Patent ID: 6317420
Filing Date: 2001-11-13
Classification: H04B

Abstract:
An apparatus for use in a satellite communication system including a plurality of gateways, a satellite, and a plurality of user terminals, comprising:a beamforming feeder link antenna that forms a plurality of feeder beams from signals received from the gateways, each feeder beam illuminating one of the gateways and including a plurality of frequency division multiple access (FDMA) channels;a plurality of demultiplexers that separate each of said feeder beams into said FDMA channels;means, including first and second frequency converters to frequency-convert corresponding first and second ones of said plurality of demultiplexed FDMA channels to corresponding first and second frequency-converted FDMA channels, for combining said first frequency-c converted FDMA channel with said second frequency-converted FDMA channel, said first and second frequency-converted FDMA channels comprising signals corresponding to user terminals illuminated by a specific user beam, to produce a user beam signal; anda beamforming user link antenna that forms said specific user beam using said user beam signal.