# US 10,374,696 B2 · Bidirectional satellite communications > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,374,696 B2 - Document ID: US10374696B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/857,605 - Filed: 2017-12-28 - Published: 2018-07-05 - Granted: 2019-08-06 - Earliest claimed: 2016-12-29 - Assignees: Facebook, Inc. - Applicants: Facebook, Inc. - Inventors: Hamid Hemmati; Abhishek Tiwari - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10374696B2 ## CPC - H04B 7/19: Earth-synchronous stations - H04B 7/18513: {Transmission in a satellite or space-based system} - H04B 10/1125: {using a single common optical path} - H04B 7/195: Non-synchronous stations - H04B 10/29: Repeaters - H04B: TRANSMISSION ## Abstract Particular embodiments may provide a transceiver in geosynchronous orbit. The transceiver may include a plurality of forward channel receivers. At least one of the forward channel receivers may receive (1) a forward channel laser communication beam transmitted from a ground station and (2) an E-band frequency having a bandwidth of 81-86 GHz. The transceiver may also include a plurality of forward channel transmitters having different frequencies. The forward channel transmitters may transmit user beams to endpoint devices, wherein the user beams are derived from the forward channel laser and MMW communication beams. The transceiver may also include a plurality of return channel receivers, wherein the return channel receivers receive user beams from the endpoint devices. The transceiver may also include at least one return channel transmitter, wherein the return channel transmitter transmits a return channel laser communication beam to a ground station. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A transceiver in geosynchronous orbit comprising: a plurality of forward channel receivers, wherein at least one of the forward channel receivers receives (1) a forward channel laser communication beam transmitted from a ground station and (2) an E-band frequency having a bandwidth of 81-86 GHz; a plurality of forward channel transmitters having different frequencies, wherein the forward channel transmitters transmit user beams to endpoint devices, wherein the user beams are derived from the forward channel laser and MMW communication beams; a plurality of return channel receivers, wherein the return channel receivers receive user beams from the endpoint devices; and at least one return channel transmitter, wherein the return channel transmitter transmits a return channel laser communication beam to a ground station. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The transceiver of claim 1, further comprising one or more processors and a memory coupled to the processors comprising instructions executable by the processors, the processors being operable when executing the instructions to: receive forward channel data transmitted by one or more uplink beams received at the forward channel receivers; based on the forward channel data, generate a plurality of forward channel downlink signals, each of the forward channel downlink signals comprising at least a portion of the forward channel data; and for each of the forward channel downlink signals, transmit the forward channel downlink signal to one of the forward channel transmitters. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The transceiver of claim 2, the processors being further operable when executing the instructions to: receive return channel data transmitted by one or more uplink beams received at the return channel receivers; based on the return channel data, generate a single return channel downlink signal comprising the return channel data; and transmit the return channel downlink signal to the return channel transmitter. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The transceiver of claim 1, wherein an endpoint device comprises an end user client device, and wherein the user beams are RF signals impinging on laser communication beams. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The transceiver of claim 1, wherein an endpoint device comprises a network gateway device, and wherein the user beams transmitted by the forward channel transmitters are laser communication beams transmitted in addition to E-band frequency signal having a bandwidth of 71-76 GHz. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The transceiver of claim 1, wherein the return channel laser communication beam is transmitted in addition to a Q-band plus E-band frequency signal. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The transceiver of claim 1, wherein the return channel laser communication beam is dual-polarized. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The transceiver of claim 1, wherein the transceiver is located on a satellite in low-earth orbit or medium-earth orbit. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The transceiver of claim 1, wherein a single antenna feed receives signals comprising multiple types of MMW bands simultaneously. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The transceiver of claim 1, wherein each of the forward channel transmitters transmit signals using frequencies on the Q/V-band. V-band, W+E band, or W band. ### Claim 11 A system comprising one or more processors and a memory coupled to the processors comprising instructions executable by the processors, the processors being operable when executing the instructions to: receive forward channel data transmitted by one or more uplink beams received at a plurality of forward channel receivers communicably connected to the system, wherein at least one of the forward channel receivers receives (1) a forward channel laser communication beam transmitted from a ground station and (2) an E-band frequency having a bandwidth of 81-86 GHz; based on the forward channel data, generate a plurality of forward channel downlink signals, each of the forward channel downlink signals comprising at least a portion of the forward channel data; and for each of the forward channel downlink signals, transmit the forward channel downlink signal to one of a plurality of forward channel transmitters communicably connected to the system, wherein the forward channel transmitters transmit, using different frequencies, user beams to endpoint devices, wherein the user beams are derived from the forward channel laser and MMW communication beams. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, the processors being further operable when executing the instructions to: receive forward channel data transmitted by one or more uplink beams received at the forward channel receivers; based on the forward channel data, generate a plurality of forward channel downlink signals, each of the forward channel downlink signals comprising at least a portion of the forward channel data; and for each of the forward channel downlink signals, transmit the forward channel downlink signal to one of the forward channel transmitters. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The system of claim 12, the processors being further operable when executing the instructions to: receive return channel data transmitted by one or more uplink beams received at a plurality of return channel receivers, wherein the return channel receivers receive user beams from the endpoint devices; based on the return channel data, generate a single return channel downlink signal comprising the return channel data; and transmit the return channel downlink signal to a return channel transmitter, wherein the return channel transmitter transmits a return channel laser communication beam to a ground station. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, wherein an endpoint device comprises an end user client device, and wherein the user beams are RF signals impinging on laser communication beams. ### Claim 15 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, wherein an endpoint device comprises a network gateway device, and wherein the user beams transmitted by the forward channel transmitters are laser communication beams transmitted in addition to E-band frequency signal having a bandwidth of 71-76 GHz. ### Claim 16 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, wherein the return channel laser communication beam is transmitted in addition to a Q-band plus E-band frequency signal. ### Claim 17 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, wherein the return channel laser communication beam is dual-polarized. ### Claim 18 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, wherein the transceiver is located on a satellite in low-earth orbit or medium-earth orbit. ### Claim 19 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, wherein a single antenna feed receives signals comprising multiple types of MMW bands simultaneously. ### Claim 20 A method of transmitting signals by a transceiver in geosynchronous orbit comprising: by a plurality of forward channel receivers, receiving forward channel data transmitted by one or more uplink beams, wherein at least one of the forward channel receivers receives (1) a forward channel laser communication beam transmitted from a ground station and (2) an E-band frequency having a bandwidth of 81-86 GHz; by one or more processors of the transceiver and based on the forward channel data, generating a plurality of forward channel downlink signals, each of the forward channel downlink signals comprising at least a portion of the forward channel data; by a plurality of forward channel transmitters having different frequencies, for each of the forward channel downlink signals, transmitting one or more user beams to one or more endpoint devices, wherein the user beams are derived from the forward channel laser and MMW communication beams; by a plurality of return channel receivers, receiving return channel data transmitted by one or more uplink beams received at the return channel receivers, wherein the return channel receivers receive user beams from the endpoint devices; by the one or more processors of the transceiver and based on the return channel data, generate a single return channel downlink signal comprising the return channel data; and by at least one return channel transmitter, transmitting the return channel downlink signal to a ground station.