High speed, high terrestrial density global packet data mobile satellite system architectures
A satellite communications system comprises multiple satellites (e.g., a combination of LEO/MEO/GEO satellites). Multiple satellite gateways communicate over channels of the satellites with remote mobile user terminals. The mobile user terminals communicate with the satellite gateways via associated satellite terminals that interface with the satellites, or directly with the satellites. Each mobile user terminal of a first group communicates with a satellite gateway, over satellite channels, via an associated satellite terminal. Each mobile user terminal of a second group (e.g., in a remote rural area) communicates with a satellite gateway directly over satellite channels. The mobile user terminals of the first communicate with the satellite terminals locally via S-band. The mobile user terminals of the second group communicate directly over the satellite channels via Ku band or Ka Band. Each of the satellite gateways communicates over satellite channels via Ka band, Ku band, V-band or L-band.
1. A satellite communications system comprising:
a plurality of one or more of low earth orbit (LEO) satellites, medium earth orbit (MEO) satellites and geosynchronous earth orbit (GEO) satellites;
a gateway node comprising one or more satellite gateways each configured to communicate over respective channels of each of the plurality of satellites via at least one respective gateway antenna, an IP core network, and a border gateway configured to communicate with one or more external IP networks;
one or more satellite terminals; and
a plurality of mobile user terminals, wherein the mobile user terminals, of a first subset of the plurality of mobile user terminals, each is configured to communicate with a respective one of the satellite gateways, over one or more channels of the plurality of satellites, via an associated one of the satellite terminals, and wherein the mobile user terminals, of a second subset of the plurality of mobile user terminals, each is configured to communicate with a respective one of the satellite gateways directly over one or more channels of the plurality of satellites; and
wherein the mobile user terminals, of the first subset of the plurality of mobile user terminals, each is configured to communicate with the associated one of the satellite terminals locally via an S-band channel; and
wherein the mobile user terminals, of the second subset of the plurality of mobile user terminals, each is configured to communicate directly over the one or more channels of the plurality of satellites, via one or more of Ku band and Ka Band;
wherein each of the one or more satellite gateways is configured to communicate over the respective channels of each of the plurality of satellites via one or more of Ka band, Ku band, V-band and L-band; and
wherein, for purposes synchronization and to ensure that uplink transmissions of different mobile user terminals do not overlap or collide at a respective one of the LEO, MEO or GEO satellites, the mobile user terminals are configured to continually adjust a transmit receive offset (TRO) of the terminal to make it equal to a negative of its return trip time (RTT) latency plus a system constant.