Communication system using multiple link terminals

• US 7,181,162 B2
• Filed: 09/28/2001
• Issued: 02/20/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: DIRECTV, LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: The DIRECTV Group, Inc. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Chang, Donald C. D., Lim, Wah L., Chang, Ming U.
• Primary Examiner(s): Urban; Edward F.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chow; Charles
• Application Number:
  US09/967,753
• Publication Number:
  US 20020072374A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,971 Days
• Field of Search: 455/452, 455/431, 455/427, 455/403, 455/430, 455/429, 455/13.1, 455/12.1, 455/15, 455/16, 455/452.1, 455/509, 455/561, 455/446, 455/447, 455/450, 455/453, 455/422.1, 455/455, 455/434, 455/445, 455/550.1, 455/575.1, 455/17, 455/13.3, 455/425, 370/316, 370/401, 370/349, 370/474, 370/320, 370/321, 370/326, 370/329, 370/335, 370/342, 370/368, 370/473, 370/482, 370/481, 370/331, 343/757, 343/893, 379/88.13, 342/359, 342/371, 342/357.15, 342/361, 348/14.02, 375/347
• US Class Current: 455/13.1
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/007 specially adapted for indoor communication
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/26 varying the relative phase or relative amplitude of energisation between two or more active radiating elements; varying the distribution of energy across a radiating aperture H01Q3/12, H01Q3/22, H01Q3/24 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0408 using two or more beams, i.e. beam diversity
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18506 Communications with or from aircraft, i.e. aeronautical mobile service
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18508 with satellite system used as relay, i.e. aeronautical mobile satellite service

Abstract

A communication system has a plurality of bases stations generating communication portions from a base station communication signal. The plurality of base stations are capable of using the entire allocated bandwidth to generate the base station communication portions. A user terminal establishes a plurality of dynamic links corresponding respectively to the plurality of base stations. The user terminal generates multiple communication portions of a user signal and transmits the multiple communication portions through the dynamic links to the plurality of base stations. The user terminal receives the base station communication portions from the plurality of bases stations and reassembles the communication portions into the base station communication signals.

Claims

1. A communication system having an allocated bandwidth comprising:

a plurality of base stations, each of said plurality of base stations generating base station communication portions from a base station communication signal, said plurality of base stations capable of using the entire allocated bandwidth to generate said base station communication portions; and

a user terminal establishing a plurality of multiple dynamic links corresponding respectively to said plurality of base stations, said user terminal generating multiple communication portions of a user communication signal and simultaneously transmitting the multiple communication portions through said multiple dynamic links to said plurality of base stations, said multiple dynamic links changing position as the base station moves in relation to the user terminal, said user terminal receiving base station communication portions from the plurality of base stations and reassembling the communication portions into the base station communication signals.

2. A system as recited in claim 1, wherein said base station comprises a stratospheric platform.

3. A system as recited in claim 1, wherein said base station is selected from the group consisting of a LEO satellite, a MEO satellite, or a GEO satellite.

4. A system as recited in claim 1, wherein said user terminal is mobile.

5. A system as recited in claim 1, wherein said multiple dynamic links are capable of having independently varying data rates.

6. A system as recited in claim 1, wherein said user terminal comprises a router for routing uplink communication portions through said links.

7. A system as recited in claim 6, wherein said router receives the communication portions and arranges the communication portions in a predetermined sequence.

8. A system as recited in claim 1, wherein said user terminal comprises a multiple beam antenna capable of simultaneously generating the multiple dynamic links.

9. A system as recited in claim 1, wherein said user terminal establishes a plurality of forward links and a plurality of return links, wherein said plurality of forward user links is greater than said plurality of return links.

10. A system as recited in claim 1, wherein said user terminal comprises a hub and router circuit coupled to a digital beam former for receiving multiple dynamic links.

11. A system as recited in claim 1, wherein said user terminal comprises a TCP/IP protocol for transmitting the multiple communication portions.

12. A communication system having an allocated bandwidth comprising:

a user terminal;

a gateway station having a first communication signal formed of a first datagram and a second datagram;

a first base station receiving said first datagram from said gateway station and establishing a first dynamic link and communicating said first datagram to said user terminal;

a second base station receiving said second datagram from said gateway station and establishing a second dynamic link and communicating said second datagram to said user terminal;

said user terminal simultaneously receiving said first datagram and said second datagram from said respective first base station and said second base station, said user terminal reassembling said first communication signal therein, wherein said user terminal generates a second communication signal comprising a third datagram and a fourth datagram, said user terminal establishing a third dynamic link and a fourth dynamic link, said user terminal communicating said third datagram to said first base station and said fourth datagram to said second base station;

said first base station receiving said third datagram from said user terminal and establishing a fifth dynamic link and communicating said third datagram to said gateway station;

said second base station receiving said fourth datagram from said user terminal and establishing a sixth dynamic link and communicating said fourth datagram to said gateway station;

said gateway receiving said third datagram and said fourth datagram and assembling said third datagram and said fourth datagram into said second communication signal.

