WO1999030431A1

WO1999030431A1 - Multiband modem for use in operating a multiband two way communications system

Info

Publication number: WO1999030431A1
Application number: PCT/US1998/026456
Authority: WO
Inventors: Bruce E. Powers; Frank P. Nibley
Original assignee: Nunet Technologies, Inc.
Priority date: 1997-12-12
Filing date: 1998-12-11
Publication date: 1999-06-17
Also published as: AU1821299A

Abstract

A system and method for communicating between an individual subscriber and a rf repeater in an interactive two way communication network. In one embodiment, a modem is used to enable transmit and receive communications between an individual subscriber unit and a rf repeater. The subscriber unit (10) is connected via a modem (26) and rf transmissions from satellites to a rf repeater station (52). Communications are sent from the subscriber unit (10) with connected modem (26) to the rf repeater station (52) via satellite rf transmission (40). The rf repeater station (52, 28) processes the communication to and responses from a variety of data base services (16). The rf repeater station (28) transmits the responses to the modem (26) via a rf transmission (44) from a satellite. The modem (26) then transmits the communication to the connected subscriber unit (10).

Description

MULTIBAND MODEM FOR USE IN OPERATING A MULTIBAND TWO WAY COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEM

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Serial No. 60/069,680, filed December 12, 1997.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to an interactive two-way network, and more particularly, to communication within an interactive two-way multi-band satellite broadcast data service network.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Communication within an interactive satellite broadcast data network is a system in which individual subscriber units receive communication from a central rf repeater station via an rf transmission from an individual satellite. The rf repeater station processes and relays data received from a variety of data base services, such as, but not limited to, Internet, Extranet, and Intranet service providers, that has been transmitted through at telephone line. Thus the rf repeater station transmits data through a satellite rf transmission directly to the individual subscriber units. The subscriber units request communication to the rf repeater station via a telephone line connected to a local point of presence and a variety of data base service providers.

Unfortunately under certain conditions, individual subscriber units are unable to receive transmissions from a satellite. For example, a user may purchase a subscriber unit and position it in the basement or other physical location which prevents the subscriber unit from receiving rf transmissions from a satellite.

In an attempt to alleviate transmission problems, the subscriber units must be positioned in a southern direction with a clear sight line to a satellite. In order to further limit ineffective communication the subscriber unit transmits to the data base service provider through a telephone line and local point of presence. However even if the user has placed the subscriber unit in the proper transmit physical location the subscriber unit still may be prevented from receiving signals from a satellite due to the lack of local point of presence stations in the vicinity. Thus the need has arisen for a system to enable communication between a subscriber unit and a variety of data base services, such as, but not limited to, Internet, Intranet, and Extranet service providers, in areas where such communication has previously been impaired, which does not require the addition of numerous local point of presence stations, which is not dependent on the connection of a telephone line, and which does not significantly increase the cost of communication to the data base service providers.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a system to enable communication between a subscriber unit and a data base service provider in areas where such communication has previously been impaired, which does not require the addition of numerous local point of presence stations, which is not dependent on the connection of a telephone line, and which does not significantly increase the cost of communication to the individual subscriber. The above object has been achieved using a modem which is used to enable communication between a subscriber unit and a rf repeater station. The subscriber unit is connected via a modem and rf transmissions from satellites to a rf repeater station. Communications are sent from the subscriber unit with connected modem to the rf repeater station via a satellite rf transmission. The rf repeater station processes the communication to and responses from a variety of data base services. The rf repeater station transmits the responses to the modem via a rf transmission from a satellite. The modem then transmits the communication to the connected subscriber unit. In so doing, two-way multi-band communication in an interactive broadcast network are achieved.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and form a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention.

FIG. 1 shows a Prior Art interactive broadcast system wherein a rf repeater station employs a transmit only approach to a subscriber unit. FIG. 2 shows a Prior Art interactive broadcast system wherein a rf repeater station can receive and transmit only within the same frequency band to a VSAT terminal. FIG. 3 shows a communication system in an multi-band interactive broadcast network wherein a modem can receive and transmit communication between an rf repeater and a subscriber unit using one or more frequency band.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Reference will now be made in detail to the preferred embodiments of the invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. While the invention will be described in conjunction with the preferred embodiments, it will be understood that they are not intended to limit the invention to these embodiments. On the contrary, the invention is intended to cover alternatives, modifications, and equivalents, which may be included within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the claims.

