The Directv Group, Inc.

Hughes Electronics Corporation

Other

Hughes Aircraft Company

Frank A Hagen

Donald C D Chang

Kar W Yung

Ming U Chang

Ying J Feria

Weizheng W Wang

Alan Cha

John I Novak, Iii

Donald C Chang

David C Cheng

William W Mayfield

Jacqueline C Chen

Samuel C Reynolds

Richard Flammang

Joseph G Gurley

Alan c/o The Directv Group Inc Cha

A method of detecting RDX in soil includes the steps of: planting a plurality of prickly sida plants in a defined area; remotely monitoring the pigmentation of the prickly sida plants using hyperspectral imaging; and identifying one or more areas within the defined area that are contaminated by RDX based on the monitored pigmentation of the prickly sida plants.

RDX plant indicator system

A mobile wireless communications system including a plurality of individual transponding nodes of various types, all in communication with a central processing hub. A local user signal is processed by the central processing hub and radiated through multiple paths to a plurality of the plurality of individual transponding platforms simultaneously. The signal is then re-radiated by each of the plurality of the plurality of individual transponding platforms to a mobile terminal that receives the re-radiated signal from the plurality of the plurality of individual transponding platforms coherently and in phase. The number of transponders and codes used to transmit each user signal can be readily adapted to user requirements.

Multi-platform wireless communication system for a variety of different user types

A communication system has a stratospheric platform with a payload controller and a phased array antenna having a plurality of main array elements for generating a plurality of communication beams and a plurality of auxiliary elements for canceling interference between the communication beams. A gateway station communicates with the stratospheric platform. The gateway station scales the plurality of elements to form a reconfigurable plurality of beams. The gateway station communicates an embedded control signal to the stratospheric platform to communicate a scaling of elements to form the communication beams and the auxiliary element output. The auxiliary element output is used to provide interference canceling.

Stratospheric-based communication system for mobile users using additional phased array elements for interference rejection

A communication system has a stratospheric platform with a payload controller and a phased array antenna having a plurality of main array elements for generating a plurality of communication beams and a plurality of auxiliary elements for canceling interference between the communication beam. A gateway station communicates with the stratospheric platform. The gateway station scales the plurality of elements to form a reconfigurable plurality of beams. The gateway station communicates an embedded control signal to the stratospheric platform to communicate a scaling of elements to form the communication beams and the auxiliary element output. The auxiliary element output is used to provide interference canceling.

A mobile wireless communications system including a plurality of individual transponding nodes of various types, all in communication with a central processing hub. A local user signal is processed by the central processing hub and radiated through multiple paths to a plurality of the plurality of individual transponding platforms simultaneously. The signal is then re-radiated by each of the plurality of the plurality of individual transponding platforms to a mobile terminal that receives the re-radiated signal from the plurality of the plurality of individual transponding platforms coherently and in phase. The number of transponders and codes used to transmit each user signal can be readily adapted to user requirements. Additionally, each user is assigned a profit value by the central processing hub depending upon certain user characteristics. The assigned user profit value allows the total system utility/profitability to be maximized.

Resource allocation method for multi-platform communication system

A mobile wireless communications system including a plurality of individual transponding platforms all in communication with a central processing hub. A signal processed by the central processing hub is radiated simultaneously through multiple paths to a plurality of the individual transponding platforms. The signal transmitted to each transponding platform by the hub is appropriately delayed by the hub so as to equalize the differential delay of all such signals from a given receiver location. The radiated signal is then re-radiated by each of the plurality of individual transponding platforms to a mobile satellite terminal that receives the re-radiated signal from the plurality of individual transponding platforms. The signals from the plurality of transponding platforms are all received coherently by the intended user, and incoherently by all other users.

Multi-node wireless communication system with multiple transponding platforms

A method for coherent phase synchronous CDMA communications between a gateway and multiple subscribers via multiple transponder platforms that includes the step of synchronizing a local reference clock for each subscriber in a service area to a single master reference clock for multiple transponder platforms wherein the distance separating the transponder platforms is constrained to a range wherein the local reference clocks for all subscribers have substantially the same phase with respect to the master reference clock.

