CN101689914A - Improved spot beam satellite ground systems - Google Patents

Abstract

Disclosed the system that is used for improved satellite broadband communication in one embodiment.This system uses the spot beam on the single carrier wave carrying high-bandwidth signals and common.Communication between gateway and the user terminal is two-way.The improvement of upstream and downstream data flow all allows to be suitable for high bandwidth.Can the domain of definition and the territory can be mapped to physical sub-channels.Other improvement of satellite modem provides the control to territory and subchannel.

Description

Improved spot beam satellite ground systems

The application is the non-provisional application of the U.S. Provisional Application in the following examination, and requires the rights and interests of these applications, and the full content of these applications is hereby expressly incorporated by reference:

The name of application on October 3rd, 2006 is called No. the 60/828th, 038, the provisional application (agent registration 017018-009500US) of " DOCSIS MAP Chip Adapted ";

The name of application on October 3rd, 2006 is called No. the 60/828th, 045, the provisional application (agent registration 017018-009700US) of " Satellite Downstream Virtual Channels ";

The name of application on October 3rd, 2006 is called No. the 60/828th, 046, the provisional application (agent registration 017018-009800US) of " Virtual Channel Load Balancing ";

The name of application on October 3rd, 2006 is called No. the 60/828th, 048, the provisional application (agent registration 017018-010000US) of " Satellite Upstream/Downstream VirtualChannel Architecture ";

The name of application on October 3rd, 2006 is called No. the 60/828th, 032, the provisional application (agent registration 017018-010100US) of " Multi-User Detection in Satellite ReturnLink ";

The name of application on October 3rd, 2006 is called No. the 60/828th, 034, the provisional application (agent registration 017018-010200US) of " Multi-Rate Downstreaming in MultipleVirtual Channel Environment ";

The name of application on October 3rd, 2006 is called No. the 60/828th, 035, the provisional application (agent registration 017018-010300US) of " Satellite System Business Method ";

The name of application on September 26th, 2006 is called No. the 60/827th, 038, the provisional application (agent registration 017018-010400US) of " Satellite Architecture and Piggy-backSatellite Payload ".

The application is hereby expressly incorporated by reference the full content of the patent application in the following examination:

With this PCT application PCT application the of " Improved Spot Beam Satellite GroundSystems " (temporarily with reference to the agent registration 017018-009510PC) by name of application on the same day _ _ number;

With this PCT application PCT application the of " Multi-Service Provider SubscriberAuthentication " (temporarily with reference to agent registration 017018-007710PC) by name of application on the same day _ _ number;

With this PCT application PCT application the of " Large Packet Concatenation In SatelliteCommunication System " (temporarily with reference to the agent registration 017018-008210PC) by name of application on the same day _ _ number;

With this PCT application PCT application the of " Upfront Delayed Concatenation In SatelliteCommunication System " (temporarily with reference to the agent registration 017018-010510PC) by name of application on the same day _ _ number;

With this PCT application PCT application the of " Map-Trigger Dump Of Packets In SatelliteCommunicaiton System " (temporarily with reference to the agent registration 017018-010610PC) by name of application on the same day _ _ number;

With this PCT application PCT application the of " Web/Bulk Transfer Preallocation ofUpstream Resources In A Satellite Communication System " (temporarily with reference to the agent registration 017018-010710PC) by name of application on the same day _ _ number;

With this PCT application PCT application the of " Improved Spot Beam Satellite Systems " (temporarily with reference to the agent registration 017018-008010PC) by name of application on the same day _ _ number;

With this PCT application PCT application the of " Downstream Waveform Sub-ChannelizationFor Satellite Communications " (temporarily with reference to the agent registration 026258-002400PC) by name of application on the same day _ _ number;

With this PCT application PCT application the of " Packet Reformatting For DownstreamLinks " (temporarily with reference to the agent registration 026258-002700PC) by name of application on the same day _ _ number;

With this PCT application on the same day application " Upstream Resource Allocation For SatelliteCommunications " (temporarily with reference to agent registration 026258-002800PC) by name the _ _ number PCT application.

Technical field

The present invention generally relates to radio communication, particularly the wideband satellite communication network.

Background technology

Along with the startup of the interspace Network of using the Ka band satellite, consumer's broadband satellite business is obtaining attraction in the North America.First generation satellite system although it is so can provide all told of a plurality of gigabits of every satellite per second (Gbps), but the design of such system has limited the consumer's that can suitably be served quantity inherently.In addition, the fact of striding a plurality of overlay areas dispersion capacity has further limited the bandwidth of each user (subscriber).

Although existing design has a plurality of capacity limit, for the still sustainable growth of demand of such broadband services.Several years in past have been seen the huge advance made in communication and the treatment technology.In conjunction with the system and the element design of selected innovation, this technology can be utilized to produce new wireless communication system and solve this demand.

Description of drawings

Describe of the present invention open in conjunction with appended accompanying drawing.

Fig. 1 is the block diagram of the embodiment of schematic satellite communication system;

Fig. 2 A and 2B are the block diagrams of describing the embodiment of multiple-beam system;

Fig. 3 is a block diagram of describing the embodiment of the ground system that comprises a plurality of gateways;

Fig. 4 has described the block diagram of the embodiment of gateway receiver;

Fig. 5 has described the block diagram of the embodiment of gateway transmitter;

Fig. 6 has described the block diagram of the embodiment of satellite modem terminating systems (SMTS);

Fig. 7 has described the block diagram of the embodiment of satellite;

Fig. 8 A and 8B have described the chart of the embodiment of forward link distribution system;

Fig. 9 A and 9B have described the block diagram of the upstream transponder (upstream translator) of satellite;

Figure 10 A, 10B and 10C have described the block diagram of the embodiment of group of user equipments, and this subscriber equipment can be positioned at the customer location place and be used for receiving and sending signal of communication;

Figure 11 A and 11B have described the block diagram of the embodiment of physical sub-channels filter;

Figure 12 A and 12B have illustrated the flow chart of the embodiment of the processing procedure that is used to filter out physical sub-channels;

Figure 13 has described the chart of the embodiment of channel mapping;

Figure 14 A and 14B have described the block diagram of the embodiment of forward channel figure, and this forward channel advances to user terminal antenna the professional spot beam zone from gateway antennas;

Figure 15 A, 15B, 15C and 15D have described the chart of the embodiment of physics forward channel;

Figure 16 A, 16B, 16C and 16D have described the chart of the embodiment of physics forward channel;

Figure 17 has described the block diagram of the embodiment of physics forward channel;

Figure 18 A, 18B, 18C and 18D have described the chart of the embodiment of physics forward channel;

Figure 19 A, 19B, 19C and 19D have described the chart of the embodiment of forward channel mapping graph;

Figure 20 has described the chart of the embodiment of physics back channel;

Figure 21 has described the chart of the embodiment of physics back channel;

Figure 22 has described satellite modem and ustomer premises access equipment (Consumer PremisesEquipment, the block diagram of embodiment CPE);

Figure 23 has described the block diagram of the embodiment that the downstream data flow of the user terminal that is coupled to CPE handles; And

Figure 24 has described the block diagram of the embodiment that the downstream data flow of the user terminal that is coupled to CPE handles.

In the accompanying drawings, similar element and/or feature can have identical Reference numeral.Further, can be by the Reference numeral that has middle line of distinguishing similar components and the various elements that second mark is distinguished same type.If only used first Reference numeral in specification, no matter what second Reference numeral is, corresponding description can be applicable to have any one in the similar components of identical first Reference numeral.

Embodiment

Embodiment only provides exemplary embodiment, and is not intended to limit scope of the present invention, application or configuration.On the contrary, below the description meeting of embodiment is provided for implementing the help description of the embodiment of the invention to those of ordinary skills.Under prerequisite without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention, can carry out various changes to the function and the layout of element.

Fig. 1 is the block diagram of the schematic satellite communication system 100 that disposes according to various embodiments of the present invention.This satellite communication system 100 comprises for example network 120 of internet, and network 120 is connected with one or more gateway 115 interfaces, and gateway 115 is used for via satellite 105 and communicates by letter with one or more user terminals 130.Gateway 115 is called as hub or ground station sometimes.User terminal 130 is called as modulator-demodulator, satellite modem or user terminal sometimes.Though communication system 100 is illustrated as the communication system based on geostationary satellite 105, but should be noted that various embodiment described herein is not limited to use in the system based on geostationary satellite, for example some embodiment can be based on near-earth orbit (LowEarth Orbit, LEO) system of satellite.

Here the satellite communication system 100 that illustrating widely knows clearly can be applicable to various embodiments of the invention.The frequency spectrum that the scheduled volume that can be used for transmitting is arranged in this embodiment.Feeder link 135,140 can use the frequency identical or overlapping with service link 145,150, perhaps can use different frequencies.When frequency reuse, gateway 115 can be placed outside the service point wave beam 205.

In this embodiment, use the bandwidth of about 2 Gigahertzs (GHz), comprised the frequency band of 4 300 megahertzes (MHz) of continuous frequency spectrum.Adopt double-circle polarization will form the nonoverlapping bands of 8 300MHz, the usable frequency of the available bandwidth of 4GHz altogether.This specific embodiment is applied in the multi-beam satellite 105 of physical separation between gateway 115 and the service point wave beam 205, and allows the frequency reuse on different links 135,140,145,150.Each service link spot beam 205 on downstream downlink 150 is used single travelling-wave tube amplifier (TWTA), and each TWTA operates to reach maximal efficiency in complete saturation condition.Single bandwidth carrier signal for example uses the whole of a 300MHz frequency band, fills the whole bandwidth of TWTA, allows the space hardware assembly of minimal amount thus in the present embodiment.Spot beam size and TWTA power can be optimized to obtain every square metre of every megahertz (dbW/m of 118 dBws ²Flux peak density on/MHz) the earth surface.Thus, be assumed to be every hertz of 2 bits per second (bits/s/Hz), then have the available bandwidth of about every spot beam 1Gbps.

In different embodiment, network 120 can be the network of any type, and can comprise for example internet, IP network, Intranet, wide area network (WAN), Local Area Network, Virtual Private Network, public switch telephone network (PSTN) and/or support the network of any other type of the data communication between the equipment described herein.Network 120 can comprise wired and wireless connections, comprises optical link.As described in a plurality of embodiment, network can be by also being connected gateway 115 with other gateways (not shown) of satellite 105 communications.

Gateway 115 is called as hub or ground station sometimes.Gateway 115 is for providing service from the feeder link 135,140 with whereabouts satellite 105.Although only show a gateway 115, this embodiment has a plurality of gateways that are connected to network 120, for example 16,20 or 40.Gateway 115 scheduling are to the traffic of satellite modem 132, although other embodiment is at other part operation dispatchings of satellite communication system 100.Gateway 115 can be configured to receive data and the information of pointing to one or more satellite modems 132, and can format 105 to be delivered to each destination device via satellite data and information.Similarly, gateway 115 can be configured to receive the signal that points to the destination that links to each other with network 120 from satellite 105 (for example from one or more satellite modems 132), and can format to the received signal to transmit along network 120.Gateway 115 can use broadcast singal, this broadcast singal has and is the modulation of each packet and coding (" mould sign indicating number (modcode) ") form, described broadcast singal adapted to 130 groups at terminal 130 that packet points to or terminal link condition (for example, explain from satellite 105 to each divide variable service link 150 conditions of other terminal 130).

The equipment (not shown) that is connected to network 120 can be communicated by letter with one or more satellite modems 132 by gateway 115.Can send data and information, for example IP datagram to gateway 115 from the equipment the network 120.Gateway 115 can format medium access control (MAC) frame so that be transferred to satellite 105 according to the physical layer definition.Some embodiment of the present invention can use various physical layer transmission modulation and coding techniques, comprise digital video broadcast satellite-second generation (DVB-S2), wire cable data, services interface specification (Data-Over-Cable Service Interface Specifications, DOCSIS) and those technology of micro-wave access global inter communication (WiMAX) standard definition.105 link 135 can be called as downstream uplink 135 hereinafter from gateway 115 to satellite.

Gateway 115 can use antenna 110 that the downstream uplink signal is sent to satellite 105.In one embodiment, antenna 110 comprises paraboloidal reflector, and this paraboloidal reflector has high directionality and has low directionality in other directions in satellite direction.Antenna 110 can comprise various interchangeable configurations and comprise the high efficiency of for example high isolation between the orthogonal polarization, operational frequency bands and the operating characteristics of low noise etc.

In one embodiment, geostationary satellite 105 is used for from the position of antenna 110 and frequency band and the particular polarization received signal that is sending.Such as, satellite 105 can use reflector antenna, lens antenna, phased-array antenna, active antenna or other mechanism well known in the prior art to receive such signal.Satellite 105 can be handled the signal that receives from gateway 115, and will arrive one or more satellite modems 132 from the signal forwarding of gateway 115.In one embodiment, satellite 105 sends a plurality of narrow beams that each points to the zones of different of the earth with the operation of multi-beam pattern, allows satellite modem 132 is isolated into various narrow beams.By such multi-beam satellite 105, can there be the unlike signal handover configurations of arbitrary number to satellite 105, allow between the difference wave beam, to switch from the signal of single gateway 115.

In one embodiment, satellite 105 can be configured to " bend pipe (bent pipe) " satellite, wherein satellite carried out conversion with the frequency and the polarization of these signals resend their destination in the carrier signal that will receive before, and other processing are carried out or do not carried out to the content of signal hardly.Satellite 105 according to some embodiment of the present invention can use various physical layer transmission modulation and coding techniques.In the embodiment that has, can use adaptive coding and modulation.For other embodiment, it is evident that for those of ordinary skills a plurality of configurations are possible (for example, using LEO satellite or use to replace the mesh network (mesh network) of star network (star network)).

Send the service link signal from satellite 105 to one or more satellite modems 132, this service link signal is received by user antenna 125 separately.In one embodiment, antenna 125 and terminal 130 constitute very small aperture terminal together (Very Small Apeture Terminal, VSAT), antenna 125 are measured about 0.6 rice diameters and had about 2 watts of power.In other embodiments, can use the antenna 125 of various other types to come at user terminal 130 from satellite 105 received signals.130 link 150 can be called as downstream downlink 150 hereinafter from satellite 105 to user terminal.Each user terminal 130 can comprise the unique user terminal, perhaps comprises the hub or the router (not shown) that are connected to a plurality of user terminals alternatively.Each user terminal 130 can be connected to ustomer premises access equipment (ConsumerPremises Equipment, CPE) 160, CPE 160 comprises for example computer, local area network (LAN), internet appliance, wireless network etc.

In one embodiment, multi-frequency time division multiple access (MF-TDMA) scheme is used for upstream link 140,145, allows effectively flowing of the traffic to keep the flexibility of partition capacity simultaneously between each user terminal 130.In this embodiment, can assign a plurality of channels, these a plurality of channels be fix or distributed in more dynamic mode.Can also in each channel, use time division multiple access (TDMA) scheme.In this scheme, each channel can be divided into a plurality of time slots that can be assigned to connection (that is, satellite modem 132).In other embodiments, can be with the one or more upstream links 140,145 of other arrangements, for example, mixing or other schemes of frequency division multiple access (FDMA), OFDM (OFDMA), code division multiple access (CDMA) or arbitrary number well known in the prior art.

