Viasat, Inc.

John Bacigalupi

Parker A Robinson

Brian G Greinke

Craig A Miller

An antenna array may be associated with forming discovery beams within a geographic area, where each discovery beam may be formed by a corresponding set of antennas of the antenna array and cover a discovery area within the geographic area. Preambles transmitted from terminals within a discovery area of a discovery beam may be detected using the antenna array. Based on detecting a preamble using a discovery beam, a presence of a terminal in a corresponding discovery area may be determined. Based on determining the presence of the terminal, signals detected at a second set of antennas of the antenna array may be processed according to beam coefficients to obtain a beam signal of a communication beam that includes a beam coverage area encompassing a position of the terminal. Each detected signal may comprise a respective component of a signal transmitted by the terminal.

Beamforming using sparse antenna arrays

Methods, systems, and devices communications are described. A terminal may be identified with a geographic region. First beam coefficients may be determined for an antenna array having interelement spacing of antennas that is different across the antenna array. The first beam coefficients may be used to form a first beam for the terminal, where a coverage area of the first beam may encompass the geographic region. The first beam may be used to communicate with the terminal. Based on a utilization of the first beam exceeding a threshold, second beam coefficients may be determined for the antenna array. The second beam coefficients may be used to form a second beam, where a coverage area of the second beam may be different than the coverage area of the first beam. The second beam may be used to communicate with the terminal.

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Carlsbad, CA, United States of America

John Bacigalupi