Hughes Network Systems, LLC

The Directv Group, Inc.

John Corrigan

Frank B Stamps

Channasandra S Ravishankar

Deepak Manohar Arur

Gaguk Zakaria

Nassir Benammar

Yash Vasavada

Rajeev Gopal

Xiaoling Huang

Peter Hou

Bingqian Lu

Taiwei Yue

Harry Johnson

Brian Clough

Lin-Nan Lee

Mustafa Eroz

Feng-Wen Sun

Scott D Casavant

Anthony Robert Noerpel

Kuriacose Joseph

James Jehong Jong

Kumud Patel

Walter Kepley

Charles A Barnett

Alex Toh

Harish Ramchandran

Mu Li

Doug Crouse

An apparatus and method for producing a low loss printed circuit board (PCB). The PCB includes an antenna patch, a ground plane, and a polarizer. The antenna patch consists of a plastic base having a first plurality of circuit patterns formed directly on its top surface. The ground plane is formed directly on a bottom surface of the plastic base used for the antenna patch, and contains one or more coupling circuit patterns. A polarizer spacer is provided on the antenna patch to provide separation from the polarizer. The polarizer also consists of a second plastic base having a second plurality of circuit patterns formed directly thereon.

Low cost, low loss material for microwave or antenna printed circuit board

Embodiments disclosed herein relate generally to techniques for mitigating blockages associated with satellite systems. More specifically, techniques disclosed herein, describe solutions for minimizing service interruption during satellite handover. One or more blockages associated with one or more user terminals that connect to a satellite system may be determined by various means. Utilizing those blockages, handover times for the one or more user terminals may be determined such that service interrupts may be minimized.

Systems for mitigating service interrupts in satellite systems

A user terminal (UT) for a mobile satellite communications system, and an associated method for managing tracking areas for such a UT is provided. When initiating establishment of a radio connection, the UT transmits a connection request message to a satellite gateway (SGW) of the mobile satellite communications system, where the connection request message includes position information identifying a current location of the UT. The UT processes a connection setup message received in response to the connection request message, where the connection setup message includes a first tracking area identifier (TAID) that identifies a one of a plurality of tracking areas that is associated with the current location of the UT. The UT transmits a connection complete message to the SGW, together with an attach request message for a core network of the mobile satellite communications system, which includes the first TAID.

Approaches for high speed global packet data services for LEO/MEO satellite systems

Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for producing meander-line polarizers. In some implementations, a meander-line polarizer includes a dielectric substrate made of a polyester polymer material and meander-line arrays formed on a surface of the dielectric substrate. Each meander-line array includes a sequence of alternating perpendicular conductive traces that are formed the surface of the dielectric substrate by applying conductive ink to the surface of the dielectric substrate using a template that defines a location and dimensions of each conductive trace of each meander-line array.

Additive manufacturing techniques for meander-line polarizers

Approaches for efficient broadcast of satellite ephemeris information or data in NGSO satellite systems, based on Keplerian parametric models of the satellite orbits, are provided. Keplerian orbit parameters are utilized (e.g., parametric orbit models) for improved efficiency in broadcast of ephemeris data over use of point-wise vectors. The linear change and harmonic variations in Keplerian orbit parameters are accounted for, for example, based on the specification of the linear and harmonic terms, increasing accuracy and extending duration of validity of the orbit parameters. Data compression is employed by (i) differential encoding of orbital parameters, and (ii) exploiting the correlation between the harmonic (Fourier) coefficients model of the orbit parameters. An efficient transport mechanism entails classification of information in Classes with different repetition/update rates based on information types, significantly reducing required broadcast/update data rates while allowing for a wide variation in the orbit orientation.

System and method for efficient broadcast of satellite constellation ephemeris information

A method for prediction of UT handovers in a satellite communications network is provided. Optimal characteristics regarding the beams of satellites and regarding a one UT are determined. For each of a plurality of the satellite beams, for each of a plurality of instants of time t, an estimated signal strength as seen at the UT is determined, wherein each estimated signal strength is determined based on the optimal at the respective time t. A next instant of time tis determined at which the estimated signal strength for a candidate beam that is within the view of the UT is greater than or equal to the estimated signal strength for the satellite beam that is currently servicing the UT. A handover of the UT, at the time t, from the satellite beam that is currently servicing the one UT to the candidate beam is determined.

