Access node for end-to-end beamforming communications system
First Claim
1. A method of communication at an access node of a communication system comprising a plurality of access nodes at geographically distributed locations providing a communication service to user terminals distributed over multiple return user beam coverage areas via an end-to-end relay comprising multiple return receive/transmit signal paths, the method comprising:
- receiving a return downlink signal comprising a composite return signal and a relay beacon signal from the end-to-end relay, the composite return signal comprising return uplink signals from a plurality of the user terminals relayed by the end-to-end relay;
demodulating the relay beacon signal to obtain receive timing information;
multiplexing the composite return signal with the receive timing information to obtain a multiplexed composite return signal; and
sending the multiplexed composite return signal to a return beamformer.
6 Assignments
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Accused Products
Abstract
Methods and systems are described for providing end-to-end beamforming. For example, end-to-end beamforming systems include end-to-end relays and ground networks to provide communications to user terminals located in user beam coverage areas. The ground segment can include geographically distributed access nodes and a central processing system. Return uplink signals, transmitted from the user terminals, have multipath induced by a plurality of receive/transmit signal paths in the end to end relay and are relayed to the ground network. The ground network, using beamformers, recovers user data streams transmitted by the user terminals from return downlink signals. The ground network, using beamformers generates forward uplink signals from appropriately weighted combinations of user data streams that, after relay by the end-end-end relay, produce forward downlink signals that combine to form user beams.
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Citations
30 Claims
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1. A method of communication at an access node of a communication system comprising a plurality of access nodes at geographically distributed locations providing a communication service to user terminals distributed over multiple return user beam coverage areas via an end-to-end relay comprising multiple return receive/transmit signal paths, the method comprising:
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receiving a return downlink signal comprising a composite return signal and a relay beacon signal from the end-to-end relay, the composite return signal comprising return uplink signals from a plurality of the user terminals relayed by the end-to-end relay; demodulating the relay beacon signal to obtain receive timing information; multiplexing the composite return signal with the receive timing information to obtain a multiplexed composite return signal; and sending the multiplexed composite return signal to a return beamformer. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. An access node for communication in a communication system comprising a plurality of access nodes at geographically distributed locations providing a communication service to user terminals distributed over multiple return user beam coverage areas via an end-to-end relay comprising multiple return receive/transmit signal paths, comprising:
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a receiver that receives a return downlink signal from the end-to-end relay, the return signal downlink signal comprising a relay beacon signal and return uplink signals from a plurality of the user terminals relayed by the end-to-end relay, to form a composite return signal; a relay beacon signal demodulator that demodulates the relay beacon signal to obtain relay timing information; a multiplexer that multiplexes the composite return signal with the relay timing information to obtain a multiplexed composite return signal; and a signal interface that sends the multiplexed composite return signal to a return beamformer. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
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Specification