Patent · US Expired

Multiple spot-beam systems for satellite communications

US4931802A · kind A · utility

147Cited by
6References
40Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateMar 11, 1988
Grant dateJun 5, 1990
Priority date
Expiry dateMar 11, 2008

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH04Q2213/13396
  • WIPO fieldTelecommunications
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

On-board satellite switching is performed in three stages, an outer stage of switching on the up-link side for routing the received signals to either demodulators or frequency translators, a first inner stage of switching, preferably a baseband switch and processor, for routing and processing the outputs of the demodulators, a second inner stage of switching, e.g., a microwave switch matrix, for routing the outputs of the frequency translators, and an outer stage on the down-link side for assembling and routing the down-link spot beams. For a multiple hopping-beam system, the outer stages are microwave switch matrices, and for a hybrid scanning-hopping system the outer stages are beam forming matrices. A general purpose modified rearrangeable switch matrix is also disclosed.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.