Hughes Aircraft Company

Hughes Electronics Corporation

Other

The Boeing Company

James D Thompson

Harold A Rosen

Arnold L Berman

Steven O Lane

Robert E Vaughan

Todd K Citron

Rolf Kich

Parthasarathy Ramanujam

Dennis E Gates

Glenn N Caplin

Mohammad Soleimani

Marvin R Wachs

Richard L Bennett

Stephen F Sichi

Cynthia A Dixon

David S Levinson

Jeffrey E Outwater

David Ross Goldberg

David M Kershner

John R Dunwoody

Debbie H Feuerborn

Gregory S Czuba

Leeor Pressman

Blake D Henson

Tim Lewis Scott

Lomash J Shah

Shai Erlich

Rabia Ozden

A system for communications between a lunar or planetary surface and the Earth may include a first communications satellite adapted to be positioned in a predetermined orbit relative to a celestial body. A first antenna may be mounted on the first communications satellite. The first antenna may include a predetermined beam shape for communications between the first communications satellite and an asset on the lunar or planetary surface. A second antenna may also be mounted on the first communications satellite. The second antenna may include a selected beam shape for communications between the first communications satellite and the Earth. A communications system may be included for relaying communications between the first and second antennas.

Lunar communications system

Methods and apparatus are provided for stabilizing the phase and gain of an amplifier in a power pooling arrangement. A pilot signal combining a reference carrier frequency with a reference sideband frequency is passed through the amplifier via an adjustable phase shifter and an adjustable attenuator in the amplifier input line. A portion of the amplified pilot signal is coupled from the output of the amplifier and mixed with the reference frequency. The remaining audio frequency signal is compared to a reference (input) audio signal to determine phase and gain changes during amplification in the amplifier. Phase and gain control signals are developed from this comparison, and are fed back to the adjustable phase shifter and adjustable attenuator, respectively, in order to compensate an incoming signal for phase and gain variations in the amplifier.

Amplifier gain and phase stabilizer

Portable stair

A system and method for adjusting satellite communication signal transmit power for signals transmitted to a localized region within a satellite coverage area utilize real-time information on weather conditions ( ) and/or actual path losses ( ) within the localized regions to adjust the effective isotropic radiated power (EIRP) of the satellite beams ( ) to minimize the total radio frequency (RF) power required for transmission. The transmission system may be realized using a variety of antenna types for transmitting spot beams and/or area coverage beams. Representative antenna implementations include multi-beam antennas having a low-level beamforming network and hybrid matrix amplifier system, phased-array with independent input amplitude control and beamsteering for each beam, and a phased-array feeding a confocal imaging system for single broadcast beam per polarization. The present invention allows for the reduction of RF transmit power to achieve the same communications performance enabling either increases in satellite functionality and/or an increase in total capacity of the satellite communication system.

Satellite transmission system with adaptive transmission loss compensation

A reconfigurable payload for a satellite having a flexible antenna system, a variable downconverter technology and a filter technology that all work in combination to allow the payload of a satellite to be reconfigured in orbit.

Reconfigurable satellite and antenna coverage communications backup capabilities

A beam-forming network having a network of phase shifting devices that is independent from other parts of the beam-forming network. In one embodiment, the network of phase shifting devices has multiple layers between the power divider and power combiner layers. The multiple layers provide a selectable phase shift for each feed independent from the other feeds. In another embodiment, the network of phase shifting devices is one layer of commendable phase shifters. In any embodiment, the resulting composite beam has higher directivity and lower side lobes as compared to conventional beam-forming networks.

Beam forming network incorporating phase compensation

Amplifier-induced intermodulation distortion (IMD) is reduced by encoding a multi-frequency input composite signal into multiple encoded signals that vary from each other in their power amplitudes as a function of frequency, amplifying the encoded signals, and then decoding them in a complementary fashion so as to differentiate between the amplified signal components and the IMD components. The amplified signal components are coherently combined to separate them from the IMD components, which are incoherently combined. The input signal is preferably encoded by dividng it into multiple divided signals, introducing relative phase shifts between the divided signals that vary as a function of frequency, and combining the divided and phase shifted signals with each other in a Butler matrix prior to amplification. The phase shifts are introduced by means of time delays that are preferably equal to integer multiples of 4.PI. divided by the input signal bandwidth.

Low IMD amplification method and apparatus

A coaxial 'M' switch having three coaxial input connectors (A, B, C) spaced evenly from each other, and three coaxial output connectors (1, 2, 3) identically arranged. In a cylindrical barrel embodiment (10) the input and output connectors are located at opposite ends of a cylindrical configuration. In one planar embodiment (30), the input and output connectors alternate with each other and define a hexagonal configuration (40). In another planar embodiment, the input connectors (A, B, C) define an inner triangular configuration (70) that is surrounded by the output connectors (1, 2, 3) defining an outer triangular configuration. In each embodiment, reeds are actuated in predetermined configurations to define three switch positions.

