Military UHF and commercial Geo-mobile system combination for radio signal relay

• US 7,366,463 B1
• Filed: 05/05/2000
• Issued: 04/29/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/05/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hughes Electronics Corporation (Rtx Corporation)
• Original Assignee: The DIRECTV Group, Inc. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Archer, Stephen F., Johnson, Richard H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran; Tuan A.
• Application Number:
  US09/565,785
• Time in Patent Office: 2,916 Days
• Field of Search: 455/12.1, 455 131- 4, 455/552.1, 455/11.1, 455 301- 6, 455/422.1, 455427-431, 455436-449, 455/25, 455 631- 4, 455/553.1, 455/98, 455/103, 342350-356, 34235701- 17, 370315-325
• US Class Current: 455/13.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18563 Arrangements for interconnecting multiple systems data switching networks H04L12/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/2041 Spot beam multiple access

Abstract

A radio signal relay device such as satellite is used to cover several relatively small geographical regions with relatively narrow beams as well as a relatively large geographical region with a single beam. This relatively wide beam permits legacy equipment to be used. A transmitting device in a beam transmits a signal to the relay device, which in turn retransmits the signal to a receiving device. The transmitting devices, relay device, and receiving devices synchronize communication by using a particular mode of communication which includes a band of carrier frequencies and a protocol. In addition to communicating like mode signals from a transmitter to a receiver, the relay device may be used in a dual mode communication system to translate signals from the one mode to another. A translator may direct a transmitter to modulate a signal on a different carrier frequency, convert one protocol into another protocol, or both.

Claims

1. A dual mode satellite communication system receiving satellite control commands from a gateway station, the gateway station used solely for sending commands to the dual mode satellite communication system and interfacing the dual mode satellite communication system with a public switched telephone network, comprising:

a first mobile ground-based communications device for transceiving a low-gain signal in a first mode, wherein the first mode includes a first protocol and a first band of carrier frequencies;

a second mobile ground-based communications device for transceiving a high-gain signal in a second mode, wherein the second mode includes a second protocol and a second band of carrier frequencies, and wherein the first mobile ground-based communications device is disposed within a first region defined by a low gain beam and the second mobile ground-based communications device is within a second region defined by a high gain beam intersecting the first region;

a satellite-based relay device, including;

a low-gain communications system having a low-gain receiver and a low-gain transmitter, and

a high-gain communications system having a high-gain receiver and a high-gain transmitter, the high-gain communications system configured for transceiving a plurality of angularly separated frequency sharing high-gain signals, and

at least one translator interoperatively coupled between the low-gain communications system and the high-gain communications system,

wherein the satellite-based relay device is configured for receiving the low-gain signal in the first mode, translating the low-gain signal to the high-gain signal in the second mode, and transmitting the high-gain signal in the second mode, wherein the satellite based relay device transceives information generated by and between the first mobile ground-based comminations device directly with information generated by and between the second mobile ground-based communications device without transceiving with a gateway station.

2. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein the first mobile ground-based communications device comprises one or more of the group consisting of a voice terminal, a data terminal, a time-division multiple access communication device, a code-division multiple access communication device, and a frequency-division multiple access communication device.

3. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein the first mobile ground-based communications device is coupled to a communications network.

4. The system as defined in claim 3, wherein the communications network comprises one or more of the group consisting of a public switched telephone network, a public land mobile network, and the Internet.

5. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein the first band of carrier frequencies comprises one or more of the group consisting of an Ultra High Frequency (UHF) band, an L-band, an S-band, a C-band, an X-band, a Ku-band, and a Ka-band.

6. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein the satellite-based relay device comprises a digital beam forming geosynchronous communications satellite.

7. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein the satellite-based relay device comprises one or more of the group consisting of a time-division multiple access communication device, a code-division multiple access communication device, and a frequency-division multiple access communication device.

8. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein the second band of frequencies comprises one or more of the group consisting of an Ultra High Frequency (UHF), an L-band, an S-band, a C-band, an X-band, a Ku-band, and a Ka-band.

9. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein the second mobile ground-based communications device comprises one or more of the group consisting of a voice terminal, a data terminal, a time-division multiple access communication device, a code-division multiple access communication device, and a frequency-division multiple access communication device.

10. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein the second mobile ground-based communications device is coupled to a communications network comprising one or more of the group consisting of a public switched telephone network, a public land mobile network, and the Internet.

11. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein the low-gain system is a UHF system and the high-gain system is a Geo-Mobile system.

12. A satellite-based radio signal relay device receiving satellite control commands from a gateway station, the gateway station used solely for sending commands to the satellite-based radio signal relay device and interfacing the satellite-based radio signal relay device with a public switched telephone network, comprising:

a first receiver for receiving low-gain signals in a first mode, wherein the first mode includes a first protocol and a first band of carrier frequencies;

a first transmitter for transmitting the low-gain signals in the first mode;

a second receiver for receiving high-gain signals in a second mode, wherein the second mode includes a second protocol and a second band of carrier frequencies, wherein the first receiver receives signals generated in a first geographic region and the second receiver receives signals generated in a second region, the first region intersecting the second region; and

a second transmitter for transmitting a plurality of angulary separated frequency sharing high-gain signals in the second mode, wherein the plurality of angulary separated frequency sharing high-gain signals are narrow beam signals, and wherein the satellite-based radio signal relay device translates signals between the first mode and the second mode directly between at least a plurality of mobile ground-based communications devices without communicating with a gateway station.

13. The satellite-based radio signal relay device as defined in claim 12, further comprising a first translator for translating first mode signals into second mode signals.

14. The satellite-based radio signal relay device as defined in claim 12, further comprising a second translator for translating second mode signals into first mode signals.

15. The satellite-based radio signal relay device as defined in claim 12, wherein the satellite-based radio signal relay device comprises a digital beam forming geosynchronous communications satellite.

16. The satellite-based radio signal relay device as defined in claim 12, wherein the satellite-based radio signal relay device comprises one or more of the group consisting of a time-division multiple access communication device, a code-division multiple access communication device, and a frequency-division multiple access communication device.

17. The satellite-based radio signal relay device as defined in claim 12, wherein the low-gain signals originate at one or more of the group consisting of a voice terminal, a data terminal, a time-division multiple access communication device, a code-division multiple access communication device, and a frequency-division multiple access communication device.

18. The satellite-based radio signal relay device as defined in claim 12, wherein the first band of frequencies comprises one or more of the group consisting of an Ultra High Frequency (UHF) band, an L-band, an S-band, a C-band, an X-band, a Ku-band, and a Ka-band.

19. The satellite-based radio signal relay device as defined in claim 12, wherein the low-gain signals are destined for one or more of the group consisting of a voice terminal, a data terminal, a time-division multiple access communication device, a code-division multiple access communication device, and a frequency-division multiple access communication device.

20. The satellite-based radio signal relay device as defined in claim 12, wherein the high-gain signals originate at one or more of the group consisting of a voice terminal, a data terminal, a time-division multiple access communication device, a code-division multiple access communication device, and a frequency-division multiple access communication device.

21. The satellite-based radio signal relay device as defined in claim 12, wherein the second band of frequencies comprises one or more of the group consisting of an Ultra High Frequency (UHF) band, an L-band, an S-band, a C-band, an X-band, a Ku-band, and a Ka-band.

22. The satellite-based radio signal relay device as defined in claim 12, wherein the plurality of angularly separated frequency sharing high-gain signals are destined for one or more of the group consisting of a voice terminal, a data terminal, a time-division multiple access communication device, a code-division multiple access communication device, and a frequency-division multiple access communication device.

23. The satellite-based radio signal relay device as defined in claim 12, further comprising an antenna coupled to the first and second receivers, the first and second receivers interoperating first and second payloads, wherein the first payload comprises a military UHF payload, and the second payload comprises a commercial Geo-Mobile payload.

24. The satellite-based radio signal relay device as defined in claim 23, wherein the first and second payloads include facsimile payloads, point-to-point voice payloads, and point-to-point data payloads.

