Wireless communications systems and methods using satellite-linked remote terminal interface subsystems
AssigneeMobile Satellite Ventures, LP
InventorPeter D. Karabinis
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A satellite gateway is coupled to a communications network and is operative to communicate with a communications satellite. A terrestrial terminal interface subsystem is operative to communicate with the satellite gateway via the communications satellite using a first radio interface and to communicate with terminals over a geographic area using a second radio interface. The communications network may be a wireless communications network, and the satellite gateway is configured to communicate with a base station controller of the wireless communications network, such that the terrestrial terminal interface subsystem may provide one or more satellite-linked terrestrial base stations.
Claims125
A wireless communications system, comprising:
- a satellite gateway coupled to a communications network and operative to communicate with a mobile communications satellite;
- and
- a terrestrial terminal interface subsystem operative to communicate with the satellite gateway via the mobile communications satellite using a first radio interface over a first frequency band and to communicate with wireless terminal over a geographic area using a second radio interface over substantially the first frequency band.
A terrestrial terminal interface subsystem for a wireless communications system, the subsystem comprising:
- a satellite radio antenna;
- a terrestrial radio antenna;
- and
- an interface converter operative to communicate with a mobile communications satellite via the satellite radio antenna using a first radio interface over a first frequency band and to communicate with wireless terminals over a geographic area via the terrestrial radio antenna using a second radio interface over substantially the same first frequency band.
An apparatus, comprising:
- a satellite gateway operative to communicate with a communications network and to communicate via a mobile communications satellite with a terrestrial terminal interface system that serves wireless terminals in a geographic area, wherein communication between the terrestrial terminal interface and the mobile communications satellite, and communication between the terrestrial terminal interface and wireless terminals occurs over substantially the same frequency band.
An apparatus, comprising:
- a mobile communications satellite operative to convey terminal communications between an earth-based communications network and a terrestrial wireless base station that communicates with wireless terminals in a geographic area, wherein communication between the terrestrial wireless base station and the mobile communications satellite, and communication between the wireless base station and the wireless terminals occurs over substantially the same frequency band.
A method of providing communications between a communications network and a plurality of wireless terminals served by a terrestrial base station, the method comprising:
- conveying terminal communications between the communications network and the terrestrial base station via a mobile communications satellite, wherein communication between the terrestrial base station and the mobile communications satellite, and communication between the terrestrial base station and wireless terminals served by the terrestrial base station occurs over substantially the same frequency band.
An apparatus for providing communications between a communications network and a plurality of wireless terminals served by a terrestrial base station, the apparatus comprising:
- means for conveying terminal communications between the communications network and the terrestrial base station via a mobile communications satellite using a first radio interface;
- and
- means for conveying the terminal communications between the terrestrial base station and wireless terminals using a second radio interface, wherein at least part of the terminal communications occurs over substantially the same frequency band.
A wireless communications system, comprising:
- a satellite gateway coupled to a communications network and operative to communicate with a communications satellite;
- and
- a terrestrial terminal interface subsystem operative to communicate with the satellite gateway via the communications satellite using a first radio interface and to communicate with wireless terminals over a geographic area using a second radio interface,
- wherein the communications satellite is operative to receive information intended for wireless terminals from the satellite gateway and to convey the received information to the wireless terminals without use of the terrestrial terminal interface subsystem;
- and
- wherein the terrestrial terminal interface subsystem is operative to receive information from wireless terminals and to convey the received information to the communications network without use of the communications satellite.
A terrestrial terminal interface subsystem for a wireless communications system, the subsystem comprising:
- a satellite radio antenna;
- a terrestrial radio antenna;
- an interface converter operative to communicate with a communications satellite via the satellite radio antenna using a first radio interface and to communicate with wireless terminals over a geographic area via the terrestrial radio antenna using a second radio interface;
- a first low-noise amplifier coupled to the satellite radio antenna;
- a first demodulation and regeneration unit having an input coupled to an output of the first low noise amplifier;
- a first modulator having an input coupled to an output of the first demodulation and regeneration unit;
- and
- a first power amplifier having an input coupled to an output of the first modulator and an output coupled to the terrestrial radio antenna.
A method of providing communications between a communications network and a plurality of wireless terminals served by a terrestrial base station, the method comprising:
- conveying terminal communications between the communications network and the terrestrial base station via a communications satellite,
- wherein conveying terminal communications between the communications network and the terrestrial base station via a communications satellite comprises:
- receiving a signal from the communications satellite at an earth-based satellite radio antenna;
- low-noise amplifying the received signal;
- demodulating the amplified signal and generating a signal from the demodulated signal in a format suitable for transmission to a wireless terminal;
- modulating the demodulated and regenerated signal;
- amplifying the modulated signal;
- and
- transmitting the amplified signal from a terrestrial radio antenna to a wireless terminal.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.