Coordinated wireless communications system frequency reuse

Abstract

A system and method of operation for efficiently reusing and/or sharing at least a portion of the frequency spectrum between a first satellite spot beam and a second satellite spot beam, and/or an underlay terrestrial network associated with a second satellite spot beam. The spectrum is efficiently reused and/or shared between respective spot beams and/or associated underlay terrestrial systems in a manner minimizes interference between the respective satellite and terrestrial systems.

1 . A system for making a telephone call using a wireless communications system that assigns and/or reuses frequencies between a first satellite spot beam and a second satellite spot beam, the wireless communications system comprising a subscriber terminal for dialing a telephone number to communicate with at least one communications device, and at least one satellite for configuring the first satellite spot beam having a first set of frequencies associated therewith, and the second satellite spot beam having a second set of frequencies associated therewith; the system for making a telephone call comprising:
 a controller that is configured to establish a connection between the subscriber terminal and the at least one communications device, by assigning to, allowing reuse by and/or allowing borrowing by, the first spot beam, at least a portion of the second set of frequencies, responsive to at least one predetermined criterion that is based on at least a relative capacity between the first and second spot beams.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the at least one predetermined criterion comprises:
 a criterion that selects frequencies from one of a plurality of satellite spot beams that are equidistant from the first satellite spot beam, based upon relative capacities of the plurality of satellite spot beams;   a criterion that selects frequencies from one of a plurality of spot beams that is closer to the first satellite spot beam than another of the plurality of spot beams, based upon relative capacities of the one and the another of the plurality of spot beams; and/or   a criterion that selects frequencies from a spot beam that is directly adjacent the first satellite spot beam, based upon capacity of the spot beam that is directly adjacent the first satellite spot beam relative to the second spot beam.   
     
     
         3 . A method of making a telephone call using a wireless communications system comprising a plurality of satellite spot beams, comprising:
 receiving from a terminal within an area of a first satellite spot beam having a set of frequencies associated therewith, a request to establish communications with at least one communications device;   determining because of unavailability of the set of frequencies that a connection cannot be established with the at least one communications device; and   establishing a connection between the terminal and the at least one communications device by assigning to, allowing reuse by and/or allowing borrowing by, the first satellite spot beam, and/or for use by the terminal, at least a portion of frequencies associated at least with a second satellite spot beam.   
     
     
         4 . A method of assigning and/or reusing frequencies between a plurality of communications areas, comprising:
 configuring a first communications area having a first set of frequencies associated therewith;   configuring a second communications area having a second set of frequencies associated therewith;   configuring at least one third communications area that at least partially overlaps geographically with the first communications area, having a third set of frequencies associated therewith; and   assigning to, allowing reuse by and/or allowing borrowing by, the third communications area, at least a portion of the second set of frequencies and/or at least a portion of the first set of frequencies, responsive to at least one predetermined criterion that is based on at least a relative capacity between the first and second communications areas.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4  wherein the at least one predetermined criterion comprises:
 a criterion that selects frequencies from one of a plurality of communications areas that are equidistant from the at least one third communications area, based upon relative capacities of the plurality of communications areas;   a criterion that selects frequencies from one of a plurality of communications areas that is closer to the at least one third communications area than another of the plurality of communications areas, based on relative capacities of the one and the another of the plurality of communications areas; and/or   a criterion that selects frequencies from a communications area that is directly adjacent the first communications area based upon capacity of the communications area that is directly adjacent the first communications area relative to the second communications area.   
     
     
         6 . A method of establishing wireless communications using a satellite-based communications system that assigns and/or reuses frequencies between a first satellite spot beam and at least one second satellite spot beam, comprising:
 initiating communications from a subscriber terminal within an area associated with the first satellite spot beam having a first set of frequencies associated therewith to at least one other communications device;   determining because of unavailability of the first set of frequencies that a communications connection cannot be established with the at least one other communications device; and   establishing a communications connection between the subscriber terminal and the at least one other communications device by assigning to, allowing reuse by and/or allowing borrowing by, the first satellite spot beam, at least one frequency associated with the at least one second satellite spot beam.