User terminal 130 comprises external unit (ODU) 134, satellite modem 132 and antenna 125.Although satellite communication system 100 is illustrated as the communication system based on geostationary satellite, but should be noted that various embodiment described herein is not limited to use in the system based on geostationary satellite, for example some embodiment can be based on near-earth orbit (Low Earth Orbit, LEO) system of satellite.

User terminal, 130-a for example can be via satellite 105 be sent to destination on the network 120 with data and information.User terminal 130 uses antenna 125-a by upstream up link 145-a signal to be sent to satellite 105.User terminal 130 can send signal according to various physical layer transmission modulation and coding techniques.In various embodiments, for each link 135,140,145,150, physical-layer techniques can be identical, perhaps can be different.115 link can be called as upstream downlink 140 hereinafter from satellite 105 to gateway.

Referring to Fig. 2 A and 2B, show the example of the multiple-beam system 200 of different embodiment according to the subject invention configuration.For example, this multiple-beam system 200 can be realized in the network 100 that Fig. 1 describes.There is shown the coverage of a plurality of feeder lines and professional spot beam zone 225,205.In this embodiment, satellite 105 comes reuse band by the certain zone that the directivity of antenna is isolated country (for example, the U.S., Canada or Brazil) or area (for example, Europe, West Africa, Asia).Shown in Fig. 2 A, between feeder line and service point wave beam 205,225, there is geographical completely exclusiveness.But for Fig. 2 B is not such situation, has service point wave beam overlapping (for example 205-c, 205-d, 205-e) among Fig. 2 B in some example, and does not exist overlapping in other zones.Yet, by overlapping, there is some interference problem, this may forbid the frequency reuse in the overlapping region.Three or four Color Pattern (Color Pattern) help avoid interference, even also passable under some overlapping situation of existence between the adjacent business beam 205.

In this embodiment, also show gateway terminal 210 and feeder beam separately 225 thereof.Shown in Fig. 2 B, gateway terminal 210 can be positioned at the zone (for example, first, second and the 4th gateway 210-1,210-2,210-4) that is covered by the service point wave beam.Yet gateway also can be positioned at outside the zone that the service point wave beam covers (for example the 3rd gateway 210-3).By outside the zone that gateway terminal 210 is arranged at service point wave beam covering (for example the 3rd gateway 210-3), realize that geographical separation is to allow to reuse the frequency of distribution.

In given feeder line spot beam 225, there is standby gateway terminal 210 usually.If primary gateway terminal 210-4 work is undesired, this standby gateway terminal 210-5 can substitute primary gateway terminal 210-4.In addition, can when damaging because of weather, the primary gateway terminal use this standby gateway terminal 210.

Below with reference to Fig. 3, show the embodiment of the ground system 300 that comprises a plurality of gateways 115 with the block diagram form.For example, an embodiment can have 15 has source gateway 115 (with possible standby gateway) to generate 60 service point wave beams 205.Use the space diversity (spatial diversity) between feeder line spot beam 225 and the service point wave beam 205 in this embodiment.Each gateway 115 uses its feeder link 135,140 to provide service as a plurality of spot beams 205 on the service link 145,150, and for example, single gateway 115 provides service for four spot beams 205.

Ground system 300 comprises a plurality of gateways 115 that are connected to antenna 110 respectively.All gateways 115 are connected to the network 120 of internet for example or wide area network.Network 120 is used to satellite modem 132 collections and releases news.In addition, (Satellite ModemTermination System SMTS) uses network 120 or other WAN (not shown) to come and other SMTS310 and Internet traffic to each satellite modem terminating systems.

Each gateway 115 comprises transceiver 305, SMTS 310 and router three 25.Transceiver 305 comprise transmitter and receiver the two.In this embodiment, transmitter obtains baseband signal, and this baseband signal is carried out up-conversion and amplification, is used for by antenna 110 transmitting downlink data stream up link 135.Receiver carries out down-conversion and tuning with other processing as described below to this upstream downlink 140.

SMTS 310 processing signals are asked and the reception information to allow user terminal 130, and SMTS 310 is forward direction and back channel dispatch bandwidth.In addition, SMTS 310 provides configuration information and from satellite modem 132 accepting states.Information any request or back is all passed through router three 25 and is handled.Other embodiment may not use SMTS 310 to control interface between internet and the satellite physical layer.

The embodiment that has uses a SMTS 310 in the gateway 115 to control another gateway 115.For example, in gateway 115 that has or untapped gateway, standby SMTS 310 can be arranged.The traffic that can use extra SMTS 310 to receive, send and dispatch the transceiver 305 in another gateway 115.Can send the whereabouts remote transceiver electronically or between SMTS 310, switch allowing from the signal of remote transceiver.

With reference to figure 4, show the embodiment of gateway receiver 400.This embodiment of receiver 400 handles four back channels from four different service point wave beams 205.Can use antenna polarization and/or filtering 404 between four paths, to divide the back channel.Each back channel couples is to low noise amplifier (LNA) 408.Down-conversion 412 drops to signal mixing its intermediate frequency.A plurality of tuners 416 separate each upstream subchannel from signal.In SMTS 310, carry out further and handle.

With reference to figure 5, show the embodiment of gateway transmitter 500.Receive the downstream channel of intermediate frequency from SMTS 310.Among this embodiment,, use two different carrier frequencies in upconverter (UC) 504, each downstream channel to be carried out up-conversion by the path of separating.Power amplifier 508 increased the amplitude of forward channel before being connected to antenna 110.The signal of 110 pairs of separation of antenna polarizes and keeps four forward channels with inequality when they are passed to satellite 105.

With reference to figure 6, show the embodiment of SMTS 310 with the block diagram form.115 pairs of feeder links of the gateway that separates on a plurality of geography 140,135 are finished Base-Band Processing.Each SMTS 310 is divided into two parts usually, is specially, and sends information to the downstream data flow part 605 of satellite 105 and receives the upstream part 615 of information from satellite 105.

Downstream data flow portion 605 obtains information by a plurality of downstream data flows (DS) blade (blade) 612 from construction of switch (Switch Fabric) 616.In a plurality of downlink data flow-generators 608, divide DS blade 612.This embodiment comprises four downlink data flow-generators 608, the corresponding downlink data flow-generator 608 of each downstream channel.For example, this embodiment uses the 500MHz spectral range of four separation with different frequency and/or polarization.Four dispersive modulators (Four Color Modulator) 636 have the modulator that corresponds respectively to each DS generator 608.On intermediate frequency, modulated signal is coupled to the transmitter part of transceiver 305.In four downlink data flow-generators 608 of this embodiment each has J virtual DS blade 612.

The upstream part 615 of SMTS 310 receives and process information from satellite 105 with the base band intermediate frequency.After the receiver portion of transceiver 305 produced all physical sub-channels to the base band upstream signal of four separation, each physical sub-channels was coupled to different demodulator 628.Some embodiment can comprise switch before demodulator 628, thereby allowed to forward arbitrary back physical sub-channels to arbitrary demodulator 628 to allow dynamically redistributing of four back interchannels.A plurality of demodulators are specifically designed to upstream, and (Upstream, US) blade 624.

US blade 624 is used for recovering this information before will being provided to construction of switch 616 from the information that satellite 105 receives.US scheduler 630 on each US blade 624 is used for the use to each user terminal 130 scheduling back channels.Can assess the further needs of the satellite modem 132 of specific back channel, and cooperate with explorer and load equalizer (RM/LB) piece 620 and correspondingly to adjust bandwidth/stand-by period as required.

RM/LB piece 620 is assigned the traffic among US and the DS blade.By communicating by letter with other RM/LB pieces 620 among other SMTS 310, each RM/LB piece 620 can be assigned to other gateways 115 again with satellite modem 132 and channel.Can such appointment again take place owing to the reason of any amount, for example, be deficient in resources and/or the load consideration.In this embodiment, in a plurality of RM/LB pieces 620, make this decision with distributed way, but other embodiment can by a main MR/LB piece or at certain other center determination means make this decision.For example, assigning again of satellite modem 132 can be used overlapping service point wave beam 205.

Below with reference to Fig. 7, show the embodiment of satellite 105 with the block diagram form.Satellite 105 among this embodiment uses 60 feeder lines to communicate by letter with whole user terminals (ST) 130 with 15 gateways 115 with service point wave beam 225,205.Other embodiment can use or more or less gateway/spot beam.For example using, the energy of chemical fuel, nuclear fuel and/or sonar power provides Pasteur (buss) power 712.Satellite controller 716 is used to keep attitude (attitude) and controls satellite 105 from other aspects.Can upload the software upgrading of satellite 105 from gateway 115, and carry out this software upgrading by satellite controller 716.

Information 105 is transmitted on both direction via satellite.Downstream translator 708 uses 60 service point wave beams 205 to relay information to satellite modem 132 from 15 gateways, 115 reception information.The satellite modem 132 reception information of upstream transponder 704 from taking these 60 spot beam zones, and with this information relay to these 15 gateways 115.The satellite of present embodiment can switch carrier frequency in downstream data flow or the upstream data stream handle 708,704 in the mode of " bend pipe " configuration, but other embodiment can carry out baseband switching at different forward directions and back interchannel.The frequency of each service point wave beam 205 and polarization can be programmable or pre-configured.

With reference to figure 8A, show the embodiment of forward link distribution system 800.The gateway 115 that illustrates links to each other with antenna 110, generates 4 downstream data flow signals.All use the single carrier wave of 500MHZ frequency spectrum in 4 downstream uplink 135 each.In this embodiment, when only using the 1GHz frequency spectrum, two carrier waves allow 4 downstream uplink of separating 135 with two polarization altogether.For example, link A 135-A can be the first frequency Freq 1 (27.5-28.0GHz) with uplink left polarization (Freq 1UL), link B 135-B can be the first frequency Freq 1 (27.5-28.0GHz) with uplink right polarization (Freq 1UR), link C 135-C can be the second frequency Freq 2 (29.5-30.0GHz) with uplink left polarization (Freq 2UL), and link D 135-D can be the second frequency Freq 2 (29.5-30.0GHz) with uplink left polarization (Freq 2UR).

Four " bend pipe " that satellite 105 functionally is described as between feeder line and the service link connects.With polarised direction, carrier signal can and change by 105 " bend pipes " connection via satellite.Satellite 105 is a downstream downlink signal 150 with each downstream uplink 135 signal transformation.

In this embodiment, 4 downstream downlink 150 are arranged, wherein each all provides service link for four spot beams 205.Under the situation of this embodiment, downstream downlink 150 can change the frequency in the bend pipe.For example, downstream uplink A 135-a 105 changes to second frequency (being Freq 2) from first frequency (being Freq 1) via satellite.Other embodiment also can be for given downstream channel change up link and the polarization between the down link.The embodiment that has can use same polarization and/or frequency for up link and down link for given downstream channel.

Below with reference to Fig. 8 B, show the embodiment of return link distribution system 850.This embodiment shows four upstream up links 145 from four groups of user terminals 125." bend pipe " satellite 105 adopts upstream up link 145, optionally change carrier frequency and/or polarization (not shown), and for gateway 115 upstream up link 145 is pointed to spot beam again as upstream downlink 140 then.In this embodiment, carrier frequency changes between up link 145 and down link 140, but polarization remains unchanged.Since to the feeder line spot beam 225 of gateway 115 not in the overlay area of service point wave beam 205, it is right to reuse identical frequency for service link and feeder link.

With reference to figure 9A, show the embodiment of the upstream transponder 704 of satellite 105 with the block diagram form.Receiver and low-converter (Rx/DC) piece 916 receives all return link information as transforming to intermediate frequency (IF) analog signal before by the zone of spot beam 205 definition.All there is Rx/DC piece 916 in each professional spot beam zone 205.Upstream IF switch 912 is routed to specified upstream data flow downlink channel with particular baseband signal from Rx/DC piece 916.Use upconverter and travelling-wave tube amplifier (UC/TWTA) piece 920 to fill the upstream downlink channel.Can change frequency and/or polarity by this processing, make that each physics backward channel can be by the satellite 105 of bend pipe form.

Each gateway 115 is assigned four special-purpose UC/TWTA pieces 920 in upstream transponder 504.In the present embodiment, two of four special-purpose UC/TWTA pieces 920 in the first frequency range operation, and two in the second frequency range operation.In addition, two are used right-hand polarization, and two are used left-handed polarization.Between two kinds of polarization and two frequencies, satellite 105 can be communicated by letter with each gateway 115 by the upstream downlink channel of four separation (separate).

Below with reference to Fig. 9 B, show the embodiment of downstream translator 708 with the block diagram form.Each gateway 115 has four downstream uplink channels to satellite 105 by using two frequency ranges and two kinds polarization.Rx/DC piece 936 obtains analog signal and is intermediate frequency with this signal transformation.All there is Rx/DC piece 936 in whole 60 downstream uplink channels from 15 gateways 115.The particular channel that downstream data flow IF switch 928 connects from gateway 115 to specific transactions spot beam 205.Each IF signal from downstream data flow IF switch 928 is modulated and amplification by UC/TWTA piece 932.Antenna 110 use service point wave beams 205 with signal broadcasting to the satellite modem 132 that takies service point wave beam 205 zones.Identical with upstream transponder 704, downstream translator 708 can change the carrier frequency and the polarization of specific downstream channel with the bend pipe form.

Figure 10 A comprises the block diagram of explanation subscriber equipment 1000-1 group, and subscriber equipment 1000-1 can be positioned at customer location to receive and to send signal of communication.The element of this group subscriber equipment 1000-1 comprises such as antenna 125, external unit (ODU) 134 (not shown), satellite modem 132 and Any user end equipment (CPE) 160 (for example computer, network application, network etc.).

The signal that antenna 125 receives from satellite 105.Antenna 125 can comprise very small aperture terminal (VerySmall Apeture Terminal, VSAT) antenna or any other various antenna types (for example other parabolic antenna, microstrip antenna, phased array, multiple-input and multiple-output (MIMO) and/or helical antenna).In the embodiment that has, antenna 125 can be configured to dynamically revise its configuration come certain frequency range and/or from certain position received signal better.

Signal (may after the processing of certain form and/or regulating) is forwarded to satellite modem 132 from antenna 125.Satellite modem 132 can comprise radio frequency (RF) front end 1005, low-converter 1035, upconverter 1045, tracking circuit 1040, controller 1015, subchannel filter 1002, modulator 1025, demodulator 1010, user terminal filter 1006 and customization MAC piece 1026.

