Patent ID: 6430393
Filing Date: 2002-08-06
Classification: H04B

Abstract:
A satellite communication device for use in conjunction with a plurality of satellite communication devices in a non-geostationary satellite communications network, comprising:a first active beam forming uplink antenna employing one-dimensional linear ratcheting to maintain resource allocation of uplink cells along antenna columns for capturing a first uplink signal, the signal comprising data packets; a first downlink antenna capable of generating a first independently steerable downlink beam of data packets; an intersatellite link receiver for receiving first intersatellite data packets from a satellite in the plurality of satellite communication devices; an intersatellite link transmitter for transmitting second intersatellite data packets to a satellite in the plurality of satellite communication devices; and, a routing switch for routing data packets from the first uplink antenna to the first downlink antenna, from the first uplink antenna to the intersatellite link transmitter, from the intersatellite link receiver to the first downlink antenna, and from the intersatellite link receiver to the intersatellite link transmitter.