Ground network with access node clusters for end-to-end beamforming
First Claim
1. A system for providing a communication service to user terminals geographically distributed over a user coverage area via an end-to-end relay comprising multiple receive/transmit signal paths, comprising:
- means for generating a forward beam weight matrix for end-to-end beamforming of transmissions from a set of access nodes to multiple forward user beam coverage areas of the user coverage area via the end-to-end relay, the set of access nodes comprising access nodes of at least one of a plurality of access node clusters, wherein each of the plurality of access node clusters comprises a plurality of access nodes at geographically distributed locations within a corresponding one of a plurality of access node areas;
means for generating, based on multiple forward beam signals comprising forward user data streams for transmission to a plurality of the user terminals grouped by the multiple forward user beam coverage areas, respective access node-specific forward signals for transmission from the set of access nodes to the multiple forward user beam coverage areas via the end-to-end relay, each of the respective access node-specific forward signals comprising a composite of at least a subset of the forward beam signals weighted by respective forward beamforming weights of the forward beam weight matrix; and
means for transmitting respective forward uplink signals from the set of access nodes based on the respective access node-specific forward signals, wherein the respective forward uplink signals are pre-corrected to compensate for respective path delays and phase shifts between the geographically distributed locations and the end-to-end relay.
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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
39 Claims
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1. A system for providing a communication service to user terminals geographically distributed over a user coverage area via an end-to-end relay comprising multiple receive/transmit signal paths, comprising:
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means for generating a forward beam weight matrix for end-to-end beamforming of transmissions from a set of access nodes to multiple forward user beam coverage areas of the user coverage area via the end-to-end relay, the set of access nodes comprising access nodes of at least one of a plurality of access node clusters, wherein each of the plurality of access node clusters comprises a plurality of access nodes at geographically distributed locations within a corresponding one of a plurality of access node areas; means for generating, based on multiple forward beam signals comprising forward user data streams for transmission to a plurality of the user terminals grouped by the multiple forward user beam coverage areas, respective access node-specific forward signals for transmission from the set of access nodes to the multiple forward user beam coverage areas via the end-to-end relay, each of the respective access node-specific forward signals comprising a composite of at least a subset of the forward beam signals weighted by respective forward beamforming weights of the forward beam weight matrix; and means for transmitting respective forward uplink signals from the set of access nodes based on the respective access node-specific forward signals, wherein the respective forward uplink signals are pre-corrected to compensate for respective path delays and phase shifts between the geographically distributed locations and the end-to-end relay. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A system for providing a communication service to user terminals geographically distributed over a user coverage area via an end-to-end relay comprising multiple receive/transmit signal paths, comprising:
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means for receiving respective composite return signals from the end-to-end relay at a set of access nodes, each of the respective return downlink signals comprising return uplink signals transmitted from a plurality of the user terminals and relayed by the end-to-end relay to form a composite return signal, the set of access nodes comprising access nodes of at least one of a plurality of access node clusters, wherein each of the plurality of access node clusters comprises a plurality of access nodes at geographically distributed locations within a corresponding one of a plurality of access node areas; means for applying, to each of the respective composite return signals, respective beamforming weights of a return beam weight matrix for end-to-end beamforming of transmissions from multiple return user beam coverage areas to the set of access nodes via the end-to-end relay to obtain a respective plurality of weighted composite return signals associated with each of the multiple return user beam coverage areas; and means for combining, for the each of the multiple return user beam coverage areas, the respective plurality of weighted composite return signals to obtain a return beam signal associated with the each of the multiple return user beam coverage areas, wherein the respective plurality of weighted composite return signals are corrected to compensate for respective path delays and phase shifts between the end-to-end relay and the set of access nodes prior to the combining. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39)
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Specification