Communications bandwidth enhancement using orthogonal spatial division multiplexing

• US 10,325,275 B2
• Filed: 11/07/2017
• Issued: 06/18/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/09/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation (Northrop Grumman Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Northrop Grumman Innovation Systems, Inc. (Northrop Grumman Corporation)
• Inventors: Atkinson, Leonard A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Fang, Pakee
• Application Number:
  US15/806,081
• Publication Number:
  US 20180249287A1
• Time in Patent Office: 588 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 11/06 using intensity measurements
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0294 Trajectory determination or predictive filtering, e.g. target tracking or Kalman filtering
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/06 Position of source determined by co-ordinating a plurality of position lines defined by path-difference measurements G01S5/12 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/14 Determining absolute distances from a plurality of spaced points of known location
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0833 Tracking
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0201 Market modelling; Market analysis; Collecting market data
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/246 using feature-based methods, e.g. the tracking of corners or segments
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/292 Multi-camera tracking
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/77 using statistical methods
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/52 Surveillance or monitoring of activities, e.g. for recognising suspicious objects recognising microscopic objects G06V20/69
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 2201/10 Recognition assisted with metadata
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/20 Movements or behaviour, e.g. gesture recognition recognition of facial expressions G06V40/16
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/022 Site diversity; Macro-diversity using two or more spaced independent antennas H04B7/04
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0697 using spatial multiplexing
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18515 Transmission equipment in satellites or space-based relays
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 2011/0009 with FDM/FDMA
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management

Abstract

Systems and methods are described herein for communications bandwidth enhancement using Orthogonal Spatial Division Multiplexing (OSDM). For example, large sparse antenna arrays may be able to distinguish between signals emitted by multiple nearly collocated antennas, even if the signals have the same frequency, polarization, and coverage. Thus, the use of a large sparse antenna array may be able to resolve/isolate individual antennas on a single platform, allowing for OSDM, analogous to Orthogonal Frequency Divisional Multiplexing (OFDM). Using OSDM, multiple antennas on the same vehicle are able to reuse the same frequencies/polarizations without interference, thereby increasing spectrum availability while still providing the same transmitter power spectral density and total RF power emission.

Claims

1. A system for generating orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OSDM) reuse signals, the system comprising:

a first beamforming assembly comprising;

a first signal source configured to provide a first signal;

a first low noise amplifier communicatively coupled with the first signal source and configured to amplify the first signal;

a first power divider communicatively coupled with the first low noise amplifier; and

a first beamformer;

a second beamforming assembly comprising;

a second signal source configured to provide a second signal;

a second low noise amplifier communicatively coupled with the second signal source and configured to amplify the second signal;

a second power divider communicatively coupled with the second low noise amplifier; and

a second beamformer;

wherein the first and second power dividers are each communicatively coupled with the first and second beamformer, and wherein the first power divider is configured to divide the amplified first signal into a first beamformer component for sending to the first beamformer and a second beamformer component for sending to the second beamformer, and the second power divider is configured to divide the amplified second signal into a first beamformer component for sending to the first beamformer and a second beamformer component for sending to the second beamformer; and

wherein the first beamformer includes program means for combining, based on a total array size of the first beamforming assembly and the second beamforming assembly, the received first beamformer components of the first signal and second signal into a first combined signal, and the second beamformer includes program means for combining, based on the first distance, the received second beamformer components of the first signal and second signal into a second combined signal, the first and second combined signals having one or more of a shared frequency, a shared signal polarization, and a shared coverage area, the first and second combined signals formed such that, when the combined signal is received, an additive array factor is provided resulting in a peak in one of the first signal and the second signal and a null on the other of the first signal and second signal.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein

the first signal source is a first antenna configured to receive the first signal and the second signal source is a second antenna configured to receive the second signal.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the plurality of antennas are on a single satellite, aircraft, or structure.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the plurality of antennas are on different satellites, aircraft, or structures.

5. The system of claim 2, wherein the first signal is received from a first satellite and the second signal is received from a second satellite.

6. The system of claim 2, wherein the array size is defined by a first distance of separation between the first antenna and the second antenna.

7. The system of claim 2, wherein the first and second beamforming assemblies are included in a plurality of beamforming assemblies that define a beamforming array including a plurality of antennas, the array size defined by a first distance of separation between antennas in the beamforming array.

8. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a third beamforming assembly comprising;

a third signal source configured to provide a third signal;

a third low noise amplifier communicatively coupled with the third signal source and configured to amplify the third signal;

a third power divider communicatively coupled with the third low noise amplifier; and

a third beamformer;

wherein the first, second, and third power dividers are each communicatively coupled with the first, second, and third beamformers, and wherein the first power divider is further configured to divide the amplified first signal into a third beamformer component for sending to the third beamformer, the second power divider is further configured to divide the amplified second signal into a third beamformer component for sending to the third beamformer, and wherein the third power divider is configured to divide the amplified third signal into a first beamformer component for sending to the first beamformer, a second beamformer component for sending to the second beamformer, and a third beamformer component for sending to the third beamformer; and

wherein the program means of the first beamformer are further for combining, based on an array size of the first, second, and third beamforming assemblies, the received first beamformer component of the third signal into the first combined signal, the program means of the second beamformer are further for combining, based on the array size of the first, second, and third beamforming assemblies, the received second beamformer component of the third signal into the second combined signal, and wherein the third beamformer includes program means for combining, based on the array size of the first, second, and third beamforming assemblies, the received third beamformer components of the first, second, and third signals into a third combined signal, the first, second, and third combined signals having one or more of a shared frequency and a shared signal polarization, the first, second, and third combined signals formed such that, when the combined signal is received, an additive array factor is provided resulting in a peak in one of the first signal, the second signal, and third signal, and nulls on the others of the first signal, second signal, and third signal.