In this embodiment, RF front end 1005 has transmission and receiving function.Receiving function comprises the amplification (for example, by low noise amplifier (LNA)) to the signal that receives.This amplifying signal of down-conversion (for example, using frequency mixer to merge) in low-converter 1035 then with amplifying signal with from the signal of local oscillator (LO).This down signals can the synchronous and calibration of quilt in tracking circuit 1040 before handling with subchannel filter 1002.Select the subclass or the subchannel of each superframe by subchannel filter 1002 from downstream channel, for example, one or more subchannels by filtering to be used for further processing.

Can use various modulation and coding techniques at satellite modem 132, be used for from satellite signal that receives and the signal that is sent to satellite.In the present embodiment, modulation technique comprises BPSK, QPSK, 8PSK, 16APSK, 32PSK.In other embodiments, extra modulation technique can comprise ASK, FSK, MFSK and QAM, and various analogue technique.Demodulator 1010 can demodulation sign indicating number down signals, and the subchannel after the demodulation is forwarded to ST filter 1006 to peel off being used to the data of particular satellite modulator-demodulator 132 and other information of subchannel by the information that finds and be used for the service identifier of satellite modem 132 to be associated.

Isolate in case will go to the information of particular satellite modulator-demodulator 132, customization MAC piece 1026-1 communicates information to CPE160.The embodiment that has can use the MAC piece 1026 that can be purchased off the shelf, and local physical layer of deception and satellite link interfaces for example can be used DOCSIS or WiMAX MAC chip in MAC piece 1026.Yet this embodiment uses the customization MAC piece 1026 that directly links to each other with the satellite physical layer.Under the management of controller 1015, can implement buffer memory, shake hands and the configuration of satellite link by customization MAC piece 1026.

The various functions of controller 1015 management satellite modems 132.Controller 1015 can monitor various decoding of the prior art, interpolation (interleave), decoding and descrambling technology.Controller can also manage the function that can be applicable to signal and with the function of the treated data of one or more CPE 160 exchanges.CPE 160 can comprise one or more user terminals, for example personal computer, portable computer or other calculation elements arbitrarily of the prior art.

Controller 1015 realizes in one or more application-specific ICs (ASIC) with other elements of satellite modem 132, but perhaps realizes at the general purpose processor that is used for carrying out application function.Alternatively, can in one or more integrated circuits, carry out the function of satellite modem 132 by one or more other processing units (or nuclear).In other embodiments, can use the integrated circuit (for example, structure/platform ASICs, field programmable gate array (FPGA) and other semi-custom ICs) of other types, it can be by arbitrary form programming well known in the prior art.Can be to controller 1015 programmings with accessing memory cells (not shown).Controller 1015 can be from memory cell instruction fetch and other data, perhaps with the writing data into memory unit.

Sending signal path operates with opposite way usually.Upwards send data to satellite 105 from CPE 160 via satellite modem 132.CPE 160 is sent to customization MAC piece 1026 to convert the satellite link agreement of physics satellite layer to data.In modulator 1025, carry out modulation and coding.In the embodiment that has, in these transmission, can use self adaptation or variable coding and modulation technique.Especially, can use different modulation and coded combination for different packets according to the signal quality metrics between antenna 125 and the satellite 105, or " mould sign indicating number ".Other for example the factor of network and satellite congestion problems also can in determining, be considered.Can be from satellite 105 or other source received signal quality information, and can be at controller 1015 local and/or remotely make various decisions to mould sign indicating number applicability.Next, in upconverter 1045 with the signal mixing of modulation to the upper frequency of carrier signal.RF front end 1005 amplifying signals are used for sending signal to satellite 105 by antenna 125 then.In one embodiment, use multifrequency time-division multiple access (MF-TDMA), but other embodiment can use TDMA, CDMA, FDMA or other technologies to use the back channel to allow a plurality of satellite modems 132 for the back channel.

With reference to figure 10B, the block diagram of the user terminal 1000-2 group that is used for another embodiment is shown.In this embodiment, ST filter 1006 is embedded in the customization MAC piece 1026.MAC piece 1026-1 receives and distributes to the physical sub-channels of satellite modem 132 and removed mark the information of traffic ID as the logic downstream data flow.Traffic ID is the information of CPE 160 or the information of using in the service management class that MAC piece 1026 is carried out corresponding to the destination.

Below with reference to Figure 10 C, the block diagram of the user terminal 1000-3 group that is used for another embodiment is shown.This embodiment use agreement transducer 1018,1022 is to allow to use the MAC piece 1026-2 that can be purchased off the shelf.Especially, increased downstream data flow protocol converter 1018, upstream protocol converter 1022, received (Rx) buffer memory 1012 and sent (Tx) buffer memory 1016 to the embodiment of Figure 10 A.MAC piece 1026-2 uses the different link protocol of DOCSIS for example or WiMAX.By protocol conversion and possible buffer memory, conversion satellite link agreement is used for MAC piece 1026-2.Cheating MAC piece 1026-2 effectively makes it think its different protocol communication of satellite link agreement to use with reality.

At receiver side, downstream data flow protocol converter 1018 is the agreement that MAC piece 1026-2 uses with the satellite link protocol conversion.In this embodiment, conversion can be carried out between digitized video broadcasting satellite (DVB-S) link protocol and DOCSIS link protocol.Embodiment can use the WiMAXMAC piece that can be purchased off the shelf, DOCSIS piece or DOCSIS/WiMAX combination block.In optional embodiment, MAC piece 1026 can be a custom circuit, avoids using the downstream data flow protocol converter by the satellite link agreement of using Figure 10 A to describe.

The impulse transfer that Rx buffer memory 1012 is used for receiving at a high speed is the low rate data streams that MAC piece 1026 can be handled.In this embodiment, MAC piece 1026 is to receive the DOCSIS data flow and is the circuit of CPE 160 these data flow of management.Under the supervision of controller 1015 MAC piece 1026 management for example provides, the task of Bandwidth Management, access control, quality of service etc.CPE 160 can use Ethernet, WiFi, USB (USB) and/or other standard interface differently to link to each other with MAC piece 1026.

Although also it should be noted that and to use downstream data flow protocol converter 1018 and upstream protocol converter 1022 that the packet that receives is converted to DOCSIS or the WiMAX compliant frame that is used for by 1026 processing of MAC piece, do not need these transducers in many examples.For example, in the embodiment that does not use based on the element of DOCSIS or WiMAX, do not have such conversion, the agreement that is used for satellite link also can with MAC piece 1026 compatibilities, therefore do not need transducer 1018 and 1022.

At the transmitter side of satellite modem 132, in Tx buffer memory 1016, wait for up to pulsing on satellite link from the low speed data of MAC piece 1026-2.Data after handling are then sent to modulator 1025 from Tx buffer memory 1016, use these data of one of above-mentioned technology modulation in modulator 1025.In the embodiment that has, can use adaptive or variable coding and modulation technique in these receptions with in sending.

Table 1 shows each abstract layer in the reference model.Satellite physical layer (PHY layer) is most basic layer group and comprises channelizing sublayer, coding ﹠amp; Modulation sublayer and satellite transportation sublayer.The PHY layer is provided at the original bit that sends on the physical data rather than the means of packet, and described physical data connects network node (for example between gateway 115 and user terminal 130).The vocabulary that is associated with physical layer comprises for example terms such as physics forward channel, physical sub-channels, bit rate, symbol rate, channel capacity and bandwidth.At wireless environment, especially under satellite environment, also has extra term, for example frequency, modulation scheme, single carrier wave, forward error recovery (FEC) encoding rate etc.The PHY layer is carried out the business of data link layer request.

Table 1. satellite link communication layers

The PHY layer is divided into channelizing sublayer, coding ﹠amp once more; Modulation sublayer and satellite transportation sublayer.In abstract minimum rank, promptly, symbols streams is arranged for each spot beam on the physics forward channel of transporting on the single carrier wave in satellite transportation sublayer.The embodiment that has can be arranged in these symbols in packet, frame and/or the superframe.Next abstract rank is coding and modulation sublayer.Symbol, symbol rate and modulation in coding and the management use of modulation sublayer.The embodiment that has can have regular coding and modulation, and other embodiment can change coding and modulation.The variation of coding and modulation may or may not correspond to physical sub-channels.Next abstract higher level is the channelizing sublayer, and this sublayer produces data bit flow.Thereby the channelizing sublayer produces the part of whole physics forward channel according to the physical sub-channels shadow data bit stream that is assigned to user terminal.Abandon the subchannel of not assigning in this sublayer.

Data link layer is PHY layer following one deck in logic, and the data that are provided on the physics satellite link transmit.In many cases, data link layer is divided into two sublayers: higher logic link control (LLC) sublayer and lower medium access control (MAC) sublayer.MAC control sublayer allows the addressing to particular modem 132.Physical sub-channels in the PHY layer is mapped in the logic downstream data flow of media access control sublayer one to one.Shaking hands and agreement of LLC sublayer management PHY layer.In the MAC piece, implement MAC control sublayer.Various embodiment can use the MAC piece that is used in particular for particular link agreement (for example DOCSIS or WiMAX).

Under docsis world, media access control sublayer territory (or abbreviating mac domain as) is the set of upstream and downstream channel, and single MAC distributes and management agreement for this set operation.Use service identifier (ID) at mac domain.Especially, traffic ID provides device identification and class of service management, and is the pith of upstream allocated bandwidth.Each traffic ID is unique in single media access control sublayer territory.For example, each modulator-demodulator 132 belongs to mac domain, and the mac domain of any amount can be arranged in satellite communication system 100.Each subclass that is assigned to the modulator-demodulator 132 in special MAC territory is all assigned has one or more traffic ID unique in the special MAC territory.Under other environment, for example under the WiMAX environment, has the identifier that is equal to the traffic ID of using in the media access control sublayer.

For the traffic ID in this territory of management agreement permission control of mac domain.This message is handled in satellite modem 132 interceptions by the message of traffic ID addressing and in satellite modem 132.Can the use and management agreement send response from satellite modem.Single entity can be controlled one or more territories.Management agreement can be unique for each territory, perhaps can use in a plurality of territories.In the embodiment that has, management agreement allows definition PHY layer and media access control sublayer parameter.For example, forward direction downstream data flow and upstream subchannel can be assigned and change to management agreement, change data transfer rate, change and the appointment traffic ID, the some parts of activation and deactivation satellite modem 132 or whole, the frequency that transmission will be used, coding and modulation, the firmware of upgrading satellite modem 132, and/or carry out be used for account (account) other management role and/or carry out other management role for satellite modem 132.

With reference to figure 11A, show the block diagram of the embodiment of physical sub-channels filter 1002.Subchannel filter 1002-1 allows never to distribute in the physics forward channel of satellite modem 132 and peels off physical sub-channels.In down-conversion with after following the tracks of, in digital quantizer 1110, be digital signal from analog signal conversion with input signal.Among some embodiment, can in digital quantizer 1110, carry out some signal processing.In head/payload separator (splitter) 1150, handle digital input signal each physical sub-channels is divided into head and payload.

Separating (split) afterwards, head is transmitted to the end demodulator 1155 and payload is sent to gate-control signal buffer memory 1105.Demodulator 1155 is handled the head that enough is used for determining using the physical sub-channels of packet.The head of demodulation is passed to subchannel controller 1120, and subchannel controller 1120 knows whether has distributed to particular satellite modulator-demodulator 132 with subchannel.Under the situation of head, send signal to gate-control signal buffer memory 1105 with the storage payload corresponding to the subchannel that distributes.Do not have under the situation of signal not being used to particular satellite modulator-demodulator 132 owing to subchannel, gate-control signal buffer memory 1105 does not continue to store payload and not with its transmission.The subchannel that distributes be stored in the gate-control signal buffer memory 1105 and finally be reserved as demodulation distribution subchannel and transmit.

Below with reference to Figure 11 B, show the block diagram of another embodiment of physical sub-channels filter 1002.This embodiment does not understand harbour, but where the subchannel of knowing distribution in advance can appear in the input signal.Subchannel controller 1120 is consulted subchannel and is distributed 1115.Thereby sending subchannel in advance distributes number of times subchannel controller 1120 can know where activate digital quantizer 1110.Gate-control signal buffer memory 1105 maintains the digital sampling corresponding with the physical sub-channels of distributing to satellite modem 132.

With reference to figure 12A, show the flow chart of the embodiment of the processing procedure 1200-1 that is used for the filtering physical sub-channels.This embodiment of processing procedure 1200-1 can carry out on the subchannel filter 1002-1 that for example Figure 11 A describes.The part of the description of processing procedure is from frame 1204, and SMTS 310 determines how to distribute physical sub-channels to distribute 1115 at frame 1204.At frame 1246, be transferred to satellite modem 132 corresponding to the header of the physical sub-channels of distributing.At frame 1250, each ST 130 storage header separately.

In the circulation of frame 1254,1258,1262 and 1266, find and separate the subchannel of distribution.At frame 1254, at each user terminal 130 with the input signal digitlization.At frame 1258 head is separated from payload.Separate tune at frame 1262.Determine that at frame 1266 whether head is corresponding to the subchannel of distributing to ST 130.Under a unmatched situation, processing procedure is returned frame 1254 to check next stature.

Under the situation of the head that the head coupling is distributed, processing procedure proceeds to frame 1270 from frame 1266.The payload of storage physical sub-channels is used for the processed offline of 1026 pairs of logic downstream data flows of MAC piece.At frame 1247, MAC piece 1026 is handled the logic downstream data flow of the distribution that comes from buffer memory.When frame 1270 has been stored payload, processing procedure is returned frame 1254 to handle next physical sub-channels.

Below with reference to Figure 12 B, show the flow chart of another embodiment of the processing procedure 1200-2 that is used for the filtering physical sub-channels.This embodiment of processing procedure 1200-2 can carry out on the subchannel filter 1002 that for example Figure 11 B describes.The part of the description of processing procedure is from frame 1204, and SMTS 310 determines that at frame 1204 physical-layer sub-channel distributes.At frame 1208, this is distributed in sends to satellite modem 132 on the satellite link.At frame 1212, the subchannel of each ST 130 storage oneself distributes and catches the information of those physical sub-channels.

At frame 1216, subchannel filter 1002 is used the subchannel of catching distribution with the assignment information of synchronous oneself of input signal.Subchannel in frame 1220 those distribution of buffer memory.At frame 1224, MAC piece 1026 is handled logic downstream data flow next from gate-control signal buffer memory 1105.

With reference to Figure 13, show the embodiment of channel mapping 1300.Only show channel for single feeder line spot beam 225 and single service point wave beam 205, but embodiment can comprise a plurality of (for example, various embodiment can have feeder line spot beams 225 such as service point wave beams 205 such as 60,80,100,120 and 5,10,16,20,25) of each spot beam 225,205.Forward channel 1302 comprises n the physics forward subchannel 1308 that advances to service point wave beam 205 from gateway antennas 110.Each satellite modem 132 can be assigned with one or more physics forward subchannel 1308.M MF-TDMA back subchannel 1312 formed the physics back channel 1304 that is positioned between user terminal (ST) antenna 125 and the feeder line spot beam 225.

