Indoor satellite cellular repeater system

A satellite communications system of a type that uses at least one satellite for relaying user communications from a ground station to a user terminal, said system comprising:

• a satellite repeater system located within a structure, comprised of,
• a multi-beam satellite signal receive antenna having an output coupled to a first receive amplifier, said first receive amplifier having an output coupled to inputs of a plurality of first transmit amplifiers and in-structure transmit antennas for transmitting a received satellite signal at a plurality of different locations within the structure for reception by user terminals in said different locations;
• a satellite user signal transmit antenna having an input coupled to an output of a second transmit amplifier, said transmit amplifier having an input coupled to outputs of a plurality of second receive amplifiers and in-structure receive antennas that receive user terminal transmitted signals at different locations within the structure;
• and
• a controller having an output coupled to said satellite user signal receive antenna for controllably selecting one or more beams so as to track a first satellite of a desired satellite constellation that moves with respect to said satellite user signal receive antenna, and to handoff on-going communications from said first satellite to a second satellite of said desired satellite constellation.

A satellite communications system of a type that includes a constellation of non-geosynchronous orbit satellites for relaying communications between a ground station and a user terminal, said ground station being bidirectionally coupled to a terrestrial communications network, said system comprising:

• a communication signal repeater system located within a structure and coupled to a satellite antenna having transmit and receive capability, said communication signal repeater system comprised of,
• a first receive amplifier having an input coupled to said satellite antenna, said first receive amplifier having an output coupled to an input of at least one first transmit amplifier and in-structure transmit antenna for transmitting a received satellite communication signal within the structure for reception by at least one user terminal;
• and
• a second transmit amplifier having an output coupled to said satellite antenna, said second transmit amplifier having an input coupled to an output of at least one second receive amplifier and in-structure receive antenna that receives user terminal transmitted communication signals within the structure;
• wherein
• said user terminal is operative without modification both within said structure and outside of said structure for communicating with said terrestrial communications network, via at least one satellite of said constellation of satellites and said ground station.