Reconfigurable notched spectrum for wireless data transmission

1. An Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing communications system, comprising:

at least one transmitter, configured to transmit Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) signals only in a notched frequency band arrangement within a continuous frequency spectrum wherein a predetermined notch of the notched frequency band arrangement is allocated for use by a separate communications system other than the OFDM communications system, and each unnotched portion of the notched frequency band arrangement comprises at least one subcarrier of the OFDM signals.

2. The OFDM communications system of claim 1 , wherein the predetermined notch of the notched frequency band arrangement is repositioned within the notched frequency band arrangement in response to a repositioning of the predetermined notch of the frequency spectrum allocated for use by a separate communications system other than the OFDM communications system.

3. The OFDM communications system of claim 1 , wherein the notched frequency band arrangement is reconfigured according to geographic area.

4. The OFDM communications system of claim 1 , wherein the notched frequency band arrangement comprises Mobile Satellite Service (MSS) frequency bands.

5. The OFDM communications system of claim 4 , wherein the notch of the notched frequency band arrangement is used in a MSS system.

6. The OFDM communications system of claim 1 , wherein the OFDM communications system transmits broadband internet data via the OFDM signals.

7. A communications method for use with an Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexed (OFDM) communications system, comprising:

preparing OFDM signals in a continuous frequency band of interest;

notching the continuous frequency band of interest such that transmissions are blocked within at least one predetermined notch of the continuous frequency band of interest, wherein the predetermined notch of the notched frequency spectrum is allocated for use by a communications system other than the OFDM communication system; and

transmitting the OFDM signals from a transmitter through the notched frequency band of interest, wherein the OFDM signals are transmitted in the continuous frequency band of interest and outside the at least one predetermined notch and each portion of the notched continuous frequency band of interest comprises at least one sub-carrier of the OFDM signals.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the continuous frequency band of interest is a Mobile Satellite Spectrum (MSS) band.

9. The method of claim 7 , further comprising reconfiguring the notches of the notched frequency band of interest in response to a repositioning of the predetermined notch of the frequency spectrum.

10. An apparatus for receiving Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexed (OFDM) signals transmitted by a OFDM communications system, comprising:

a receiver, configured to receive the OFDM signals transmitted by the OFDM communications system in a notched frequency band arrangement within a continuous frequency spectrum wherein at least one predetermined notch of the notched frequency band arrangement is allocated for use by a separate communications system other than the OFDM communications system, and each unnotched portion of the notched frequency band arrangement is used by the OFDM schema to transmit at least one subcarrier of the OFDM schema.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the predetermined notch corresponds to a transmission within a Mobile Satellite System (MSS) band.

12. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the OFDM communications system is reconfigurable by reconfiguring the notches of the notched frequency band arrangement.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the OFDM communications system is reconfigured by geographic area.

14. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the receiver is authorized to transmit a receiver signal within the OFDM communications system after registration within the OFDM communications system.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the receiver is configured to transmit the receiver signal on a transmit frequency assigned by the OFDM communications system after the registration.

16. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the receiver is configured to transmit a receiver signal within the at least one of the unnotched portions of the continuous frequency spectrum in which receiver received at least one of the OFDM multiplexed signals.

17. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the receiver is configured to transmit a receiver signal according to a tone/timing map received from the OFDM communications system.

18. In a notched frequency spectrum comprising notched portions and unnotched portions therebetween, each notched portion having one of a plurality of first frequency bands and a first communication system transmitting a first signal in one or more of the first frequency bands and not on the unnotched portions, an Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexed (OFDM) communications system, comprising:

a transmitter, configured to transmit a second signal on a plurality of subcarriers, at least one of the plurality of subcarriers transmitted in at least one of the plurality of unnotched portions, and none of the plurality of subcarriers transmitted in the plurality of first frequency bands, wherein the second signal is OFDM.

19. The OFDM communications system of claim 18 , wherein the notched portions of the notched frequency band are predetermined.

20. The OFDM communications system of claim 18 , wherein at least one of the plurality of first frequency bands comprises a Mobile Satellite Service (MSS) frequency band.

21. The OFDM communications system of claim 18 , wherein the transmitter is reconfigurable by repositioning the notched portions.

22. The OFDM communications system of claim 21 , wherein the transmitter is reconfigured according to geographic area.