With reference to figure 14A, show the embodiment of forward channel Figure 140 0-1, forward channel Figure 140 0-1 advances to user terminal antenna 125 the professional spot beam zone 205 from gateway antennas 110.Thereby physics forward channel 1302 is operated service point wave beam 205 and is received these bandwidth on 1Gbps in this embodiment, but can be in other embodiments 100Mbps, 250Mbps, 500Mbps, 750Mbps, 1.5Gbps, 5Gbps or 10Gbps or more on.Use single carrier transmission physics forward channel 1302, but other embodiment can use a plurality of carrier waves (for example 2,3,4,6,8 or more multicarrier).Satellite modem 132 (for example 1Gbps) is at full speed followed the tracks of, but perfect restitution at full speed all of not all time.Perfect restitution and processing only take place a physics forward channel 1308 of assigning in the forward channel 1302.The demodulation generation that can happen suddenly is handled in cycle longer time allowing.

In this embodiment, physics forward channel 1302 is illustrated as sealing the arrow of n dotted arrow, and this n dotted arrow is a n physics forward subchannel 1308.Physics forward subchannel 1308 is parts (fractional portion) of forward channel 1302.In the embodiment that has, forward channel 1302 is divided into superframe.The time that physics forward subchannel 1308 takies can change in time.By dwindling the size of physics forward subchannel 1308, satellite modem 132 must be done still less processing to the physical sub-channels 1308 that is assigned to them.For the embodiment that does not use superframe, physics forward subchannel 1308 is addressed to one or more satellite modems 132 and superframe structure must not be arranged.

In one embodiment, the destination of forward channel 1302 is DOCSIS MAC piece 1026-2, but other embodiment can use WiMAX MAC piece or customization MAC piece 1026-1.DOCSISMAC piece 1026-2 expectation forward channel 1302 is worked as cable television (TV) medium.In this embodiment, physics forward subchannel 1308 was mapped to cable TV channel or logic downstream data flow before being handled by DOCSIS MAC piece 1026-2.Can have and be used as one or more physics forward subchannel 1308 that single cable TV channel or logic downstream data flow are input to DOCSIS MAC piece 1026-2.In another embodiment, DOCSIS MAC piece 1026-2 can accept a plurality of cable TV channels or logic downstream data flow simultaneously.Physics forward subchannel 1308 can be a digital form or modulated before being coupled to DOCSISMAC piece 1026-2.In this way, the satellite physical layer can be mapped to the DOCSIS agreement in the data link layer.

Satellite modem 132 can be handled the forward channel 1302 of different amounts.In whole satellite communication system 100, many satellite modems 132 with different maximum rates are arranged, these satellite modems 132 can be handled forward channel 1302 with these maximum rates.For example, the embodiment that has of satellite modem 132 can handle at the data transfer rate of other mark of 1/4 data transfer rate, 1/3 data transfer rate, 1/2 data transfer rate, 2/3 data transfer rate, 3/4 data transfer rate, full speed or any full speed data transfer rate.Under situation about having,, satellite modem 132 manually be bound although can not moving or can move in more speed in the fractional data rate of the full speed that surpasses appointment.Thereby gateway 115 know the capacity of each user terminal 130 do not make user terminal 130 accept can be processed than it fireballing data.

Below with reference to Figure 14 B, show another embodiment of forward channel Figure 140 0-2.This embodiment also has n physics forward subchannel 1308, but each physics forward subchannel 1308 can have different sizes, and has the time quantum that consumes corresponding to this size.For each physical sub-channels 1308, the size of these variations can be distinguished variation in time, perhaps remains unchanged after providing.Each satellite modem 132 is assigned to one or more physics forward subchannel 1308.Satellite modem 132 receives forward channel 1302, but only handles the part of the forward channel 1302 with physical sub-channels 1308 fully.Physical sub-channels 1308 can have the data that also can not have each satellite modem 132 that is used to distribute to physical sub-channels 1308.That is, can assign specific physical sub-channels 1308 to a plurality of satellite modems 132, these a plurality of satellite modems 132 are understood the specific physical sub-channels 1308 of complete decoding and other physical sub-channels 1308 of not exclusively decoding.

Below with reference to Figure 15 A, show the embodiment of forward channel 1302-1.Forward channel 1302 comprises a series of continuous superframes 1504, and wherein each superframe 1504 has identical size or different size.This embodiment is divided into a plurality of physics forward subchannel 1308 with superframe 1504.Physics forward subchannel 1308 in each superframe 1504 is big or small identical in this embodiment, but other embodiment can have the physical sub-channels that changes on the duration.The size of physics forward subchannel 1308 can change between different superframe 1504.Can optionally use different codings and/or modulation for different physics forward subchannel 1308.In the embodiment that has, physics forward subchannel 1308 may be as little to the duration of a symbol or grows to numerous symbol.

With reference to figure 15B, show another embodiment of forward channel 1302-2.The superframe 1504 that this embodiment uses identical size or size to change.Superframe 1504 is divided into the physics forward subchannel 1308 of arbitrary number.The number of the physics forward subchannel 1308 in the superframe 1504 can keep stable or change in time.When the physical sub-channels of distributing to satellite modem 132 that is relevant to superframe 1504 occurred, SMTS 310 told each satellite modem 132.Determine that the information of distributing can appear in forward channel 1302 or another segregated channel.

Below with reference to Figure 15 C, show another embodiment of forward channel 1302-3.This embodiment is not divided into superframe with forward channel.On the contrary, present physics forward subchannel 1308 with series.This series can be the repetitive sequence of physics forward subchannel 1308 according to the order of sequence.Other embodiment can provide the time of service as required for those physics forward subchannel 1308, present physics forward subchannel 1308 in unpredictable mode.

With reference to figure 15D, show another embodiment of forward channel 1302-4.In this embodiment, order presents physics forward subchannel 1308.In addition, the time span of physics forward subchannel 1308 is identical.Coding, modulation and data transfer rate in the physics forward subchannel 1308 can change.In addition, the time span of physics forward subchannel 1308 can keep identical or cyclic variation.

Below with reference to Figure 16 A, show another embodiment of forward channel 1302-1.This embodiment uses the physics forward subchannel 1308 of unified size in each superframe 1504, but can change the amount of the physics forward subchannel 1308 of 1504 of superframes.Because the size of superframe does not change in this embodiment, more physics forward subchannel 1308 can reduce their size, and vice versa.Although do not illustrate in this embodiment or carry out, the embodiment that has changes the size of superframe 1504 in the time of can increasing in the size of physics forward subchannel 1308.

With reference to figure 16B, show the embodiment of forward channel 1302-2.This embodiment uses the physics forward subchannel 1308 of different sizes and different numbers between the superframe 1504.For example, the first superframe 1504-1 has that x physics forward subchannel 1308, the second superframe 1504-2 have y physics forward subchannel 1308 and the 3rd superframe 1504-3 has z physics forward subchannel 1308, and wherein x, y are different numbers with z.In one embodiment, each superframe 1504 comprises the 1G bit and divides with the difference amount between physics forward subchannel 1308, but in other embodiments, superframe 1504 comprises 100Mbit, 250Mbit, 500Mbit, 750Mbit or 1.5Gbit information.Different embodiment can have the physics forward subchannel 1308 of different numbers, for example 4,8,16,32,64,128,256,512,1024 or 2048 physical sub-channels.Under opposite extreme situations, the number of physics forward subchannel 1308 can with the number of symbol in the superframe 1504 as many.Can there be one or more satellite modems 132 to be assigned to physics forward subchannel 1308.

The use of physics forward subchannel 1308 is regulated by SMTS 310 and can be as the function of load balancing.The size of physics forward subchannel 1308 can be fixed, and the number that is assigned to the satellite modem 132 of each physics forward subchannel 1308 can change.Along with channel loading, satellite modem 132 can launch in physics forward subchannel 1308.In the embodiment of the physics forward subchannel 1308 with dynamic size, along with the bandwidth change for the satellite modem 132 of the appointment of set amount, the size of physics forward subchannel 1308 can be expanded or compress.

With reference to figure 16C, show the embodiment of forward channel 1302-3.This embodiment is not divided into superframe with forward channel 1302.The timeslice size of each physics forward subchannel 1308 can change in time.Satellite modem 132 can check that the head of each subchannel 1308 is to determine whether payload points to this satellite modem 132.

With reference to figure 16D, show the embodiment of forward channel 1302-4.This embodiment does not use superframe to come divide forward channel 1302 yet.Each subchannel takies the timeslice of identical size in this embodiment.Sometimes can revise the size of subchannel.

With reference to Figure 17, show the embodiment of physics forward channel 1302-5.In this embodiment, 8 forward subchannel 1308 are arranged.Each subchannel 1308 is that single symbol is wide.Physics forward subchannel 1308 repeated in the cycle 1704.In order to receive particular sub-channel, the 8th symbol of decoding each and abandon other symbol.Can assign one or more physics forward subchannel 1308 to particular satellite modulator-demodulator 132.

With reference to figure 18A, illustrate in greater detail the embodiment of physics forward channel 1302-1 than Figure 16 A.This embodiment has x physics forward subchannel 1308 in superframe 1504.Each physics forward subchannel 1308 is by head (header, HDR) 1825 and payload 1804 identification.Payload 1804 further is divided into the packet by service identifier (SID) 1850 marks.SID 1850 can be corresponding to the sequence number of the satellite modem 132 that should receive SID 1850 data designated bags.Packet comprises order and control information that MAC piece 1026 is handled and the data that are delivered to CPE 160.Under any circumstance, each satellite modem 132 of MAC layer is instructed to accept to have the packet of some SID 1850 or sequence number and ignores other packets.

Following table 2 shows the embodiment for the mapping of a plurality of satellite modems 132, but may have countless clauses and subclauses for the table or the database of all satellite modems 132.132 of each satellite modems are paid close attention to some physics forward subchannel 1308 and are accepted the data designated bag.For example, first satellite modem 132 can be peeled off physics forward subchannel 4 and 7,1308-4,1308-7 from the physics forward channel 1302 of PHY layer.In physics forward subchannel 4 and 7,1308-4, among the 1308-7, the 1st and 7SID 1850-1 that first satellite modem 132 is accepted by data link layer, the arbitrary data bag of SID1850-17 indication.For unicast info, only a satellite modem 132 is assigned specific SID, but can assign specific SID to be used for multicast information two or more satellite modems 132.For example, the first and the tenth satellite modem 132 can be received on the physical sub-channels 7 multicast packets by SID 1850-17 appointment.(sub-channel SC) 1308 obtains higher-quality business can to assign extra physical sub-channels for satellite modem 132.

Although the satellite modem that the embodiment of table 2 shows 132 receives more than a physical sub-channels 1308 or more than a SID 1850, other embodiment can have a physical sub-channels 1308 and/or SID 1850.Table 3 shows the example embodiment that only allows 130 1 physical sub-channels of each user terminal 1308 and a SID 1850.In addition, the general SID 1850 or the group SID 1850 that when pointing to satellite modem 132, can have all or some satellite modems 132 to accept.For example, the use of the SID 1850 that uses more than a satellite modem 132 allows for example multicast of configuration order and status message.

Each satellite modem 132 all is apprised of and will be noted which SID 1850 and physics forward subchannel 1308.Can use predetermined SID 1850 in each physics forward subchannel 1308, to send the appointment of SID1850, thereby each satellite modem 132 know that reexamining predetermined SID 1850 finds the appointment of SID 1850 or reexamine another physical sub-channels of instruction check to(for) user terminal.In this way, can in subchannel, also satellite modem 132 can be assigned to different SID 1850 by mobile-satellite modulator-demodulator 132.Predetermined SID 1850 can be identical or customize for each physics forward subchannel 1308 for each physics forward subchannel 1308.

Below with reference to Figure 18 B, illustrate in greater detail the embodiment of physics forward channel 1302-2 than Figure 16 B.This embodiment has the first physical sub-channels 1308-1, is exclusively used in to transmit to have the predetermined SID 1850-0 of physical sub-channels and the appointment of SID.Each satellite modem 132 can be coupled to forward channel 1302, finds the SID specified packet of the first physics forward subchannel 1308-1 to find predetermined SID 1850-0 and to begin to accept the physics forward subchannel 1308 of appointment and assign in those physics forward subchannel 1308.Also can given superframe 1504-2 and the size and the structure of physics forward subchannel 1308 by predetermined SID 1850-0 data designated bag, but other embodiment can use auto-associating to find the initial of superframe 1504 and/or physics forward subchannel 1308.The embodiment that has can for example send the first physical sub-channels 1308-1 on the basis of per 2,3,5 or 10 superframes 1504 on not frequent basis.

In one embodiment, physics forward subchannel 1308 is defined as the some parts of symbol shown in Figure 17.For example, 8 physics forward subchannel 1308 can be arranged, wherein each the 8th symbol is corresponding to specific physical sub-channels 1308.Each user terminal 130 can be checked symbol, ignores 7 symbols and checks another then.

An embodiment can avoid further dividing superframe 1504 outside physics forward subchannel 1308.Each satellite modem 132 can be given they oneself, the length physical sub-channels 1308 that can change.For particular satellite modulator-demodulator 132, the position of physical sub-channels 1308 can change at each superframe.Map (map) can be indicated the position of physical sub-channels 1308 or the position of satellite modem 132, thus its can only check superframe 1504 at the head of common position to avoid handling the specific physics forward subchannel 1308 that whole superframe 1504 finds concern.

With reference to figure 18C, illustrate in greater detail the embodiment of physics forward channel 1302-3 than Figure 16 C.This embodiment does not use superframe and has the forward subchannel 1308 of different sizes.

Below with reference to Figure 18 D, illustrate in greater detail the embodiment of physics forward channel 1302-4 than Figure 16 D.This embodiment does not use superframe yet, but the size of all forward subchannel 1308 is all identical.For forward subchannel 1308 different codings and/or modulation can be arranged, thereby even timeslice keeps the data volume in the same sub-channel 1308 also to change.

System 100 is organized as a plurality of territories as shown in table 4.For the media access control sublayer of each satellite modem 132 in the territory or the mac domain operation.For example, the territory can be corresponding to internet service provider (ISP) entity.The territory is by the logical groups of the satellite modem of central tissue.The territory management is for the appointment of the SID 1850 of the satellite modem in the territory 132.Business provides, quality of service and other orders and control are specified by the territory.Management is for the scheduling of forward direction and reverse subchannel 1308 and 1312 in the territory.

Algorithm for the SMTS 310 of each gateway 115 can be regulated the territory.Algorithm also can be coordinated between the different gateways 115 in system 100.System 100 can be to the lease subchannel 1308 of same area not and 1312 and coordinate their management.The territory can be at one, operation in the some or all of service points wave beam 205.Distribute and in different business spot beam 205, to change at the subchannel between the territory.For example, same area can not be used to provide different business quality and business deadline with fix a price their business of different modes.

