Laser communications following an atmospheric event

• US 10,009,101 B2
• Filed: 03/17/2015
• Issued: 06/26/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/17/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Everett, Matthew M., Leuer, John P., Whelan, David A., Lambert, Stephen G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Vanderpuye, Ken N
• Assistant Examiner(s): Alagheband, Abbas H
• Application Number:
  US14/660,781
• Publication Number:
  US 20170026122A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,197 Days
• Field of Search: 398124, 398121, 398125, 398128, 398130, 398 12
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/00 Devices or arrangements for the control of the intensity, colour, phase, polarisation or direction of light arriving from an independent light source, e.g. switching, gating or modulating; Non-linear optics
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/061 Two dimensional planar arrays
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 25/00 Antennas or antenna systems providing at least two radiating patterns arrangements for changing or varying the orientation or the shape of the directional pattern H01Q3/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/40 with phasing matrix
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/00 Transmission systems employing electromagnetic waves other than radio-waves, e.g. infrared, visible or ultraviolet light, or employing corpuscular radiation, e.g. quantum communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/112 Line-of-sight transmission over an extended range
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/118 specially adapted for satellite communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/503 Laser transmitters
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/19 Earth-synchronous stations

Abstract

Systems, methods, and apparatus for laser communications following an atmospheric event. In one or more embodiments, the disclosed method involves transmitting, by at least one laser on at least one first satellite, at least one first transmit signal. The method further involves receiving, by at least one detector on at least one first satellite, at least one first receive signal. In one or more embodiments, at least one first satellite is in super-geosynchronous earth orbit (S-GEO). In at least one embodiment, at least one first transmit signal and at least one first receive signal are laser signals. Further, the method involves adapting, by at least one first processor on at least one first satellite, at least one first transmit signal according to at least one atmospheric event.

Claims

1. A method for communications, the method comprising:

transmitting, by at least one laser on at least one first satellite, at least one first transmit signal;

receiving, by at least one detector on the at least one first satellite, at least one first receive signal,

wherein the at least one first transmit signal and the at least one first receive signal are laser signals;

adapting, by at least one first processor on the at least one first satellite, the at least one first transmit signal according to at least one atmospheric event;

when the at least one atmospheric event occurs, storing, by the at least one first processor on the at least one first satellite, at least one critical mission parameter of an as-is state of the at least one first satellite in memory; and

when the at least one atmospheric event ends, uploading, by the at least one first processor on the at least one first satellite, the at least one critical mission parameter from the memory, and configuring, by the at least one first processor on the at least one first satellite, the at least one first satellite according to the at least one critical mission parameter.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one atmospheric event is at least one of a natural event or a manmade event.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the natural event is a solar flare.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the manmade event is an electromagnetic pulse (EMP).

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one first satellite is in super-geosynchronous earth orbit (S-GEO).

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one first transmit signal employs interleavers, and the interleavers are adaptable according to the at least one atmospheric event.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one first transmit signal employs codecs, and the codecs are adaptable according to the at least one atmospheric event.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein a data rate of the at least one first transmit signal is adaptable according to the at least one atmospheric event.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one first transmit signal is modulated, and a modulation format of the at least one first transmit signal is adaptable according to the at least one atmospheric event.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises:

monitoring, with the at least one first processor on the at least one first satellite, at least one of link performance of the at least one receive signal or radiation data;

determining, with the at least one first processor on the at least one first satellite, whether the at least one atmospheric event has occurred using at least one of the link performance or the radiation data.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises:

monitoring, with the at least one second processor associated with at least one user, at least one of link performance of the at least one transmit signal or radiation data;

determining, with the at least one second processor associated with at least one user, whether the at least one atmospheric event has occurred using at least one of the link performance or the radiation data.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises receiving, by at least one user, the at least one first transmit signal.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein more than one of the at least one user are separated by spatial separation.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein more than one of the at least one user are separated by spectral separation.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein more than one of the at least one user are separated by polarization separation.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein more than one of the at least one user are separated by temporal separation.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein more than one of the at least one user are separated by code separation.

18. A system for communications, the system comprising:

at least one laser on at least one first satellite to transmit at least one first transmit signal;

at least one detector on the least one first satellite to receive at least one first receive signal,

wherein the at least one first transmit signal and the at least one first receive signal are laser signals; and

at least one first processor, on the at least one first satellite, to adapt the at least one first transmit signal according to at least one atmospheric event;

when the at least one atmospheric event occurs, to store at least one critical mission parameter of an as-is state of the at least one first satellite in memory; and

when the at least one atmospheric event ends, to upload the at least one critical mission parameter from the memory and to configure the at least one first satellite according to the at least one critical mission parameter.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the system further comprises at least one shielding on the at least one first satellite for protection from the at least one atmospheric event.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein the system further comprises at least one telemetry and command (T&

C) acquisition sensor on the at least one first satellite, wherein the at least one T&

C acquisition sensor is radiation hardened.

21. The system of claim 18, wherein the system further comprises adaptive optics associated with at least one user, wherein the at least one user receives the at least one first transmit signal.