Patent ID: 6317583
Filing Date: 2001-11-13
Classification: H04B

Abstract:
A telecommunications satellite channelizer for mapping RF signals between feeder links and mobile link beams based on predefined frequency plans, the mobile link beams defining a coverage area of a satellite, each feeder link and mobile link beam comprising a plurality of feeder frequency subbands and mobile frequency subbands, respectively, carrying RF signals between ground stations and the satellite and between the satellite and mobile terminals, respectively, wherein mobile frequency subbands are grouped to form mobile link channels and wherein feeder frequency subbands are grouped to form feeder link channels, said channelizer comprising:at least one feeder lead, each feeder lead carrying a feeder link signal associated with a ground station, said feeder link signal having a frequency spectrum divided into a plurality of said feeder link channels;a feeder link distribution network connected to said at least one feeder lead mapping RF signals separately between each feeder link signal and a corresponding plurality of processing channel leads;at least one channel multiplexer mapping a mobile link channel and a feeder link channel onto one another based on one of a predefined set of frequency plans, said multiplexer mapping at least first and second feeder link channels from first and second feed links, onto separate corresponding first and second mobile link channels, respectively, in a single mobile link beam, wherein said first and second feeder link channels include separate, non-overlapping feeder frequency subbands, and wherein said first and second mobile link channels include separate, non-overlapping mobile frequency subbands, said channel multiplexer including a set of band pass filters connected to a processing channel lead, each filter passing RF signals for a subset of subbands associated with a single feeder link channel, said multiplexer mapping mobile and feeder link channels on to one another based on predefined frequency plans that enable ground stations to perform mobile link beam handovers without a need for at least one of switching, retuning and resynchronizing the telecommunications satellite; andconverters translating RF signals between frequency spectrums of subbands of feeder link channels and mobile link channels.