A plurality of satellite modems are assigned to each territory.For example, the entity in responsible territory can have single forward subchannel and single back subchannel.ACME takies territory A and is included in satellite modem 0001 and 0009 in the specific transactions spot beam 205.ACME controls the 3rd forward subchannel 1308-3 and the second back subchannel 1312-2.Can between satellite modem 0001 and 0009, distribute the bandwidth in these subchannels 1308 and 1312 with any way that the territory is selected.

Management domain discretely in this embodiment.The a plurality of territories that are associated with special entity can be arranged.For example, Smith internet management domain C and F discretely.At the channelizing layer, satellite modem 132 can and two territories being associated, Smith internet between be moved.In SMTS, the channelizing layer can the operation scheduling function with load and the forward direction or the back subchannel 1308,1312 of assessment special domain.When subchannel becomes when being used outside certain threshold level, satellite modem 132 can be moved to another territory from a territory.

For the requirement of regulating, management domain discretely.For example, by using separate domains government information can be isolated from the family expenses access to the Internet.These territories can have the subchannel 1308,1312 of separation.Owing to other reason also can be used the territory information is isolated from other group satellite modems 132.For example, government can be provided with different territories for different category level.

With reference to figure 19A, show the embodiment of forward channel mapping graph 1900-1.Network 120 generates the Internet traffic 1904 that is routed to gateway 115.In SMTS 130, determine the service point wave beam 205 that target satellite modulator-demodulator 132 uses.Use is used for the physics forward channel 1302 of this spot beam 205.In each satellite modem 132 in service point wave beam 205, subchannel filter 1002 shieldings (screen) distribute this to give the subchannel of particular satellite modulator-demodulator 132.The subchannel of assigning becomes logic downstream data flow 1908.For example, the 7th subchannel 1308 becomes the 7th logic downstream data flow 1908-7, and downstream data flow 1908-7 is passed to MAC piece 1026, monitors SID 1850 at MAC piece 1026 for the packet that points to satellite modem 132.In this embodiment, physics forward subchannel 1308 all is identical size on the duration, and MAC piece 1026 is handled single logic downstream data flow 1908.

With reference to figure 19B, show the embodiment of another forward channel mapping graph 1900-2.In this embodiment, the size variation of the timeslice that on physics forward channel 1302, consumes of physics forward subchannel 1308.

With reference to figure 19C, show the embodiment of another forward channel mapping graph 1900-3.In this embodiment, satellite modem 132 uses three logic downstream data flows 1908.Satellite modem 132 has can be at three once processed logic downstream data flows.Use three MAC pieces 1026 to handle three logic downstream data flows 1908 respectively in this embodiment.

With reference to figure 19D, show the embodiment of another forward channel mapping graph 1900-4.This embodiment also handles a plurality of logic downstream data flows simultaneously.For example, three logic downstream data flows of parallel processing, but other embodiment can handle 2,4,5,7 or 10 or more logic downstream data flow.MAC piece 1026 in this embodiment can parallel processing logic downstream data flow 1908.MAC piece 1026 can have single processing path in other embodiments, and uses buffer memory to come to handle a plurality of logic downstream data flows 1908 by this single path.

In one embodiment, logic downstream data flow 1908 is bundled in becomes the downstream channel group together.This can carry out before the MAC piece 1026 or among MAC piece 1026.A plurality of logic downstream data flows 1908 can be combined as the data flow of single binding.Before binding, can shield the information of pointing to other satellite modem 132.In this way, single satellite modem 132 can be collected from the information of a plurality of physical sub-channels 1308.

With reference to Figure 20, show the embodiment of physics back channel 1304-1.This embodiment uses MF-TDMA, but other embodiment can use CDMA, OFDMA or other access waies.In one embodiment, physics back channel 1304 has the bandwidth of 500MHz altogether.Total bandwidth is divided into the back subchannel 1312 of m frequency, and these back subchannels 1312 can be different in bandwidth, modulation, decoding etc., and also can change in time based on system requirements.

In this embodiment, send two dimension (2D) map (two-dimetional (2D) map) and be used for its Upstream Traffic to each satellite modem 132.This two-dimensional map has a plurality of clauses and subclauses, upstream subchannel 1312 and time period 2008 that each clauses and subclauses indication can be used on subchannel 1312.For example, a satellite modem 132 has been assigned with back subchannel m 1312-m, time period one 2008-1; Back subchannel two 1312-2, time periods two 2008-2; Back subchannel two 1312-2, time periods three 2008-3 etc.Expection needs according to SMTS 310 dynamically adjust the 2D map for each satellite modem 132.

Below with reference to Figure 21, show another embodiment of physics back channel 1304-2.This embodiment also uses MF-TDMA to come separated transmission.6 upstream back subchannels 1312 are arranged in this embodiment.In the dispatching uplink data flow back subchannel 1312 5 make that satellite modem 132 is the unique transmitters for special time period 2008.The 6th upstream subchannel is contention subchannel 2104, and it allows any satellite modem 132 to send at any time.Have such time: sending overlap makes and does not allow to recover two or more transmissions.Affected satellite modem 132 resends up to message one after another and passes through.This embodiment has the scheduling and the contention back subchannel 1312,2104 of fixed number, but can use the back subchannel 1312,2104 of arbitrary number in other embodiments.The subchannel that has dynamically can be switched to the contention subchannel from the subchannel of dispatching in another embodiment, vice versa.

To the multiplexing satellite data stream of the High Data Rate of lower data rate user terminal

In an embodiment, via satellite 105 on the single carrier wave of forward direction relaying the single symbol data streams of (being physics forward channel 130).Symbol data streams logically is divided into a plurality of physics forward subchannel 1308.According to physical sub-channels 1308 is how by SMTS 310 long-range appointments, and a plurality of satellite modems 132 are accepted some physical sub-channels 1308, but do not accept other physical sub-channels 1308.In an example, single symbol data streams is used single carrier wave, and/or is had three or more subchannels in 1Gbps or higher rate operation.Satellite modem 132 is followed the tracks of physics forward channel 1302 at full speed, but the subclass of one or more physical sub-channels 1308 definition of a complete decoding.The processing of physical sub-channels 1308 can be carried out in the speed lower than the symbol data streams of physics forward channel 1302.Embodiment is mapped to physical sub-channels 1308 the logic downstream data flow 1908. of media access control sublayer

In one embodiment, thus a plurality of logic downstream data flow 1908 is shared identical physics forward channel 1302 by using time division technique a plurality of physical sub-channels 1308 to be multiplexed on the single RF carrier wave of each service point wave beam 205.In corresponding to the physical sub-channels 1308 in the PHY layer of the logic downstream data flow 1908 of media access control sublayer with information block.Each modulator-demodulator 132 of traffic ID in the logic downstream data flow 1908 (SID) 1850 addressables.When MAC piece 1026 was seen SID 1850 recognition data bags, this information is caught and handled to MAC piece 1026.

In different embodiment, the number of subchannel 1308 and configuration change in time.No matter what has carried out at coding and modulation sublayer, has all carried out these variations in the channelizing sublayer.Except changing the number or size of physical sub-channels 1308 in time or in frame, the relative size in time-domain and/or the bandwidth also can be changed.The logic downstream data flow 1908 of one or more modulator-demodulators 132 and physical sub-channels 1308 and their correspondences is associated.After initially providing, other embodiment can keep the number of physical sub-channels 1308 stable.

A plurality of mac domains

On single physical forward channel 1302, support a plurality of logic downstream data flows 1908 in this embodiment.On physics forward channel 1302, support a plurality of territories.A plurality of service provider's entities can be runed separate network on identical satellite link.Entity can be one, 205 operations of some or all of service points wave beam.The satellite modem 132 of arbitrary number can belong to special domain.

Each territory comprises one or more physics forward subchannel 1308 and/or a plurality of physics back subchannel 1312.The embodiment that has is limited in single physical forward subchannel 1308 with the territory, and other embodiment allow to bind physics forward subchannel 1308 to allow assembling logic downstream data flow 1908 in the territory.Allow the embodiment of channel bonding can in the territory, have nearly 4 logic downstream data flows 1908.Other embodiment can bind 2,3,5,7 or 10 or more a plurality of physics forward subchannel 1308 under the control of individual domain.

Each mac domain has user terminal 130 set of oneself and the CPE 160 that is associated.Each territory also support the traffic ID set of oneself and independently the own MAC of operation distribute and management agreement etc. to provide device identification, class of service to manage and the upstream allocated bandwidth.

Territory internal burden equilibrium

The embodiment that has allows the load balancing in the satellite modulation 132 of 1308 of physics forward subchannel.Analysis of allocated is given the bandwidth demand of the different satellite modems 132 in territory.In one embodiment, can move in the physics forward subchannel 1308 of 1308 mobile satellite modems 132 of different physics forward subchannel, thereby load may be balanced in the territory.Can regulate the allocated bandwidth of the satellite modem 132 that is assigned to physics forward subchannel 1308 based on the amount of information that is sent to each satellite modem 132 in the territory.Monitor that in SMTS 310 buffer memory and time-delay are to allow balancedly or according to quality of service grade classification physics forward channel 1302.Can regulate the size of this physics forward subchannel with respect to other physics forward subchannel 1308 according to the load of the satellite modem 132 that is assigned to physics forward subchannel 1308.Physics forward subchannel 1308 can have different sizes with some scheme distribution satellite modems 132 in one embodiment, for example with the low bandwidth user distribution little physics forward subchannel 1308 or user that will be not frequent respectively in physics forward subchannel 1308.

Satellite modem can move between the territory, rather than 1308 of the physics forward subchannel in same domain move.Each mac domain has one or more satellite modems that are associated 132.Can use satellite modem moved between the territory influences load balancing, is used for user isolation or other functions.These territories are separated management, and can with or get along well service provider's entity different and be associated.

SMTS 310 comprises that RM/LB piece 620 comes schedule forward link.RM/LB piece 620 is known the modem codec speed that is used for each territory.Decode rate can be limited by the capacity of satellite modem 132 or can manually be bound under the capacity of satellite modem 132.The scheduling feature of RM/LB piece 620 is according to dispatching modulator-demodulator 132 by the downloading rate of modem processes, and this downloading rate for example is 1/2 or 1/4 speed of modulator-demodulator.When the particular modem solicited message, not with than can by or the higher speed of speed that should be decoded on forward channel 1302, send this information.

Can dispatch physics back subchannel 1304 independently for each territory.Each satellite modem is given and two-dimensional map, indication frequency or back subchannel 1312 and time period 2008, sends with section between in due course thereby particular satellite modulator-demodulator 132 changes frequencies.The embodiment that has of satellite modem 132 allows to send on two frequencies simultaneously, thereby the time period 2008 is overlapping.

The downstream channel binding

In one embodiment, a plurality of logic downstream data flows 1908 are operated on the single physical forward channel 1302 on the single carrier wave.Satellite modem 132 can receive a plurality of logic downstream data flows 1908 simultaneously.Can bind these logic downstream data flows 1908 to form single downstream channel group.Can increase the downstream data flow bandwidth that satellite modem 132 can be used by using binding.

The satellite modem that has can only receive single logic downstream data flow 1908, and other can receive a plurality of logic downstream data flows 1908.In schedule information, the satellite modem 132 which kind of type SMTS 310 knows is in reception information and use single logic downstream data flow 1908 or a plurality of logic downstream data flow 1908.In addition, in SMTS 310, solve the bandwidth demand of satellite modem 132.Dynamically subchannel is distinguished (sizing)

This embodiment allows the dynamic assignment of the physics forward subchannel 1308 between the territory.For charge, traffic model, quality of service, adjustment or easily purpose these territories are kept separating.Common these territories that exist on identical physics forward direction or back channel 1302,1304, but separate by their physical sub-channels (SC) 1308,1312 separately.For example, table 5 and table 6 show in the morning the distribution with the physical sub-channels 1308,1312 in evening.Assign the employed subchannel of education to the internet, residential area once more at night.

To the territory of separating allocated sub-channels 1308,1312 is respectively arranged based on priority, time in one day and quality of service.Education territory, nuclear family internet domain, territory, point of sale and government territory for example can be arranged.When school is that classes are in one day time or weekend or when having a holiday or vacation, the algorithm of the time in one day can siding stopping channel 1308,1312.The territory that has can by give with priority with expansion take use in subchannel 1308,1312.

The embodiment that has can observe the operating position on each territory simply.When having overload or surpassing the use of threshold value, SMTS 310 can begin to assign again subchannel 1308,1312.Special domain can have the bottom line of the minimum of the subchannel 1308,1312 that appointment can be assigned.In distribution, professional bottom line rank is provided if having time.For example, education territory B can have the forward direction and the back subchannel 1308,1312 of at least one appointment, and the forward direction of this at least one appointment and backward channel can reach three forward subchannel 1308 and two back subchannels 1312 at most.

Although the embodiment that has can distribute to satellite modem 132 with forward subchannel 1308 according to some predetermined scheduling, other embodiment can dynamically adjust the subchannel distribution and adjust and distribute when having not enough use or excessive use.Different territories can have the priority of definition, surplus capacity is distributed or removes according to priority allowing.

This embodiment supposes the big or small identical of forward subchannel 1308, distributes to change correlation bandwidth but other embodiment can adjust sub-channel size.These embodiment can adopt mixed method before extra sub-channel is distributed to particular satellite modulator-demodulator 132 sub-channel size to be expanded a tittle.

Adaptive DOCSIS MAC chip

In one embodiment, use the DOCSIS landline cable core sheet that can be purchased off the shelf for the satellite broadband.The embodiment that has uses WiMAX chip rather than DOCSIS chip in satellite system.Thereby the satellite physical layer is transformed into the DOCSIS physical layer can uses the DOCSIS landline cable core sheet that can be purchased off the shelf.

Reference table 7 shows each abstract in the reference model layer.Between satellite PHY layer and data link layer, inserted new conversion layer.This embodiment uses the DOCSIS landline cable core sheet that can be purchased off the shelf, and conversion layer is cheated this DOCSIS landline cable core sheet and it thought communicate by letter with land cable devices communicating rather than with satellite link.

Table 7. satellite link communication layers

Figure 22 is the simplified block diagram of satellite modem 132 and CPE 160 according to an embodiment of the invention.Satellite modem 132 receives and handles the downstream data flow RF input signal 2204 from satellite source.RF input signal 2204 for example can be represented Ka band or Ku band satellite transmits.In the embodiment that has, RF input signal 2204 can be received by satellite modem 132 by the antenna place of SMTS 310 or gateway device generation and externally connection.

Satellite modem 132 also produces and sends upstream RF output signal 2212.RF output signal 2212 can comprise the data that receive from ustomer premises access equipment (CPE) 160, to be used to be transferred to SMTS 310.As mentioned above, cable modem chip 2224 comprises the one or more bidirectional interfaces to CPE 160.In the embodiment that has, in other possibility, these interfaces can comprise Ethernet, USB, live wire (IEEE 1394), WiFi (IEEE 802.11x) and WiMAX (IEEE 802.16).