With reference now to Prior Art, FIG. 1, an interactive broadcast network, a subscriber unit 10 communicates to a local point of presence 12 over a telephone line 14 of, for example twisted pair wire. The local point of presence 12 then communicates to a variety of data base services 16 over a telephone line 18 of, for example fiberoptic wire, through a public switched network 24. The data base service 16 transmits the data requested by the subscriber unit 10 to a rf repeater station 20. Rf repeater station 20 transmits the response to the subscriber unit 10 via a rf transmission 32 from an individual satellite 22 of, for example 11.500 - 14.500 GHz. With reference still to Prior Art FIG. 1, under certain conditions, subscriber unit 10 is unable to receive transmissions via a satellite 22 from the variety of data base services 16. For example, subscriber unit 10 may be placed in an area which is not equipped with or is not covered by a local point of presence 12.

With reference to Prior Art, FIG. 2, a communications system including a VSAT terminal, the VSAT terminal 34 communicates to a rf repeater station 50 via a rf transmission 32 from an individual satellite 22 of, for example 11.500 - 14.500 GHz. The rf repeater station 20 process the communication to and responses from a variety of data base services through a publicly switched network 24. The rf repeater station 50 transmits the responses to the VSAT terminal 34 via a rf transmission 32 from an individual satellite 22 of, for example 11.500 - 14.500 GHz.

With reference next to FIG. 3, a communication system including a modem 26 for enabling communication between one or more satellites 22 and a subscriber unit 10 is shown. As shown on FIG. 3, the subscriber unit 10 configured with the modem 26 sends a communication to a rf repeater receive station 52 via a rf transmission 42 to a satellite 36 of, for example 880 -886 MHz. The satellite 36 relays the communication to the rf repeater receive station 52 with a rf transmission 40 of, for example 11.500 - 12.500 GHz. The rf repeater receive station 52 communicates to a variety of data base service 16 over a hardwire telecommunications cable 38 of, for example fiberoptic cable. The data base service 16 transmits the data requested by the Subscriber unit 10 through a rf repeater transmit station 28 to the Subscriber unit 10 via a satellite 30 rf transmission 44 of, for example 11.500 - 14.500 GHz. With reference again to FIG. 3, when the subscriber unit 10 configured with the modem 26 that can be switched to communicate via a rf transmission 42 to a satellite 36 of, for example 14.100 - 14.600 GHz. Although a frequency of 14.100-14.600 GHz is used in the embodiments, the invention is also suited to the use of other frequencies such as, for example 5.6 GHz or 22 GHz. The satellite 36 relays the communication to the rf repeater receive station 52 with a rf transmission 40 of, for example 11.500 - 12.500 GHz.

The rf repeater receive station 34 communicates to a variety data base services 16 over a hardwire telecommunications cable 38 of, for example fiberoptic cable. The data base service 16 transmits the data requested by the Subscriber unit 10 through an rf repeater transmit station 28 to the Subscriber unit 10 via a satellite rf transmission 44 of, for example 22.00 - 23.00 GHz. Thus two-way multi-band communication between subscriber units and rf repeater stations is achieved.

With reference still to FIG. 3, in the present embodiment, modem 26 is connected to the satellite 36 for the length of each rf transmission to the rf repeater receive station 52 from the subscriber unit 10. Initiation of auto dial-up by the subscriber unit 10 includes a serial number handshake that is transmitted to the rf repeater receive station 52 and forwarded to the rf repeater station 28. The rf repeater transmit stations's 28 transmission back the subscriber unit's 10 modem 26 via satellite 30 includes the serial number, the serial number is compared to the serial number originally sent by subscriber unit 10 to protect the integrity of the communication and completing the handshake. The invention provides several substantial benefits over the standard two-way interactive data broadcast network. Example uses of this invention are providing individual home subscribers the benefits of remote or rural doctors offices with video-conferencing, image and real time diagnosis consultation, pay-per view movie downloading, removal of local point of presence requirement in each metropolitan or rural region, and telephony for remote or emerging economies that do not have telephony infrastructure. In so doing, the multi-band two-way communication system is achieved. The foregoing descriptions of specific embodiments of the invention have been generated for purposes of illustration and description. They are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed, and obviously many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teaching. The embodiments were chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and its practical application, to thereby enable others skilled in the art to best utilize the invention and various embodiments with various modifications as are suited to the particular as contemplated.

