The Boeing Company

Other

Greg Busche

Ying J Feria

John T Sullivan

Murat Veysoglu

Robert Dennis Hawkins

Robert E Vaughan

Brett Poirier

Lori Shima

David Arthur Whelan

Lindsay E Krejcarek

Jeffrey Matthew Jesiolowski

John M Sullivan

Chandra S Koduru

Kihyun Kevin Suh

Becky Xiao-Chun Li

Murat E Veysoglu

Jeffrey M Jesiolowski

A satellite system may have a constellation of communications satellites that provides services to users with electronic devices such as portable electronic devices and home and office equipment. A network operations center may use gateways to communicate with the satellite constellation. The satellite constellation may include sets of satellites with different orbits such as circular orbits with different inclinations, sets of satellites with elliptic orbits, sets of satellites with circular orbits of different altitudes including low earth orbits, medium earth orbits, and/or geosynchronous orbits, and/or sets of satellites with other orbits. The satellite orbits of the satellites in the satellite constellation may be selected to provide coverage to desired user population concentrations at different locations on the earth without using an excessive number of satellites.

Satellite constellation having multiple orbital inclinations

A communications system includes radio frequency equipment to generate a forward link configured for wireless transmissions of a base-to-user data stream from a plurality of airborne communications relay platforms to at least one user terminal, wherein the forward link includes a plurality of relay-to-user links, each one of the plurality of relay-to-user links includes a relay-to-user radio frequency signal encoded with a different base-to-user data sub-stream.

System and method for distributed wireless communications

A satellite communication system may include a communication satellite orbiting Earth, a user terminal in radio communication with the communication satellite through a user link, a communication relay apparatus operating at an altitude of approximately 65,000 feet and in optical communication with the communication satellite through a feeder link, and a gateway station in radio communication with the communication relay apparatus through a gateway link.

Satellite communication system

A system is provided for overlapping cells for wireless coverage in a cellular communication system. The system includes a beam-weight generator and beamformer coupled to the beam-weight generator. The beam-weight generator is configured to generate a plurality of beam weights including at least first and second sets of beam weights. And the beamformer is configured to apply the first and second sets of beam weights to signals in a cellular communication system. The cellular communication system provides coverage over a geographic region divided into cells arranged in overlapping first and second layers of cells having criteria optimized for respective, distinct first and second types of services, or communication by respective, distinct first and second types of user terminals. In this regard, the criteria are reflected in the first and second sets of beam weights.

Overlapping cells for wireless coverage

A method is provided that includes measuring amplitudes and phases of signals reflected off a reflector of a satellite, with the amplitudes and phases forming a first set of measurements. The method includes calculating an element correlation matrix as a function of the first set of measurements. The element correlation matrix represents a radiated feed element pattern off the reflector. And the method includes adjusting a formed beam pattern of a beamformer based on the element correlation matrix to thereby compensate for a non-ideal surface of the reflector.

Compensating for a non-ideal surface of a reflector in a satellite communication system

A relay and distribution apparatus is provided for a cellular communication system. The relay and distribution apparatus includes an antenna system configured to lay down beams in overlapping first and M second N-cell frequency reuse patterns. The first frequency reuse pattern may be for communication of control channels of a cellular communication system, and the second frequency reuse patterns may be for communication of traffic channels exclusive of control channels of the cellular communication system. The second frequency reuse patterns may be staggered with one another. And cells of the second frequency reuse patterns may have a size only a fraction of which is for transmission of traffic channels any of which may be assignable through a control channel of the first reuse frequency pattern.

Staggered cells for wireless coverage

A system is provided for overlapping cells for wireless coverage in a cellular communication system. The system includes a beam-weight generator and beamformer coupled to the beam-weight generator. The beam-weight generator is configured to generate a plurality of beam weights including at least first and second sets of beam weights. And the beamformer is configured to apply the first and second sets of beam weights to signals in a cellular communication system. The cellular communication system provides coverage over a geographic region divided into cells arranged in overlapping first and second layers of cells having criteria optimized for communication by respective, distinct first and second types of user terminals. In this regard, the criteria are reflected in the first and second sets of beam weights.

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Rancho Palos Verdes, CA, United States of America

Greg Busche