Coordinated satellite-terrestrial frequency reuse

Abstract

A system and method of operation for efficiently reusing and/or sharing at least a portion of the frequency spectrum between a first satellite spot beam and a second satellite spot beam, and/or an underlay terrestrial network associated with a second satellite spot beam. The spectrum is efficiently reused and/or shared between respective spot beams and/or associated underlay terrestrial systems in a manner minimizes interference between the respective satellite and terrestrial systems.

1 . A method of assigning to and/or reusing by a wireless terrestrial communications system at least one frequency of a space-based communications system that is configured to selectively use geographically a set of frequencies, the method comprising: 
 configuring at least one terrestrial cell of the terrestrial communications system having a service area that at least partially overlaps with a service area of the space-based communications system and assigning to, reusing by and/or borrowing by the at least one terrestrial cell the at least one frequency based on a predetermined geographic distance between the at least one terrestrial cell and an area served by the space-based system using the at least one frequency.    
     
     
         2 . A method according to  claim 1  wherein the assigning and/or borrowing precludes the space-based communications system from using the at least one frequency over at least some of the service area of the space-based communications system over a time interval associated with the assigning and/or borrowing.  
     
     
         3 . A method according to  claim 1  wherein the space-based system communicates with terminals using a first air interface and the terrestrial communications system communicates with terminals using a second air interface, wherein the first and second air interfaces are substantially the same or different.  
     
     
         4 . A hybrid communications system comprising a space-based communications system that is configured to selectively use geographically a set of frequencies and a wireless terrestrial communications system comprising at least one terrestrial cell having a service area that at least partially overlaps with a service area of the space-based communications system, the hybrid communications system configured to assign to, allow reuse by and/or allow borrowing by the at least one terrestrial cell at least one frequency of the set of frequencies based on a predetermined geographic distance between the at least one terrestrial cell and an area served by the space-based system using the at least one frequency.  
     
     
         5 . The system according to  claim 4  wherein the assigning and/or borrowing precludes the space-based communications system from using the at least one frequency over at least some of the service area of the space-based communications system over a time interval associated with the assigning and/or borrowing.  
     
     
         6 . The system according to  claim 4  wherein the space-based system communicates with terminals using a first air interface and the terrestrial communications system communicates with terminals using a second air interface, wherein the first and second air interfaces are substantially the same or different.  
     
     
         7 . A wireless terrestrial communications system comprising at least one base station having a service area that at least partially overlaps with a service area of a space-based communications system that selectively uses geographically a set of frequencies to provide communications to user equipment over a service area of the space-based system, the at least one base station configured to provide service to user equipment by using, reusing and/or borrowing at least one frequency of the set of frequencies based on a predetermined geographic distance between the at least one base station and an area served by the space-based system using the at least one frequency.  
     
     
         8 . The system according to  claim 7  wherein the using and/or borrowing precludes the space-based communications system from using the at least one frequency over at least some of a service area of the space-based communications system over a time interval associated with the using and/or borrowing.  
     
     
         9 . The system according to  claim 7  wherein the at least one base station provides communications to user equipment using an air interface that is substantially the same or different compared to an air interface that the space-based system uses to provide communications to user equipment.  
     
     
         10 . A user equipment comprising a transceiver that is configured to wirelessly communicate with a terrestrial network over a geographic area using, reusing and/or borrowing at least one frequency of a set of frequencies that is selectively used geographically by a space-based network to provide communications to user equipment over a geographic area that at least partially overlaps with the geographic area of the terrestrial network, the transceiver using, reusing and/or borrowing the at least one frequency based on a predetermined geographic distance between the transceiver and an area served by the space-based system using the at least one frequency.  
     
     
         11 . The user equipment according to  claim 10  wherein the using and/or borrowing precludes the space-based network from using the at least one frequency over at least some of the service area of the space-based network over a time interval associated with the using and/or borrowing.  
     
     
         12 . The user equipment according to  claim 10  wherein communications with the terrestrial network use an air interface that is substantially the same or different compared to an air interface used by the space-based network for communications.  
     
     
         13 . A controller for use with a wireless terrestrial communications system that provides wireless communications to user devices over a geographic area and a space-based system that selectively uses geographically a set of frequencies to provide wireless communications to user devices over a geographic area, the controller configured to assign to, allow reuse by and/or allow borrowing by the terrestrial system of at least one frequency of the set of frequencies to be used over a service area of the terrestrial system based on a predetermined geographic distance between the service area of the terrestrial system and an area served by the space-based system using the at least one frequency.  
     
