Telecommunications – Carrier wave repeater or relay system – Portable or mobile repeater
Utility Patent
1998-05-04
2001-01-02
Trost, William G. (Department: 2744)
Telecommunications
Carrier wave repeater or relay system
Portable or mobile repeater
C455S430000, C455S067700
Utility Patent
active
06169881
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates generally to the field of wireless communications, and more particularly to predicting impending service outages for a ground-to-satellite terminal in a satellite communication system.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The frequency allocations for wireless communication networks employing non-geosynchronous satellite communications normally reside in the UHF-, L-, S-, and K-Band frequencies or higher. Wireless communication systems utilizing K-Band frequencies require a clear line-of-sight between each node of the communication network for high-quality communications. Objects such as trees, utility poles, mountains, buildings, and overpasses that lie along the communications path will effectively fade or block the communication transmissions at K-Band frequencies and higher, therefore degrading, interrupting, or terminating the communication path.
Furthermore, for a ground-to-satellite radio communication link that utilizes low-earth orbiting satellites which move across the sky and rise and set at the horizon, the percentage of time that the communication link is available varies considerably depending upon the buildings, trees and other blocking items in the vicinity of the ground antenna. Likewise, occurrence of service outages for an operator of a particular terminal can vary over time as a result of changes in the vicinity of the ground antenna (e.g., due to maturation of trees and/or construction of new buildings, atmospheric conditions, and the like). Customers of these systems, however, are typically not informed as to when their communication link may be blocked due to such obstacles or as a result of atmospheric conditions, such as rain for example.
Therefore, what is needed is a system and a method which provides an advanced warning on a real-time or near real-time basis of impending periods of service outages or degradation of service quality resulting from obstacles or impairment of communication links to allow customers to prepare for and plan around such impending outages. What is also needed is a method and apparatus to allow service providers to have a record of actual service outages to verify customer outage claims and to aid in trouble-shooting and providing maintenance service for customer terminals.
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Astrom Richard Lawrence
Daniel Brian Michael
Sheffler Alvin William
Bogacz Frank J.
Legree Tracy M
Motorola Inc.
Trost William G.
Wuamett Jennifer B.
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