Selenia Spazio

Finmeccanica Spa

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

Gaspare Galati

Finmeccanica—societa' Per Azioni

Giacinto Losquadro

Giorgio Perrotta

Diego Calabrese

Domenico Giancristofaro

Roberto Winkler

Mario Falconi

Roberto Venturini

Rodolfo Mura

Paolo Conforto

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

The present invention provides apparatus for processing and regenerating the signals of telecommunication satellites, for meshed communications on multi-beam coverage between standard DVB-RCS and DVB-S2 user terminals and apparatus for filtering and routing the signals transferred between ground terminals.

System for satellite digital communications with onboard processing adaptive to the attenuation traffic and radio interface conditions for point to point communication and meshed grids

A pointing system for reflector type antennas providing a high degree of accuracy with low loss over wide scan areas, including a fixed illuminator retained in fixed position at the focal point of the reflector of the antenna. Surrounding the illuminator is a Cardanic joint which acts as a spherical hinge capable of radial rotation around the illuminator. Attached to the Cardanic joint is a support arm which is connected to the reflector. The reflector is therefore freely movable in a spherical path defined around the illuminator with the illuminator coinciding with the center of the sphere. The illuminator is kept within the focal point of the reflector regardless of the position of the reflector as it spherically rotates around the illuminator. Tension springs in the Cardanic joint and guide wires controlled by motors are provided for finely positioning the support arm and reflector in any given position along the spherical rotative path through which the reflector is able to move. The beam axis of the antenna is continuously variable through the complete range of motion of the reflector, and therefore the antenna system is capable of scanning over large areas. The fine positioning of the reflector and the lack of need for articulated connectors to the feed of the antenna provide for low loss and high pointing accuracy.

Fine pointing system for reflector type antennas

A fine tracking radio frequency sensor system capable of locating ground beacons within an angular field which is substantially larger than -3dB antennae beamwidth beams, to be used preferably on board artificial telecommunication satellites equipped with single or multiple beam antennae.

Antenna tracking system using sequential lobing

A radar system for primary and secondary airspace surveillance, and especially for the detection and tracking of moving targets, consisting of a number of elementary satellites connected to nonrigid structures and of a main satellite, which performs accurate measurement of the position and altitude of elementary satellites and real-time adaptive combination of radar signals coming from them, so as to provide a large-phased array operating in the microwave band. This system overcomes the limitations on dimensioned large space-bound antennae found in the literature, minimizing the incidence and effects of undesired echoes and interference and assuring high detection accuracy. The fact that the elementary satellites are all the same (modular) makes possible gradual assembly of the system with possible expansion in time and assures particularly high operating availability.

Distributed-array radar system comprising an array of interconnected

A digital signal to be transmitted (TXSG) is encoded through an external code device (EXCD); digital signal TXSG' so obtained (with a bit rate greater than TXSG) is used to modulate, through modulator MOD 1, a transmission carrier later amplified by transmitter TEQ 1 and radiated by antenna ANT1. The RF carrier sent by the transmitter is received by an intermediate transponder through antenna ANT2, receiver REQ2 and demodulator DEM1, which reconstitutes signal TXSG', save for transmission errors. The signal so received is once again encoded by internal coder INCD, obtaining a new digital signal TXSG', which has a bit rate even higher than TXSG'. This TXSG' signal is then used to modulate a second RF carrier by means of MOD2 modulator. The resulting signal is amplified by TEQ2 and radiated by antenna ANT3. The RF signal sent by the transponder is received by the receiver terminal through ANT4 and, through receiver (REQ2) and demodulation (DEM2) units, a RXSG' signal is rebuilt, coinciding, save for transmission errors, with signal TXSG'. Such signal is decoded by internal decoder INDC, thereby obtaining a signal RXSG' which, save for transmission errors, coincides with signal TXSG'. This last signal is decoded by external decoder EXDC so as to rebuild signal RXSG which, save for transmission errors, coincides with transmitted signal TXSG.

Growing community of inventors

Rome, Italy

Giacinto Losquadro