Hughes Network Systems, LLC

Guy Bryan Montgomery

Suresh Kumar Korada

Rajeev Gautam Oza

George Joseph Choquette

Satyajit Roy

Jack Lundstedt

John Alfred Schmid

Bahman Salamat

Yezdi F Antia

Peter Johns

Eric Humphrey

George Eapen

Roderick Ragland

Yeqing Tang

Jeffrey Biber

Brian Smith

Rithambara Sriraman

Dan Hooper

A system and method for providing terminals with permitted power spectral density (PSD) limits for regions of a coverage area including: dividing a coverage area into regions, each region having a boundary; assigning a PSD limit to each region; receiving a location of a transmitting entity; determining a transmitting entity region from the regions based on the location; and transmitting with a respective PSD limit of the transmitting entity region.

Power spectral density limits for regions of a coverage area in a satellite communication system

A system and method for selecting a beam from satellite beams to communicate with a terminal at a location. The method includes dividing a satellite coverage area into beam service areas (BSAs) for a satellite network, where each of the BSAs is associated with a respective beam information; selecting, with a computer, a select BSA from the BSAs based on the location; and communicating between the terminal and a gateway using a beam. In the method, the location is located in the select BSA, the beam is identified by the respective beam information associated with the select BSA, and the BSAs define a boundary having a closed polygon shape.

Use of polygons to specify beam service areas in a satellite communication system

Systems and methods implementing prioritization of network resources in an aeronautical satellite network system, which determines network utilization of a beam of the aeronautical satellite system by a plurality of aircraft using network capacity of the beam, where network demand in the beam indicated by the network utilization is greater than capacity of the beam, share network bandwidth of the beam to the plurality of aircraft based on a service priority factor, where the service priority factor may depend on altitude of the plurality of aircraft in the beam.

Prioritization in aeronautical satellite networks

A system and method for beam switching by a User Terminal (UT). The method includes initiating a beam switch between an old beam and a new beam when the UT is disposed in an overlap area of the old beam and the new beam; duplicating over the new beam, at a Network Access Point (NAP), user traffic to the UT; and assigning a Time Division Multiplex Access (TDMA) allocation for the UT on the new beam, prior to an arrival of the UT on the new beam, where the user traffic traversing a satellite network remains uninterrupted during the beam switch and the NAP redirects user traffic for the UT via the old beam to the new beam.

Beam switching user data outage reduction in a spot beam satellite system

A system includes a remote computer. The remote computer includes a processor and a memory. The memory stores instructions executable by the processor to receive location data of a plurality of satellite terminals, select, based on the received location data, for each of the plurality of satellite terminals, a respective satellite beam for providing satellite communications, and broadcast a message to the plurality of satellite terminals including data specifying respective selected satellite beams for each of the plurality of satellite terminals.

Satellite beam selection

The present teachings include a method and computing apparatus for triggering synchronization of a satellite modem to a carrier frequency of a beam of a satellite, retrieving ephemeris information for the satellite and beam configuration information for the beam, calculating a velocity of the satellite per the ephemeris information, and adjusting the carrier frequency of the satellite modem when communicating via the beam to compensate for a doppler offset induced in the carrier frequency by the velocity. In the method, the satellite has a satellite type selected from a Geosynchronous Earth Orbit (GEO), Medium Earth Orbit (MEO) or Low Earth Orbit (LEO) type of satellite, and the satellite type is different than a satellite type of an immediately preceding synchronization.

Mobile satellite modem for combined geostationary, medium and low earth orbit satellite operation

Systems and methods are described, and one method includes receiving at a first network a request for a second network configuration data and an identifier of a first network home service plan of the mobile terminal, and transmitting to the second network an inter-network configuration data request. The inter-network configuration data request carries the request for the second network configuration data and an identifier of the mobile terminal's first network home service plan. The first network receives from the second network an inter-network configuration data response that carries the second network configuration data and, in response, transmits the second network configuration data to the mobile terminal.

Inter network roaming between independently managed satellite networks

Some implementations of the disclosure are directed to a satellite terminal comprising: a modem; and a radio frequency unit (RFU) configured to amplify and frequency upconvert a transmit signal for transmission over an inroute channel of a satellite communications network, the RFU comprising: an input power meter configured to measure a first power level of an intermediate frequency (IF) signal transmitted from the modem to an input of the RFU; an upconverter configured to frequency upconvert the IF signal to obtain a radio frequency (RF) signal; and an output power meter configured to measure a second power level of the RF signal. By taking the readings from the input and output power meters of the RFU, one or more calibration related functions, including a determination of the power loss due to the IF cable or a determination of the upconverter's gain, may be automatically performed at the satellite terminal.

System and method for using dual power meters for satellite terminal calibration

An embodiment of the present invention is a system to maximize efficiency as a mobile terminal receives data signals transmitted through multiple satellite spot beams. The multiple spot beams can be broadcast via a single satellite or multiple satellites. As a mobile terminal travels throughout a region, the system determines which spot beam would delivers data in the most efficient manner possible. This system takes into account multiple factors, including but not limited to velocity of the mobile terminal, traffic within a spot beam, business affiliations, etc. Once the system takes into account the various factors, an embodiment of the present invention generates a relative weighted factor that is subsequently associated with various available spot beams. Based on rankings of the weighted factors associated with each spot beam, the system may choose to receive data from a different spot beam.

System and method of predictive satellite spot beam selection

Power spectral density in an aeronautical satellite communication system is controlled through the use of adaptive inroute selection and spreading. Once a communication session has been established between the aircraft and the satellite, environmental conditions and aircraft conditions are monitored to detect events capable of affecting transmit/receive properties during the communication session. A maximum allowable transmission output is determined based, at least in part, on governmental regulations and the conditions being monitored. One or more transmit parameters are adjusted during the time interval in order to maintain transmission output power of the aircraft terminal below the maximum allowable transmission output power.

Power spectral density control using AIS and spreading in an aeronautical SATCOM terminal using a low profile antenna

Power spectral density in an aeronautical satellite communication system is controlled through the use of adaptive inroute selection and spreading. Once a communication session has been established between the aircraft and the satellite, environmental conditions and aircraft conditions are monitored to detect events capable of affecting transmit/receive properties during the communication session. A maximum allowable transmission output is determined based, at least in part, on governmental regulations and the conditions being monitored. One or more transmit parameters are adjusted in order to maintain transmission output power of the aircraft terminal below the maximum allowable transmission output power.

A mobile terminal for satellite communications receives communication, e.g., from a gateway via a satellite link. A frequency lock loop unit locks to the carrier frequency of the received communication. The mobile terminal includes a global positioning system for receiving global positioning data. The mobile terminal determines the Doppler frequency shift of the received communications based on the global positioning data. The mobile terminal generates a reference clock for return transmissions based on the frequency of the frequency lock loop, corrected for the Doppler shift. A correction factor of two times the determined Doppler frequency shift is used, to compensate for both a forward and return transmission link.

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Potomac, MD, United States of America

Guy Bryan Montgomery