# US 8,149,869 B2 · Telecommunication network > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 8,149,869 B2 - Document ID: US8149869B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 12/154,790 - Filed: 2008-05-27 - Published: 2009-09-24 - Granted: 2012-04-03 - Earliest claimed: 2008-03-21 - Assignees: Eutelsat SA - Inventors: Hector Fenech; Emmanuel Lance - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8149869B2 ## CPC - H04B 7/18541: {for handover of resources} - H04B: TRANSMISSION ## Abstract The present invention relates to a telecommunication network for establishing radiofrequency links between gateways and ground terminals via a telecommunication satellite with several spot beams, known as a multispot satellite. The network includes a multispot satellite including a payload for the reception, processing and retransmitting of telecommunication signals received by said satellite, a service area comprised of a plurality of basic coverage areas, known as cells, each cell including a plurality of ground terminals and a plurality NGWactive of active gateways interconnected by a ground network, NGWactive being an integer, said satellite relaying signals sent by said NGWactive active gateways to said cells. Furthermore, the network includes NGW gateways, NGW being an integer strictly greater than the number NGWactive of active gateways, said NGW gateways being interconnected by said ground network and including said NGWactive active gateways such that NGW−NGWactive gateways are not active. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A return payload of a multispot telecommunication satellite in a telecommunication network for establishing radiofrequency links between gateways and ground terminals via a telecommunication satellite with several spot beams, the network including: a multispot satellite including a payload for receiving, processing and resending the telecommunication signals received by the satellite; a service area comprised of a plurality of basic coverage areas, called cells, each cell comprising a plurality of ground terminals; a plurality NGWactive of active gateways interconnected by a ground network, NGWactive being an integer, the satellite relaying the signals sent by said NGWactive active gateways to the cells; NGW−NGWactive gateways, NGW being an integer strictly greater than the number NGWactive of active gateways, said NGW gateways being interconnected by said ground network and including said NGWactive active gateways such that the NGW−NGWactive gateways are not active, wherein the network is a bidirectional network such that the satellite relays: signals sent by the NGWactive active gateways to the cells to define first link forming a forward link, and signals sent by the cells to the NGWactive active gateways to define a second link forming a return link; the payload comprising: means to reroute a multiplexed signal from a plurality of signals sent by the cells, the multiplexed signal initially being intended for one of the NGWactive active gateways that had become unavailable, to one of the NGWactive gateways including one newly activated gateway selected from among the NGW−NGWactive initially inactivated gateways; and means to amplify said multiplexed and rerouted signal, the rerouting operation being performed before the amplification operation. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The payload according to claim 1 wherein the amplification means including includes NTWTA amplification paths able to amplify NTWTA multiplexed signals, each path having an input and an output, NTWTA being an integer such that 2NGWactive is strictly less than NTWTA, 2NGWactive paths forming nominal amplification paths and NTWTA−2NGWactive paths forming backup amplification paths. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The payload according to claim 2 wherein the amplification means are formed: either by NTWTA amplification units comprising NTWTA traveling wave tube amplifiers (317, 417) or NTWTA solid state power amplifiers, each amplification unit being able to amplify a multiplexed signal; or by an MPA multiport amplification device comprising NTWTA inputs and NTWTA outputs and able to amplify NTWTA multiplexed signals. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The payload according to claim 2 further comprising: first means to selectively connect 2NGWactive outputs selected from among NTWTA outputs to 2NGWactive inputs able to receive 2NGWactive multiplexed signals, the 2NGWactive signals including NGWactive signals intended for a first polarization and NGWactive signals intended for a second polarization opposite from said first polarization, said NTWTA outputs being connected to said NTWTA inputs of said NTWTA amplification paths; second means to selectively connect 2NGWactive inputs selected from among NTWTA inputs to 2NGWactive outputs, said NTWTA inputs being connected to said NTWTA outputs of said NTWTA amplification paths; third means to selectively connect 2NGWactive inputs to 2NGWactive outputs selected from among 2NGW outputs, said 2NGWactive inputs being connected to said 2NGWactive outputs of said second selective connection means. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The payload according to claim 4 wherein the first, second and third means are formed by a plurality of R type switches. ### Claim 6 (depends on 2) The payload according to claim 2 wherein 2NGW is less than or equal to NTWTA, the payload comprising: first means to selectively connect 2NGWactive outputs selected from among NTWTA outputs to 2NGWactive inputs able to receive 2NGWactive multiplexed signals, the 2NGWactive signals including NGWactive signals intended for a first polarization and NGWactive signals intended for a second polarization opposite from said first polarization, said NTWTA outputs being connected to said NTWTA inputs of said NTWTA amplification paths; second means to selectively connect 2NGW inputs selected from among NTWTA inputs to 2NGW outputs, said NTWTA inputs being connected to said NTWTA outputs of said NTWTA amplification paths. