Patent ID: 6185408
Filing Date: 2001-02-06
Classification: H04B

Abstract:
A method of dynamically reducing the effects of distortion in a communications channel between a satellite in low-Earth orbit and and a ground station wherein the satellite is moving rapidly with respect to the ground station resulting in rapid changes in said communications channel, said method comprising the steps of:transmitting from the satellite a data signal having a first linear polarization;transmitting from said the satellite a pilot signal having a second linear polarization orthogonal to the first polarization, said pilot signal signal having a same frequency as said data signal;receiving at said ground station said pilot signal and said data signal through said communications channel, the pilot signal and data signal received by the ground station having channel distortion;extracting channel distortion information from said pilot signal by comparing the received pilot signal with pilot signal information stored in the ground station; andmitigating channel effects on said data signal using said channel distortion information.