Wireless communication system with split spot beam payload
First Claim
1. A wireless communication system comprising a first wireless communication platform and a second wireless communication platform, wherein said first wireless communication platform is interchangeable with said second wireless communication platform and wherein said first wireless communication platform provides a first subset of cellular coverage and said second wireless communication platform provides a second subset of cellular coverage, wherein said first subset of cellular coverage is interlaced with said second subset of cellular coverage.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A wireless communication system includes multiple wireless communication platforms carrying reflectors for providing spot beams. By using multiple platforms, the payload can be split. Each platform carries only a part of the reflectors needed to provide coverage for a certain geographic area. That allows the reflectors to be of larger size providing smaller spot beams. The multiple platforms of the wireless communication system are designed to be interchangeable. Therefore, only one standby platform is necessary for backup. By further providing an closed-loop pointing control method it is possible to keep multiple platforms pointed accurately relative to each other and relative to the user coverage area.
53 Citations
31 Claims
- 1. A wireless communication system comprising a first wireless communication platform and a second wireless communication platform, wherein said first wireless communication platform is interchangeable with said second wireless communication platform and wherein said first wireless communication platform provides a first subset of cellular coverage and said second wireless communication platform provides a second subset of cellular coverage, wherein said first subset of cellular coverage is interlaced with said second subset of cellular coverage.
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13. A wireless communication system, comprising:
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a first wireless communication platform;
a second wireless communication platform being interchangeable with said first wireless communication platform;
a first reflector and a second reflector both said first reflector and said second reflector being carried by said first wireless communication platform, wherein said first reflector provides a first set of spot beams and said second reflector provides a second set of spot beams, and both said first reflector and said second reflector receive an array of antenna feeds;
a third reflector and a fourth reflector both said third reflector and said fourth reflector being carried by said second wireless communication platform, wherein said third reflector provides a third set of spot beams and said fourth reflector provides a fourth set of spot beams, and both said third reflector and said fourth reflector receive said array of antenna feeds;
a first set of stripes of cellular coverage, wherein said spot beams of said first set of spot beams alternate with said spot beams of said second set of spot beams within each stripe of said first set of stripes;
a second set of stripes of cellular coverage, wherein said spot beams of said third set of spot beams alternate with said spot beams of said fourth set of spot beams within each stripe of said second set of stripes, and said second set of stripes is interlaced with said first set of stripes to form a geographic area receiving combined cellular coverage from said first wireless communication platform and said second wireless communication platform; and
a standby wireless communication platform being interchangeable with said first wireless communication platform and with said second wireless communication platform, and wherein said standby wireless communication platform provides back up for said first wireless communication platform and for said second wireless communication platform. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16)
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17. A wireless communication system, comprising:
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a first wireless communication platform;
a second wireless communication platform being interchangeable with said first wireless communication platform;
a first reflector and a second reflector both said first reflector and said second reflector being carried by said first wireless communication platform, wherein said first reflector provides coverage for a first set of cells and said second reflector provides coverage for a second set of cells, and both said first reflector and said second reflector receive an array of antenna feeds;
a third reflector and a fourth reflector both said third reflector and said fourth reflector being carried by said second wireless communication platform, wherein said third reflector provides coverage for a third set of cells and said fourth reflector provides coverage for a fourth set of cells, and both said third reflector and said fourth reflector receive said array of antenna feeds;
a first set of stripes of cellular coverage, wherein said cells of said first set of cells alternate with said cells of said second set of cells within each stripe of said first set of stripes;
a second set of stripes of cellular coverage, wherein said cells of said third set of cells alternate with said cells of said fourth set of cells within each stripe of said second set of stripes, and said second set of stripes is interlaced with said first set of stripes to form a geographic area receiving combined cellular coverage from said first wireless communication platform and said second wireless communication platform; and
a standby wireless communication platform being interchangeable with said first wireless communication platform and with said second wireless communication platform, and wherein said standby wireless communication platform provides back up for said first wireless communication platform and for said second wireless communication platform. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20)
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21. A wireless communication platform, comprising:
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a first reflector and a second reflector, wherein said first reflector provides a first set of spot beams and said second reflector provides a second set of spot beams, and both said first reflector and said second reflector receive an array of antenna feeds; and
a subset of cellular coverage of a geographic area, wherein said spot beams of said first set of spot beams alternate with said spot beams of said second set of spot beams within said subset. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23)
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24. A method for providing continuous cellular coverage over a wide geographic area, including the steps of:
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providing a wireless communication system including a first wireless communication platform and a second wireless communication platform, wherein said platforms are interchangeable and wherein said platforms carry a payload that includes a first reflector, a second reflector, a third reflector, and a fourth reflector;
splitting said payload between said first wireless communication platform and said second wireless communication platform, wherein said first wireless communication platform carries said first reflector and said second reflector and said second wireless communication platform carries said third and said fourth reflector;
providing an array of antenna feeds to each of said reflectors;
providing a first set of spot beams with said first reflector;
providing a second set of spot beams with said second reflector;
providing a third set of spot beams with said third reflector;
providing a fourth set of spot beams with said fourth reflector;
providing a first subset of cellular coverage, wherein said spot beams of said first set of spot beams alternate with said spot beams of said second set of spot beams within said first subset;
providing a second subset of cellular coverage wherein said spot beams of said third set of spot beams alternate with said spot beams of said fourth set of spot beams within said second subset;
interlacing said first subset with said second subset; and
forming a geographic area receiving combined cellular coverage from said first wireless communication platform and said second wireless communication platform. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27)
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28. A method for closed loop pointing control, comprising the steps of:
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providing a wireless communication system that includes at least one wireless communication platform carrying at least one reflector and that provides cellular coverage to a geographic area;
providing spot beam signals having a certain strength with said wireless communication platform;
providing a wide area beam signal having a certain strength with said wireless communication platform;
providing a plurality of user ground terminals, each having the capability to measure and to report signal strength data of said spot beam signal and signal strength data of said wide area beam signal;
providing a ground control station having the capability to collect said signal strength data, compute a ratio of said spot beam signal strength to said wide area beam signal strength, analyze said ratio and to send corrective commands to said reflectors as needed;
identifying and selecting sample user ground terminals evenly dispersed over said geographic area;
collecting signal strength data of said spot beams and collecting signal strength data of said wide area beam;
estimating a wide area coverage antenna pattern by locally averaging and geographically smoothing said collected signal strength data for said wide area beam;
gathering signal strength ratio data for the ratio of each spot beam to said wide area beam;
multiplying said signal strength ratio data by said smoothed wide area beam signal strength;
geographically smoothing data received in said step of multiplying to receive an accurate estimate of the actual spot beam pattern;
comparing said estimated spot beam pattern to an ideal performance pattern;
computing a pointing error;
generating a corrective demand to said reflector if said reflector has a pointing error with no distortion;
generating progressively smaller commands for repositioning said reflector until said pointing error is eliminated;
generating small corrective bus attitude commands depending on particular design of said reflector if said reflector has a pointing error with distortion; and
starting a next cycle by collecting new signal strength data of said spot beams and signal strength data of said wide area beam to provide continuous pointing control. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30, 31)
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Specification