Method and apparatus for reducing interference between terrestrially-based and space-based broadcast systems

• US 6,975,837 B1
• Filed: 01/21/2003
• Issued: 12/13/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 01/21/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hughes Electronics Corporation (Rtx Corporation)
• Original Assignee: The DIRECTV Group, Inc. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Santoru, Joseph
• Primary Examiner(s): Trinh, Sonny
• Assistant Examiner(s): DOAN, PHUOC HUU
• Application Number:
  US10/348,274
• Time in Patent Office: 1,057 Days
• Field of Search: 455/12.1, 455/31.1, 455/427, 455/13.1, 455/430, 725/69, 725/49, 725/70, 725/63
• US Class Current: 455/12.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/1851 Systems using a satellite or space-based relay H04B7/18508, H04B7/18521 take precedence; providing specific services H04B7/18523 - H04B7/18576
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18534 for enhancing link reliablility, e.g. satellites diversity

Abstract

A system and method for reducing interference between communications systems sharing at a portion of at least some allocated frequency bands is described. The system comprises a first communication system broadcasting on a first set of broadcast bands having guard bands therebetween, and a second communications system broadcasting on a second set of broadcast bands substantially spanning the guard bands of the first communications system.

Claims

1. A communications system, comprising

a first communications system having a plurality of substantially geosynchronous satellites broadcasting a first set of information signals to a first plurality of terrestrial receiver stations;

the first communication system satellites including first communication system satellite having a first plurality of transponders transmitting a first subset of information signals on a first subset of the first plurality of broadcast bands at a first polarization and a second communication system satellite having a second plurality of transponders transmitting a second subset of the first set of information signals on a second subset of the first plurality of broadcast bands at a second polarization substantially isolated from the first polarization;

a second communications system having a plurality of terrestrially-based transmitters transmitting a second set of information signals to a second plurality of terrestrially-based terrestrial receiver stations, wherein the first set of information signals each have independent content from and are spatially and polarizationally diverse from the second set of information signals;

wherein the first set of information signals are broadcast via one or more of a first plurality of broadcast bands having guard bands therebetween; and

wherein the second set of information signals are broadcast on one or more of a second plurality of broadcast bands, each of the second plurality of broadcast bands associated with and substantially spanning one of the first information signal guard bands.

2. The communications system of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the broadcast bands of the second plurality of broadcast bands are centered at the guard bands.

3. The communications system of claim 2, wherein a bandwidth of at least a subset of the second plurality of broadcast bands is less than a bandwidth of the associated band of the plurality of first broadcast bands.

4. The communications system of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of satellites are in a geosynchronous orbit.

5. The communications system of claim 1, wherein:

each of the first communication system satellites include a first plurality of transponders transmitting on a first subset of the first plurality of broadcast bands and a second plurality of transponders transmitting on a second subset of the first plurality of broadcast bands, and wherein the guard bands of the first subset of the first plurality of broadcast bands are substantially centered at center frequencies of the second subset of the first plurality of broadcast bands.

6. The communications system of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the second set of information signals are turbo-coded.

7. The communications system of claim 1, wherein

the at least a portion of the first set of information signals are coded according to a first coding scheme, and at least a portion of the second set of information signals are coded according to a second coding scheme different from the first coding scheme.

8. The communications system of claim 1, wherein the first set of information signals are modulated according to a first modulation scheme and the second information signals are modulated according to a second modulation scheme.

9. The communications system of claim 1, wherein a bandwidth of at least a subset of the second plurality of broadcast bands is greater than a bandwidth of the first information signal guard bands.

10. A method of broadcasting a first set of information signals from a first communications system having a plurality of geosynchronous satellites to a first plurality of terrestrial receiver stations and a second set of information signals, independent in content and spatially diverse from the first set of information signals, from a second communications system having a plurality of terrestrially-based transmitters to a second set of terrestrial receiver stations, comprising the steps of:

broadcasting the first set of information signals via one or more of a first plurality of broadcast bands having guard bands therebetween having substantially no information signal; and

broadcasting the second set of information signals via one or more of a second plurality of broadcast bands, each of the second plurality of broadcast bands associated with and substantially spanning at least one of the first information signal guard bands.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein each of the second plurality of broadcast bands are centered at the guard bands.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein a bandwidth of at least a subset of the second plurality of broadcast bands is less than a bandwidth of the associated guard band of the plurality of first broadcast bands.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein each of the plurality of satellites are in a geosynchronous orbit.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein:

each of the first communication system satellites include a first plurality of transponders transmitting on a first subset of the first plurality of broadcast bands and a second plurality of transponders transmitting on a second subset of the first plurality of broadcast bands, and wherein the guard bands of the first subset of the first plurality of broadcast bands are substantially centered at center frequencies of the second subset of the first plurality of broadcast bands.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein at least a portion of the second set of information signals are turbo-coded.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein

the at least a portion of the first set of information signals are coded according to a first coding scheme, and at least a portion of the second set of information signals are coded according to a second coding scheme different from the first coding scheme.

17. The method of claim 10, wherein the first set of information signals are modulated according to a first modulation scheme and the second information signals are modulated according to a second modulation scheme.

18. A communications system, usable with a first communications system having a plurality of substantially geosynchronous satellites broadcasting a first set of information signals to a first plurality of terrestrial receiver stations wherein the first set of information signals are broadcast via one or more of a first plurality of broadcast bands having guard bands therebetween, comprising:

a plurality of terrestrially-based transmitters transmitting a second set of information signals to a second plurality of terrestrial receiver stations;

wherein the first set of information signals each have independent content from and ate spatially diverse from the second set of information signals; and

wherein the second set of information signals are broadcast on a second plurality of broadcast bands, each of the second plurality of broadcast bands associated with and substantially spanning one of the first information signal guard bands.

19. The communications system of claim 18, wherein at least a portion of the broadcast bands of the second plurality of broadcast bands are centered at the guard bands.

20. The communications system of claim 19, wherein a bandwidth of at least a subset of the second plurality of broadcast bands is less than a bandwidth of the associated guard band of the plurality of first broadcast bands.

21. The communications system of claim 18, wherein each of the plurality of satellites are in a geosynchronous orbit.

22. The communications system of claim 18, wherein:

each of the first communication system satellites include a first plurality of transponders transmitting on a first subset of the first plurality of broadcast bands and a second plurality of transponders transmitting on a second subset of the first plurality of broadcast bands, and wherein the guard bands of the first subset of the first plurality of broadcast bands are substantially centered at center frequencies of the second subset of the first plurality of broadcast bands.

23. The communications system of claim 18, wherein at least a portion of the second set of information signals are turbo-coded.

24. The communications system of claim 18, wherein

the at least a portion of the first set of information signals are coded according to a first coding scheme, and at least a portion of the second set of information signals are coded according to a second coding scheme different from the first coding scheme.

25. The communications system of claim 18, wherein the first set of information signals are modulated according to a first modulation scheme and the second information signals are modulated according to a second modulation scheme.

26. An apparatus for broadcasting a first set of information signals from a first communications system having a plurality of geosynchronous satellites to a first plurality of terrestrial receiver stations and a second set of information signals, independent in content and spatially diverse from the first set of information signals, from a second communications system having a plurality of terrestrially-based transmitters to a second set of terrestrial receiver stations, comprising:

means for broadcasting the first set of information signals via one or more of a first plurality of broadcast bands having guard bands therebetween having substantially no information signal; and

means for broadcasting the second set of information signals via one or more of a second plurality of broadcast bands, each of the second plurality of broadcast bands associated with and substantially spanning one of the first information signal guard bands.