. Each of the channel signals corresponds to a respective channel of the input beam signals. The subsystem further includes a channelizer having a plurality of channel processors each receiving at least one input beam signal from the input switch matrix. The channel processors filter the input beam signals into channel signals. Each of the channel signals corresponds to a respective channel of the input beam signals. The channel processors change the frequency of at least one channel signal to route the at least one channel signal to a different channel than the respective channel of the input beam signals. An output switch matrix combines the channel signals into output beam signals. Each of the channel signals corresponds to a respective channel of the output beam signals. An active transmit array antenna having a reconfigurable beam forming network forms output signals from the output beam signals for transmission by the transmit array antenna to destinations.

Claims

1. A satellite subsystem comprising:

an active receive antenna including a reconfigurable beam forming network for forming input beam signals from input signals received by the receive antenna from sources;

an input switch matrix for power dividing the input beam signals into sets of input beam signals;

a channelizer having a plurality of channel processors each receiving at least one input beam signal from the input switch matrix, wherein the channel processors filter the input beam signals into variable channel signals, wherein each of the variable channel signals corresponds to a respective channel of the input beam signals, wherein the channel processors change the frequency of at least one variable channel signal to route the at least one variable channel signal to a different channel than the respective channel of the input beam signals;

an output switch matrix for combining the variable channel signals into variable output beam signals, wherein each of the variable channel signals corresponds to a respective channel of the variable output beam signals; and

an active phased array transmit antenna including a reconfigurable beam forming network for forming output signals from the variable output beam signals for transmission by the transmit antenna to variable destinations.

2. The subsystem of claim 1 wherein:

each of the plurality of channel processors includes a first mixer for changing the frequency of the input beam signals to a common frequency prior to filtering the input beam signals into variable channel signals and a second mixer for changing the frequency of at least one variable channel signal from the common frequency to route the at least one variable channel signal to a different channel than the respective channel of the input beam signals.

3. The subsystem of claim 2 wherein:

each of the channel processors includes a filter for setting the bandwidth of the variable channel signals.

4. The subsystem of claim 1 wherein:

each of the channel processors includes an automatic gain controller for normalizing signal strength of each of the variable channel signals to a reference value.

5. The subsystem of claim 1 wherein:

each of the channel processors includes a manual gain controller for setting signal strength of each of the variable channel signals to a desired level.

6. The subsystem of claim 1 further comprising:

manual gain controllers connected to the output switch matrix for setting signal strength of each of the variable output beams signals to a desired level.

7. A satellite comprising:

a first satellite subsystem for routing a channel of an up link beam signal to a selected channel of a down link beam signal in a first frequency band, the subsystem including;

an active receive antenna having a reconfigurable beam forming network for forming up link beam signals from up link signals received by the receive antenna from sources,

an input switch matrix for power dividing the input beam signals into sets of input beam signals,

a channelizer including a plurality of channel processors each receiving at least one input beam signal from the input switch matrix, wherein the channel processors filter the input beam signals into variable channel signals, wherein each of the variable channel signals corresponds to a respective channel of the up link beam signals, wherein the channel processors change the frequency of at least one variable channel signal to route the at least one variable channel signal to a different channel than the respective channel of the up link beam signals,

an output switch matrix for combining the variable channel signals into down link beam signals, wherein each of the variable channel signals corresponds to a respective channel of the down link beam signals, and

an active transmit antenna including a reconfigurable beam forming network for forming down link signals from the variable output beam signals for transmission by the transmit antenna to variable destinations.

8. The satellite of claim 7 further comprising:

a second satellite subsystem operable with the first satellite subsystem to route a channel of an up link beam signal in the first frequency band to a selected channel of a down link beam signal in a second frequency band.

9. For use in a satellite, a method of routing a channel of an input beam signal to a channel of an variable output beam signal, the method comprising:

forming input beam signals from input signals received by a receive antenna from sources;

dividing the input beam signals into sets of input beam signals;

filtering the input beam signals into variable channel signals, wherein each of the variable channel signals corresponds to a respective channel of the input beam signals;

changing the frequency of at least one variable channel signal to route the at least one variable channel signal to a different channel than the respective channel of the input beam signals;

combining the variable channel signals into variable output beam signals, wherein each of the variable channel signals corresponds to a respective channel of the variable output beam signals; and

forming output signals from the variable output beam signals for transmission by transmit antenna to variable destinations.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein:

changing the frequency of at least one the variable channel signal includes changing the frequency of the input beam signals to a common frequency prior to filtering the input beam signals into variable channel signals and then changing the frequency of at least one variable channel signal from the common frequency to route the at least one variable channel signal to a different channel than the respective channel of the input beam signals.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein:

setting the bandwidth of the variable channel signals.

12. The method of claim 9 wherein:

normalizing signal strength of each of the variable channel signals to a reference value.

13. The method of claim 9 wherein:

setting signal strength of each of the variable channel signals to a desired level.

14. The method of claim 9 further comprising:

setting signal strength of the variable output beam signals to a desired level.

15. The method of claim 9 wherein:

the sources of the input signals include other satellites.

16. The method of claim 9 wherein:

the variable destinations of the output signals include other satellites.