Ground network for end-to-end beamforming
First Claim
1. A method of providing a communication service to user terminals distributed over a user coverage area via an end-to-end relay comprising multiple return receive/transmit signal paths, the method comprising:
- receiving, at a plurality of access nodes at geographically distributed locations, respective return downlink signals from the end-to-end relay, each of the respective return downlink signals comprising return user data streams transmitted from a plurality of the user terminals and relayed by the end-to-end relay, to form a composite return signalidentifying a return beam weight matrix for end-to-end beamforming of transmissions from multiple return user beam coverage areas to the plurality of access nodes via the end-to-end relay;
applying, to each of the respective composite return signals, respective beamforming weights of the return beam weight matrix to obtain a respective plurality of weighted composite return signals associated with each of the multiple return user beam coverage areas; and
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 plurality of access nodes prior to the combining.
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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
33 Claims
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1. A method of providing a communication service to user terminals distributed over a user coverage area via an end-to-end relay comprising multiple return receive/transmit signal paths, the method comprising:
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receiving, at a plurality of access nodes at geographically distributed locations, respective return downlink signals from the end-to-end relay, each of the respective return downlink signals comprising return user data streams transmitted from a plurality of the user terminals and relayed by the end-to-end relay, to form a composite return signal identifying a return beam weight matrix for end-to-end beamforming of transmissions from multiple return user beam coverage areas to the plurality of access nodes via the end-to-end relay; applying, to each of the respective composite return signals, respective beamforming weights of the return beam weight matrix to obtain a respective plurality of weighted composite return signals associated with each of the multiple return user beam coverage areas; and 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 plurality of access nodes prior to the combining. - 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, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33)
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Specification