13. A communication system having an allocated bandwidth comprising:

a user terminal;

a gateway station having a first communication signal formed of a first datagram and a second datagram;

a first base station receiving said first datagram from said gateway station and establishing a first dynamic link and communicating said first datagram to said user terminal;

a second base station receiving said second datagram from said gateway station and establishing a second dynamic link and communicating said second datagram to said user terminal;

said user terminal simultaneously receiving said first datagram and said second datagram from said respective first base station and said second base station, said user terminal reassembling said first communication signal therein, wherein said user terminal comprises;

a plurality of receiving elements;

a receiving beam forming network for forming said third dynamic link and said fourth dynamic link with the plurality of elements;

a receiving hub and router circuit coupled to the receiving digital beam forming network for assembling first and second datagrams;

a receiving direction control circuit coupled to the hub and router circuit and the receiving digital beam forming circuit for estimating relative position vectors for said base stations and the user terminal.

14. A system as recited in claim 13, further comprising:

a plurality of transmitting elements coupled to a transmitting digital beam forming network;

a transmitting hub and router circuit coupled to the transmitting digital beam forming network for making said second communication into said third datagram and said fourth datagram and routing the third datagram and said fourth datagram through said third and fourth dynamic links formed by transmitting digital beam forming networks and

a transmitting direction control circuit coupled to said hub and router circuit and to said transmitting digital beam forming network for forming relative position vectors of said user terminal and base stations for transmitting beams to the base stations.

15. A system terminal as recited in claim 14 wherein said transmitting direction control circuit comprises estimation algorithms for generating a base station state vector and user state vectors.

16. A system terminal as recited in claim 15 wherein said base station state vector and said user state vectors are used to generate relative position vectors.

17. A system terminal as recited in claim 14, wherein said transmitting hub and router circuit comprises a routing table which is updated with motion vectors from said transmitting direction control circuit.

18. A method of operating a communication system comprising:

generating a first communication signal formed of a first datagram and a second datagram at a gateway station;

receiving said first datagram from said gateway station at a first base station;

establishing a first dynamic link at said first base station;

communicating said first datagram to said user terminal though said first dynamic link;

receiving said second datagram from said gateway station at a second base station;

establishing a second dynamic link at said second base station;

communicating said second datagram to said user terminal through said second dynamic;

link

simultaneously receiving said first datagram and said second datagram from said respective first base station and said second base station at said user terminal; and

reassembling said first communication signal from said first datagram and said second datagram in said first user terminal as a function of a hub and router circuit.

19. A method of operating a communication system comprising:

generating a first communication signal formed of a first datagram and a second datagram at a gateway station;

receiving said first datagram from said gateway station at a first base station;

establishing a first dynamic link at said first base station;

communicating said first datagram to said user terminal though said first dynamic link;

receiving said second datagram from said gateway station at a second base station;

establishing a second dynamic link at said second base station;

communicating said second datagram to said user terminal through said second dynamic link;

simultaneously receiving said first datagram and said second datagram from said respective first base station and said second base station at said user terminal;

reassembling said first communication signal from said first datagram and said second datagram in said first user terminal;

generating a second communication signal comprising a third datagram and a fourth datagram at said user terminal;

establishing a third dynamic link and a fourth dynamic link at said user terminal;

communicating said third datagram to said first base station and said fourth datagram to said second base station;

receiving said third datagram from said user terminal at said first base station; and

establishing a fifth dynamic link and communicating said third datagram to said gateway station though said fifth;

receiving said fourth datagram from said user terminal at the second base station;

establishing a sixth dynamic link and communicating said fourth datagram to said gateway station;

receiving said third datagram and said fourth datagram at said gateway station; and

assembling said third datagram and said fourth datagram into said second communication signal at the gateway station.

20. A method as recited in claim 19 wherein the step of establishing a first dynamic link at said first base station comprises establishing a first dynamic link at a first frequency and simultaneously generating a seventh dynamic link at said first frequency.