Satellite receiver 2208 receives RF input signal 2204 and prepares to use it for by cable modem adapter 2216 and handle.In difference is implemented, the warbled data of RF input signal 2204 carryings.Satellite receiver 2208 for example can filter with one or more frequency channels of downconverting RF input signal 2204 and their data are presented to cable modem adapter 2216 and be used for further processing.In some specific embodiments, satellite receiver 2208 uses the MPEG-2 transmitting data stream that the data passes of filtered and down-conversion is arrived cable modem adapter 2216.

Cable modem adapter 2216 connects with cable modem chip 2224 and other signal of physical transportation level can be changed between satellite and cable form in different embodiment.Cable modem chip 2224 for example can be the land DOCSIS chip that is designed for and uses together based on coaxial broadband access network.Advantageously, cable modem adapter 2216 does not require that cable modem chip 2224 has special interface or is modified and is used for satellite system.On the contrary, as the part of satellite modem 132, cable modem adapter 2216 provides the standard signaling that can directly be handled by cable modem chip 2224.Thereby along with the development of technology, cable modem adapter 2216 can upgrade easily by using new or different cable modem chips.

Between cable modem adapter 2216 and cable modem chip 2224, arranged first digital to analog converter (DAC) 2220.DAC2220 is from cable modem adapter 2216 downlink data receiving streaming digital signals and be converted into and be suitable for the analog input signal that cable modem chip 2224 uses.Engage Figure 23 below and further describe the downstream data flow processing.

Handle side at upstream, cable modem adapter 9116 receives the digitized representations of the output signal that is produced by cable modem chip 2224 and its conversion is used for satellite system from analog to digital converter (ADC) 2228.In the embodiment that has, for example, can comprise the short pulse of the data that meet the DOCSIS standard by the output signal of cable modem chip 2224 generations.Cable modem adapter 9116 can receive these data, and its recompile is used for satellite transmits, and produces quadrature (I/Q) digital output signal.Engage Figure 24 below the detailed description of handling about upstream is provided.

The upstream by 2216 outputs of cable modem adapter is modulated in second digital to analog converter (DAC) 2232 and quadrature modulator 2236 cooperations once more.The analog waveform of each signal of DAC 2232 when cable modem adapter 2216 receives digitlization positive blending output signals (I/Q) and produce corresponding to output.Quadrature modulator 2236 receives two analog waveforms of DAC 2232 generations and uses this waveform to modulate the RF carrier wave.The RF output signal 2212 of modulation can be sent to SMTS 310 or gateway device by upstream.In this way, satellite modem 132 makes full use of the DOCSIS cable modem networking standard that is used for satellite transmits.

Figure 23 is the simplified block diagram of handling according to the downstream data flow of an embodiment of the user terminal 130 that is connected to CPE 160.As mentioned above, before being delivered to cable modem chip 2224, RF input signal 2204 receives and processing RF input signal 2204.Piece 2304 expression can with one or more elements of cable modem chip 2224 physical separation.Although described separately, should be appreciated that one or more functional blocks can be integrated in particular electrical circuit or the chip.Thereby for example, DAC 2220 can comprise the single chip of yet carrying out filtering and/or the operation of other Signal Regulation except digital-to-analogue conversion.

Satellite receiver 2208 receives RF input signal 2204 and is used for the downstream data flow processing.As mentioned above, RF input signal 2204 can and can comprise warbled data by the SMTS transmission.In the embodiment that has, each all is that 6MHz is wide and can concentrate on preset frequency for each frequency band (channel).Alternatively, each frequency band can be that 8MHz is wide.The one or more frequency bands of satellite receiver 2208 demodulation also can be carried out the error correction of demodulating data and synchronous again.In the embodiment that has, satellite receiver 2208 produces MPEG-2 transportation data stream by demodulating data.

In a further embodiment, satellite receiver 2208 produces a plurality of MPEG-2 transportation data streams corresponding to one or more demodulation subchannels 1308.For example, as what describe in the DOCSIS standard, can or bind together a plurality of combinations of bands and produce higher transmission bandwidth.In this case, satellite receiver 2208 can filter the input requirement that makes its matched line cable modem chip 2224 with the speed limit data flow with digital processing unit 2308 cooperations.

Digital processing unit 2308 receives from the output stream (or data flow) of satellite receiver 2208 and to be converted into cable modem chip 2224 used.For example, as appointment in the DOCSIS standard, digital processing unit 2308 can be the cable network form from the satellite format conversion with the physical transportation layer.In the embodiment that has, digital processing unit 2308 can be application-specific IC (ASIC).Alternatively, digital processing unit 2308 can be a programmable logic device, field programmable gate array (FPGA) for example, or other treatment facility of arbitrary number in the prior art.

In different embodiment, digital processing unit 2308 receives the input of one or more MPEG-2 transportation data streams and handles these inputs to produce one or more output signals of modulation once more.For example, digital processing unit 2308 can the data in the one or more transportation data stream are presented to cable modem chip 2224 be used for further handling before coding, interpolation (interleave), be mapped to symbol, filtration and modulate these data once more.Can use optional packet filtering to reduce the modulation complexity.

In the embodiment that has, partly advise that according to ITU-T J.83 (annex A/B/C) handles MPEG-2 transportation data stream.Thereby, in a particular embodiment, use the Reed-Solomon coding to implement forward error recovery, prevent burst error by using the byte interpolation to reach.The data map with after the byte interpolation behind the coding can be arrived symbol then, use square root raised cosine (SRRC) filter filters these data and uses the 1024-QAM scheme to modulate this data.After finishing once more modulation treatment, output signal can be sent to DAC 2220 and be used to be converted to analog format and filter to remove high frequency component signal by low pass filter (LPF) 2312 then.In this stage, cable modem chip 2224 can the normal process signal, and the modulation treatment once more of not known to be performed.

Figure 24 is the simplified block diagram of handling according to the upstream of the embodiment of satellite modulation 132 and CPE 160.As mentioned above, handle the transmission that is used for satellite system from the data of cable modem chip 2224.At frame 2306, receive the upstream analog signal from cable modem chip 2224.This upstream signal for example can comprise and is suitable for one or more modulated carrier signal of transmitting on based on coaxial broadband access network.For example, in the embodiment that has, these signals can comprise one or more 2MHz frequency bands, and each frequency band all concentrates on the frequency range from 5MHz to 65MHz.In addition, from the output signal of cable modem chip 2224 can be encoded by Reed-Solomon, Trellis coding or be not encoded.

Before being presented to digital processing unit 2308, one or more output signals from cable modem chip 2224 filter and this signal of digitlization.Thereby as mentioned above, application of low-pass filters 2312 removes high fdrequency component, and this high fdrequency component may produce to be obscured or reduction quality of signals when signal is digitized.ADC 2228 is delivered to digital processing unit 2308 with the analog signal digital of filtration and with its output.

Digital processing unit 2308 switching signals are used for using in satellite system.This may relate to a plurality of treatment steps of the particular type that depends on the output that receives from cable modem chip 2224.Typically, cable modem chip 2224 produces the output that meets DOCSIS, comprises physics (PHY) layer, medium access control (MAC) layer and one or more high-level networking layer.In the embodiment that has, satellite modem 132 is changed the PHY layer and is used for satellite transmits when information being remained on higher networking layer, thereby makes the DOCSIS rule to use in satellite communication system 100.

In a particular embodiment, digital processing unit 2308 uses complex multipliers (complex multiplier) to multiply by digitized signal from ADC 2228 to obtain homophase and quadrature component.Digital processing unit 2308 also can comprise the logic in the phase place that is used to discern quadrature component and correct sampling interval.Predetermined symbol in the quadrature component can be provided for discerning the reference point in phase place and sampling interval.

In case the phase place of foundation and timing, digital processing unit 2308 can extract byte and they are rearranged in new physical transportation from quadrature component.For example, this processing can comprise one or more following operations: remove for example targeting signal of existence and the framing information of error correction expense (error correction overhead), Turbo encodes this byte to be used for satellite transmits, the byte of coding is mapped to suitable symbol, preplan new targeting signal, and use one or more filtration steps.

After digital processing unit 2308 had been changed signal, this signal was modulated and Network Transmission via satellite once more.As mentioned above, DAC 2232 receives positive blending output signal (I/Q) and converts them to the corresponding simulating waveform from digital processing unit 2308.Quadrature modulator 2236 receives analog waveform and uses them to modulate the RF carrier wave, thereby produces RF output signal 2212.

Multiuser Detection in the satellite return link

Satellite return link to channeling is used Multiuser Detection (MUD) (dispatching algorithm etc.).An embodiment has one or more contention back subchannels 2104.Can use these subchannels for the bandwidth request of user terminal 130 or for other purpose.Can consider that to the processing of these upstream subchannels multiple hypothesis is successfully to be received in 2,4 or more users terminal 130 using identical subchannel overlapping time.The embodiment that has can have the time that particular sub-channel allows contention according to predetermined scheduling, and particular sub-channel does not allow the time of contention.

MUD allows a plurality of transmitters to share the signal processing technology of single frequency simultaneously.The receiver that MUD is embodied as among the SMTS 310 is handled, and SMTS 310 receives superposed transmission and finds the maximum likelihood of " combined optimization " to determine (likelihood) from user terminal 130.Find the combined optimization decision and else optimize the priority height of decision than finding a plurality of branches.In brief, MUD provides the increase of power system capacity by the maximization frequency reuse.

In one embodiment, MUD is implemented in the SMTS demodulator 628 to increase the capacity of back channel 1304.In satellite communication system 100,, can use MUD processing rather than common processing to handle the signal that on this upstream contention subchannel 2104, receives if upstream contention subchannel 2104 has been specified the MUD frequency.According to the number of the upstream contention subchannel 2104 of each blade 624 needs, the scope of enforcement can be carried on the back to snap into and be comprised the industrial cabinet of extra last posture that the MUD to extra sub-channel 2104 handles from the back of the body.MUD subchannel 2104 can be configured to contention subchannel 2104 or use on back subchannel 1312, and back subchannel 1312 has only when user terminal 130 irregular workings and the channel reservation that takies other terminal contention was just arranged during the time.

Refer again to Figure 21, show the embodiment of back channel 1304.This embodiment has 5 non-contention upstream back subchannels 1312 and 1 subchannel that allows contention.Which channel that uses and define that the mapping that maps to each user terminal 130 can limit non-contention back subchannel 1312 is a contention subchannel 2104.User terminal 130 can use contention subchannel 2104 at any time.Can be upstream and contention back subchannel 1312,2104 adjusting coding and data transfer rates.

Table 8 shows about whether contention ground uses this problem of subchannel how to indicate different user terminal 130.Can periodic variation shine upon and limit which user terminal 130 again and can contention use which subchannel.In this simple case, allow each channel can contention for three terminals, but for all other terminals indicate this channel be not contention and give and the time slot of mapping.

Because MUD allows the success in subchannel uses overlapping, the user terminal 130 that has can be instructed to particular channel be not contention and terminal that have to be apprised of particular channel be contention.Under the situation of not leaking any information, nearly three terminals can be instructed to particular channel and allow contention, and another terminal to be apprised of particular channel be not contention.Thereby SMTS 310 know these appointments be how to carry out can use or not use the MUD algorithm under specific circumstances.Further, the possible situation that can use the quantity of possible contention user terminal 130 that the MUD algorithm is known to consider.

The embodiment that has can use about knowing of the user terminal 130 of possible contention and further improve the MUD algorithm.Know head by scheduling corresponding to possible user terminal 130, thus know from each user terminal 130 to the possible data of small part.

Has such time: on upstream subchannel 1312, do not use contention.When special-purpose back subchannel 1312 loads that are used for all user terminals 130 were too big, the harmless appointment that allows subchannel was to allow contention.Can increase this permission contention to reduce the difference hypothesis that to consider.In case no longer can can't harm when assigning because the MUD algorithm can not be handled more, SMTS 310 can continue to being allowed to use the user of the subchannel under the contention mode to increase information.When the MUD algorithm was found oneself can not solve superposed signal, that information will be lost, but can be transmitted again.

Many speed downlink data fluidisation in the multi sub-channel environment

Use many speed downlink data fluidisation to the single carrier wave downstream data flow of multi sub-channel High Data Rate.Physics forward subchannel 1308 can have different sizes, data transfer rate and/or coding, and all these can change adaptively.Can user terminal 130 be moved to another from a physics forward subchannel 1308 between superframe based on number, weather and the power consumption of load, user terminal 130.

Return with reference to figure 16A and 16B, show two different subchannel schemes.Figure 16 B allows subchannel 1308 to have different sizes, and Figure 16 A allows to change the number of the subchannel 1308 in the superframe 1504.On this, the encoding scheme of use and data transfer rate can change from frame to frame or or even change from subchannel to subchannel.For example, coding can be any among BPSK, QPSK, 8PSK, 16APSK, the 32PSK, and data transfer rate can change from 250Mbps to 2Gbps.

It is the embodiment how to change that table 9 shows between the superframe 1504.In table 9, show coding, data transfer rate and the size of each subchannel 1308 for two superframes 1504.For example, the 4th subchannel 1308-4 uses the 32PSK coding for 1/4 superframe 1504 with the 1Gbps data transfer rate, but it is constant then data transfer rate to be changed into 750Kbps and maintenance coding and sub-channel size.Can send these mappings or only this subchannel is sent on particular sub-channel to each user terminal 130 for whole superframe.Embodiment can avoid using head or status message to indicate the position of following subchannel, their use of superframe 1504 of coding, modulation, data transfer rate and size.

SMTS 310 follows the tracks of forward link quality and for example uses adaptive coding and modulation dynamically to regulate coding, modulation, data transfer rate and size.Have the most serious error, capacity etc. by knowing each user terminal 130 by following the tracks of which service point wave beam 205, tracking can be to carry out under knowing the situation of weather condition from the third party source.Determining can be based on the similar time cycle and the immediate observation in trend, past.

Declare following the variation at each superframe 1504 and/or subchannel 1308 transmission configuration informations.User terminal 130 receives configuration informations and self adaptation correspondingly.In other embodiments, use to be associated automatically and under not needing forewarning situation, determine one or more in coding, data transfer rate, modulation and the sub-channel size.

SMTS 310 also regulates coding, modulation, data transfer rate and size to reduce the power consumption at gateway 115 and/or user terminal 130 places.When the bandwidth demand of user terminal 130 hangs down, user terminal 130 can be moved to the subchannel 1308 of less amount and even make that some subchannels 1308 all are empty.Gap channel 1308 makes that the resource among the SMTS 310 is not occupied, and SMTS 130 can be used in other purpose or can allow power saving mode.

By reducing size, the simpler coding of use and/or modulation and having lower data transfer rate, can reduce the processing requirements of subchannel 1308 for those user terminals 130 that unlikely require any bandwidth.Along with situation changes, the size of subchannel 1308 or number also can be reduced, and perhaps the user can be moved to the subchannel that more adapts to current demand.

Can have and have the different user terminal of in satellite communication system 100, disposing 130 with different capabilities.Can assign physics forward subchannel 1308 to hold the capacity of specific user terminal 130.Along with new coding, modulation, data transfer rate and the sub-channel size of actual use on new equipment, can be to 130 programmings of old user terminal to avoid those subchannels 1308.

