Thales Alenia Space Italia S.p.a. Con Unico Socio

Domenico Giancristofaro

Diego Calabrese

Giacinto Losquadro

Roberto Venturini

Giuseppe Tomasicchio

Gaetano Pastore

Guglielmo Lulli

Cinzia Moca

Massimo Fonte

Gianluca Chiarelli

A localization method for locating a target that is coupled with a locator transponder associated with a permanent identification code permanently assigned to the locator transponder is provided. The localization method includes: a) transmitting a spread spectrum paging signal carrying the permanent identification code and a shorter temporary identification code temporarily assigned to the locator transponder; b) receiving the spread spectrum paging signal and extracting the temporary identification code carried by the received spread spectrum paging signal; c) transmitting radar signals towards area(s) of earth's surface or sky and receiving echo signals therefrom; d) upon reception by the locator transponder of radar signal(s), generating and transmitting a sequence of watermarked radar echo signals in which a spread spectrum watermarking signal is embedded that includes the temporary identification code; e) carrying out localization operations; f) transmitting frequency-synchronization-aid signal(s); g) receiving the frequency-synchronization-aid signal(s) and estimating a frequency drift affecting a reference frequency provided by a local oscillator of the locator transponder; wherein the locator transponder transmits the sequence of watermarked radar echo signals by using a transmission carrier frequency obtained based on the reference frequency provided by the local oscillator and on the estimated frequency drift.

Locator system and related localization method and service with innovative time and frequency sinchronization of localizator transponders

The invention relates to an interconnection network for forward error correction encoders and decoders, including N input terminals, N output terminals, and M stages. Each stage includes switching elements having input pins and output pins. The input pins of the switching elements of the first stage are connected to the input terminals, and the output pins of the switching elements of the last stage are connected to the output terminals. The input and output pins of the switching elements of immediately successive stages are connected in a hardwired fashion so as to form a plurality of interconnection sub-networks for routing respective input values from respective output pins of the switching elements of the first stage to respective input pins of the switching elements of the last stage.

Minimum-size belief propagation network for FEC iterative encoders and decoders and related routing method

The present invention concerns a localization method for locating a target that is coupled with a locator transponder associated with a permanent identification code permanently assigned to said locator transponder; the localization method comprising: upon reception of a user request for locating the target, transmitting, by a paging system or by a radar-based system, a spread spectrum paging signal carrying the permanent identification code and a temporary identification code temporarily assigned to the locator transponder, wherein said temporary identification code is shorter than said permanent identification code; receiving, by the locator transponder, the spread spectrum paging signal and extracting, by said locator transponder, the temporary identification code carried by said spread spectrum paging signal received; transmitting, by the radar-based system, radar signals towards one or more areas of earth's surface or sky, and receiving, by said radar-based system, echo signals from said one or more areas of the earth's surface or sky; upon reception by the locator transponder of one or more radar signals transmitted by the radar-based system, generating and transmitting, by said locator transponder, a sequence of watermarked radar echo signals in which a spread spectrum watermarking signal is embedded, wherein said spread spectrum watermarking signal carries the temporary identification code extracted.

Innovative locator system, related low power consumption regenerative transponder and related localization method and service

A hybrid processor system for use on board a telecommunications multi-beam satellite is provided that is controllable by a network control center via one or more control channels. The system links to ground terminals by: providing uplink and downlink traffic channels on several satellite beams; routing atomic switched information blocks from the uplink traffic channels to the downlink traffic channels; and exchanging signaling data with the ground terminals on one or more uplink signaling channels and one or more downlink signaling channels. The atomic switched information blocks have the same given time duration and the same given baseband bandwidth. The hybrid processor system includes a burst switching processor and an on-board processor controller which is configured to store service information items indicative of: the given time duration and the given baseband bandwidth of the atomic switched information blocks; the respective uplink bandwidth, the respective uplink frequencies, a respective time length of the respective uplink time slots, and respective structure features of the respective uplink time frames and superframes of each uplink channel; the respective downlink bandwidth, the respective downlink frequencies, a respective time length of the respective downlink time slots, and respective structure features of the respective downlink time frames and superframes of each downlink channel; and quality of service and priority rules for serving the ground terminals. The on-board processor controller is further configured to extract, from incoming signaling data capacity requests sent by the ground terminals by demodulating and decoding the incoming signaling data.

Growing community of inventors

Rome, Italy

Domenico Giancristofaro