End-to-end beamforming system
First Claim
1. An end-to-end beamforming system comprising:
- a plurality of geographically distributed access nodes each having an end-to-end beam-weighted forward uplink signal output; and
an end-to-end relay comprising;
an array of cooperating feeder-link constituent receive elements, in wireless communication with the distributed access nodes;
an array of cooperating user-link constituent transmit elements in wireless communication with a plurality of user terminals; and
a plurality of forward-link bent-pipe transponders, each coupled between a respective one of the cooperating feeder-link constituent receive elements and a respective one of the cooperating user-link constituent transmit elements,such that receipt of superpositions of a plurality of beam-weighted forward uplink signals via the cooperating feeder-link constituent receive elements forms forward downlink signals in the forward-link bent-pipe transponders, and transmission of the forward downlink signals by the cooperating user-link constituent transmit elements contributes to forming a forward user beam servicing at least some of the plurality of user terminals.
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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
23 Claims
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1. An end-to-end beamforming system comprising:
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a plurality of geographically distributed access nodes each having an end-to-end beam-weighted forward uplink signal output; and an end-to-end relay comprising; an array of cooperating feeder-link constituent receive elements, in wireless communication with the distributed access nodes; an array of cooperating user-link constituent transmit elements in wireless communication with a plurality of user terminals; and a plurality of forward-link bent-pipe transponders, each coupled between a respective one of the cooperating feeder-link constituent receive elements and a respective one of the cooperating user-link constituent transmit elements, such that receipt of superpositions of a plurality of beam-weighted forward uplink signals via the cooperating feeder-link constituent receive elements forms forward downlink signals in the forward-link bent-pipe transponders, and transmission of the forward downlink signals by the cooperating user-link constituent transmit elements contributes to forming a forward user beam servicing at least some of the plurality of user terminals. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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Specification