Satellite system is optimized

Current satellite system is done the best constantly or is fully covered the geographic range of single country or qualification by mobile wave beam.The present invention only is intended to use service point wave beam 205 to cover the 50%-90% (for example 50%, 60%, 70%, 75%, 80% or 90% coverage rate) of country so that broadband services to be provided.In a modification, feeder line spot beam 225 may reside in the zone that is not covered by the service point wave beam.Service point wave beam 205 can be often referred in service or coverage not, but not exclusively covers both.In a modification, target (promptly accepting service object) is the zone with country of high bandwidth requirements.Other satellite system that the bandwidth ratio in zone covers this zone in the service wants high.In another modification, target (not accepting service object) is the zone that there is not friend's covering or the fragmentary country that covers.In a modification, satellite communication system 100 is limited to consumer's satellite broadband services.

Refer again to Fig. 2 A, show service point wave beam 205 and only cover the part of country and the example that feeder line spot beam 225 covers Non-overlapping Domain.Fig. 2 B allows some overlapping.Under any circumstance, satellite 105 can not use service point wave beam 205 to cover whole country.In fact, in different embodiment, only can cover 50%, 60%, 70%, 75%, 80% or 90%.An embodiment allows not mobile service spot beam or not mobile service spot beam continually.Under any circumstance, not dynamically the mobile service spot beam so that 70%, 75%, 80% or 90% national coverage rate to be provided more than 50%, 60%.Realize that in other local satellite communication system 100 of describing of the application this is less than whole coverage rate designs.In the embodiment that has, the geographic area is in the country or the government border in one group of country.

Provide specific detail in the superincumbent description thorough understanding to embodiment is provided.Yet, should be appreciated that under the situation that does not need these specific detail and can implement embodiment.For example, thus can circuit be shown with block diagram makes embodiment unclear without unnecessary details.In other example, do not avoid making embodiment unclear thereby need unnecessary details that known circuit, processing procedure, algorithm, structure and technology can be shown.

Can carry out the enforcement of above-mentioned technology, piece, step and device in various manners.For example, can in hardware, software or the combination of the two, implement these technology, piece, step and device.Implement for hardware, can in being designed for one or more application-specific ICs (ASIC), digital signal processor (DSP), digital signal processing appts (DSPD), programmable logic device (PLD), field programmable gate array (FPGA), processor, controller, microcontroller, microprocessor, other electronic unit and/or their combination of carrying out above-mentioned functions, implement processing unit.

In addition, be to be further noted that embodiment can be described to the processing procedure by flow chart, data flowchart, structure chart or block diagram representation.Though program process when they can be described as operation, many operations can walk abreast or generation simultaneously.In addition, the order of operation can be rearranged.Processing procedure stops when complete operation, but processing procedure has the extra step that does not comprise in the drawings.

In addition, can make up by hardware, software, script, firmware, middleware, script, microcode, hardware description language and/or its and realize embodiment.When realizing, carry out in the machine readable media that the program code of necessary task or code segment can be stored in storage medium for example with software, firmware, middleware and/or microcode.Code segment or machine-executable instruction can be represented the combination in any of process, function, subprogram, program, routine, subroutine, module, software kit, script, class or instruction, data structure and/or program statement.By transmitting and/or reception information, data, independent variable, parameter and/or memory content, code segment can be coupled to another code segment or hardware circuit.Information, independent variable, parameter, data etc. can be transmitted, be transmitted or be sent by suitable means, and these suitable means comprise Memory Sharing, message transmission, token transmission, Network Transmission etc.

For firmware and/or software implementation, this method can be implemented by the module (for example process, function etc.) of carrying out function described herein.When implementing method described herein, can use the actual any machine readable media that comprises instruction.For example, can be in memory store software code.Can be in processor or the outside memory of implementing of processor.As used herein, term " memory " refers to long-term, short-term, volatibility, non-volatile or other storage medium of any kind, and is not limited to the memory of any particular type or the media type of a plurality of memory or memory.

In addition, can represent one or more memory of data that are used to store at this term " storage medium ", comprise that read-only memory (ROM), random-access memory (ram), magnetic ram, core memory, magnetic disk storage medium, optical storage media, flash memory device and/or other are used for the computer-readable medium of stored information.Term " computer-readable medium " is including, but not limited to portable or fixed-storage device, light storage device, wireless channel and/or can store, comprise or carry various other storage mediums of instruction and/or data.

Although described principle of the present invention, need be expressly understood that this description only is to be undertaken and not as limitation of the scope of the invention by the mode of example in conjunction with specific device and method.

Claims (101)

1. satellite modem that is used for broadband connections, described satellite modem comprises:

Input port is used to be coupled to the satellite-signal from satellite, wherein:

Described satellite-signal receives from satellite,

Described satellite-signal be single carrier signal and

Described satellite-signal is divided into a plurality of physical sub-channels by time division multiplexing;

Be coupled to the filter of described input port, wherein:

In described a plurality of physical sub-channels each all seals the logic downstream data flow,

Described filter receive the directed towards user terminal satellite-signal and

Described filter removes the subclass of physical sub-channels from described satellite-signal;

Demodulator;

Encoder; And

Medium access control (MAC) circuit is used to handle described logic downstream data flow, and wherein said filter was operated before the MAC circuit.

2. the satellite modem that is used for broadband connections according to claim 1, wherein said satellite-signal uses adaptive coding and modulation.

3. the satellite modem that is used for broadband connections according to claim 1, wherein said satellite-signal has the data transfer rate greater than per second 1 gigabit.

4. the satellite modem that is used for broadband connections according to claim 1, wherein for described satellite-signal, encoding rate and/or modulation change in time.

5. the satellite modem that is used for broadband connections according to claim 1, decomposition multiplex is carried out with described filter in the time of wherein.

6. satellite communication system with the data throughput operation that is higher than a plurality of satellite modems, described satellite communication system comprises:

Forward channel transit information from satellite to described a plurality of satellite modems, wherein said forward channel comprises:

First logical sub-channel and

Second logical sub-channel, wherein said first and second logical sub-channel in described forward channel by time division multiplexing;

More than first satellite modem, wherein:

The part that described more than first satellite modem is described a plurality of satellite modems and

But in described more than first satellite modem each all disposes and is used to finish the decoding of described first logical sub-channel the decoding of not finishing described second logical sub-channel;

More than second satellite modem, wherein:

The part that described more than second satellite modem is described a plurality of satellite modems and

But in described more than second satellite modem each all disposes and is used to finish the decoding of described second logical sub-channel the decoding of not finishing described first logical sub-channel.

7. satellite communication system of operating with the data throughput that is higher than a plurality of satellite modems according to claim 6, wherein said a plurality of satellite modems are to be lower than the speed operation of described forward channel.

8. satellite communication system of operating with the data throughput that is higher than a plurality of satellite modems according to claim 6, wherein said forward channel is transported by single carrier wave.

9. satellite communication system of operating with the data throughput that is higher than a plurality of satellite modems according to claim 6, wherein said forward channel has time dependent coding and modulation.

10. satellite communication system of operating with the data throughput that is higher than a plurality of satellite modems according to claim 6, each in wherein said more than first satellite modem all shields out described second logical sub-channel before decoding is finished.

11. satellite communication system of operating with the data throughput that is higher than a plurality of satellite modems according to claim 6, wherein said forward channel is used adaptive coding and modulation.

12. satellite communication system of operating with the data throughput that is higher than a plurality of satellite modems according to claim 6, wherein said forward channel has the data transfer rate greater than per second 1 gigabit.

13. the method with low gathering rate processing satellite-signal, described method comprises step:

With satellite modem from the satellite receiving satellite signal, wherein:

Described satellite-signal has encoding rate and modulation,

Described satellite-signal transports with carrier wave,

Described satellite-signal comprises the first information and second information of being separated by time division multiplexing,

The described first information point to first ustomer premises access equipment that is associated with described first satellite modem and

Second ustomer premises access equipment that described second information points is associated with described second satellite modem;

In first satellite modem decoding described second information before with the described first information and described second information separated;

Finish the decoding of the described first information; And

The described first information is delivered to described first ustomer premises access equipment.

14. according to claim 13 with low method of assembling the rate processing satellite-signal, wherein said first and second information are used common coding and modulation.

15. according to claim 13 with low method of assembling the rate processing satellite-signal, wherein said satellite-signal uses adaptive coding and modulation.

16. according to claim 13 with low method of assembling the rate processing satellite-signal, wherein said satellite-signal has the data transfer rate greater than per second 1 gigabit.

17. according to claim 13 with low method of assembling the rate processing satellite-signal, wherein said satellite-signal has time dependent coding and modulation.

18. a satellite system that is used for carrying out with a plurality of remote locations broadband connections, described satellite system comprises:

Satellite;

A plurality of service points wave beam from described satellite;

A plurality of forward channels, each in wherein said a plurality of forward channels are all transported on carrier wave in one of described a plurality of service points wave beam;

A plurality of forward subchannel are transmitted on one of described a plurality of forward channels; And

A plurality of territories of being managed independently, wherein said a plurality of subchannels are divided between described a plurality of territories.

19. the satellite system that is used for carrying out with a plurality of remote locations broadband connections according to claim 18, wherein said carrier wave are the unique carrier waves in one of described a plurality of service points wave beam.

20. the satellite system that is used for carrying out with a plurality of remote locations broadband connections according to claim 18, wherein said a plurality of forward channels are used adaptive coding and modulation.

21. the satellite system that is used for carrying out with a plurality of remote locations broadband connections according to claim 18, each in wherein said a plurality of forward channels all has the data transfer rate greater than per second 1 gigabit.

22. the satellite system that is used for carrying out with a plurality of remote locations broadband connections according to claim 18, wherein said satellite-signal has time dependent coding and modulation.

23. the satellite system that is used for carrying out with a plurality of remote locations broadband connections according to claim 18 further comprises a plurality of satellite modems, each in wherein said a plurality of satellite modems all managed by one of described a plurality of territories.

24. the satellite system that is used for carrying out with a plurality of remote locations broadband connections according to claim 18, wherein managing independently of each territory comprises the use and management agreement.

25. the satellite system that is used for carrying out with a plurality of remote locations broadband connections according to claim 18 further comprises a plurality of satellite modems, each in wherein said a plurality of satellite modems is all by one or more service identifier addressing.

26. a satellite system that is used for carrying out with a plurality of remote locations broadband connections, described satellite system comprises:

Satellite;

A plurality of service points wave beam from described satellite;

A plurality of forward channels, each in wherein said a plurality of forward channels are all transported on carrier wave in one of described a plurality of service points wave beam;

A plurality of forward subchannel are transmitted on one of described a plurality of forward channels;

A plurality of territories, wherein said a plurality of subchannels are divided between described a plurality of territories; And

A plurality of satellite modems, wherein:

Described a plurality of satellite modem is by a plurality of service identifier addressing,

In described a plurality of service identifier each all is proprietary addressable in one of described a plurality of territories.

27. the satellite system that is used for carrying out with a plurality of remote locations broadband connections according to claim 26, wherein said a plurality of territories are by a plurality of entity managements.

28. the satellite system that is used for carrying out with a plurality of remote locations broadband connections according to claim 26, each in wherein said a plurality of territories is no matter how and only other territory is the territory control and management agreement of oneself.

29. the satellite system that is used for carrying out with a plurality of remote locations broadband connections according to claim 26, each in wherein said a plurality of satellite modems all is assigned one or more service identifiers of choosing from described a plurality of service identifiers.

30. a method that is used to control a plurality of satellite modems, described method comprises step:

Provide business beam from satellite, wherein:

Described business beam be cover the geographic area one of a plurality of business beams and

Described business beam comprises a plurality of forward subchannel of sharing common carrier;

Assign described a plurality of forward subchannel to a plurality of territories;

Determine that in described a plurality of satellite modem which belongs to each territory; With

Control each in described a plurality of territory independently of one another.

31. the method that is used to control a plurality of satellite modems according to claim 30, the step of wherein said control comprises substep:

Control first subclass of the described a plurality of satellite modems in first territory in described a plurality of territory;

Control second subclass of the described a plurality of satellite modems in second territory in described a plurality of territory, wherein said first subclass is all different with described second subclass.

32. the method that is used to control a plurality of satellite modems according to claim 30 further comprises the step that described a plurality of satellite modems of being controlled independently by the territory are provided.

33. a satellite system that is used for carrying out with a plurality of remote locations broadband connections, described satellite system comprises:

Satellite;

A plurality of service points wave beam from described satellite;

A plurality of forward channels, each in wherein said a plurality of forward channels are all transported on carrier wave in one of described a plurality of service points wave beam;

A plurality of forward subchannel are transmitted on one of described a plurality of forward channels;

A plurality of satellite modems are positioned at one of described a plurality of service points wave beam; And

Scheduler, balanced described a plurality of satellite modems on described a plurality of forward subchannel.

34. the satellite system that is used for carrying out with a plurality of remote locations broadband connections according to claim 33 further comprises the territory that a plurality of quilts are managed independently, wherein:

Described a plurality of subchannel is divided in described a plurality of territories, and

Described a plurality of satellite modems in the balanced territory of described scheduler.

35. the satellite system that is used for carrying out with a plurality of remote locations broadband connections according to claim 33 further comprises the territory that a plurality of quilts are managed independently, wherein:

Described a plurality of subchannel is divided between described a plurality of territories, and

Described a plurality of satellite modems between the balanced territory of described scheduler.

36. a satellite system that is used for carrying out with a plurality of remote locations broadband connections, described satellite system comprises:

Satellite;

Service point wave beam from described satellite;

Forward channel, wherein said forward channel is transported on the carrier wave of described service point wave beam;

A plurality of forward subchannel are transmitted on described forward channel;

The territory that a plurality of quilts are managed independently, wherein said a plurality of subchannels are divided between described a plurality of territories;

A plurality of satellite modems are positioned at described service point wave beam; And

Scheduler, balanced described a plurality of satellite modems on described a plurality of territories.

37. the satellite system that is used for carrying out broadband connections according to claim 36 with a plurality of remote locations, wherein:

Described a plurality of territory comprises first territory and second territory, and

Described scheduler moves to described second territory with one of described a plurality of satellite modems from described first territory after to the load analysis on the forward subchannel that is associated with described first territory.

38. a method that is used to control a plurality of satellite modems, described method comprises step:

Provide business beam from satellite, wherein:

Described business beam be cover the geographic area one of a plurality of business beams and

Described business beam comprises a plurality of forward subchannel of sharing common carrier;

Assign described a plurality of satellite modem to described a plurality of forward subchannel;

The subclass of determining to be assigned to described a plurality of satellite modems of particular forward subchannel has reached the subscription levels on the threshold value;

Assign the part of described subclass to different forward subchannel.

39. according to the described method that is used to control a plurality of satellite modems of claim 38, wherein said subclass is controlled independently by the territory, described territory is to use in a plurality of territories of described a plurality of forward subchannel control satellite modems.

