Space Systems/loral, LLC

Edward Hirschfield

Robert A Wiedeman

Stanley Canter

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.

Satellite communication power management system

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 a signal strength of the received communications signal, the signal strength being indicative of the current user demand; 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 of the power supply when the sensed signal strength increases and to decrease the output of the power supply when the sensed signal strength decreases; and amplifying the received communications signal with the communications signal transmitter amplifier. The step of sensing may include a step of subtracting a noise component from the received communications signal. 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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Cupertino, CA, United States of America

Edward Hirschfield