Coherent phase synchronous code division multiple access communications from multiple transponder platforms

A wireless communication system includes a satellite constellation consisting of a plurality of satellites. Each of the plurality of satellites is in an orbit whose eccentricity and inclination are perturbed relative to the same geosynchronous orbit. Each of the satellites in the constellation is capable of relaying signals in either direction between a central ground hub and a plurality of mobile user terminals. The plurality of satellites are configured such that the period of their geosynchronous orbit remains substantially constant at one sidereal day.

Multi-node point-to-point satellite communication system employing multiple geo satellites

A novel method and apparatus is described for reducing the number of CDMA codes for a constellation of multiple trasponder platforms serving a number of subscribers in the same service area. A coherent processing technique synchronizes the phase of CDMA signals arriving at a subscriber from multiple trasponder platforms to increase the code capacity and thus the number of possible subscribers for most of the multiple transponder platform systems in current use.

Coherent synchronization of code division multiple access signals

A mobile wireless communications system including a plurality of individual transponding nodes all in communication with a central processing hub. A local user signal is processed by the central processing hub and radiated through multiple paths to a plurality of the plurality of individual transponding platforms simultaneously. The signal is then re-radiated by each of the plurality of the plurality of individual transponding platforms to a mobile terminal associated with a remote user that receives the re-radiated signal from the plurality of the plurality of individual transponding platforms coherently and in phase. The number of transponders and codes used to transmit each user signal can be readily adapted to user requirements. The central hub can determine the position of each of the remote users based on stored information derived from the synchronization of the various signals, and specifically relating to the timing, phase or frequency of the signals in both the forward and return link.

User positioning technique for multi-platform communication system

A system and method for tracking a user. The system is adapted for use in a wireless communication system and creates a plurality of beams within a coverage area. A first beam is directed at a user in a first microcell and a number of additional beams illuminate microcells immediately adjacent the first microcell. The system is equipped with a mechanism for detecting movement of the user from the first microcell to one of the immediately adjacent microcells. On the detection of movement of the user, the system redirects the first beam from the first microcell to a second microcell, the second microcell being one of the adjacent microcells. In the illustrative embodiment, the system is implemented in a stratospheric platform based communication system including a hub adapted to communicate with a stratospheric platform. A transceiver and a phased array antenna are disposed on the platform to communicate with the hub and with the user. A second antenna is provided on the platform to communicate with the hub. Beamforming and direction are implemented on the hub and communicated to the platform. The user's position is detected with a global positioning system receiver, by measuring the strength of a signal received from the user, or by other suitable means. On detection of user movement from the first microcell, the beamforming system redirects the beam to follow the user into a second microcell. Additional beams around the user's microcell are illuminated to facilitate detection of the users movement.

Micro cell architecture for mobile user tracking communication system

A method for integrating coverage areas of multiple transponder platforms includes the step of arranging a plurality of coverage areas in a cluster wherein each of the plurality of coverage areas is assigned a color that differs from that of every other coverage area in a same cluster and wherein each of the plurality of coverage areas overlaps at least one other coverage area in the same cluster for maximizing utilization of multiple system resources.

Integrating coverage areas of multiple transponder platforms

A method and system for using two-way ranging navigation to accurately determine the location of a transponder platform above-Earth or a fixed or mobile target on the ground or on water. The two-way ranging navigation measurements are used as calibration references, thereby improving the positioning accuracy of GPS. The system includes GPS and a two-way ranging navigation system for taking position measurements of a target. A correction factor is determined as a function of the measurements and the GPS position is adjusted by the correction factor. The method for calibrating GPS using two-way ranging navigation involves taking a two-way ranging navigation measurement and a GPS measurement of a target, determining a correction factor as a function of the measurements, and correcting the GPS position by taking a second GPS measurement and adjusting it by the correction factor.

Position location of multiple transponding platforms and users using two-way ranging as a calibration reference for GPS

A communications system and method of operating the communications system includes a high altitude communication device that communicates with a plurality of user terminals and a gateway station. The gateway station couples the users to terrestrial networks and other users. The high altitude communication device has gateway station that assigns a first code to a beam of a first plurality of users. The gateway station continually determines whether an interference occurs between the first beam and the second beam by determining whether the first interference contour intersects the second interference contour when the first interference contour intersects the second interference contour. The gateway station declares an interference when the contours intersect and reassigns a second resource to the first beam.

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Palos Verdes Estates, CA, United States of America

Frank A Hagen