Flexible forward and return capacity allocation in a hub-spoke satellite communication system

1. A method for conducting communications via a satellite comprising:

providing a hub-spoke spot beam group using at least one directional antenna on the satellite, the hub-spoke spot beam group comprising at least one fixed location spot beam illuminating a location containing a gateway terminal and at least one other fixed location spot beam illuminating a location containing at least one user terminal;

wherein the satellite comprises a pathway associated with the hub-spoke spot beam group;

sequentially switching at least one receive-side switch to connect an input of the pathway with different spot beams within the hub-spoke spot beam group, according to a receive beam switching pattern;

sequentially switching at least one transmit-side switch to connect an output of the pathway with different spot beams within the hub-spoke spot beam group, according to a transmit beam switching pattern;

wherein the receive beam switching pattern and the transmit beam switching pattern are synchronized over a frame to establish both forward traffic and return traffic over the pathway during the frame, the forward traffic being sent from the gateway to the at least one user terminal, the return traffic being sent from the at least one user terminal to the gateway; and

wherein a first fraction of time in the frame is used to support forward traffic and a second fraction of time in the frame is used to support return traffic, wherein the first and second fractions are selected based on a desired ratio between forward and return capacity.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the receive beam switching pattern and transmit beam switching pattern are repeated in each of a plurality of consecutive frames.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the location illuminated by the at least one fixed location spot beam and containing the gateway terminal also contains at least one user terminal.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the satellite comprises a plurality of pathways, each associated with a corresponding hub-spoke spot beam group, wherein for each pathway and corresponding hub-spoke spot beam group:

at least one receive-side switch is sequentially switched according to a receive beam switching pattern, and at least one transmit-side switch is sequentially switched according to a transmit beam switching pattern, to establish both forward traffic and return traffic over the pathway during the frame, and

a first fraction of time in the frame is used to support forward traffic and a second fraction of time in the frame is used to support return traffic, wherein the first and second fractions are selected based on a desired ratio between forward and return capacity.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the pathway associated with the hub-spoke spot beam group comprises a receiver and a transmitter.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the receiver comprises a low noise amplifier (LNA).

7. The method of claim 5 wherein the transmitter comprises a high power amplifier (HPA).

8. A satellite communication system comprising:

a gateway;

at least one user terminal;

a satellite coupled to the gateway and the at least one user terminal;

wherein the satellite comprises:

at least one directional antenna and a pathway coupled to the at least one directional antenna, the pathway associated with a hub-spoke spot beam group comprising at least one fixed location spot beam illuminating a location containing the gateway terminal and at least one other fixed location spot beam illuminating a location containing the at least one user terminal;

at least one receive-side switch coupled to an input of the pathway, the at least one receive-side switch configured to perform sequential switching to connect the input of the pathway with different spot beams within the hub-spoke spot beam group, according to a receive beam switching pattern;

at least one transmit-side switch coupled to an output of the pathway, the at least one transmit-side switch configured to perform sequential switching to connect the output of the pathway with different spot beams within the hub-spoke spot beam group, according to a transmit beam switching pattern;

wherein the receive beam switching pattern and transmit beam switching pattern are synchronized over a frame to establish both forward traffic and return traffic over the pathway during the frame, the forward traffic being sent from the gateway to the at least one user terminal, the return traffic being sent from the at least one user terminal to the gateway; and

wherein a first fraction of time in the frame is used to support forward traffic and a second fraction of time in the frame is used to support return traffic, wherein the first and second fractions are selected based on a desired ratio between forward and return capacity.

9. The satellite communication system of claim 8 wherein the receive beam switching pattern and transmit beam switching pattern are repeated in each of a plurality of consecutive frames.

10. The satellite communication system of claim 8 wherein the location illuminated by the at least one fixed location spot beam and containing the gateway terminal also contains at least one user terminal.

11. The satellite communication system of claim 8 wherein the satellite comprises a plurality of pathways, each associated with a corresponding hub-spoke spot beam group, wherein for each pathway and corresponding hub-spoke spot beam group:

at least one receive-side switch is sequentially switched according to a receive beam switching pattern, and at least one transmit-side switch is sequentially according to a transmit beam switching pattern, to establish both forward traffic and return traffic over the pathway during the frame, and

a first fraction of time in the frame is used to support forward traffic and a second fraction of time in the frame is used to support return traffic, wherein the first and second fractions are selected based on a desired ratio between forward and return capacity.

12. The satellite communication system of claim 8 wherein the satellite further comprises one or more low noise amplifiers (LNAs) each connecting an input of the at least one receive-side switch with a different spot beam within the hub-spoke spot beam group.

13. The satellite communication system of claim 8 wherein the at least one receive-side switch is implemented as a plurality of on-off controllable low noise amplifiers (LNAs), the on-off controllable LNAs having inputs connecting with different spot beams within the hub-spoke spot beam group and outputs combined with at least one combiner, the at least one combiner having an output connecting with the input of the pathway.

14. The satellite communication system of claim 8 wherein the pathway associated with the hub-spoke spot beam group comprises a receiver and a transmitter.

