Approaches for improved frequency reuse efficiency and interference avoidance for a multi-beam satellite communications network
First Claim
1. A radio frequency (RF) communications transmitter system comprising:
- at least one control processor;
a plurality of switches; and
a plurality of feedhorns associated with each switch; and
wherein each switch is configured to receive a feed signal of a respective frequency bandwidth and, for each of the plurality of feedhorns associated with the switch, to output a transmission signal of the respective frequency bandwidth and of a respective polarization;
wherein the at least one control processor is configured to control each switch to output the transmission signals for the plurality of feedhorns associated with the switch during each of a number of respective dwell times;
wherein each of the plurality of feedhorns associated with a respective switch is configured to form and transmit a communications beam during each respective dwell time that the switch is outputting the transmission signal for the feedhorn, wherein each beam is formed based on the respective transmission signal and is transmitted to cover a respective geographic area on the surface of the Earth, and the beams of the plurality of feedhorns associated with each switch are configured to form a respective pattern of beams on the surface of the Earth, each beam being of the frequency bandwidth and the respective polarization; and
wherein the at least one control processor is configured to control the number of dwell times during which each of the plurality of switches outputs the respective transmission signals, for the formation and transmission of the respective beam pattern by the associated feedhorns, to switch between different combinations of beam pattern transmissions over time in accordance with frequency/polarization reuse scheme based on the number of dwell times.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An RF communications transmitter system comprising a processor, a switch and a plurality of feedhorns. The switch is configured to receive a feed signal of a frequency bandwidth. The processor is configured to control the switch to provide the feed signal to each of at least two of the feedhorns for a respective time period. Each of the at least two feedhorns is configured to generate a beam during the respective time period that the feed signal is provided thereto, wherein the beam is formed based on the feed signal and is transmitted to cover a geographic area of the Earth. The formation and transmission of the beams by the feedhorns is controlled by the processor to provide a time-based allocation of bandwidth amongst the beams based on the time period that the feed signal is provided to each of the feedhorns and a respective frequency/polarization reuse scheme.
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Citations
12 Claims
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1. A radio frequency (RF) communications transmitter system comprising:
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at least one control processor; a plurality of switches; and a plurality of feedhorns associated with each switch; and wherein each switch is configured to receive a feed signal of a respective frequency bandwidth and, for each of the plurality of feedhorns associated with the switch, to output a transmission signal of the respective frequency bandwidth and of a respective polarization; wherein the at least one control processor is configured to control each switch to output the transmission signals for the plurality of feedhorns associated with the switch during each of a number of respective dwell times; wherein each of the plurality of feedhorns associated with a respective switch is configured to form and transmit a communications beam during each respective dwell time that the switch is outputting the transmission signal for the feedhorn, wherein each beam is formed based on the respective transmission signal and is transmitted to cover a respective geographic area on the surface of the Earth, and the beams of the plurality of feedhorns associated with each switch are configured to form a respective pattern of beams on the surface of the Earth, each beam being of the frequency bandwidth and the respective polarization; and wherein the at least one control processor is configured to control the number of dwell times during which each of the plurality of switches outputs the respective transmission signals, for the formation and transmission of the respective beam pattern by the associated feedhorns, to switch between different combinations of beam pattern transmissions over time in accordance with frequency/polarization reuse scheme based on the number of dwell times. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. A radio frequency (RF) communications transmission method comprising:
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receiving, by each of a plurality of switches of an RF communications transmitter system, a feed signal of a respective frequency bandwidth and outputting, by each switch, a transmission signal of the respective frequency bandwidth and of a respective polarization for each of a plurality of feedhorns associated with the switch; controlling each switch, by at least one processor, to output the transmission signals for a plurality of feedhorns associated with the switch during each of a number of respective dwell times; forming and transmitting, by each of the plurality of feedhorns associated with a respective switch, a communications beam during each respective dwell time that the switch is outputting the transmission signal for the feedhorn, wherein each beam is formed based on the respective transmission signal and is transmitted to cover a respective geographic area on the surface of the Earth, and the beams of the plurality of feedhorns associated with each switch are configured to form a respective pattern of beams on the surface of the Earth, each beam being of the frequency bandwidth and the respective polarization; and controlling, by the at least one processor, the number of dwell times during which each of the plurality of switches outputs the respective transmission signals, for the formation and transmission of the respective beam pattern by the associated feedhorns, to switch between different combinations of beam pattern transmissions over time in accordance with a respective frequency/polarization reuse scheme based on the number of dwell times. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8)
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9. A radio frequency (RF) communications satellite transmission system comprising:
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at least one control processor; a plurality of switches; a plurality of feedhorns associated with each switch; and a plurality of antennae; and wherein each switch is configured to receive a feed signal of a respective frequency bandwidth and, for each of the plurality of feedhorns associated with the switch, to output a transmission signal of the respective frequency bandwidth and of a respective polarization; wherein the at least one control processor is configured to control each switch to output the transmission signals for the plurality of feedhorns associated with the switch during each of a number of respective dwell times; wherein each of the plurality of feedhorns associated with a respective switch is configured to form and transmit a communications beam during each respective dwell time that the switch is outputting the transmission signal for the feedhorn, wherein each beam is formed based on the respective transmission signal and is transmitted to cover a respective geographic area on the surface of the Earth, and the beams of the plurality of feedhorns associated with each switch are configured to form a respective pattern of beams on the surface of the Earth, each beam being of the frequency bandwidth and the respective polarization; wherein the at least one control processor is configured to control the number of dwell times during which each of the plurality of switches outputs the respective transmission signals, for the formation and transmission of the respective beam pattern by the associated feedhorns, to switch between different combinations of beam pattern transmissions over time in accordance with frequency/polarization reuse scheme based on the number of dwell times; and wherein each antenna includes the feedhorns that are configured to form and transmit the communications beams of a respective frequency/polarization pair of the frequency/polarization reuse scheme. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12)
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Specification