Frequency reuse efficiency via interference avoidance for multi-beam satellite communications network

• US 9,800,376 B1
• Filed: 04/12/2016
• Issued: 10/24/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 04/12/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hughes Network Systems LLC (Echostar Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Hughes Network Systems LLC (Echostar Corporation)
• Inventors: Lee, Lin-Nan, Chen, Liping, Noerpel, Anthony, Kay, Stanley E.
• Primary Examiner(s): GESESSE, TILAHUN
• Application Number:
  US15/096,467
• Publication Number:
  US 20170294996A1
• Time in Patent Office: 560 Days
• Field of Search: 4551142, 455 121, 455 131, 455447
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18513 Transmission in a satellite or space-based system
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18582 Arrangements for data linking, i.e. for data framing, for error recovery, for multiple access
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/2041 Spot beam multiple access
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0023 Time-frequency-space
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/14 Spectrum sharing arrangements between different networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/28 using beam steering
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/51 based on terminal or device properties
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/541 using the level of interference

Abstract

A high capacity communication system and method, and a high capacity communications configuration system are provided. The high capacity communication system includes a transmitter. The transmitter includes a signal generator to generate a signal including, wherein for a first frame portion extending from zero to τ time the signal is generated per a first color reuse plan of a frequency spectrum and one or more polarizations, and for a second frame portion extending from τ to T the signal is generated per a second color reuse plan of the frequency spectrum and the one or more polarizations; and an RF system to beam the signal concurrently to a first geographic area and a second geographic area. In the high capacity communication system, τ is less than T, the first frame portion is intended for a first VSAT population disposed in the first geographic coverage area and the second frame portion is intended for a second VSAT population disposed in the second geographic coverage area, and the first color reuse plan maps the frequency spectrum and the one or more polarizations into fewer colors than the second color reuse plan.

Claims

1. A high capacity communications system, the system comprising:

a transmitter comprising

a signal generator to generate a signal comprising, wherein for a first frame portion extending from zero to τ

time the signal is generated per a first color reuse plan of a frequency spectrum and one or more polarizations, and for a second frame portion extending from τ

to T the signal is generated per a second color reuse plan of the frequency spectrum and the one or more polarizations; and

an RF system to beam the signal concurrently to a first geographic area and a second geographic areas,

wherein

τ

is less than T,

the first frame portion is intended for a first VSAT population disposed in the first geographic coverage area and the second frame portion is intended for a second VSAT population disposed in the second geographic coverage area, and

the first color reuse plan maps the frequency spectrum and the one or more polarizations into fewer colors than the second color reuse plan.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein τ

varies depending on the proportionality of the transmission capacity density provided to the first and second VSAT populations.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein τ

is adjusted such that a transmission capacity density of the first frequency reuse plan during τ

is substantially similar to a transmission capacity density of the second frequency reuse plan during τ

to T.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more polarizations comprises two polarizations when using the first or second color reuse plan, and the first color reuse plan maps a different color to each of the two polarizations.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the frequency spectrum is divided into two sub-bands when using the second color reuse plan and the second color reuse plan maps a different color to each sub-band and each of the two polarizations.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the first color reuse plan maps a different color to each sub-band of the frequency spectrum divided into two sub-bands when using the first color reuse plan, and the second color reuse plan maps a different color to each sub-band of the frequency spectrum divided into four sub-bands when using the second color reuse plan.

7. A multi-beam high capacity communications system covering a geographic coverage area divided into a target cell comprising an inner sub-cell and an outer sub-cell, and nearby cells, the system comprising:

a transmitter comprising

a first signal generator to generate a target signal intended for the target cell, wherein, for a first frame portion extending from zero to τ

time the target signal is generated per a first color reuse plan of a frequency spectrum and one or more polarizations, and for a second frame portion extending from τ

to T the target signal is generated per a second color reuse plan of the frequency spectrum and the one or more polarizations;

a second signal generator to generate nearby signals intended for a corresponding one of the nearby cells, each of the nearby signals comprising the frequency spectrum and the one or more polarizations; and

a Radio Frequency (RF) system to concurrently focus the target signal as a target beam on the target cell and each of the nearby signals as nearby beams on the corresponding nearby cell,

wherein

τ

is less than T,

the first frame portion is intended for a first VSAT population disposed in the inner sub-cell and the second frame portion is intended for a second VSAT population disposed in the outer sub-cell, and

the first color reuse plan maps the frequency spectrum and the one or more polarizations into fewer colors than the second color reuse plan.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the one or more polarizations comprises two polarizations when using the first or second color reuse plan, and the first color reuse plan maps a different color to each of the two polarizations.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the frequency spectrum is divided into two sub-bands when using the second color reuse plan and the second color reuse plan maps a different color to each sub-band and each of the two polarizations.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein τ

is adjusted such that a transmission capacity density of the first frequency reuse plan during τ

is substantially similar to a transmission capacity density of the second frequency reuse plan during τ

to T.