Claims

CLAIMSWhat is claimed is:

1. A satellite communication system including a subscriber unit having a modem wherein the modem comprises: a. a transmitter configured for transmitting a first communication to a first satellite; and b. a receiver coupled to the transmitter wherein the receiver is configured for receiving a second communication from a second satellite wherein the second communication is in response to the first communication.

2. The satellite communication system according to claim 1 wherein the first communication has a first carrier frequency and the second transmission has a second carrier frequency wherein the first carrier frequency is not equal to the second carrier frequency.

3. The satellite communication system according to claim 2 wherein the first carrier frequency is in a first band of frequencies and the second transmission is within a second band of frequencies wherein the first band does not overlap the second band.

4. The satellite communication system according to claim 3 wherein the first carrier frequency and the second carrier frequency are both within a radio frequency range.

5. The satellite communication system according to claim 4 wherein the first carrier frequency is in the range of 880 to 886 MHz.

6. The satellite communication system according to claim 4 wherein the second carrier frequency is in the range of 22.0 to 23.0 GHz.

7. The satellite communication system according to claim 1 wherein the first communication includes a first identification and the second communication includes a second identification and wherein the first identification is compared to the second identification for confirming integrity of the second communication.

8. The satellite communication system according to claim 1 further comprising a data base wherein the first communication includes a request for information stored in the data base and the wherein the second communication includes a response to the request.

9. The satellite communication system according to claim 8 wherein the data base receives the request from the first satellite via a first repeater station.

10. The satellite communication system according to claim 9 wherein the first repeater station has a first antenna for receiving a third communication including the request from the first satellite and wherein the first repeater station has a first hardwire interface for providing the first communication to the data base.

11. The satellite communication system according to claim 10 wherein the third communication has a third carrier frequency and wherein the third carrier frequency is in the range of 11.5 to 12.5 GHz.

12. The satellite communication system according to claim 10 wherein the data base provides a fourth communication to the second satellite via a second repeater station and wherein the fourth communication includes the response.

13. The satellite communication system according to claim 12 wherein the second repeater station has a second hardwire interface for receiving the fourth communication from the data base and wherein the second repeater station has a second antenna for providing the second communication to the second satellite.

14. A satellite communication system including a data base and a subscriber unit having a modem wherein the satellite communication system comprises: a. a first communication link for communication from the modem to the data base wherein the first communication link includes a first satellite; and b. a second communication link for communication from the data base to the modem wherein the second communication link includes a second satellite.

15. The satellite communication system according to claim 14 wherein a first communication via the first communication link includes a request for information stored in the data base and wherein a second communication via the second communication link includes a response to the request.

16. The satellite communication system according to claim 15 wherein the first communication includes a first identification and the second communication includes a second identification and wherein the first identification is compared to the second identification for confirming integrity of the second communication.

17. The satellite communication system according to claim 15 wherein the data base receives the request from the first satellite via a first repeater station.

18. The satellite communication system according to claim 17 wherein the first repeater station has a first antenna for receiving the first communication from the first satellite and wherein the first repeater station has a first hardwire interface for providing the first communication to the data base.

19. The satellite communication system according to claim 18 wherein the data base provides the response to the second satellite via a second repeater station.

20. The satellite communication system according to claim 19 wherein the second repeater station has a second hardwire interface for receiving the second communication from the data base and a second antenna for providing the second communication to the second satellite.

21. A method of communicating in a satellite communication system having a subscriber unit, the method comprising steps of: a. communicating a request for information from the subscriber unit to a first wos >9/3< PCT/US98/26456

satellite; b. communicating the request from the first satellite to a data base; c. communicating a response to the request from the data base to a second satellite; and d. communicating the response from the second satellite to the subscriber unit.

22. The method according to claim 21 further comprising a step of providing a first repeater wherein a first repeater performs steps of: a. receiving the request from the first satellite via a first antenna; and b. providing the request to the data base via a first hardwire interface.

23. The method according to claim 22 further comprising a step of providing a second repeater wherein the second repeater performs steps of: a. receiving the response from the data base via a second hardwire interface; and b. providing the response to the second satellite via a second antenna.

24. The method according to claim 21 further comprising steps of: a. communicating a first identification along with the request; and b. communicating a second identification along with the response; and c. comparing the first identification to the second identification for ensuring that the response is in response to the request.