Patent ID: 6745006
Filing Date: 2004-06-01
Classification: H04B

Abstract:
A communication system utilizing a constellation of satellites to transmit messages between a source ground station configured to transmit an uplink signal containing source payload data and a plurality of destination ground stations configured to receive a multiplicity of downlink signals, said communication system comprising:a primary satellite comprising an uplink receiver and a downlink transmitter, wherein the primary satellite is configured to receive said source payload via said uplink signal at said unlink receiver, and to transmit one of said multiplicity of downlink signals to one of said plurality of destination ground said downlink transmitter and a secondary satellite comprising: a demodulator configured to demodulate a source intermediate-frequency signal containing said source payload data into said source baseband signal containing said source payload data: a processor configured to process said source baseband signal to produce a destination baseband signal containing destination payload data in response to said source payload data; a modulator configured to modulate said destination baseband signal into a destination intermediate-frequency signal containing said destination payload data; and an intersatellite transmitter configured to provide the destination intermediate-frequency signal to said primary satellite.