Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation

Trw Limited

Garrick Jon Harmon

Stuart T Linsky

David L Brundrett

Harvey L Berger

Terrence R Smigla

Dennis A Nivens

Michael S Munoz

Fred C Tramm

Nicholas F DiCamillo

Robert W White

Michael Steven Muñoz

Raymond M Nuber

Nicholas Francis Di Camillo

A communication system, a method of and an apparatus for communicating messages. N messages are transmitted from an originating station to a relaying station in a signal with frequencies within a bandwidth B, with each of the N messages having frequencies within a unique frequency band. Messages with adjacent frequency bands have the same or different bandwidths. At the relaying station, the messages are separated into groups of messages having the same bandwidth, where all messages in any group occupy non-adjacent frequency bands, and the messages of each group are then combined. Each combined group of messages is applied to a separate amplifier. Two or more messages of the same bandwidth may share a common traveling wave tube amplifier. Each amplified group of messages is then separated into separate messages which are transmitted to respective receiving stations.

Signal processing apparatus and method, and communication system utilizing same

A communications system, a communications station, a method of controlling the power to transmitters in a communications station, and a storage medium storing instructions for controlling power to a communications satellite. The power consumed by each transmitter is determined, and desired power settings are determined. The power consumed is compared with the desired power settings. If the power settings are not proper, then it is determined whether the desired power is available. If so, then the power settings are adjusted. If not, then load priorities of the transmitters are determined, and if there is sufficient power to provide for the determined load priorities, the power settings are adjusted. The communications station includes variable gain amplifiers (---n), to provide intermediate signals; high gain amplifiers (---n) for amplifying the intermediate signals to output signals; monitoring power supplies (---n) for determining the power provided by the high gain amplifiers, and a power profile processor () for adjusting the gain of the variable gain amplifiers.

Transmission power control in a satellite communication system

A data routing subsystem () for a communication satellite includes an inbound module () that accepts demodulated uplink data. The inbound module () includes a routing table () that stores queue tags () specifying downlink beam hop locations () for the uplink data. The subsystem () also includes a self addressed packet switch () having an input port coupled to the inbound module (), and an outbound module () coupled to an output port of the switch (). A memory () in the outbound module () stores the uplink data in accordance with the downlink beam hop locations (). A multiple beam array antenna () is coupled to the outbound module (). The multiple beam array antenna () includes a first feed element () assigned to a first downlink beam hop location () and a second feed element () assigned to a second downlink beam hop location ().

Beam hopping self addressed packet switched communication system with multiple beam array antenna

A system and method for increasing the performance of a satellite communication system by using a multivariate analysis approach to optimize the pointing of the boresight of a satellite-mounted antenna. Optimizing the pointing of the boresight of the antenna minimizes sidelobe generation, and thus Co-Channel Interference (CCI) in geographic areas served by the system. By minimizing CCI, the overall system performance of the communication system is optimized. To optimize the pointing of the boresight of the antenna, the overall performance of the satellite communication system is determined, and the boresight of the antenna is iteratively repointed in the direction of increasing system performance until the optimized boresight pointing is determined. Alternatively, the frequency re-use plan of the satellite communication system may be analyzed to determine a high density cell region and the boresight may be pointed to the high density cell region.

Reducing co-channel interference in satellite communications systems by antenna re-pointing

A satellite antenna system ( ) that employs a small phased antenna array ( ) acting as redundant antenna. Because the phased array ( ) is steerable, it can be selectively directed to any of the cells ( ) on the Earth ( ) in the event that the LNA in an antenna channel ( ) fails. The phased array ( ) is switched into each antenna channel ( ) after the channel front end ( ) where a switch ( ) used to switch in the phased array ( ) is after the amplification in the channel ( ). Therefore, the switch ( ) does not significantly affect the noise figure of the channel front end ( ).

Steerable uplink antenna for moveable redundant beams

A communications satellite method and are provided for controlling a configuration of spot beams produced by a communications satellite. A plurality of spot beams are generated by a communications satellite while maintained at a first orbital position with respect to a first portion of the earth. The plurality of spot beams are configured in a first cell pattern to substantially encompass a first portion of the Earth. The satellite is moved to a second orbital position with respect to a second portion of the earth. Once moved, the satellite is reconfigured such that a second plurality of spot beams form a second pattern to substantially cover the new portion of the earth of interest. A network of switches allows the satellite to be reconfigured for operation from multiple orbital positions. The switching network directs individual feeds to different signal paths having different bandwidth and power capabilities.

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Long Beach, CA, United States of America

Garrick Jon Harmon