9. A System for receiving orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OSDM) reuse signals, the system comprising:

a first receiving station configured to receive a first combined signal transmitted by a first beamformer assembly and a second combined signal transmitted by a second beamformer assembly, the first and second combined signals each comprising a first signal and a second signal and each transmitted at one or more of a shared frequency, a shared signal polarization, and a shared coverage area;

a second receiving station configured to receive the first combined signal and the second combined signal, the first receiving station and the second receiving station are separated by a first distance; and

processing circuitry configured to determine the first signal and the second signal based on the received first combined signal and the received second combined signal;

wherein the first distance of separation between the first receiving station and the second receiving station is based on an array size of the first beamformer assembly and the second beamformer assembly such that an additive array factor is provided resulting in a peak on one of the first beamformer assembly and second assembly and a null on the other of the first beamformer assembly and second beamformer assembly, and wherein determining the first signal and the second signal from the received first and second combined signals is further based on the additive array factor.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the first beamforming assembly comprises:

a first signal source configured to provide the first signal;

a first low noise amplifier communicatively coupled with the first signal source and configured to amplify the first signal;

a first power divider communicatively coupled with the first low noise amplifier; and

a first beamformer; and

the second beamforming assembly comprises;

a second signal source configured to provide the second signal;

a second low noise amplifier communicatively coupled with the second signal source and configured to amplify the second signal;

a second power divider communicatively coupled with the second low noise amplifier; and

a second beamformer;

wherein the first and second power dividers are each communicatively coupled with the first and second beamformer, and wherein the first power divider is configured to divide the amplified first signal into a first beamformer component for sending to the first beamformer and a second beamformer component for sending to the second beamformer, and the second power divider is configured to divide the amplified second signal into a first beamformer component for sending to the first beamformer and a second beamformer component for sending to the second beamformer; and

wherein the first beamformer includes program means for combining, based on the array size of the first beamforming assembly and the second beamforming assembly, the received first beamformer components of the first signal and second signal into a first combined signal, and the second beamformer includes program means for combining, based on the first distance, the received second beamformer components of the first signal and second signal into a second combined signal, the first and second combined signals having one or more of a shared frequency, a shared signal polarization, and a shared coverage area, the first and second combined signals formed such that, when the combined signal is received, the additive array factor is provided resulting in a peak in one of the first signal and the second signal and a null on the other of the first signal and second signal.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein

the first signal source is a first antenna configured to receive the first signal and the second signal source is a second antenna configured to receive the second signal.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the plurality of antennas are on a single satellite, aircraft, or structure.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the plurality of antennas are on different satellites, aircraft, or structures.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the first signal is received from a first satellite and the second signal is received from a second satellite.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the array size is defined by a first distance of separation between the first antenna and the second antenna.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein the first and second beamforming assemblies are included in a plurality of beamforming assemblies that define a beamforming array including a plurality of antennas, the array size defined by a first distance of separation between antennas in the beamforming array.

17. The system of claim 9, further comprising:

a third receiving station configured to receive the first combined signal, the second combined signal transmitted, and a third combined signal transmitted by a third beamformer assembly, the first and second combined signals further comprising a third signal and the third combined signal comprising the first, second and third signal, the first, second, and third combined signals each transmitted at one or more of a shared frequency, a shared signal polarization, and a shared coverage area, the first receiving station, the second receiving station, and third receiving station having a receiving array size defined by the first distance; and

wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to determine the first signal, second signal, and the second signal based on the received first, second and third combined signals;

wherein the receiving array size is based on an array size of the first beamformer assembly and the second beamformer assembly such that an additive array factor is provided resulting in a peak on one of the first beamformer assembly, second beamformer assembly, and third beamformer assembly, and a null on the other of the first, second, and third beamformer assembly, and wherein determining the first signal, the second signal, and the third signal from the received first, second, and third combined signals is further based on the additive array factor.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein:

the third beamforming assembly comprises;

a third signal source configured to provide the third signal;

a third low noise amplifier communicatively coupled with the third signal source and configured to amplify the third signal;

a third power divider communicatively coupled with the third low noise amplifier; and

a third beamformer;

wherein the first, second, and third power dividers are each communicatively coupled with the first, second, and third beamformers, and wherein the first power divider is further configured to divide the amplified first signal into a third beamformer component for sending to the third beamformer, the second power divider is further configured to divide the amplified second signal into a third beamformer component for sending to the third beamformer, and wherein the third power divider is configured to divide the amplified third signal into a first beamformer component for sending to the first beamformer, a second beamformer component for sending to the second beamformer, and a third beamformer component for sending to the third beamformer; and

wherein the program means of the first beamformer are further for combining, based on an array size of the first, second, and third beamforming assemblies, the received first beamformer component of the third signal into the first combined signal, the program means of the second beamformer are further for combining, based on the array size of the first, second, and third beamforming assemblies, the received second beamformer component of the third signal into the second combined signal, and wherein the third beamformer includes program means for combining, based on the array size of the first, second, and third beamforming assemblies, the received third beamformer components of the first, second, and third signals into the third combined signal, the first, second, and third combined signals having one or more of a shared frequency, a shared signal polarization, and shared coverage area, the first, second, and third combined signals formed such that, when the combined signal is received, the additive array factor is provided resulting in a peak in one of the first signal, the second signal, and third signal, and nulls on the others of the first signal, second signal, and third signal.