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The payload according to claim 6 wherein the first and second means are formed by a plurality of R type switches. ### Claim 8 (depends on 6) A reconfiguration method of a network in case of unavailability of one of said NGWactive active gateways, the method utilizing a payload according to claim 6 comprising the following steps: activating a gateway selected from among the NGW−NGWactive inactivated gateways, the selected gateway receiving at least one signal from an output of the second means, the output being connected via the second means to an output of one of said NTWTA or N2 amplification paths, known as a reconfiguration path, the network thus comprising a group NGWactive of gateways including one newly activated gateway selected from among the NGW−NGWactive inactivated gateways; controlling the first means to connect the input of said reconfiguration path to an input able to receive multiplexed signals intended for one of the gateways from among the group of NGWactive gateways including one newly activated gateway. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The payload according to claim 1 wherein the amplification means includes N2 amplification paths able to amplify N2 multiplexed signals, each path having an input and an output, N1 paths forming nominal amplification paths and N2−N1 paths forming backup amplification paths, N2 and N1 being integers such that the integer N1 is strictly less than N2, the integer N1 either being equal to 2NGWactive or equal to NGWactive; first means to selectively connect N1 outputs selected from among N2 outputs to N1 inputs able to receive N1 multiplexed signals, said N2 outputs being connected to said N2 inputs of said N2 amplification paths; second means to selectively connect N3 inputs selected from among N2 inputs to N3 outputs, the number N3 being either equal to NGW or equal to 2NGW, N3 being less than or equal to N2, said N2 inputs being connected to said N2 outputs of said N2 amplification paths. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The payload according to claim 9 wherein the first and second means are formed by a plurality of R type switches. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) A reconfiguration method of a network in case of unavailability of one of said NGWactive active gateways, the method utilizing a payload according to claim 9 comprising the following steps: activating a gateway selected from among the NGW−NGWactive inactivated gateways, the selected gateway receiving at least one signal from an output of the second means, the output being connected via the second means to an output of one of said NTWTA or N2 amplification paths, known as a reconfiguration path, the network thus comprising a group NGWactive of gateways including one newly activated gateway selected from among the NGW−NGWactive inactivated gateways; controlling the first means to connect the input of said reconfiguration path to an input able to receive multiplexed signals intended for one of the gateways from among the group of NGWactive gateways including one newly activated gateway. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) A satellite comprising a return payload according to claim 1 and a forward payload comprising: a plurality of low noise amplifiers able to amplify the multiplexed signals sent by said active gateways; means to reroute the multiplexed signals sent by the gateway ensuring the traffic of said gateway that had become unavailable to the low noise amplifier intended to amplify the multiplexed signals sent by said gateway that had become unavailable. ### Claim 13 A satellite comprising: a return payload of a multispot telecommunication satellite in a telecommunication network for establishing radiofrequency links between gateways and ground terminals via a telecommunication satellite with several spot beams, the network including: a multispot satellite including a payload for receiving, processing and resending the telecommunication signals received by the satellite; a service area comprised of a plurality of basic coverage areas, called cells, each cell comprising a plurality of ground terminals; a plurality NGWactive of active gateways interconnected by a ground network, NGWactive being an integer, the satellite relaying the signals sent by said NGWactive active gateways to the cells; Now−NGWactive gateways, NGW being an integer strictly greater than the number NGWactive of active gateways, said NGW gateways being interconnected by said ground network and including said NGWactive active gateways such that the NGW−NGWactive gateways are not active, wherein the network is a bidirectional network such that the satellite relays: signals sent by the NGWactive active gateways to the cells to define first link forming a forward link, and signals sent by the cells to the NGWactive active gateways to define a second link forming a return link; the return payload including: means to reroute a multiplexed signal from a plurality of signals sent by the cells, the multiplexed signal initially being intended for one of the NGWactive active gateways that had become unavailable, to one of the NGWactive gateways including one newly activated gateway selected from among the NGW−NGWactive initially inactivated gateways; and means to amplify said multiplexed and rerouted signal, the rerouting operation being performed before the amplification operation; and a forward payload including a plurality of low noise amplifiers able to amplify the multiplexed signals sent by said active gateways, and means to reroute the multiplexed signals sent by the gateway ensuring the traffic of said gateway that had become unavailable to the low noise amplifier intended to amplify the multiplexed signals sent by said gateway that had become unavailable.