Lockheed Martin Corporation

Loral Aerospace Corp.

Space Systems/loral, LLC

Ford Aerospace & Communications Corporation

Ford Aerospace Corporation

Lockheed Martin Aerospace Corporation

Frank Chethik

Richard W Koralek

Richard D Breen, Jr

Eric Steven Fain

Dennis Lee Wilson

Francis James Smith

Paul Steven Schwartz

David H Miller

Julius Lange

Robert M Tanner

David D Feldman

Stephen B Lengel

Bryan S Costello

Timothy A Becker

Donald R Pandori

Aspects of the disclosure provide an antenna array system. The antenna array system includes a plurality of antenna elements and phase-shift switching circuitry. The plurality of antenna elements are organized in an array and configured to form a non-planar shaped antenna array surface. Each of the plurality of antenna elements is switchable to one of a plurality of phase shift states. The phase-shift switching circuitry is configured to switch each of the plurality of antenna elements to one of the plurality of phase shift states based on phase control signals. In an example, the phase-shift switching circuitry switches a first set of antenna elements to a first phase shift state and switches at least a second set of antenna elements to a second phase shift state to steer an antenna beam in a direction.

Conformal array antenna

A field programmable microwave array is provided. The field programmable microwave array includes one or more RF elements interconnected by an array of switching elements. The switching elements enable the field programmable microwave array to perform one or more RF or microwave subassembly functions.

Field programmable microwave arrays

A system and method for transmitting data from a satellite to a terrestrial receiving station are provided. The system comprises a satellite including a rate adaptive data receiver. The system is configured to establish a data transmission for the satellite to the terrestrial receiving station; the data transmission having an initial transmission rate. The system further monitors one or more downlink parameters of the data transmission, and when the one or more downlink parameters meets a criteria, both the rate adaptive data transmitter and the rate adaptive data receiver simultaneously adjust the data transmission to a new data transmission rate, and transmit the data at the new data transmission rate.

Rate adaptive satellite communications

An antenna array system comprising a plurality of antenna elements organized in an array and configured to form a non-planar shaped antenna array surface. The antenna array system further comprises switching circuitry configured to switch each of the plurality of antenna elements on or off based on control signals. In one embodiment, the antenna array system is configured such that the antenna beam direction can be steered in a first direction by switching on a first set of antenna elements, and the antenna beam direction can be steered in a second direction by switching on a second set of antenna elements. In one embodiment, the second set of antenna elements can include one or more antenna elements from the first set of antenna elements, or the second set of antenna elements may not include any antenna elements from the first set.

High-gain conformal array antenna

A hybrid optical and millimeter wave beam acquisition and tracking system and method. A host platform includes an INS and a GPS for generating geolocation data, optical and RF receivers, and a common optical/RF aperture. An interface is coupled to the host platform by way of a mechanical gimbal and includes a beamsplitter, an optical gimbal and optical aperture, and an RF aperture. A CPU on the interface includes an optical track error processor for acquiring the optical beam by systematically searching for a focused light spot in a focal plane of the optical receiver, an RF track error processor for outputting gimbal angles of the mechanical gimbal that are derived from the aperture of the RF receiver that are referenced to the inertial navigation system, and a search and track processor that generates an optical gimbal control signal for the optical gimbal and a mechanical gimbal control signal for the mechanical gimbal for tracking the optical and RF beams.

Hybrid RF/optical acquisition and tracking system and method

A virtual coherent signal controlled laser oscillator for use in optical phase locked coherent receivers. The present invention employs a fixed laser oscillator in combination with a signal controlled microwave oscillator. A single sideband mixer processes the signals output by the laser oscillator and microwave oscillator to generate a single controlled optical frequency signal.

Virtual coherent signal controlled oscillator

Multi-dimensional packet recovery systems and methods that permit recovery of lost packets and packets containing transmission errors that are transmitted over a network. The packet recovery systems and methods transmit a multi-dimensional array comprising rows, columns and hyperdimensional volumes of data packets between a source node and one or more destination nodes.

Multi-dimensional packet recovery system and method

An autocalibrating modulating array transmitter and autocalibration method . The autocalibrating modulating array transmitter is used to gain-balance and phase-balance parallel amplifier stages for coherent combining. The novelty of the autocalibration technique involves periodic substitution of calibration symbols into a valid data stream, the use of only the error magnitude (as opposed to magnitude and phase), and a random selection of either gain or phase adjustments to avoid limit cycles.

