Satellite communication power management system
First Claim
1. A method for operating a communications signal transmitter, comprising the steps of:
- receiving a communications signal;
sensing a signal strength of the received communications signal;
adjusting an output of a power supply that supplies operating power to a communications signal transmitter amplifier in accordance with the sensed signal strength so as to increase the output power of the power supply when the sensed signal strength increases and to decrease the output power of the power supply when the sensed signal strength decreases to thereby change the output power capacity of the communications signal transmitter amplifier; and
amplifying the received communications signal with the communications signal transmitter amplifier.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Disclosed is a method for operating a communications signal transmitter and apparatus for carrying out the method. The method includes the steps of receiving a communications signal; sensing an amount of user demand; adjusting an output of a power supply that supplies operating power to a communications signal transmitter amplifier in accordance with the sensed demand so as to increase the output of the power supply when the sensed demand increases and to decrease the output of the power supply when the sensed demand decreases; and amplifying the received communications signal with the communications signal transmitter amplifier. The step of adjusting includes the steps of setting the duty cycle of a pulse width modulated signal as a function of at least the sensed signal strength; driving a switch with the pulse width modulated signal to chop a primary DC source into an AC signal; and synchronously rectifying the AC signal with an inverse of the pulse width modulated signal to provide a DC output from the power supply for supplying the operating power to the communications signal transmitter amplifier.
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Citations
32 Claims
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1. A method for operating a communications signal transmitter, comprising the steps of:
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receiving a communications signal; sensing a signal strength of the received communications signal; adjusting an output of a power supply that supplies operating power to a communications signal transmitter amplifier in accordance with the sensed signal strength so as to increase the output power of the power supply when the sensed signal strength increases and to decrease the output power of the power supply when the sensed signal strength decreases to thereby change the output power capacity of the communications signal transmitter amplifier; and amplifying the received communications signal with the communications signal transmitter amplifier. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3)
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4. A method for operating a communications payload of a satellite, comprising the steps of:
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receiving communications signals for a plurality of users; sensing a demand for the communications payload at least in part from the received communications signals; frequency shifting the received communications signals; adjusting an output of a power supply that supplies operating power to a communications payload signal transmitter amplifier in accordance with the sensed demand so as to increase the output power of the power supply when the sensed demand increases and to decrease the output sower of the power supply when the sensed demand decreases to thereby change the output power capacity of the communications payload signal transmitter amplifier; and amplifying the frequency shifted communications signals with the communications signal transmitter amplifier. - View Dependent Claims (5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A communications signal transponder, comprising:
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a receiver for receiving a communications signal; means for sensing a signal strength of the received communications signal; a transmitter amplifier for amplifying the received communications signal; a power supply for providing operating power to the transmitter amplifier; and means for adjusting an output of the power supply in accordance with the sensed signal strength so as to increase the output power of the power supply when the sensed signal strength increases and to decrease the output power of the power supply when the sensed signal strength decreases to thereby change the output power capacity of the transmitter amplifier. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11)
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12. A satellite communications payload, comprising:
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a receiver for receiving communications signals for a plurality of users; means for sensing a demand for the communications payload at least in part from the received communications signals; means for frequency shifting the received communications signals; a transmitter amplifier for amplifying the shifted communications signals; a power supply for providing operating power to the transmitter amplifier; and means for adjusting an output of said power supply in accordance with the sensed demand so as to increase the output power of the power supply when the sensed demand increases and to decrease the output power of the power supply when the sensed demand decreases to thereby chance the output power capacity of the transmitter amplifier. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A satellite communications payload for use on a low earth orbit communications satellite, comprising:
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a receiver for receiving spread spectrum communications signals for a plurality of users; means for sensing a demand for the communications payload at least in part from the received spread spectrum communications signals; means for frequency shifting the received communications signals; a plurality of substantially linear transmitter amplifiers for amplifying the shifted spread spectrum communications signals, said plurality of transmitter amplifiers having outputs coupled to elements of a phased array transmitter antenna structure; a power supply for providing operating power to said plurality of transmitter amplifiers; and means for adjusting an output of said power supply in accordance with the sensed demand so as to increase the output power of the power supply when the sensed demand increases and to decrease the output power of the power supply when the sensed demand decreases, whereby the power consumption of said plurality of transmitter amplifiers is varied in accordance with the sensed demand so as to chance the output power capacity of said plurality of transmitter amplifiers.
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21. A communications payload for use on a spacecraft, comprising:
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a receiver for receiving uplinked communications signals to be transmitted to a plurality of terrestrial receivers; at least one substantially linear transmitter amplifier coupled to said receiver for amplifying the received communications signals prior to transmission of the communications signals to the terrestrial receivers; a dc-dc converter for providing operating power to the at least one transmitter amplifier, said dc-dc converter providing an output voltage that is adjustable within a range of output voltages; and a controller coupled to said dc-dc converter for adjusting the output voltage of the dc-dc converter in accordance with a predicted demand so as to increase the output voltage of the dc-dc converter when the predicted demand increases and to decrease the output voltage of the dc-dc converter when the predicted demand decreases such that the power consumption of the at least one transmitter amplifier is varied as a function of the predicted demand. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29)
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30. A method for operating a satellite communications payload, comprising the steps of:
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receiving a signal that indicates a predicted demand for the satellite communications payload over a predetermined period of time; receiving communications signals for a plurality of terrestrial users; frequency shifting the received communications signals; during the predetermined period of time, adjusting an output of a dc-dc converter that supplies operating power to a communications payload transmitter amplifier in accordance with the received signal so as to increase the output power of the dc-dc converter when the predicted demand increases and to decrease the output power of the dc-dc converter when the predicted demand decreases; and amplifying the frequency shifted communications signals with the communications signal transmitter amplifier. - View Dependent Claims (31, 32)
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Specification