Multi-beam satellite network to maximize bandwidth utilization

Abstract

A communications network ( 100 ) for maximizing bandwidth utilization. An embodiment of the invention comprises a spacecraft ( 11 ), at least one gateway ( 12 ) communicatively coupled to the spacecraft ( 11 ) by a feeder link ( 13 ) operating within at least one selected frequency band within a bandwidth, at least one user terminal ( 16 ) communicatively coupled to the spacecraft ( 11 ) by a user link ( 17 ), the user link ( 17 ) operable at any frequency band within the bandwidth without regard to polarization; and, the communications network ( 100 ) adapted to provide for simultaneous operation of at least a portion of the feeder link ( 13 ) and a portion of the user link ( 17 ) at a common polarization and frequency band within the bandwidth.

1 . A spacecraft, operable within a communications network, said spacecraft comprising:
 an antenna subsystem providing a first antenna beam pattern associated with a first user link, said first user link operable at any frequency band within a first sub-band, and a second antenna beam pattern associated with a second user link, said first and second antenna beam patterns defining respective first and second service regions;   wherein the communications network comprises:
 at least one gateway communicatively coupled to the spacecraft by a feeder link operating within at least one selected first sub-band of frequencies within the bandwidth; 
 a first user terminal communicatively coupled to the spacecraft by the first user link; 
 a second user terminal communicatively coupled to the spacecraft by a second user link, said second user link operable at any frequency band within a second sub-band of frequencies within the bandwidth, said second sub-band having no frequency in common with the first sub-band; 
 the communications network is adapted to provide for simultaneous operation of at least a portion of the feeder link and at least a portion of the first user link at a common polarization and frequency within the bandwidth; and 
 every gateway is located within the second service region. 
   
     
     
         2 . The spacecraft of  claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the first user link operates at a common polarization and frequency as at least a portion of the feeder link. 
     
     
         3 . The spacecraft of  claim 1 , wherein the first and second sub-band together encompass substantially all of the bandwidth. 
     
     
         4 . The spacecraft of  claim 1 , wherein at least one gateway is located proximate to and communicatively coupled with an Internet backbone. 
     
     
         5 . The spacecraft of  claim 1 , wherein the spacecraft is a satellite operable in geostationary orbit. 
     
     
         6 . The spacecraft of  claim 1 , wherein the spacecraft is a satellite operable in non-geostationary orbit. 
     
     
         7 . The spacecraft of  claim 1 , wherein the user link and the feeder link are operable at Ka band. 
     
     
         8 . The spacecraft of  claim 1 , wherein at least one antenna beam pattern is configured to provide a plurality of individual spot beams. 
     
     
         9 . The spacecraft of  claim 1 , wherein at least one antenna beam pattern is configured to provide for frequency re-use in spatially isolated spot beams. 
     
     
         10 . The spacecraft of  claim 9 , wherein frequency re-use is maximized according to a four color re-use plan wherein a color represents a combination of a frequency sub-band and an antenna polarization. 
     
     
         11 . A gateway, said gateway communicatively coupled, within a communications network, to a plurality of user terminals by a feeder link between said gateway and a spacecraft, said feeder link operating within at least one selected first sub-band of frequencies within a bandwidth, and a plurality of user links between said spacecraft and said user terminals;
 wherein
 a first user terminal is communicatively coupled to the spacecraft by a first user link, said first user link operable at any frequency band within said first sub-band; 
 a second user terminal is communicatively coupled to the spacecraft by a second user link, said second user link operable at any frequency band within a second sub-band of frequencies within the bandwidth, said second sub-band having no frequency in common with the first sub-band, 
 the communications network is adapted to provide for simultaneous operation of at least a portion of the feeder link and at least a portion of the first user link at a common polarization and frequency within the bandwidth; 
 an antenna subsystem disposed on the spacecraft provides a first antenna beam pattern associated with the first user link, and a second antenna beam pattern associated with the second user link, said first and second antenna beam patterns defining respective first and second service regions; and 
 the gateway is located within the second service region. 
   
     
     
         12 . A communications network, comprising:
 a spacecraft;   at least one gateway communicatively coupled to the spacecraft by a feeder link operating within at least one selected frequency band within a bandwidth;   at least one user terminal communicatively coupled to the spacecraft by a user link, said user link operable at any frequency band within the bandwidth, wherein the communications network is adapted to provide for simultaneous operation of at least a portion of the feeder link and at least a portion of the user link at a common polarization and frequency within the bandwidth; and   an antenna subsystem disposed on the spacecraft, said antenna subsystem providing at least one antenna beam pattern associated with the user link, each said antenna beam pattern defining a service region, wherein each gateway is located outside of each service region, wherein the service region comprises one of an eastern portion of the United States and a western portion of the United States.   
     
     
         13 . The communications network of  claim 12 , wherein at least a portion of the user link operates at a common polarization and frequency as at least a portion of the feeder link. 
     
     
         14 . The communications network of  claim 12 , wherein the common frequency band encompasses substantially all of the bandwidth. 
     
     
         15 . The communications network of  claim 12 , wherein at least one gateway is located proximate to and communicatively coupled with an Internet backbone. 
     
     
         16 . The communications network of  claim 12 , wherein the spacecraft is a satellite operable in geostationary orbit. 
     
     
         17 . The communications network of  claim 12 , wherein the spacecraft is a satellite operable in non-geostationary orbit. 
     