     
         14 . The controller according to  claim 13  wherein responsive to the assigning and/or borrowing the controller precludes the space-based system from using the at least one frequency over at least some of the service area of the space-based system over a time interval associated with the assigning and/or borrowing.  
     
     
         15 . A space-based communications system comprising at least one satellite that is configured to communicate with user equipment over a geographic area by selectively using geographically a set of frequencies, the space-based system configured to use and not use at least one frequency of the set of frequencies that is assigned to, reused by and/or borrowed by a wireless terrestrial system to communicate with user equipment over a geographic area that at least partially overlaps with the geographic area of the space-based system over respective service areas of the space-based system based on respective predetermined distances of the respective service areas of the space-based system from the geographic area of the terrestrial system.  
     
     
         16 . The system according to  claim 15  wherein the space-based system communicates with user equipment using a first air interface and wherein the terrestrial system communicates with user equipment using a second air interface, wherein the first and second air interfaces are substantially the same or different.  
     
     
         17 . A method of operating a wireless terrestrial communications system comprising at least one base station having a service area that at least partially overlaps with a service area of a space-based communications system that selectively uses geographically a set of frequencies to provide communications to user equipment over a service area of the space-based system, the method comprising: 
 providing service by the wireless communications system to user equipment by using, reusing and/or borrowing by the wireless communications system at least one frequency of the set of frequencies based on a predetermined geographic distance between the at least one base station and an area served by the space-based system using the at least one frequency.    
     
     
         18 . The method according to  claim 17  wherein the using and/or borrowing precludes the space-based communications system from using the at least one frequency over at least some of the service area of the space-based communications system over a time interval associated with the using and/or borrowing.  
     
     
         19 . The method according to  claim 17  wherein the at least one base station provides communications to user equipment using an air interface that is substantially the same or different compared to an air interface that the space-based system uses to provide communications to user equipment.  
     
     
         20 . A method of operating a transceiver of a user equipment, the method comprising: 
 wirelessly communicating with a terrestrial network over a geographic area using, reusing and/or borrowing at least one frequency of a set of frequencies that is selectively used geographically by a space-based network to provide communications to user equipment over a geographic area that at least partially overlaps with a geographic area of the terrestrial network, the transceiver using, reusing and/or borrowing the at least one frequency based on a predetermined geographic distance between the transceiver and an area served by the space-based system using the at least one frequency.    
     
     
         21 . The method according to  claim 20  wherein the using and/or borrowing precludes the space-based network from using the at least one frequency over at least some of the service area of the space-based network over a time interval associated with the using and/or borrowing.  
     
     
         22 . The method according to  claim 20  wherein communications with the terrestrial network use an air interface that is substantially the same or different compared to an air interface used by the space-based network for communications.  
     
     
         23 . A method of controlling a wireless terrestrial communications system configured to provide wireless communications to user devices over a geographic area and a space-based system that selectively uses geographically a set of frequencies to provide wireless communications to user devices over a geographic area, the method comprising: 
 assigning to, allowing reuse by and/or allowing borrowing by the terrestrial system of at least one frequency of the set of frequencies to be used over a service area of the terrestrial system based on a predetermined geographic distance between the service area of the terrestrial system and an area served by the space-based system using the at least one frequency.    
     
     
         24 . The method according to  claim 23  further comprising precluding the space-based system from using the at least one frequency over at least some of the service area of the space-based system over a time interval associated with the assigning and/or borrowing responsive to the assigning and/or borrowing.  
     
     
         25 . A method of operating a space-based communications system comprising at least one satellite that is configured to communicate with user equipment over a geographic area by selectively using geographically a set of frequencies, the method comprising: 
 using or not using by the space-based communications system at least one frequency of the set of frequencies that is assigned to, reused by and/or borrowed by a wireless terrestrial system to communicate with user equipment over a geographic area that at least partially overlaps with the geographic area of the space-based system over respective service areas of the space-based system based on respective predetermined distances of the respective service areas of the space-based system from the geographic area of the terrestrial system.    
     
     
         26 . The method according to  claim 25  wherein the space-based system communicates with user equipment using a first air interface and wherein the terrestrial system communicates with user equipment using a second air interface, wherein the first and second air interfaces are substantially the same or different.