Satellite beamforming

• US 10,555,236 B1
• Filed: 12/18/2017
• Issued: 02/04/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 03/16/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: RKF Engineering Solutions, LLC
• Original Assignee: RKF Engineering Solutions, LLC
• Inventors: Freedman, Jeffrey, Markley, Scott Conrad, Halvorson, Erik, Berman, Arnold
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Hai V
• Application Number:
  US15/844,697
• Time in Patent Office: 778 Days
• Field of Search: 455 121
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/102 Power radiated at antenna
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18515 Transmission equipment in satellites or space-based relays
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/2041 Spot beam multiple access
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/02 Communication route or path selection, e.g. power-based or shortest path routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/06 Airborne or Satellite Networks space-based or airborne stations H04B7/185

Abstract

A beam former processor receives a group of signals for transmission through the plurality of amplifiers, wherein the group of signals is less than a total number of feeds in an antenna array. The beam former processor determines terrestrial regions for transmitting the group of signals. The beam former processor identifies a subset of feeds that are configured to form beams covering the terrestrial regions. The beam former processor controls the switching circuitry to route the group of signals from the plurality of amplifiers to the subset of feeds through the switching circuitry, such that the subset of feeds are enabled to form beams that cover the terrestrial regions based on the group of signals.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

one or more processors; and

a storage medium storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, are configured to cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising;

receiving a first group of signals for transmission through a plurality of amplifiers included in a beamforming satellite;

determining first target terrestrial regions for transmitting the first group of signals;

identifying, in a plurality of feeds included in the beamforming satellite, a first set of feeds for forming beams covering the first target terrestrial regions; and

controlling a switching circuitry included in the beamforming satellite to route the first group of signals from the plurality of amplifiers to the first set of feeds, wherein the first group of signals trigger the first set of feeds to form beams that cover the first target terrestrial regions.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein identifying the first set of feeds comprises identifying feeds in the plurality of feeds that form beams to cover the first target terrestrial regions with at least one of signal power or signal gain above respective predetermined thresholds.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein controlling the switching circuitry to route the first group of signals comprises:

selecting, in the switching circuitry, a first number of switches to connect the plurality of amplifiers to the first set of feeds; and

activating the first number of switches such that the first group of signals is routed from the plurality of amplifiers to the first set of feeds through the first group of switches without routing the signals to other feeds outside the first set of feeds.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein a total number of signals in the first group of signals is equal to the first set of feeds, and

wherein the first number of switches is equal to or less than the first set of feeds.

5. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the plurality of amplifiers includes distinct groups of amplifiers, each group of amplifiers coupled to a distinct group of switches in the switching circuitry.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the plurality of amplifiers includes one or more spare amplifiers in addition to the distinct groups of amplifiers, each spare amplifier coupled to at least two distinct groups of amplifiers through a switch, and wherein the operations further comprise:

conditioned on an amplifier in a group of amplifiers failing, activating a spare amplifier coupled to the group of amplifiers to transmit signals that were configured to be transmitted using the failed amplifier.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein a total number of amplifiers in the plurality of amplifiers is less than a total set of feeds in the plurality of feeds.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving a second group of signals for transmission through the plurality of amplifiers;

determining second target terrestrial regions for transmitting the second group of signals;

identifying, in the plurality of feeds, a second set of feeds for forming beams covering the second target terrestrial regions; and

controlling the switching circuitry to route the second group of signals from the plurality of amplifiers to the second set of feeds, wherein the second group of signals trigger the second set of feeds to form beams that cover the second target terrestrial regions.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein routing the first group of signals from the plurality of amplifiers to the first set of feeds comprises:

routing, using the switching circuitry, the first group of signals from the plurality of amplifiers to a first group of hybrid matrices in a plurality of hybrid matrices included in the beamforming satellite, each hybrid matrix of the first group of hybrid matrices coupled to a feed of the first set of feeds and one or more other feeds of the plurality of feeds; and

controlling each hybrid matrix of the first group of hybrid matrices to forward a corresponding signal of the first group of signals received at the respective hybrid matrix to a corresponding feed of the first set of feeds coupled to the respective hybrid matrix.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the operations further comprise:

determining whether all first target terrestrial regions are covered by beams formed using the first set of feeds;

based on determining that all first target terrestrial regions are not covered by beams formed using the first set of feeds, identifying one or more sections of the first target terrestrial regions that are to be covered by beams formed using the first set of feeds;

identifying a subset of feeds in the first set of feeds to form beams covering the one or more sections of the first target terrestrial regions;

selecting one or more hybrid matrices from the first group of hybrid matrices that are coupled to the subset of feeds;

controlling each hybrid matrix of the one or more hybrid matrices to pair a corresponding feed of the first set feeds that is coupled to the hybrid matrix with at least one other feed couple to the hybrid matrix;

forwarding a corresponding signal of the first group of signals received at each hybrid matrix of the one or more hybrid matrices to the corresponding paired feeds; and

forwarding a corresponding signal of the first group of signals received at each of the remaining hybrid matrices of the first group of hybrid matrices to the corresponding feed of the first set of feeds coupled to the respective hybrid matrix.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein determining whether all first target terrestrial regions are full covered by beams formed using the first set of feeds comprises determining whether the beams formed using the first set of feeds can transmit the signals to the first target terrestrial regions with at least one of signal power or signal gain above respective predetermined thresholds.

12. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein controlling each hybrid matrix of the first group of hybrid matrices to forward a corresponding signal of the first group of signals received at the respective hybrid matrix to the corresponding feed of the first set of feeds coupled to the respective hybrid matrix comprises:

receiving, at an input port of the hybrid matrix, the corresponding signal of the first group of signals;

identifying, from a plurality of feeds coupled to output ports of the hybrid matrix, a feed in the first set of feeds; and

forwarding the corresponding signal received at the input port of the hybrid matrix to the feed in the first set of feeds that is coupled to an output port of the hybrid matrix.

13. A method comprising:

receiving, by one or more processors, a first group of signals for transmission through a plurality of amplifiers included in a beamforming satellite;

determining first target terrestrial regions for transmitting the first group of signals;

identifying, in a plurality of feeds included in the beamforming satellite, a first set of feeds for forming beams covering the first target terrestrial regions, wherein a total number of amplifiers in the plurality of amplifiers is less than a total set of feeds in the plurality of feeds; and

controlling a switching circuitry included in the beamforming satellite to route the first group of signals from the plurality of amplifiers to the first set of feeds, wherein the first group of signals trigger the first set of feeds to form beams that cover the first target terrestrial regions.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein identifying the first set of feeds comprises identifying feeds in the plurality of feeds that form beams to cover the first target terrestrial regions with at least one of signal power or signal gain above respective predetermined thresholds.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein controlling the switching circuitry to route the first group of signals comprises:

selecting, in the switching circuitry, a first number of switches to connect the plurality of amplifiers to the first set of feeds; and

activating the first number of switches such that the first group of signals is routed from the plurality of amplifiers to the first set of feeds through the first group of switches without routing the signals to other feeds outside the first set of feeds.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein identifying the first set of feeds comprises identifying feeds equal in number to a total number of signals in the first group of signals, and

wherein selecting the first number of switches comprises selecting a number of switches that is equal to or less than the first set of feeds.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the plurality of amplifiers includes (i) distinct groups of amplifiers with each group of amplifiers coupled to a distinct group of switches in the switching circuitry, and (ii) one or more spare amplifiers, with each spare amplifier coupled to at least two distinct groups of amplifiers through a switch, the method further comprising:

conditioned on an amplifier in a group of amplifiers failing, activating a spare amplifier coupled to the group of amplifiers to transmit signals that were configured to be transmitted using the failed amplifier.

18. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

receiving a second group of signals for transmission through the plurality of amplifiers;

determining second target terrestrial regions for transmitting the second group of signals;

identifying, in the plurality of feeds, a second set of feeds for forming beams covering the second target terrestrial regions; and

controlling the switching circuitry to route the second group of signals from the plurality of amplifiers to the second set of feeds, wherein the second group of signals trigger the second set of feeds to form beams that cover the second target terrestrial regions.

19. The method of claim 13, wherein routing the first group of signals from the plurality of amplifiers to the first set of feeds comprises:

routing, using the switching circuitry, the first group of signals from the plurality of amplifiers to a first group of hybrid matrices in a plurality of hybrid matrices included in the beamforming satellite, each hybrid matrix of the first group of hybrid matrices coupled to a feed of the first set of feeds and one or more other feeds of the plurality of feeds; and

controlling each hybrid matrix of the first group of hybrid matrices to forward a corresponding signal of the first group of signals received at the respective hybrid matrix to a corresponding feed of the first set of feeds coupled to the respective hybrid matrix.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

determining whether all first target terrestrial regions are covered by beams formed using the first set of feeds;

based on determining that all first target terrestrial regions are not covered by beams formed using the first set of feeds, identifying one or more sections of the first target terrestrial regions that are to be covered by beams formed using the first set of feeds;

identifying a subset of feeds in the first set of feeds to form beams covering the one or more sections of the first target terrestrial regions;

selecting one or more hybrid matrices from the first group of hybrid matrices that are coupled to the subset of feeds;

controlling each hybrid matrix of the one or more hybrid matrices to pair a corresponding feed of the first set feeds that is coupled to the hybrid matrix with at least one other feed couple to the hybrid matrix;

forwarding a corresponding signal of the first group of signals received at each hybrid matrix of the one or more hybrid matrices to the corresponding paired feeds; and

forwarding a corresponding signal of the first group of signals received at each of the remaining hybrid matrices of the first group of hybrid matrices to the corresponding feed of the first set of feeds coupled to the respective hybrid matrix.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein determining whether all first target terrestrial regions are covered by beams formed using the first set of feeds comprises determining whether the beams formed using the first set of feeds can transmit the signals to the first target terrestrial regions with at least one of signal power or signal gain above respective predetermined thresholds.

22. The method of claim 19, wherein controlling each hybrid matrix of the first group of hybrid matrices to forward a corresponding signal of the first group of signals received at the respective hybrid matrix to the corresponding feed of the first set of feeds coupled to the respective hybrid matrix comprises:

receiving, at an input port of the hybrid matrix, the corresponding signal of the first group of signals;

identifying, from a plurality of feeds coupled to output ports of the hybrid matrix, a feed in the first set of feeds; and

forwarding the corresponding signal received at the input port of the hybrid matrix to the feed in the first set of feeds that is coupled to an output port of the hybrid matrix.

23. The method of claim 13, wherein receiving the first group of signals for transmission through a plurality of amplifiers included in a beamforming satellite comprises receiving the first group of signals for transmission through a plurality of amplifiers included in a beamforming satellite.