40. a satellite system that is used for carrying out with a plurality of remote locations broadband connections, described satellite system comprises:

Satellite;

Service point wave beam from described satellite;

Forward channel, wherein said forward channel is transported on the carrier wave of described service point wave beam;

A plurality of forward subchannel are transmitted on described forward channel;

With a plurality of one to one logic downstream data flows of described a plurality of forward subchannel;

Be coupled to the satellite modem of described forward channel, wherein said satellite modem comprises:

The channel bonding unit, with a plurality of logic downstream data flows be combined as the downstream data flow group and

In described satellite modem, handle described downstream data flow group to provide information to ustomer premises access equipment.

41. according to the described satellite system that is used for carrying out with a plurality of remote locations broadband connections of claim 40, combination was carried out in wherein said channel bonding unit before medium access control (MAC) piece.

42. according to the described satellite system that is used for carrying out with a plurality of remote locations broadband connections of claim 40, combination is carried out in wherein said channel bonding unit in medium access control (MAC) piece.

43., wherein make up three or more logic downstream data flows to form the downstream data flow group according to the described satellite system that is used for carrying out broadband connections of claim 40 with a plurality of remote locations.

44. a method that is used for carrying out with a plurality of remote locations satellite broadband communication, described method comprises step:

Provide from the service point wave beam that described satellite sends to satellite;

On the carrier wave of described service point wave beam, transport forward channel;

On described forward channel, transmit a plurality of forward subchannel;

A plurality of logic downstream data flows and described a plurality of forward subchannel are corresponding one by one;

Satellite modem is coupled to described forward channel;

A plurality of logic downstream data flows are combined as the downstream data flow group; And

In satellite modem, handle described downstream data flow group to provide information to ustomer premises access equipment.

45., further comprise the step of controlling described a plurality of logic downstream data flows of described downstream data flow group by individual domain according to the described method that is used for carrying out satellite broadband communication of claim 44 with a plurality of remote locations.

46. a satellite system that is used for carrying out with a plurality of remote locations broadband connections, described satellite system comprises:

Satellite;

Service point wave beam from described satellite;

Forward channel, wherein said forward channel is transported on the carrier wave of described service point wave beam;

A plurality of forward subchannel are transmitted on described forward channel;

A plurality of territories of being managed independently, wherein:

Described a plurality of subchannel between described a plurality of territories, be divided and

In described a plurality of territory each is corresponding to a plurality of timeslices;

A plurality of satellite modems in the wave beam of described service point; And

Scheduler distributes described forward channel between described a plurality of territories, each in wherein said a plurality of territories has in time and the big or small timeslice that changes separately.

47. according to the described satellite system that is used for carrying out with a plurality of remote locations broadband connections of claim 46, wherein said timeslice changes according to predetermined scheduling.

48. according to the described satellite system that is used for carrying out with a plurality of remote locations broadband connections of claim 46, the subchannel number of wherein distributing to special domain changes in time.

49. according to the described satellite system that is used for carrying out with a plurality of remote locations broadband connections of claim 46, wherein said timeslice changes with demand.

50. according to the described satellite system that is used for carrying out broadband connections of claim 46 with a plurality of remote locations, wherein said a plurality of timeslice equal and opposite in directions.

51. according to the described satellite system that is used for carrying out with a plurality of remote locations broadband connections of claim 46, wherein said a plurality of timeslices have a plurality of different sizes.

52. according to the described satellite system that is used for carrying out with a plurality of remote locations broadband connections of claim 46, wherein the number of sub-channels in the superframe remains unchanged.

53. a method that is used for carrying out with a plurality of remote locations satellite broadband communication, described method comprises step:

Provide from the service point wave beam that described satellite sends to satellite;

Carrier wave transportation forward channel by described service point wave beam;

On described forward channel, transmit a plurality of forward subchannel;

Manage a plurality of satellites independently by a plurality of territories, wherein:

Described a plurality of subchannel between described a plurality of territories, be divided and

In described a plurality of territory each is corresponding to a plurality of timeslices; And

Distribute forward channel between described a plurality of territories, each in wherein said a plurality of territories has in time and the big or small timeslice that changes separately.

54. according to the described method that is used for carrying out with a plurality of remote locations satellite broadband communication of claim 53, wherein said timeslice changes according to predetermined scheduling.

55. according to the described method that is used for carrying out with a plurality of remote locations satellite broadband communication of claim 53, the subchannel number of wherein distributing to special domain changes in time.

56. according to the described method that is used for carrying out with a plurality of remote locations satellite broadband communication of claim 53, wherein said timeslice changes with demand.

57. according to the described method that is used for carrying out satellite broadband communication of claim 53 with a plurality of remote locations, wherein said a plurality of timeslice equal and opposite in directions.

58. according to the described method that is used for carrying out with a plurality of remote locations satellite broadband communication of claim 53, wherein said a plurality of timeslices have a plurality of different sizes.

59. according to the described method that is used for carrying out with a plurality of remote locations satellite broadband communication of claim 53, wherein the number of sub-channels in the superframe remains unchanged.

60. one kind is used for the satellite modem that link via satellite sends and receives information, described satellite modem comprises:

Satellite receiver;

The satellite transmission device;

The land cable modem circuitry adapts to wired cable apparatus and communicates by letter; And

Adapter circuit is being changed between described satellite receiver and the described land cable modem circuitry and is being changed between described satellite transmission device and described land cable modem circuitry.

61. be used for the satellite modem that link via satellite sends and receives information according to claim 60 is described, wherein said land cable modem circuitry obsolete analog signal when adapter circuit is received in receiving satellite signal.

62. be used for the satellite modem that link via satellite sends and receives information according to claim 60 is described, wherein said land cable modem circuitry is sent in obsolete analog signal when sending satellite-signal from adapter circuit.

63. be used for the satellite modem that link via satellite sends and receives information according to claim 60 is described, wherein said adapter circuit modulate once more the digital information that receives from satellite link and once more modulated digital information be coupled to the land cable modem circuitry.

64. be used for the satellite modem that link via satellite sends and receives information according to claim 60 is described, the signal that wherein said adapter circuit demodulation receives from the land cable modem circuitry is also modulated described signal once more and is used for satellite link.

65. according to the described satellite modem that uses satellite link to send and receive information of being used to of claim 60, wherein said land cable modem circuitry is the circuit that can be purchased off the shelf.

66. one kind is used for the method that link via satellite sends and receives information, described method comprises step:

Receive first signal at satellite receiver;

Be the secondary signal of landline cable modem circuit conversion from described satellite receiver output;

Be three signal of satellite transmission device conversion from the output of land cable modem circuitry; And

Send the 4th signal from the satellite transmission device.

67. be used for the method that link via satellite sends and receives information according to claim 66 is described, the step of wherein said conversion is included in the obsolete analog signal when receiving satellite signal that described land cable modem circuitry receives.

68. be used for the method that link via satellite sends and receives information according to claim 66 is described, the step of wherein said conversion comprises the obsolete analog signal when sending satellite-signal that sends from described land cable modem circuitry.

69. be used for the method that link via satellite sends and receives information according to claim 66 is described, further comprise step:

Modulate the digital information that receives from satellite link once more; And

Modulated digital information is coupled to the landline cable modem once more.

70. be used for the method that link via satellite sends and receives information according to claim 66 is described, further comprise step:

Demodulation is from the 3rd signal of landline cable modem; And

Modulate described signal once more and be used for satellite link.

71. a satellite return link of using multi-frequency time division multiple access (MF-TDMA), described satellite return link comprises:

The first back subchannel of first frequency wirelessly is coupled to a plurality of satellite modems;

The second back subchannel of second frequency wirelessly is coupled to described a plurality of satellite modem;

The 3rd back subchannel of the 3rd frequency wirelessly is coupled to described a plurality of satellite modem, wherein:

The described first back subchannel was operated with non-contention mode in the very first time,

The described first back subchannel was operated with contention mode in second time different with the very first time.

72., wherein after definite bandwidth is lower than predetermined threshold, carry out switching from non-contention to contention according to the satellite return link of the described use of claim 71 MF-TDMA.

73., wherein after definite time-delay is higher than predetermined threshold, carry out switching from non-contention to contention according to the satellite return link of the described use of claim 71 MF-TDMA.

74., wherein indicate the first back subchannel of subclass use under the contention mode of second time of described a plurality of satellite modems according to the satellite return link of the described use of claim 71 MF-TDMA.

75. the satellite return link according to the described use of claim 71 MF-TDMA further comprises Multiuser Detection (MUD) algorithm, wherein:

The subclass of described a plurality of satellite modems is instructed to use the first back subchannel under the contention mode of second time; And

The MUD algorithm is influenced by described subclass.

76. the method for the Multiuser Detection of a satellite return link that is used for using multi-frequency time division multiple access (MF-TDMA), described method comprises step:

The first back subchannel of first frequency wirelessly is coupled to a plurality of satellite modems;

The second back subchannel of second frequency wirelessly is coupled to described a plurality of satellite modem;

The 3rd back subchannel of the 3rd frequency wirelessly is coupled to described a plurality of satellite modem;

Operate the described first back subchannel in the very first time with non-contention mode; And

Operate the described first back subchannel in second time different with contention mode with the very first time.

77. the method according to the Multiuser Detection of the described satellite return link that is used for using MF-TDMA of claim 76 further comprises step:

Determine whether bandwidth is lower than predetermined threshold; And

If described determining step determines that bandwidth is lower than predetermined threshold, switch to contention from non-contention.

78. the method according to the Multiuser Detection of the described satellite return link that is used for using MF-TDMA of claim 76 further comprises step:

Whether definite time-delay is higher than predetermined threshold; And

If described determining step is determined time-delay and is higher than predetermined threshold, switches to contention from non-contention.

79. the method according to the Multiuser Detection of the described satellite return link that is used for using MF-TDMA of claim 76 further comprises step:

Indicate the first back subchannel of subclass use under the contention mode of second time of described a plurality of satellite modems.

80. the method according to the Multiuser Detection of the described satellite return link that is used for using MF-TDMA of claim 76 further comprises step:

Indicate the first back subchannel of subclass use under the contention mode of second time of described a plurality of satellite modems, Multiuser Detection (MUD) algorithm in the wherein said satellite return link is influenced by described subclass.

81. a satellite system that is used for carrying out with a plurality of remote locations broadband connections, described satellite system comprises:

Satellite;

A plurality of service points wave beam from described satellite;

A plurality of forward channels, each in wherein said a plurality of forward channels are all transported on carrier wave in one of described a plurality of service points wave beam;

A plurality of forward subchannel are transmitted on one of described a plurality of forward channels, and the size of wherein said forward subchannel changes in time.

82. the 1 described satellite system that is used for carrying out with a plurality of remote locations broadband connections according to Claim 8, wherein adjacent forward subchannel varies in size.

83. the 1 described satellite system that is used for carrying out broadband connections according to Claim 8 with a plurality of remote locations, wherein:

Described a plurality of forward subchannel be organized as a plurality of superframes and

The size of forward subchannel is different between superframe.

84. the 1 described satellite system that is used for carrying out with a plurality of remote locations broadband connections according to Claim 8, wherein said forward subchannel is assigned to a plurality of satellite modems.

85. one kind is used to provide the method for carrying out broadband connections with a plurality of remote locations, described method comprises step:

Receive a plurality of service points wave beam from satellite, wherein:

In a plurality of forward channels each all transported on carrier wave in one of described a plurality of service points wave beam; And

On one of described a plurality of forward channels, transmit a plurality of forward subchannel, wherein:

The size of described forward subchannel change in time and

Described a plurality of forward subchannel is organized as a plurality of superframes.

86. 5 describedly are used to provide the method for carrying out broadband connections with a plurality of remote locations according to Claim 8, wherein adjacent forward subchannel varies in size.

87. 5 describedly are used to provide the method for carrying out broadband connections with a plurality of remote locations according to Claim 8, the size of wherein said forward subchannel is different between superframe.

88. 5 describedly are used to provide the method for carrying out broadband connections with a plurality of remote locations, the wherein coding of adjacent forward subchannel and/or data transfer rate difference according to Claim 8.

89. 5 describedly are used to provide the method for carrying out broadband connections with a plurality of remote locations according to Claim 8, wherein the coding of forward subchannel and/or data transfer rate are different between superframe.

90. one kind is used for the satellite system of carrying out broadband connections with a plurality of geographic remote locations, described satellite system comprises:

Satellite;

A plurality of service points wave beam from described satellite distributes geographically with fixed form;

From a plurality of back spot beams of described satellite, distribute geographically, wherein:

In the wave beam of described a plurality of service points each all pass through single carrier wave modulated and

Described a plurality of service points wave beam and described a plurality of back spot beam use overlapping frequency.

91. according to the described satellite system of carrying out broadband connections with a plurality of geographic remote locations of being used for of claim 90, the purpose of wherein said a plurality of service points wave beam and described a plurality of back spot beams is to avoid overlapping.

92. according to the described satellite system of carrying out broadband connections with a plurality of geographic remote locations of being used for of claim 90, wherein said a plurality of service points wave beam does not deliberately cover geographic about 10%.

93. according to the described satellite system of carrying out broadband connections with a plurality of geographic remote locations of being used for of claim 90, wherein said a plurality of service points wave beam does not deliberately cover geographic about 50%.

94. according to the described satellite system of carrying out broadband connections with a plurality of geographic remote locations of being used for of claim 90, wherein said geography is ConUS.

95. one kind is used to the method for carrying out broadband connections with a plurality of geographic remote locations is provided, described method comprises step:

Reception is from a plurality of service points wave beam of satellite;

With fixed form described a plurality of service points wave beam that distributes geographically;

Reception is from a plurality of back spot beams of described satellite;

The described a plurality of back spot beam that distributes geographically, wherein:

In the wave beam of described a plurality of service points each all pass through single carrier wave modulated and

Described a plurality of service points wave beam and described a plurality of back spot beam use overlapping frequency.

96. be used to provide the method for carrying out broadband connections with a plurality of geographic remote locations according to claim 95 is described, the purpose of wherein said a plurality of service points wave beam and described a plurality of back spot beams is to avoid overlapping.

97. be used to provide the method for carrying out broadband connections with a plurality of geographic remote locations according to claim 95 is described, wherein said a plurality of service points wave beam does not deliberately cover geographic about 10%.

98. be used to provide the method for carrying out broadband connections with a plurality of geographic remote locations according to claim 95 is described, wherein said a plurality of service points wave beam does not deliberately cover geographic about 50%.

99. provide the method for carrying out broadband connections with a plurality of geographic remote locations according to claim 95 described being used to, wherein said geography is ConUS.

100. be used to provide the method for carrying out broadband connections with a plurality of geographic remote locations according to claim 95 is described, wherein said a plurality of service points are not moved continually or are not mobile.

101. be used to provide the method for carrying out broadband connections with a plurality of geographic remote locations according to claim 95 is described, wherein said geography is one group of country.

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