     
         18 . The communications network of  claim 12  wherein the user link and the feeder link are operable at Ka-band. 
     
     
         19 . The communications network of  claim 12 , wherein the antenna beam pattern is configured to provide a plurality of individual spot beams. 
     
     
         20 . The communications network of  claim 12 , wherein at least two of the spot beams operate at a common frequency. 
     
     
         21 . The communications network of  claim 12 , wherein the antenna beam pattern is configured to provide for frequency re-use in spatially isolated spot beams. 
     
     
         22 . The communications network of  claim 12 , wherein frequency re-use is maximized according to a four color re-use plan wherein a color represents a combination of a frequency sub-band and an antenna polarization. 
     
     
         23 . A spacecraft, said spacecraft comprising:
 an antenna subsystem in communication with (i) at least one gateway by a feeder link operating within at least one selected frequency band within a bandwidth and (ii) at least one user terminal by a user link operable at any frequency band within said bandwidth, said antenna subsystem being configured to provide for simultaneous operation of said feeder link and said user link at a common polarization and frequency band within said bandwidth, and to provide at least one antenna beam pattern associated with the user link, each said antenna beam pattern defining a service region,   wherein:
 each gateway is located outside of each service region; and 
 the service region comprises one of an eastern portion of the United States and a western portion of the United States. 
   
     
     
         24 . A gateway, said gateway communicatively coupled to at least one user terminal by a feeder link between said gateway and a spacecraft operating within at least one selected frequency band within a bandwidth, and a user link between said spacecraft and said user terminal(s), said user link being operable at any frequency band within said bandwidth;
 wherein
 said feeder link and said user link operate simultaneously at a common polarization and frequency band within said bandwidth; 
 an antenna subsystem disposed on the spacecraft provides at least one antenna beam pattern associated with the user link, each said antenna beam pattern defining a service region; 
 the gateway is located outside of each service region; and 
 the service region comprises one of an eastern portion of the United States and a western portion of the United States. 
   
     
     
         25 . A user terminal, said user terminal communicatively coupled to at least one gateway by a user link between said user terminal and a spacecraft and a feeder link between said spacecraft and said gateway(s), said feeder link operating within at least one selected frequency band within a bandwidth, and said user link being operable at any frequency band within said bandwidth;
 wherein
 said feeder link and said user link operate simultaneously at a common polarization and frequency band within said bandwidth 
 an antenna subsystem disposed on the spacecraft provides at least one antenna beam pattern associated with the user link, each said antenna beam pattern defining a service region; 
 the gateway is located outside of each service region; and 
 the service region comprises one of an eastern portion of the United States and a western portion of the United States. 
   
     
     
         26 . A communications network, comprising:
 a spacecraft;   at least one gateway communicatively coupled to the spacecraft by a feeder link operating within at least one selected frequency band within a bandwidth;   at least one user terminal communicatively coupled to the spacecraft by a user link, said user link operable at any frequency band within the bandwidth, wherein the communications network is adapted to provide for simultaneous operation of at least a portion of the feeder link and at least a portion of the user link at a common polarization and frequency within the bandwidth.   
     
     
         27 . The communications network of  claim 26 , further comprising:
 an antenna subsystem disposed on the spacecraft, said antenna subsystem providing at least one antenna beam pattern associated with the user link, each said antenna beam pattern defining a service region, wherein each gateway is located outside of each service region.   
     
     
         28 . A communications network, comprising:
 a spacecraft;   at least one gateway communicatively coupled to the spacecraft by a feeder link operating within at least one selected first sub-band of frequencies within a bandwidth;   a first user terminal communicatively coupled to the spacecraft by a first user link, said first user link operable at any frequency band within said first sub-band;   a second user terminal communicatively coupled to the spacecraft by a second user link, said second user link operable at any frequency band within a second sub-band of frequencies within the bandwidth, said second sub-band having no frequency in common with the first sub-band, wherein the communications network is adapted to provide for simultaneous operation of at least a portion of the feeder link and at least a portion of the first user link at a common polarization and frequency within the bandwidth.   
     
     
         29 . The communications network of  claim 28 , further comprising:
 an antenna subsystem disposed on the spacecraft, said antenna subsystem providing a first antenna beam pattern associated with the first user link, and a second antenna beam pattern associated with the second user link, said first and second antenna beam patterns defining respective first and second service regions, wherein every gateway is located within the second service region.   
     
     
         30 . A spacecraft, said spacecraft configured to:
 communicate with at least one gateway by a feeder link operating within at least one selected frequency band within a bandwidth;   communicate with at least one user terminal by a user link operable at any frequency band within said bandwidth; and,   simultaneously operate said feeder link and said user link at a common polarization and frequency band within said bandwidth.   
     
     
         31 . A gateway, said gateway configured to:
 communicate with at least one user terminal by a feeder link between said gateway and a spacecraft operating within at least one selected frequency band within a bandwidth, and a user link between said spacecraft and said user terminal(s), said user link being operable at any frequency band within said bandwidth, wherein said feeder link and said user link simultaneously operate at a common polarization and frequency band within said bandwidth.   
     
     
         32 . A user terminal, said user terminal configured to:
 communicate with at least gateway by a user link between said user terminal and a spacecraft and a feeder link between said spacecraft and said gateway(s), said feeder link operating within at least one selected frequency band within a bandwidth, and said user link being operable at any frequency band within said bandwidth, wherein said feeder link and said user link simultaneously operate at a common polarization and frequency band within said bandwidth.