Coaxial 'M' switch

A mobile, satellite-based communication system includes a defined signaling arrangement developed from an analysis of factors including movement of the mobile terminals, movement of the satellite, beam discrepancies and duration of the call to the mobile terminal to set up a frame assignment plan for time division multiple access (TDMA) carriers and identifying permissible frame offset which can be accommodated throughout the entire transmission. As a result, timing and frequency references from a mobile to mobile command (MMC) may be provided from a reference source along with receive and transmit data communications without losing the command signals or the communication information and providing highly efficient use of each carriers time slots for receiving transmitting communication signals. Similarly, the signaling arrangement permits an efficient frame structure and a time slot assignment plan that does not require enhanced equipment at the mobile terminal. Moreover, the signaling frame assignment is applicable to multibeam satellite-based mobile communication systems for use with communications between mobile terminals and gateways as well as between mobile terminals.

Handset signalling time slot assignment plan for satellite mobile

A management system and calibration method for use with a phased array antenna that increases its robustness to component changes or failures. The present invention employs a system level measurement of amplitude and phase, conducted during nodal operation, to determine on an element by element basis, the tracking performance of individual chains that for the antennas. This amplitude and phase information is employed to compensate the each chain for the measured error. The present system and method measures the amplitude and phase of individual element chains utilizing probe carriers. The required correction coefficients for each chain is determined from the measured amplitude and phase data, and each individual element chain is individually compensated to remedy the amplitude and phase errors. The present system and method generates a probe carrier that is applied to each element chain along with normal communication signal waveforms. The probe carrier is sufficiently small (narrow bandwidth, low power, or encoded) so that it does not significantly degrade system operation. The relative amplitude and phase of the probe carrier, as applied to an element chain, is measured. By switching the probe carrier in time sequence between each chain, the differential amplitude and phase characteristics of each of the chains is determined. This also serves to detect component failures in a chain. Each chain includes commandable amplitude and phase weighting networks. Once the differential amplitude and phase tracing characteristics of the antenna re characterized, the individual weighting networks are commanded to settings that compensate for the measured values.

Phased array antenna management system and calibration method

An apparatus for separating bottles held together by a molded plastic sheet having a depending peripheral edge, wherein the ends of a plurality of fingers carried by a moveable frame extend inwardly to positions below the depending edge of and inside the periphery of the molded sheet when the frame is moved downward. A support member positioned above the fingers and moveably mounted on the frame is provided with a plurality of depending posts which are positioned in a pattern which is congruent to the pattern of the bottle necks, these posts serving to prevent upward movement of the bottles when the frame and fingers are moved upwardly to strip the molded sheet from the necks of the bottles.

Apparatus for separating bottles in a pack

A multiplexer for the transmission of signals on different carrier frequencies includes a Butler matrix with a set of delay elements secured to output terminals of the matrix. Each of the delay elements differs from the other delay elements in that the delays imparted to signals by each of the elements differ by an integral number of delay units. The selection of frequency values is made in accordance with the increment in delay unit so as to develop incremental values of phase shift which compensate for phase shift introduced by the phase shift taper of a Butler matrix. This permits summation of signals from plural input ports of the matrix without the generation of intermodulation products among the various signal channels.

Plural frequency matrix multiplexer

A beam-forming network (98) employs one or a plurality of first transmission delay lines (168, 170, 172, 174) for receiving transmit signals (T1-T4) applied thereto, and a plurality of second transmission lines (176), which serve as line summers. Each of the first transmission delay lines has first and second portions (168a, 168b; 170a, 170b; 172a; 172b; 174a; 174b) spaced apart from one another so as to define first and second levels displaced from one another. The set of second transmission lines (176) are arranged in first and second subsets (176a, 176b) which are respectively disposed adjacent to the first and second levels and respectively associated with the first and second portions of the first lines, such that the first subset of second lines is coupled to the first portion of the first lines, and the second subset of the second lines is coupled to the second portion of the first lines. Further, selected ones of the first subset of second lines are disposed adjacent to selected ones of the second subset of second lines in order to facilitate simple and orderly routing of transmission lines (126, 128, 130) between the beam-forming network and a novel equal power amplifier system (100) described herein.

Plural level beam-forming netowrk

A phased array antenna system (20; 120) having an array (22; 122) of radiating elements (24-30; H1-H32), such as pyramidal horns, and a distribution network (32; 124) connected thereto, has a dual mode of operation where each mode produces a composite beam which can and preferably does produce an identical far-field electromagnetic radiation pattern. The first composite beam is made up of a plurality of individual beams, forming a linear combination of excitation coefficients (a.sub.1 -a.sub.4) that are mathematically orthogonal to the linear combination of excitation coefficients (b.sub.1 -b.sub.4) of the individual beams of the other composite beam. A plurality of input ports (42-44; 176-178) are provided, and each composite beam is associated with an information-bearing input signal applied to one of the input ports. The distribution network (32; 124) is preferably constructed with at least two stages of signal-dividing devices (52-58; 222-228, 270-282) such as directional couplers and at least a pair of phase-shifting devices (60-62; 230-232, 284-296). By using passive devices, the distribution network (32; 124) is substantially lossless and reciprocal, and can thus also be used for dual mode reception of two distinct beams.

Growing community of inventors

Manhattan Beach, CA, United States of America

James D Thompson