Modulating array transmitter autocalibration method and system

An improved constellation pruning and partial Gray coding method for generating constellations that are transmitted by a transmitter. The approximate symbol error rate (SER) for each possible subconstellation is first determined. Then, each of the subconstellations are scaled in terms of power so that each subconstellation has the same symbol error rate. Then, the subconstellation that requires the least amount of power to generate is selected as the pruned constellation for use by the transmitter. After the pruned constellation is determined, it is then coded a single time, and this coded pruned constellation is used by the transmitter.

Two-dimensional constellation generation, pruning, and partial gray coding for bandwidth and power efficiency

A Medium Earth Orbit (MEO) satellite constellation comprising two satellite subconstellations. Each of the two satellite subconstellations comprises three cross-linked satellites. The cross-linked satellites of both subconstellations lay within or near the equatorial plane, and follow a substantially circular orbit. Individual ones of the satellites within each respective subconstellation are offset from each of two adjacent satellites of at least one of the other subconstellations by a predetermined angle. Each of the satellite subconstellations relays communications between a terrestrial node and at least one mission platform in a manner that minimizes the number of satellite links necessary for relaying the communications. At least one satellite from each respective subconstellation is always within a view of the terrestrial node.

Medium earth orbit communications satellite system

A delay element and method for delaying an RF/microwave signal. The delay element uses a laser and an RF modulator to modulate a laser beam using an applied RF/microwave input signal. Collimating optics collimate the modulated laser beam and couple the beam to a delay element that controllably delays the modulated laser beam and hence the RF/microwave signal. The delay element has fixed retroreflectors, moveable retroreflectors disposed on a moveable armature or permanent magnet, and a coil disposed on a spring and coupled to the moveable armature. The beam is reflected multiple times between the fixed and multiple moveable retroreflectors. A dash pot may be used to suppress mechanical oscillation of the permanent magnet and moveable retroreflectors. A delay control current source supplies current to the coil to control movement of the moveable retroreflectors and thus the path length and delay experienced by the modulated laser beam. An RF detector detects and recovers the RF input signal to provide a delayed RF output signal from the delay element.

Opto-mechanical controlled variable RF/microwave delay element and method

A combining technique for coherently combining signals transmitted from a moving satellite that are received by separate antennas. The combining technique corrects for differential delays that are large enough to cause misalignments in the symbols of the communication signal as well as the phase of the signal. Further the combining technique tracks changes in the differential delay, keeping the phase and the symbols properly aligned for combining.

Combiner with phase and delay correction

Delay systems that employ switched discrete delay elements and continuously variable controlled delay elements to achieve a continuous (glitchless) delay range. The delay systems incorporate several technologies and subsystems to realize very high bandwidth-time product delay elements to provide for precise and continuous delay control.

High bandwidth-time product continuously variable controlled delay system

A transversal filter equalizer comprising a programmable transmitter baseband equalizer for use in high rate digital transmitters. The programmable transmitter baseband equalizer processes digital data using a 1/2-symbol spaced transversal filter to produce I and Q baseband signals. The 1/2-symbol spaced transversal filter comprises I and Q n-bit wide shift register stages having alternate pairs of I and Q shift register stages driven by opposite phases of an input data clock, multiplying digital-to-analog converters driven by two direct tap weights and two cross tap weights, and I and Q combiners for generating I and Q baseband signals. The I and Q baseband signals are fed to a quadrature modulator that produces the desired constellation.

Programmable transmitter baseband equalizer

A programmable digital baseband receiver that processes a large number of signal waveforms and data rates. Programmable elements of the receiver implement coherent signal detection, automatic gain control and decision processing that permits processing of a large number of signal bandwidth efficient QAM and similar signal formats. The receiver comprises a threshold array having a plurality of programmable complex threshold detectors, and selectable decoder tree logic structures embodied in threshold interpreters. Each programmable complex threshold detector is a fully programmable I, Q threshold detector employing programmable I, Q sign threshold detectors that is adapted to the received complex baseband signal constellation.

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Palo Alto, CA, United States of America

Frank Chethik