25. The satellite-based radio signal relay device as defined in claim 12, further comprising an antenna coupled to the first and second transmitters, the first and second transmitters interoperating first and second payloads, wherein the first payload comprises a military UHF payload, and the second payload comprises a commercial Geo-Mobile payload.

26. The satellite-based radio signal relay device as defined in claim 25, wherein the first and second payloads include facsimile payloads, point-to-point voice payloads, and point-to-point data payloads.

27. The satellite-based radio signal relay device as defined in claim 26, wherein complementary UHF-based wide area coverage and Geo-Mobile narrow beam coverage is used to support high traffic densities in selected areas.

28. A satellite-based radio signal relay device receiving satellite control commands from a gateway station, the gateway station used solely for sending commands to the satellite-based radio signal relay device and interfacing the satellite-based radio signal relay device with a public switched telephone network, comprising:

a first payload for providing UHF-based wide area coverage including;

a first transmitter for transmitting low gain signals in a first mode, wherein the first mode includes a first protocol and a first band of carrier frequencies; and

a first receiver for receiving the low gain signals in the first mode; and

a second payload for providing Geo-mobile narrow beam coverage including;

a second transmitter for transmitting a plurality of high-gain signals in a second mode, wherein the plurality of high-gain signals are angularly separated narrow beam signals providing for increased communications capacity, wherein the first transmitter transmits signals to a first geographic region and the second transmitter transmits signals to a second region, the first region intersecting the second region; and

a second receiver for receiving the plurality of high-gain signals in the second mode, wherein the second mode includes a second protocol and a second band of carrier frequencies, and wherein the satellite-based radio signal relay communicates information generated in and between the first region and the second region mode directly between at least a plurality of mobile ground-based communications devices without communicating with a gateway station.

29. A satellite based relay device receiving satellite control commands from a gateway station, the gateway station used solely for sending commands to the satellite-based radio signal relay device and interfacing the satellite-based radio signal relay device with a public switched telephone network, comprising:

a receiver system, for receiving signals in a legacy mode or a non-legacy mode from one of a plurality of mobile ground based communication devices, the plurality of mobile ground based communication devices including legacy ground based communication devices and non-legacy ground based communication devices;

a translator, for translating the received signals from the non-legacy mode to the legacy mode; and

a transmitter system, for transmitting the translated received signals to one of the legacy ground based communications devices via a low power wide beam;

wherein the one of the legacy ground based communication devices is disposed within a first region defined by the wide beam and the non-legacy ground based communication devices are within a second region defined by a narrow beam intersecting the first region and the satellite based relay device communicates information generated by and between the legacy ground based devices directly with the non-legacy ground based devices without communicating with a gateway station.

30. The satellite based relay device of claim 29, wherein at least one of the legacy ground based communication devices is a mobile device.

31. The satellite based relay device of claim 30, wherein the mobile device is a wireless phone.

32. A satellite based relay device receiving satellite control commands from a gateway station, the gateway station used solely for sending commands to the satellite-based radio signal relay device and interfacing the satellite-based radio signal relay device with a public switched telephone network, comprising:

a receiver system, for receiving signals in a legacy mode or a non-legacy mode from one of a plurality of mobile ground based communication devices, the plurality of mobile ground based communication devices including legacy ground based communication devices and non-legacy ground based communication devices;

a translator, for translating the received signals from the non-legacy mode to the legacy mode; and

a transmitter system, for transmitting the translated received signals to one of the legacy ground based communications device via a low gain beam;

wherein the one of the legacy ground based communication devices is disposed within a first region defined by the low gain beam and the non-legacy ground based communication devices are within a second region defined by a high gain beam intersecting the first region and the satellite based relay device communicates information generated by and between the legacy ground based devices directly with the non-legacy ground based devices without communicating with a gateway station.

33. The satellite based relay device of claim 32, wherein at least one of the legacy ground based communication devices is a mobile device.

34. The satellite based relay device of claim 33, wherein the mobile device is a wireless phone.