Tubis Technology Inc.

Hughes Electronics Corporation

The Boeing Company

Chak M Chie

James Han Wang

Arnold L Berman

Harold A Rosen

Michael I Mandell

Brian K Pheiffer

Wei-Chun Wang

A phased-array antenna panel has front end modules mounted on a Printed Circuit Board (PCB). Several phased-array processing die, transform phase and gain according to a register array in an RFIC on the PCB. The register array are grouped into a local register group and a global register group. Each set of local registers control an individual antenna element and a global register group controls overall RFIC function. The apparatus elaborates phase shift weights into a submodule of a phased-array antenna system. Each submodule determines its own base phase shift weight per its unique location and configuration to accelerate antenna beam direction changes.

Hierarchically elaborated phased-array antenna modules and method of operation

A system substantially updates all the phase shifter values of a phased array antenna by using two 'global writes' to update these parameters to all phased-array transformation circuits simultaneously via a serial bus. Antenna elements, each controlled by a phased-array transformation circuit, are individually configured to transform phase and gain according to a register array. The register array has a local register group and a central register group, the local registers physically placed close in proximity to RF chains which each correspond to an element of array antenna, whereby each set of local registers control an individual antenna element and a central register controlling overall beam steering function. Gain values are hierarchically distributed. The apparatus is configured to efficiently elaborate phase shift weights into a submodule of a phase array antenna system with low noise and bandwidth.

Hierarchically elaborated phased-array antenna modules and faster beam steering method of operation

A method of operation for a hierarchically elaborated phased-array antenna. Within a plurality of front end modules a phased-array processing die individually transforms phase and gain according to a register array. The register array in each RFIC is grouped into a local register group and a global register group, the local registers physically placed close in proximity to RF chains which each correspond to an element of array antenna, whereby each set of local registers control an individual antenna element and a global register controlling overall RFIC function. The method efficiently elaborates phase shift weights into a submodule of a phase array antenna system. Within each subarray phase control submodule the method recursively elaborates weights to control phase shifters. The method receives and transforms pairs of major operators and minor operators. The method distributes to each submodule determining its own base phase shift weight per its unique configuration.

An apparatus substantially updates all the phase shifter values of a phased array antenna by using 'global write' to update these parameters to all phased-array transformation circuits simultaneously via a serial bus. Antenna elements, each controlled by a phased-array transformation circuit, are individually configured to transform phase and gain according to a register array. The register array has a local register group and a central register group, the local registers physically placed close in proximity to RF chains which each correspond to an element of array antenna, whereby each set of local registers control an individual antenna element and a central register controlling overall beam steering function. The apparatus is configured to efficiently elaborate phase shift weights into a submodule of a phase array antenna system with low noise and bandwidth.

A differential encoding and decoding system and method for multiplexed data is disclosed. The multiplexed data is formed from a plurality of input data sources. The differential encoding and decoding uses a delay proportional to the number of input data streams in the plurality. In this fashion, errors that propagate from an error in one of the input data sources does not interfere with other input data sources upon de-multiplexing.

Differential encoding for multiplexed data streams

A TDMA beacon for satellite system synchronization includes a beacon signal generator and a time division multiplexed switch. The beacon signal generator generates a beacon signal. The TDM switch is coupled to the beacon signal generator and receives the beacon signal. The TDM switch embeds the beacon signal with a data signal into a TDMA signal. The TDMA signal is then broadcast to a ground station where the beacon signal may be extracted from the TDMA signal and used to synchronize a terminal with the satellite system.

TDMA beacon for satellite system synchronization

Apparatus and methods that compensate for the effects of gain and phase variations of a high power amplifier in the presence of multicarrier traffic. The calibration system and method impose negligible degradation to the multicarrier traffic processed by the high power amplifier. A calibration signal generator is used to generate a plurality of nondisrupting calibration signals, such as pseudorandom numbers, which are also summed and combined with the multicarrier traffic signals. The plurality of nondisrupting calibration signals are also combined to produce a combined nondisrupting calibration signal. Each of the nondisrupting calibration signals is selectively output and is combined with sampled versions of the amplified multicarrier traffic signals produced by the high power amplifier to despread them. The despread multicarrier traffic signals are then processed in a processor to generate signals indicative of total signal power, intermodulation power, and phase shift of the despread multicarrier traffic signals to determine a current operating point of the high power amplifier on its gain transfer curve. Gain and phase control signals are generated by a processor that are coupled to the gain control and phase control circuits to set the amplifier at its most desirable operating point.

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Culver City, CA, United States of America

Chak M Chie