User terminal handover prediction in wireless communications systems with nonstationary communications platforms

A cooling apparatus for an electrical component housing includes a fin configured to attach to the electrical component housing so as to conduct heat and cool the electrical component housing. The fin includes a first longitudinal portion and a second longitudinal portion, a first end, and a second end portion connecting the first and second longitudinal portions at a second end, the first longitudinal portion and the second longitudinal portion being disposed at a predetermined siatnce from each other at the first end, and the second end portion having a width that is greater than the predetermined distance.

Cooling apparatus for an electrical component

A satellite communications system includes both LEO and MEO satellites, a gateway node (GN) which includes a MEO-GN modem and a LEO-GN modem, and a user terminal (UT) which includes a MEO-UT modem and a LEO-UT modem. The MEO-GN modem transmits data communications to the UT via the MEO satellites. The MEO-UT modem receives the data communications from the MEO-GN modem. The MEO UT modem forwards control messages regarding the data communications received from the MEO-GN modem, via a control message tunnel, to the MEO-GN modem. Via the control message tunnel, (i) the MEO-UT modem provides the control messages to the UT-LEO modem, (ii) the LEO-UT modem transmits the control messages to the LEO-GN modem via the LEO satellites, and (iii) the LEO-GN modem provides the control messages to the MEO-GN modem.

System and method for providing high throughput data services using MEO and LEO satellite systems

An apparatus for establishing communication between a base station and different generation terminals includes a multi-protocol stack capable of processing user traffic received from different generation terminals. The apparatus also includes a common physical layer that receives user traffic from different generation terminals and identifies the generation of the terminal sending the user traffic. The user traffic is then processed and routed based on the terminal generation. Traffic can be prioritized across current and legacy terminal types based on a variety of factors.

Next generation mobile satellite system and gateway design

A method for networked scheduling is disclosed. The method includes: providing a gateway; a plurality of channels assigned to a color reuse scheme including colors, wherein some of the plurality of channels assigned to one of the colors comprise a set of co-channels; associating the set of co-channels with the gateway; generating a traffic pattern for the set of co-channels for an upcoming allocation slot; determining a channel state of each co-channel in the set of co-channels per the traffic pattern; and setting a Modulation and Coding scheme (MODCOD) of each co-channel in the set of co-channels based on the respective channel state.

System and method for networked scheduling for improved spectral efficiency

A system and method for estimating calibration parameters and locating a Calibration Earth Station (CES) is described. The method may be performed offline. The method includes: providing L&#xd7;M pilot signal measurements in a matrix R from L CESs and the M feed elements, wherein the matrix R comprises a set of channel coefficients c={c1, c2, . . . , cM}, and k={k1, k2, . . . , kL} perturbations; linking a subset of channel coefficients {c1, c2, . . . , cM} using each of the L CESs; and estimating a relative estimate of the k={k1, k2, . . . , kL} pertubations across the L CESs by using each of the L CESs as a bridging element. In the method, the bridging element provides a strong pilot signal for at least two of the L CESs. A set of criteria for determining locations of CESs have been described. A set of desirable properties for the solution set of L CESs have been disclosed. A combination of inner loop and outer loop methods for determining the final set of optimal locations have been described.

Placement of calibration earth stations for ground based beam forming in a satellite system

Approaches for ground-based beamforming for a very high throughput wireless communications system employing an airborne platform that generates a beam pattern via a multi-element antenna are provided. A beamformer includes a number of beamforming processors based on a frequency reuse scheme of the communications system. Each beamforming processor processes only the beam signals that are associated with a respective one of the frequencies of the reuse scheme, and thereby generates a component element signal for each of the elements of the array antenna that is associated with the respective frequency of that processor. Each beamforming processor applies a matrix of complex weights that is configured such that a composition of the component element signals for each antenna element facilitates the transmission of the element signals by the airborne platform to produce the beam pattern.

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Chevy Chase, MD, United States of America

John Corrigan