An anti-intrusion defeator and locator for communication satellites

Claim 1

In a satellite communication system, a method of locating a channel signal which interferes with a desired channel signal, the method comprising the steps of: (a) concurrently receiving at a satellite a plurality of N channel signals from a plurality of ground regions, respectively, of a satellite service area comprising (i) a desired first channel signal in a first frequency band which is received from a first earth station disposed in a first ground region of a satellite service area, and (ii) a second channel signal which is received from a second earth station in a second region in the first frequency band and interferes with the first desired channel signal; (b) sequentially blocking, in a predetermined sequence, the channel signal in the first frequency band (i) received from each ground region which is not the ground region of desired first channel signal, and (ii) concurrently received from each pair of adjacent ground regions of the satellite service area which do not include the ground region of the desired first channel signal, and preventing such blocked first frequency band channel signal from each ground region or pair or group of ground regions from reaching a predetermined output port; (c) determining from step (b), that (i) the interfering second channel signal is being transmitted from a particular ground region when the interfering second channel signal is no longer present at the predetermined output port during a time period when a specific channel signal from a ground region is being blocked, (ii) the interfering second channel signal is being transmitted from a border area between two adjacent ground regions when the interfering second channel signal is no longer present at the predetermined output port during a time period when the channel signal from a pair of ground regions are being blocked, and (iii) that the interfering second channel signal is being transmitted from the same ground region as the desired first channel signal when the second interfering channel signal is not blocked by the blocking of the channel signal in the first frequency band from the individual, pairs, or groups of ground coverage regions.

Claim 5

A method of locating and defeating a channel signal interfering with a desired channel signal in a satellite communication system, the method comprising the steps of: (a) receiving a plurality of channel signals from a plurality of earth stations in at least one of a plurality of separate ground regions forming a satellite service area; (b) combining the channel signals received from the plurality of ground regions for generating a first combined output signal; (c) concurrent with step (b), either (i) separately combining the channel signals received from the plurality of ground regions when no interfering channel signal is present in the received signals for generating a second combined output signal, or (ii) separately selectively combining the signals received from any portion of the ground regions, excluding the signals from the ground region transmitting the desired channel signal, in a cyclical manner when an interfering channel signal is present until both the interfering channel signal received from a first ground region is not included in the second combined output signal, while the desired corresponding channel signal received from a second ground region is included in the second combined output signal, or it is determined that both the interfering and the desired channel signals are received from the same region, at which time all received channels are included in the second combined output signal; (d) separately input multiplexing each of the first and second combined output signals to generate separate input multiplexed channel output signals; and (e) selectively transmitting (i) one of each of the corresponding input multiplexed channel output signals from either one of the input multiplexed first and second combined output signals back to the satellite service area when no interfering channel signal is detected, and (ii) selectively transmitting the input multiplexed channel output signals from the input multiplexed second combined output beam signal obtained in step (d) for any channel signal being interfered with, while transmitting the output channel signals of all other noninterfered-with input multiplexed channel output signals appearing in either of the first or second input multiplexed combined output signals obtained in step (d) back to the satellite service area.

Claim 6

A method of locating and defeating a channel signal interfering with a desired channel signal in a satellite communication system, the method comprising the steps of: (a) receiving a plurality of channel signals from a plurality of earth stations in at least one of a plurality of separate ground regions forming a satellite service area; (b) combining the channel signals received from the plurality of ground regions for generating a first combined output signal; (c) concurrent with step (b), either (i) separately combining the channel signals received from the plurality of ground regions when no interfering channel signal is present in the received signals for generating a second combined output signal, or (ii) separately selectively combining the signals received from any portion of the ground regions, excluding the signals from the ground region transmitting the desired channel signal, in a cyclical manner when an interfering channel signal is present until both the interfering channel signal received from a first ground region is not included in the second combined output signal, while the desired corresponding channel signal received from a second ground region is included in the second combined output signal, or it is determined that both the interfering and the desired channel signals are received from the same region, at which time all received channels are included in the second combined output signal; (d) separately input multiplexing each of the first and second combined output signals to generate separate input multiplexed channel output signals; and (e) selectively transmitting (i) one of each of the corresponding input multiplexed channel output signals from either one of the input multiplexed first and second combined output signals back to the satellite service area when no interfering channel signal is detected, and (ii) selectively transmitting the input multiplexed channel output signals from the input multiplexed second combined output beam signal obtained in step (d) for any channel signal being interfered with, while transmitting the output channel signals of all other noninterfered-with input multiplexed channel output signals appearing in either of the first or second input multiplexed combined output signals obtained in step (d) back to the satellite service area.