Communications circuitry for combining terrestrial and satellite signals
AssigneeSprint Communications Company L.P.
InventorHarold W. Johnson
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Communications circuitry comprising integration circuitry coupled to interface circuitry. The integration circuitry is configured to convert at least a portion of a terrestrial signal into a satellite channel frequency and to combine the converted terrestrial signal and a satellite signal into an integrated digital signal. The converted terrestrial signal occupies at least one unoccupied channel in the satellite signal. The interface circuitry is configured to provide the terrestrial signal and the satellite signal to the integration circuitry and to transmit the integrated digital signal.
Claims23
Communications circuitry comprising:
- interface circuitry configured to receive a satellite signal having a frequency in a satellite frequency band, to receive a terrestrial signal having a frequency outside of the satellite frequency band, and to transfer the satellite signal and the terrestrial signal;
- and
- integration circuitry comprising:
- selector circuitry configured to separate a voice signal and a video signal from the terrestrial signal,
- converter circuitry configured to convert the video signal to a converted video signal having a frequency in the satellite frequency band, and
- combiner circuitry configured to combine the converted video signal with the satellite signal to generate an integrated digital signal;
- wherein the converted terrestrial video signal occupies at least one unoccupied channel in the satellite signal;
- wherein the interface circuitry is further configured to transmit the integrated digital signal.
A method of operating communication circuitry to integrate a satellite signal from a satellite communication system with a terrestrial signal from a terrestrial communications system, wherein the communication circuitry comprises interface circuitry and integration circuitry, wherein the interface circuitry is located in a near proximity to the integration circuitry, the method comprising:
- in the interface circuitry,
- receiving the satellite signal having a frequency in a satellite frequency band,
- receiving the terrestrial signal having a frequency outside of the satellite frequency band, and
- transferring the satellite signal and the terrestrial signal to the integration circuitry;
- and
- in the integration circuitry,
- separating a voice signal and a video signal from the terrestrial signal;
- converting the video signal to a converted video signal having a frequency in a the satellite frequency band,
- combining the converted video signal with the satellite signal to generate an integrated digital signal, and
- transmitting the integrated digital signal;
- wherein the converted video signal occupies at least one unoccupied channel in the satellite signal.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.