# US 2016/0365918 A1 · Communication station, satellite communication system, ground station, channel control device, and satellite communication method > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2016/0365918 A1 - Document ID: US20160365918A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 15/114,736 - Filed: 2015-02-05 - Published: 2016-12-15 - Earliest claimed: 2014-02-13 - Assignees: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation - Applicants: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation - Inventors: Yasuo HOSOTANI; Makiko Hiragi; Masanori Torii - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20160365918A1 ## CPC - H04B 7/18513: {Transmission in a satellite or space-based system} - H04B 7/18526: {Arrangements for data linking, networking or transporting, or for controlling an end to end session (data switching networks H04L12/00)} - H04W 72/20: Control channels or signalling for resource management - H04B: TRANSMISSION - H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72) ## Abstract A satellite communication system includes: a communication station generator communicator, a plurality of ground stations receiver transmitter receiver, and a channel control device having a satellite communication channel assignor configured to assign one satellite communication channel in response to channel assignment requests received from the plurality of ground stations via the ground network and determined to be identical communicator. ## Claims ### Claim at position 1 1: A communication station comprising: 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 to each of a plurality of ground stations through a satellite control channel via the satellite, the plurality of 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; and a satellite channel communicator configured to communicate with the counterpart communication station through the satellite communication channel assigned and notified in response to the channel assignment request received by the channel control device via each of the plurality of ground stations. ### Claim at position 2 (depends on 1) 2: The communication station according to claim 1, wherein the channel control device determines whether or not a plurality of received channel assignment requests are identical in the channel control device and one satellite communication channel is assigned for a set of the plurality of received channel assignment requests determined to be identical. ### Claim at position 3 (depends on 1) 3: The communication station according to claim 1, wherein the assignment request generator generates the channel assignment request to include identification information for identifying the channel assignment request. ### Claim at position 4 (depends on 1) 4: The communication station according to claim 1, wherein the control communicator is configured to receive, from a downstream channel ground station through the satellite control channel, a channel designation notification for notifying the satellite communication channel assigned by the channel control device, the downstream channel ground station being connected to the channel control device via the ground network, 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. ### Claim at position 5 (depends on 4) 5: The communication station according to claim 4, wherein the control communicator is configured to receive, from a plurality of the downstream channel ground stations through the satellite control channel, channel designation notifications including pieces of information about the counterpart communication station, and is configured to determine that the received channel designation notifications are identical when the channel designation notifications include identical pieces of information about the counterpart communication station, and the satellite channel communicator is configured to communicate with the counterpart communication station through the satellite communication channel notified by the channel designation notifications determined to be identical. ### Claim at position 6 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. ### Claim at position 7 (depends on 6) 7: The satellite communication system according to claim 6, wherein the assignment request generator of the communication station is configured to generate the channel assignment request to include identification information for identifying the channel assignment request, and the satellite communication channel assignor of the channel control device is configured to determine that channel assignment requests received from the plurality of ground stations are identical when the channel assignment requests are originated from the same communication station and include identical pieces of identification information. ### Claim at position 8 (depends on 6) 8: The satellite communication system according to claim 6, wherein the ground-related communicator of each of the ground stations is configured to add ground station reception time to the channel assignment request and transmit the channel assignment request having the ground station reception time added thereto via the ground network, the ground station reception time being time at which the satellite-related communicator of the ground station receives the channel assignment request, and the satellite communication channel assignor of the channel control device is configured to determine that channel assignment requests received from the plurality of ground stations are identical when a difference between ground station reception times of the channel assignment requests falls within a predetermined range and the channel assignment requests are originated from the same communication station. ### Claim at position 9 (depends on 6) 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. ### Claim at position 10 (depends on 9) 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. ### Claim at position 11 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. ### Claim at position 12 (depends on 11) 12: The ground station according to claim 11, wherein the ground-related communicator is configured to add ground station reception time to the channel assignment request received by the satellite-related communicator, and transmit the channel assignment request having the ground station reception time added thereto to the channel control device via the ground network, the ground station reception time being time at which the satellite-related communicator receives the channel assignment request. ### Claim at position 13 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. ### Claim at position 14 (depends on 13) 14: The channel control device according to claim 13, wherein each of the channel assignment requests is generated by the communication station to include identification information for identifying the channel assignment request, and the satellite communication channel assignor is configured to determine that the channel assignment requests received from the plurality of ground stations by the channel control communicator are identical when the channel assignment requests are originated from the same communication station and include identical pieces of identification information. ### Claim at position 15 (depends on 13) 15: The channel control device according to claim 13, wherein each of the channel assignment requests has ground station reception time added thereto, the ground station reception time being time at which the ground station receives the channel assignment request, and the satellite communication channel assignor is configured to determine that the channel assignment requests received from the plurality of ground stations by the channel control communicator are identical when a difference between ground station reception times of the channel assignment requests falls within a predetermined range and the channel assignment requests are originated from the same communication station. ### Claim at position 16 (depends on 13) 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. ### Claim at position 17 (depends on 16) 17: The channel control device according to claim 16, wherein the ground station selector is configured to select a plurality of the downstream channel ground stations to transmit the channel designation notification to one of the communication station and the counterpart communication station through the satellite control channel. ### Claim at position 18 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. ### Claim at position 19 (depends on 6) 19: The satellite communication system according to claim 6, wherein the satellite communication channel assignor is configured to determine whether or not the channel assignment requests received from the plurality of ground stations by the channel control communicator are identical, and is configured to assign one satellite communication channel in response to a set of the channel assignment requests determined to be identical. ### Claim at position 20 (depends on 14) 20: The channel control device according to claim 14, wherein the satellite communication channel assignor is configured to determine whether or not the channel assignment requests received from the plurality of ground stations by the channel control communicator are identical, and is configured to assign one satellite communication channel in response to a set of the channel assignment requests determined to be identical.