Communication station, satellite communication system, ground station, channel control device, and satellite communication method

6:

• A satellite communication system comprising:
• a communication station including
• an assignment request generator configured to generate a channel assignment request to request assignment of a satellite communication channel for communication with a counterpart communication station via a satellite,
• a control communicator configured to transmit the channel assignment request through a satellite control channel via the satellite, and
• a satellite channel communicator configured to communicate through the satellite communication channel assigned and notified in response to the channel assignment request;
• a plurality of ground stations each including
• a satellite-related communicator configured to receive the channel assignment request from the communication station through the satellite control channel, and
• a ground-related communicator configured to transmit, via a ground network, the channel assignment request received by the satellite-related communicator;
• and
• a channel control device including
• a channel control communicator configured to communicate with the plurality of ground stations via the ground network, and
• a satellite communication channel assignor configured to assign the satellite communication channel in response to the channel assignment requests received from the plurality of ground stations by the channel control communicator.

9:

• The satellite communication system according to claim 6, wherein
• the channel control device further includes
• a channel designation notification generator configured to generate a channel designation notification for notifying, to each of the communication station and the counterpart ground station, the satellite communication channel assigned by the satellite communication channel assignor of the channel control device, and
• a ground station selector configured to select a downstream channel ground station for each of the communication station and the counterpart communication station, the downstream channel ground station being configured to transmit a control signal through the satellite control channel, the downstream channel ground station being connected thereto via the ground network,
• the channel control communicator of the channel control device is configured to transmit the channel designation notification via the ground network to the downstream channel ground station selected by the ground station selector of the channel control device, and
• in the communication station, the control communicator is configured to receive the channel designation notification from the downstream channel ground station through the satellite control channel, and the satellite channel communicator is configured to communicate with the counterpart communication station through the satellite communication channel notified by the channel designation notification received by the control communicator.

10:

• The satellite communication system according to claim 9, wherein
• the channel designation notification generator of the channel control device is configured to generate the channel designation notification to include information about the counterpart communication station,
• the channel control communicator of the channel control device is configured to transmit the channel designation notification via the ground network to each of a plurality of the downstream channel ground stations selected for the communication station or the counterpart communication station by the ground station selector of the channel control device,
• the control communicator of the communication station is configured to determine that channel designation notifications received from the plurality of downstream channel ground stations through the satellite control channel by the control communicator are identical when the channel designation notifications includes identical pieces of information about the counterpart communication station, and
• the satellite channel communicator of the communication station is configured to communicate with the counterpart communication station through the satellite communication channel indicated by a set of the channel designation notifications determined to be identical by the control communicator of the communication station.

11:

• A ground station, which is one of a plurality of ground stations, each of the plurality of ground stations being configured to receive a channel assignment request through a satellite control channel via a satellite, the channel assignment request being made by a communication station to request assignment of a satellite communication channel for communication with a counterpart communication station via the satellite, each of the plurality of ground stations being configured to transmit the received channel assignment request to a channel control device via a ground network, the channel control device being configured to assign the satellite communication channel in response to the channel assignment request,
• the ground station comprising:
• a satellite-related communicator configured to receive the channel assignment request from the communication station through the satellite control channel;
• and
• a ground-related communicator configured to transmit the channel assignment request received by the satellite-related communicator to the channel control device via the ground network.

13:

• A channel control device comprising:
• a channel control communicator configured to receive, via a ground network, channel assignment requests from a plurality of ground stations connected thereto via the ground network, each of the channel assignment requests being originated from a communication station to request assignment of a satellite communication channel for communication with a counterpart communication station via a satellite, the plurality of ground stations receiving the channel assignment requests through a satellite control channel via the satellite;
• and
• a satellite communication channel assignor configured to assign the satellite communication channel in response to the channel assignment requests received by the channel control communicator.

16:

• The channel control device according to claim 13, further comprising:
• a channel designation notification generator configured to generate a channel designation notification for notifying, to each of the communication station and the counterpart communication station, the satellite communication channel assigned by the satellite communication channel assignor;
• and
• a ground station selector configured to select a downstream channel ground station for each of the communication station and the counterpart communication station, the downstream channel ground station being configured to transmit the channel designation notification through the satellite control channel, the downstream channel ground station being connected thereto via the ground network, wherein
• the channel control communicator is configured to transmit the channel designation notification to the downstream channel ground station via the ground network.

18:

• A satellite communication method comprising:
• transmitting, by a communication station, a channel assignment request through a satellite control channel via a satellite, the channel assignment request being made to request assignment of a satellite communication channel for communication with a counterpart communication station via the satellite;
• receiving, by each of a plurality of upstream ground stations, the channel assignment request through the satellite control channel, the plurality of upstream ground stations being connected to a channel control device via a ground network, the channel control device being configured to assign the satellite communication channel;
• transmitting, by the plurality of upstream ground stations, the received channel assignment requests to the channel control device via the ground network;
• assigning, by the channel control device, one satellite communication channel in response to the channel assignment requests;
• generating, by the channel control device, a channel designation notification for notifying channel information about the assigned satellite communication channel to the communication station and transmitting, by the channel control device, the generated channel designation notification to a downstream channel ground station connected thereto via the ground network;
• transmitting, by the downstream channel ground station, the channel designation notification received from the channel control device, to each of the communication station and the counterpart communication station through the satellite control channel;
• and
• receiving the channel designation notification by each of the communication station and the counterpart communication station, and communicating, by the communication station, with the counterpart communication station through the satellite communication channel designated by the channel designation notification.