15. The satellite communication system of claim 14 wherein the receiver comprises a low noise amplifier (LNA).

16. The satellite communication system of claim 14 wherein the transmitter comprises a high power amplifier (HPA).

17. A communications satellite comprising:

at least one directional antenna;

a pathway coupled to the at least one directional antenna, the pathway associated with a hub-spoke spot beam group comprising at least one fixed location spot beam illuminating a location containing a gateway terminal and at least one other fixed location spot beam illuminating a location containing at least one user terminal;

at least one receive-side switch coupled to an input of the pathway, the at least one receive-side switch configured to perform sequential switching to connect the input of the pathway with different spot beams within the hub-spoke spot beam group, according to a receive beam switching pattern;

at least one transmit-side switch coupled to an output of the pathway, the at least one transmit-side switch configured to perform sequential switching to connect the output of the pathway with different spot beams within the hub-spoke spot beam group, according to a transmit beam switching pattern;

wherein the receive beam switching pattern and transmit beam switching pattern are synchronized over a frame to establish both forward traffic and return traffic over the pathway during the frame, the forward traffic being sent from the gateway to the at least one user terminal, the return traffic being sent from the at least one user terminal to the gateway; and

wherein a first fraction of time in the frame is used to support forward traffic and a second fraction of time in the frame is used to support return traffic, wherein the first and second fractions are selected based on a desired ratio between forward and return capacity.

18. The communications satellite of claim 17 wherein the receive beam switching pattern and transmit beam switching pattern are repeated in each of a plurality of consecutive frames.

19. The communications satellite of claim 17 wherein the satellite comprises a plurality of pathways, each associated with a corresponding hub-spoke spot beam group, wherein for each pathway and corresponding hub-spoke spot beam group:

at least one receive-side switch is sequentially switched according to a receive beam switching pattern, and at least one transmit-side switch is sequentially according to a transmit beam switching pattern, to establish both forward traffic and return traffic over the pathway during the frame, and

a first fraction of time in the frame is used to support forward traffic and a second fraction of time in the frame is used to support return traffic, wherein the first and second fractions are selected based on a desired ratio between forward and return capacity.

20. The communications satellite of claim 17 further comprising one or more low noise amplifiers (LNAs) each connecting an input of the at least one receive-side switch with a different spot beam within the hub-spoke spot beam group.

21. The communications satellite of claim 17 wherein the at least one receive-side switch is implemented as a plurality of on-off controllable low noise amplifiers (LNAs), the on-off controllable LNAs having inputs connecting with different spot beams within the hub-spoke spot beam group and outputs combined with at least one combiner, the at least one combiner having an output connecting with the input of the pathway.

22. The communications satellite of claim 17 wherein the pathway associated with the hub-spoke spot beam group comprises a receiver and a transmitter.

23. The communications satellite of claim 22 wherein the receiver comprises a low noise amplifier (LNA).

24. The communications satellite of claim 22 wherein the transmitter comprises a high power amplifier (HPA).

25. A communications satellite comprising:

a hub-spoke spot beam group using at least one directional antenna on the satellite, the hub-spoke spot beam group comprising at least one fixed location spot beam illuminating a location containing a gateway terminal and at least one other fixed location spot beam illuminating a location containing at least one user terminal;

wherein the satellite comprises a pathway associated with the hub-spoke spot beam group;

means for connecting an input of the pathway with different spot beams within the hub-spoke spot beam group, according to a receive beam switching pattern;

means for connecting an output of the pathway with different spot beams within the hub-spoke spot beam group, according to a transmit beam switching pattern;

wherein the receive beam switching pattern and transmit beam switching pattern are synchronized over a frame to establish both forward traffic and return traffic over the pathway during the frame, the forward traffic being sent from the gateway to the at least one user terminal, the return traffic being sent from the at least one user terminal to the gateway; and

wherein a first fraction of time in the frame is used to support forward traffic and a second fraction of time in the frame is used to support return traffic, wherein the first and second fractions are selected based on a desired ratio between forward and return capacity.

26. The communications satellite of claim 25 wherein the receive beam switching pattern and transmit beam switching pattern are repeated in each of a plurality of consecutive frames.

27. The communications satellite of claim 25 wherein the satellite comprises a plurality of pathways, each associated with a corresponding hub-spoke spot beam group, wherein for each pathway and corresponding hub-spoke spot beam group:

at least one receive-side switch is sequentially switched according to a receive beam switching pattern, and at least one transmit-side switch is sequentially according to a transmit beam switching pattern, to establish both forward traffic and return traffic over the pathway during the frame, and

a first fraction of time in the frame is used to support forward traffic and a second fraction of time in the frame is used to support return traffic, wherein the first and second fractions are selected based on a desired ratio between forward and return capacity.

28. The communications satellite of claim 25 wherein the pathway associated with the hub-spoke spot beam group comprises a receiver and a transmitter.

29. The communications satellite of claim 28 wherein the receiver comprises a low noise amplifier (LNA).

30. The communications satellite of claim 28 wherein the transmitter comprises a high power amplifier (HPA).