Abstract: Methods of transmitting an information signal in a satellite communications system include splitting the information signal into a first signal component and a second signal component, transmitting the first signal component to a first system element of the satellite communications system, transmitting the second signal component to a second system element of the satellite communications system, combining the first signal component and the second signal component to form a combined signal, and recovering the information signal from the combined signal. Related systems and components are also disclosed.

Abstract: Methods of reducing interference in a satellite communications system may include receiving a plurality of feeder link signals and time aligning the plurality of feeder link signals to provide time aligned feeder link signals. At least two of the time aligned feeder link signals may be combined to provide reduced interference of at least one of the feeder link signals. Related systems are also discussed.

Abstract: A first and/or a second communications system may provide communications service over a geographic area. A method of operating the first and/or the second communications systems may include generating a measure of aggregate interference reaching a satellite of the second communications system substantially from devices of the first communications system. The measure of aggregate interference reaching the satellite of the second communications system may be transmitted to an element of the first communications system.

Abstract: Methods are provided for predicting uplink interference potential to a mobile satellite system (MSS) generated by ancillary terrestrial components (ATCs) of an ancillary terrestrial network (ATN) and/or ATC radioterminals that are configured to terrestrially use/reuse satellite frequencies that are used and/or authorized for use by a MSS. The methods include measuring power transmitted by and/or received at one or more radioterminals communicating with one or more terrestrial networks and/or transmitted by and/or received at the one or more terrestrial networks communicating with the one or more radioterminals using terrestrial frequencies that are at least partially outside a range of the satellite frequencies. Uplink interference potential to the MSS generated by terrestrial use/reuse of satellite frequencies by the ATN and/or the ATC radioterminals is predicted responsive to the measured power. Related ancillary terrestrial networks are also described.

Abstract: Systems, methods and/or mobile devices are provided that enable a level of privacy/security in wireless communications to be increased responsive to a content of the wireless communications, biometric data and/or a position from which the wireless communications takes place. A plurality of communications modes is used by the system infrastructure and the plurality of mobile devices communicating therewith to increase privacy and undetectability of transmitted signals. The increased level of privacy and undetectability of signals is provided via pseudo-randomly generated signaling alphabets that are used by the mobile devices and by the system infrastructure to provide the communications. This represents a level of encryption/scrambling that is over and above the conventional encryption and/or scrambling at the bit level. Accordingly, systems, methods and/or devices providing a concatenated level of encryption/scrambling are provided.

Abstract: An available signal space, whether it is a priori specified or is cognitively determined based upon an assessment of frequency utilization, serves to provide a number of signal dimensions which may be occupied by a number of pseudo-randomly generated waveforms. The number of pseudo-randomly generated waveforms may be based upon a key input to a pseudo-random number generator and a desired statistical distribution, and may be subjected to an orthogonalization procedure to produce a respective number of orthogonal pseudo-random waveforms which may serve as a communications alphabet. A specific data sequence to be communicated may be associated with a respective specific element/member of the orthogonal pseudo-random waveforms and that specific element/member may be transmitted in lieu of the specific data sequence.

Abstract: Two satellite communications systems can use the same frequency or frequencies in geographically overlapping footprints, without creating undue interference in a given system that is caused by the same frequency signal(s) that is/are used by the other system. In particular, an aggregate Effective Isotropic Radiated Power (EIRP) of the radioterminals and/or ancillary terrestrial components of a second satellite communications system in the common footprint is sufficiently low, and/or the receive antenna gain of a first satellite communications system is sufficiently low compared to the receive antenna gain of the second satellite communications system, so as to increase an aggregate receiver noise that is seen by the first satellite system receivers by an amount that does not substantially change a Quality of Service (QoS) of the first satellite communications system.

Abstract: Communications are conducted between a space-based component of the wireless communications system and radioterminals using a plurality of forward link cells and a plurality of return link cells, the return link cells having a greater number of cells per frequency reuse cluster than the forward link cells. At least some of the forward and return link cells may use at least some frequencies of a terrestrial wireless communications system having an adjacent and/or overlapping coverage area. Forward links of the at least some of the forward and return link cells may have a greater link bandwidth than return links of the at least some of the forward and return link cells.

Abstract: A cellular communications system comprising a space based system comprising a first set of cells, and a ground based system comprising a second set of cells. The space and ground systems can optionally function substantially autonomously, with each using spectrum from at least one predetermined frequency band.

Abstract: Wireless communications transceivers include a transmitter that is configured to selectively frequency shift and transmit portions of broadband information over multiple non-contiguous narrowband frequency bands/segments, each of which is too narrow to carry the broadband information. A receiver also is configured to receive and selectively frequency shift portions of broadband information from multiple non-contiguous narrowband frequency bands/segments, each of which is too narrow to carry the second broadband information. Broadband information thereby may be transmitted and received in a regulated communications environment, even though a given provider may only be assigned discontinuous frequency bands/segments, none of which is wide enough to carry the entire broadband information.

