Technique for sharing a plurality of transponders among a same or larger number of channels

An on-board satellite switching subsystem comprising:

• first antenna means (12.sub.1 -12.sub.n, FIG. 1;
• 30.sub.1 -30.sub.p, FIG. 2) capable of receiving during a frame period bursts of information in a time division multiplexed (TDM) mode from each of a plurality of m ground areas destined for either one of the same and other ones of said ground areas;
• second antenna means (20.sub.1 -20.sub.n, FIG. 1;
• 44.sub.1 -44.sub.p, FIG. 2) capable of transmitting the bursts of information received by said first antenna means toward the destined ground areas;
• and
• switching means (14, 16.sub.1 -16.sub.n, 18, 22, FIG. 1;
• 16.sub.1 -16.sub.n, 34.sub.1 -34.sub.n, 40.sub.1 -40.sub.n, 46, FIG. 2) capable of selectively transferring the received bursts of information between the first and second antenna means for appropriate transmission to the destined ground areas
• CHARACTERIZED IN THAT
• the switching means comprises
• a plurality of n transponders (16.sub.1 -16.sub.n), where n.ltoreq.m;
• first directing means (14, FIG. 1;
• 34.sub.1 -34.sub.n, FIG. 2) capable of selectively routing n concurrently received bursts of information from the m ground areas to separate ones of the n transponders;
• second directing means (18, FIG. 1;
• 40.sub.1 -40.sub.n, FIG. 2) capable of selectively routing said n concurrent bursts of information from the n transponders to the second antenna means to permit appropriate transmission of said n bursts of information to the n of m destined ground areas;
• and
• a controller (22, FIG. 1;
• 46, FIG. 2) coupled to the first and second directing means capable of generating a predetermined repetitive sequence of control signals which are capable of causing the selective routing of the n currently received bursts of information in each portion of the repetitive sequence through the first and second directing means to the n transponders such that nonuniform traffic requirements of the m ground areas are accommodated and the n transponders are efficiently utilized during each repetitive sequence.