Loading patent…
AssigneeEMS Technologies, Inc.
InventorsThomas E. Sharon, Thomas S. Taylor, William R. Hafner, Steven H. Rigg, James M. Howell, Thomas W. Glynn, Dennis L. Kershner
Estimating the term…
A satellite communications system having ground user terminals, hubs, and a geosynchronous satellite. The satellite generates a network of spot beam coverage areas on the earth. A hub and at least one ground terminal are located in each of at least two spot beams. A first user terminal transmits an uplink signal according to a first signal protocol to the hub through the satellite. A second user terminal receives a downlink signal according to a second signal protocol through the downlink spot beam from the hub through the satellite. The hub may be located in the same spot beam coverage area as the first or the second user terminal or may be located in an altogether different spot beam coverage area. Through selective frequency and/or polarization routing on board the satellite, a hub located within a “parent” beam can communicate with user terminals within the parent beam at a specified frequency and polarization, and can communicate with users in other “dependent” beams on a different frequency and/or polarization. This routing allocates the total available bandwidth between parent and dependent beams. The system enables asynchronous communications between each hub and the satellite to maximize frequency re-use and the overall capacity of the system.
A satellite communications system for distributing information to user terminals located within a plurality of spot beams, the satellite communications system comprising:
A user terminal for communicating information with other user terminals through a satellite communications system, the satellite communications system including a communications satellite in geosynchronous orbit and a plurality of hubs, the communications satellite including an antenna, each hub located in one of a plurality of spot coverage areas formed by the antenna, the user terminal being adapted to:
A method for communicating between user terminals through hubs, the user terminals being located in spot coverage areas defined by a spot beam antenna on a geosynchronous communications satellite, each of the hubs located in a respective spot coverage area, the method comprising the steps of:
A frequency-based router circuit for use in a satellite communications system, the satellite communications system comprising a ground hub;
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.