11. The system of claim 7, wherein the τ

is configured with disproportionate amounts of bandwidth capacity such that the inner sub-cell provides more bandwidth capacity as compared to a bandwidth capacity of the outer sub-cell.

12. The system of claim 7, wherein the inner sub-cell is enclosed by the outer-sub-cell of the target cell.

13. The system of claim 7, wherein the cell is shaped substantially as a hexagon and the inner sub-cell is shaped substantially as an elongated hexagon.

14. The system of claim 7, wherein at least one of the nearby signals is generated per the second frequency reuse plan for at least a portion of the time from 0 to T.

15. The system of claim 7, further comprising a high attitude platform or satellite, wherein the RF generator transmitter is disposed in the high attitude platform or satellite, and the first signal generator is disposed in the high attitude platform or satellite.

16. The system of claim 7, further comprising a high attitude platform or satellite, wherein the RF generator transmitter is disposed in the high attitude platform or satellite, and the first signal generator is disposed remote from the high attitude platform or satellite.

17. The system of claim 7, wherein the inner sub-cell is shaped substantially by a distance r from a cell center of the target cell to a contour line with a desired value of Carrier signal-to-Noise+Interference ratio C/(I+N) between the target beam and the nearby beams.

18. The system of claim 7, wherein the target cell comprises a plurality of target cells, and the τ

for at least one of the plurality of target cells is different than another one of the plurality of target cells.

19. The system of claim 7, wherein the target cell comprises a plurality of target cells, wherein the inner sub-cell of each of the target cells is shaped substantially by a distance r from a cell center of the respective target cell to a contour line with a desired value of Carrier signal-to-Noise+Interference ratio C/(I+N) between the respective target beam and the respective nearby beams.

20. A method for communicating in a multi-beam high capacity communications system covering a geographic coverage area divided into a target cell comprising an inner sub-cell and an outer sub-cell, and nearby cells, the method comprising:

generating a target signal intended for the target cell, wherein, for a first frame portion extending from zero to τ

time the target signal is generated per a first color reuse plan of a frequency spectrum and one or more polarizations, and for a second frame portion extending from τ

to T the target signal is generated per a second color reuse plan of the frequency spectrum and the one or more polarizations;

generating nearby signals intended for a corresponding one of the nearby cells, each of the nearby signals comprising the frequency spectrum and the one or more polarizations; and

concurrently beaming the target signal as a target beam on the target cell and each of the nearby signals as nearby beams on the corresponding nearby cell,

wherein

τ

is less than T,

the first frame portion is intended for a first VSAT population disposed in the inner sub-cell and the second frame portion is intended for a second VSAT population disposed in the outer sub-cell, and

the first color reuse plan maps the frequency spectrum and the one or more polarizations into fewer colors than the second color reuse plan.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the one or more polarizations comprises two polarizations when using the first or second color reuse plan, and the first color reuse plan maps a different color to each of the two polarizations.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the frequency spectrum is divided into two sub-bands when using the second color reuse plan and the second color reuse plan maps a different color to each sub-band and each of the two polarizations.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein the frequency spectrum is divided into three sub-bands when using the second color reuse plan, and the second color reuse plan maps a different color to each sub-band and each of the two polarizations.

24. A high capacity communications configuration system to configure a high attitude platform or satellite focused on a geographic coverage area divided into a target cell comprising an inner sub-cell and an outer sub-cell, and nearby cells, the system comprising:

a first frequency reuse plan of a frequency spectrum and one or more polarizations for generating a first frame portion of a signal extending from zero to τ

time, wherein the first frame portion is to be transmitted to a first VSAT population disposed in the inner sub-cell;

a second frequency reuse plan of the frequency spectrum and the one or more polarizations for generating a second frame portion extending from τ

to T, wherein the second frame portion is to be transmitted to a second VSAT population disposed in the outer sub-cell; and

a system configuration manager to determine a size and disposition of the target cell and each of the nearby cells, and to determine a size and disposition of the inner sub-cell and the outer sub-cell,

wherein

T is a duration of a frame comprising the first frame portion and the second portion,

τ

is less than T, and

the first color reuse plan maps the frequency spectrum and the one or more polarizations into fewer colors than the second color reuse plan.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein the system configuration manager is configured to determine the τ

.

26. The system of claim 24, wherein the system configuration manager is configured to analyze link performance, Edge-of-Cell (EOC) Quality of Service (QoS) and capacity.

27. The system of claim 24, wherein the system configuration manager is configured to determine the size of the target cell, the size of the inner sub-cell and the disposition of the inner sub-cell such that the inner sub-cell is shaped substantially by a distance r from a cell center of the target cell to a contour line with a desired value of Carrier signal-to-Noise+Interference ratio C/(I+N) between the target beam and the nearby beams.