Systems and method with different utilization of satellite frequency bands by a space-based network and an ancillary terrestrial network

• US 7,636,566 B2
• Filed: 03/17/2005
• Issued: 12/22/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/12/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ATC Technology Corporation (FedEx Corporation)
• Original Assignee: ATC Technology Corporation (FedEx Corporation)
• Inventors: Karabinis, Peter D.
• Primary Examiner(s): LEE, JOHN J
• Application Number:
  US11/082,458
• Publication Number:
  US 20050239403A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,741 Days
• Field of Search: 455/12.1, 455/13.1, 455 132- 134, 455/427, 455/426, 455/428, 455/429, 455/430, 455/436, 455/447, 455/448, 455/7, 455/446, 455/3.01, 455/3.02, 455/3.05, 455/426.1, 455/452.1, 455/450, 455/517, 455/509, 370/316, 370/321, 34235706-35709
• US Class Current: 455/427
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18563 Arrangements for interconnecting multiple systems data switching networks H04L12/00

Abstract

A radioterminal communications system includes an ancillary terrestrial component configured to receive from at least some of a plurality of radioterminals using frequencies from a first satellite frequency band (e.g., an L-band) and to transmit to at least some of the plurality of radioterminals using frequencies from a second satellite frequency band (e.g., an S-band). The system further includes a space-based component configured to communicate with the plurality of radioterminals using at least some of the frequencies from the first satellite frequency band and/or at least some of the frequencies from the second satellite frequency band. In some embodiments the ancillary terrestrial component communicates with radioterminals using a Time Division Duplex (TDD) mode and the space-based component communicates with the same or other radioterminals using a Frequency Division Duplex (FDD) and/or a TDD mode.

Claims

1. A method of operating a radioterminal communications system including a space-based network comprising a space-based component and an ancillary terrestrial network comprising at least one ancillary terrestrial component, the method comprising:

preferentially communicating between the ancillary terrestrial network and a radioterminal over a first time interval using frequencies from a first and/or second satellite frequency band; and

preferentially communicating between the space-based network and the radioterminal over a second time interval using frequencies from the first and/or second satellite frequency band, wherein the first and second time intervals are non-overlapping.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the first satellite frequency band comprises a first one of an L-band of frequencies and an S-band of frequencies and wherein the second satellite frequency band comprises a second one of the L-band of frequencies and the S-band of frequencies.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein:

the communications between the ancillary terrestrial network and the radioterminal over the first time interval use frequencies from the first and second satellite frequency bands; and

the communications between the space-based network and the radioterminal over a second time interval use frequencies from the first and second satellite frequency bands.

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein the radioterminal is terrestrially located during communications with the ancillary terrestrial network and with the space-based network.

5. A radioterminal communications system comprising:

an ancillary terrestrial network comprising at least one ancillary terrestrial component configured to preferentially communicate with a radioterminal over a first time interval using frequencies from a first and/or second satellite frequency band; and

a space-based network comprising a space-based component configured to preferentially communicate with the radioterminal over a second time interval using frequencies from the first and/or second satellite frequency band, wherein the first and second time intervals are non-overlapping.

6. A system according to claim 5, wherein the first satellite frequency band comprises a first one of an L-band of frequencies and an S-band of frequencies and wherein the second satellite frequency band comprises a second one of the L-band of frequencies and the S-band of frequencies.

7. A system according to claim 5, wherein:

the at least one ancillary terrestrial component is further configured to preferentially communicate with the radioterminal over the first time interval using frequencies from the first and second satellite frequency bands; and

the space-based component is further configured to preferentially communicate with the radioterminal over the second time interval using frequencies from the first and second satellite frequency bands.

8. A system according to claim 5, wherein the radioterminal is terrestrially located during communications with the ancillary terrestrial component and with the space-based component.

9. A radioterminal configured to preferentially communicate with an ancillary terrestrial network over a first time interval using frequencies from a first and/or second satellite frequency band and to preferentially communicate with a space-based network over a second time interval using frequencies from the first and/or second satellite frequency band, wherein the first and second time intervals are non-overlapping.

10. A radioterminal according to claim 9, wherein the first satellite frequency band comprises a first one of an L-band of frequencies and an S-band of frequencies and wherein the second satellite frequency band comprises a second one of the L-band of frequencies and the S-band of frequencies.

11. A radioterminal according to claim 9, wherein the first satellite frequency band comprises a first set of frequencies of an L-band and/or an S-band and wherein the second satellite frequency band comprises a second set of frequencies of the L-band and/or the S-band.

12. A radioterminal according to claim 9 wherein the radioterminal is further configured to preferentially communicate with the ancillary terrestrial network over a first geographic area and/or to preferentially communicate with the space-based network over a second geographic area.

13. A radioterminal according to claim 9 wherein the radioterminal is further configured to radiate and/or receive electro-magnetic waveform(s) to/from the ancillary terrestrial network in a substantially linearly-polarized spatial orientation.

14. A radioterminal according to claim 9, wherein the radioterminal is further configured to preferentially communicate with the ancillary terrestrial network over the first time interval using frequencies from the first and second satellite frequency bands and to preferentially communicate with the space-based network over the second time interval using frequencies from the first and second satellite frequency bands.

15. A radioterminal according to claim 9, wherein the radioterminal is terrestrially located during communications with the ancillary terrestrial network and with the space-based network.