Abstract: A wireless communications system includes a space-based component (SBC) and an ancillary terrestrial component (ATC) configured to communicate with radioterminals using a common satellite service link frequency band and respective first and second different sets of channel separation codes. The first and second sets of channel separation codes may include, for example, respective sets of scrambling codes, respective sets of frequency assignment codes, respective sets of channel assignment codes, respective sets of sub-channel assignment codes and/or respective sets of spreading codes.

Abstract: Methods of reducing interference in a satellite communications system may include receiving a plurality of feeder link signals and time aligning the plurality of feeder link signals to provide time aligned feeder link signals. At least two of the time aligned feeder link signals may be combined to provide reduced interference of at least one of the feeder link signals. Related systems are also discussed.

Abstract: A satellite radiotelephone system can include a space-based component and a plurality of ancillary terrestrial components. The space-based component is configured to provide wireless radiotelephone communications over a satellite radiotelephone frequency band. The plurality of ancillary terrestrial components are configured to terrestrially reuse at least one of the satellite radiotelephone frequencies, at least some of the ancillary terrestrial components terrestrially reusing the at least one of the satellite radiotelephone frequencies in a staggered sectorization. Related methods are also discussed.

Abstract: A satellite radiotelephone frequency band can be reused terrestrially by an ancillary terrestrial network even within the same satellite cell, using interference reduction/cancellation techniques. An interference reducer is responsive to a space-based component and to an ancillary terrestrial network. The interference reducer is configured to reduce interference in wireless communications that are received by the space-based component from first radiotelephones in the satellite footprint over a satellite radiotelephone frequency band using wireless communications that are received by the ancillary terrestrial network from selected ones of second radiotelephones in the satellite footprint over the satellite radiotelephone frequency band and/or wireless communications that are transmitted by the ancillary terrestrial network to the second radiotelephones in the satellite footprint over the satellite radiotelephone frequency band.

Abstract: A signal strength that is associated with a first wireless communications channel is detected. Electromagnetic energy is transmitted over the first wireless communications channel in response to the signal strength being sufficiently weak. A determination is made whether a handoff should be made to a second wireless communications channel having a signal that is weaker than a signal of the first wireless communications channel. Related systems and methods are described.

Abstract: A radioterminal may include a transceiver, a hands-free interface, and a satellite/hands-free interlock. The transceiver may be configured for space-based communications and for terrestrial wireless communications. The satellite/hands-free interlock may be configured to prevent the transceiver from transmitting space-based communications unless the hands-free interface is activated. Related methods are also discussed.

Abstract: Systems and/or methods are disclosed for generating a waveform that comprises a plurality of elements by using a Fourier transform and/or an inverse Fourier transform. The waveform that comprises the plurality of elements may be transmitted by transmitting, sequentially in time, the plurality of elements. In some embodiments, the Fourier transform and/or inverse Fourier transform comprises a Fast Fourier Transform and/or Inverse Fast Fourier Transform and the waveform that comprises the plurality of elements may be transmitted by using, sequentially in time, the plurality of elements to modulate a sinusoidal waveform.

Abstract: Communications systems and/or methods are disclosed that can provide extreme privacy, cognitive radio capability, robustness to fading and interference, communications performance associated with M-ary orthonormal signaling and/or high multiple-access capacity. Embodiments can use spread-spectrum waveforms that are featureless, devoid of chipping and devoid of cyclostationary signatures, statistically indistinguishable from thermal noise and able to cognitively fit within any available frequency space (narrow-band, broad-band, contiguous, non-contiguous). Some embodiments maintain all desirable features of classical direct-sequence spread-spectrum communications while providing new dimensions that are important to communications systems. Embodiments of the invention can provide M-ary orthonormal signaling with chipless spread-spectrum waveforms to provide extreme covertness and privacy.

Abstract: Wireless communications transceivers include a transmitter that is configured to selectively frequency shift and transmit portions of broadband information over multiple non-contiguous narrowband frequency bands/segments, each of which is too narrow to carry the broadband information. A receiver also is configured to receive and selectively frequency shift portions of broadband information from multiple non-contiguous narrowband frequency bands/segments, each of which is too narrow to carry the second broadband information. Broadband information thereby may be transmitted and received in a regulated communications environment, even though a given provider may only be assigned discontinuous frequency bands/segments, none of which is wide enough to carry the entire broadband information.

Abstract: A satellite gateway is coupled to a communications network and is operative to communicate with a communications satellite. A terrestrial terminal interface subsystem is operative to communicate with the satellite gateway via the communications satellite using a first radio interface and to communicate with terminals over a geographic area using a second radio interface. The communications network may be a wireless communications network, and the satellite gateway is configured to communicate with a base station controller of the wireless communications network, such that the terrestrial terminal interface subsystem may provide one or more satellite-linked terrestrial base stations.