Viasat, Inc.

Motorola Corporation

U.S. Monolithics, L.l.c.

Kenneth V Buer

Mark J Miller

Christopher J Cronin

David W Corman

Michael R Lyons

Dean Lawrence Cook

Donald Lawson Runyon

Mark D Dankberg

Ramanamurthy V Darapu

David H Irvine

Clifford K Burdick

Richard Scott Torkington

Philip A Lampe

David R Laidig

Noel A Lopez

Deborah Sue Dendy

Ian A Cleary

Bill Tabano Agar, Jr

Ashitkumar J Tripathi

Josh Tor

Ronald S Lipton

Douglas J Mathews

Dave Laidig

Shawn M Lorg

Michael Noji

Friedhelm Wachter

Chris Grondahl

Branislav A Petrovic

Charles Pateros

Brian T Sleight

Gaurav Menon

David R Saunders

Rob Zienkewicz

Joel Lloyd Gross

Donald L Runyon, Jr

Martin Gimersky

Kaushik Chakraborty

Michail Konstantinos Tsatsanis

James E Petranovich

Daniel Llorens Del Rio

Ferdinando Tiezzi

Qiang Richard Chen

Timothy J Martin

Maria Carolina Vigano

John E Holmes

Kenneth P Brewer

David E Pettit

James Roger Clark, Ii

Sateh Jalaleddine

Stefano Vacarro

Edwin Jack Stanfield

Bill T Agar

Steve L Kent

Scarlet Daoud

William Ralston

Nitin Jain

Ronald Gene Myers

David Hancharik

Christopher D Grondahl

John Wesley Locke

Craig A Miller

Frederick Herbert Raab

David D Greenidge

Daniel Francis DiFonzo

Jon Filreis

Donald E Crockett, Iii

Christopher David Grondahl

Dean Muellenberg

Phillip James Denisuk

Don Crockett

R William Kreutel

Algirdas Navickas

Paul Adrian Chiavacci

Mark S Berkheimer

Shih Peng Sun

Brandon C Drake

Gary P English

Ramana Darapu

Donald E Crockett

Mike Noji

Dave Harper

John DeCamp

Mark Miller

Steve Kent

Richard S Torkington

A multi-static synthetic aperture radar using beamformed illumination beams and multiple collection satellites is described. An illumination satellite may be in first orbit and multiple collection satellites may be in a second orbit. The illumination satellite may transmit beam signals (e.g., communication signals carrying modulated data to user terminals) from an antenna array to different beam coverage areas according to a beamforming matrix. Each of the collection satellites may receive reflections of the beam signals. The reflected signals received at the collection satellites may be processed according to the beam signals and beamforming matrix used to transmit the beam signals to obtain an image of a geographical area. In some cases, the collection satellites may relay the received signals for processing via the illumination satellite.

Multi-static synthetic aperture radar using low earth orbit collection

Methods and systems are described for providing end-to-end beamforming. For example, end-to-end beamforming systems include end-to-end relays and ground networks to provide communications to user terminals located in user beam coverage areas. The ground segment can include geographically distributed access nodes and a central processing system. Return uplink signals, transmitted from the user terminals, have multipath induced by a plurality of receive/transmit signal paths in the end to end relay and are relayed to the ground network. The ground network, using beamformers, recovers user data streams transmitted by the user terminals from return downlink signals. The ground network, using beamformers generates forward uplink signals from appropriately weighted combinations of user data streams that, after relay by the end-end-end relay, produce forward downlink signals that combine to form user beams.

Ground network for end-to-end beamforming

Methods, systems, and devices for satellite operations are described. A system for satellite communications may include a payload, a power system, and a thermal management component. The payload may be configured to provide a service with varying levels of capacity based on a demand profile. The payload may consume electrical energy at a peak rate when a level of demand indicated by the demand profile is above a threshold and at a lower, off-peak rate when a level of demand indicated by the demand profile is below a threshold. The peak rate may exceed a rate at which electrical energy is generated by the power system. The thermal management component may process excess thermal energy generated by the payload when the payload operates at the peak rate. Processing the excess thermal energy may include storing thermal energy while the payload operates at the peak rate.

Modulating satellite capacity

Systems and methods for communications satellites to switch operating modes are described. A communications satellite may operate according to a first operating mode to provide communications services for user terminals in a first coverage area (e.g., providing the user terminals with forward link communications services using a first communication link with a first polarization) The communications satellite may receive correspondingly polarized forward uplink signals from access node terminals in a second coverage area, and the communications satellite may relay respective forward downlink signals to the user terminals in the first coverage area. In some cases, the first coverage area may geographically overlap the second coverage area. The communications satellite may determine a second operating mode (e.g., to optimize the communications services based on dynamic conditions), and the communications satellite may switch to the second operating mode to provide communications services for the user terminals.

Techniques for switching between operating modes of beamforming systems and satellites

Described herein are technologies that utilize full duplex gateway terminals in satellite networks with half duplex user equipment. The disclosed scheduling technologies incorporate the knowledge of the propagation delay between a gateway terminal and each UE in communication with the gateway terminal. Based on this propagation delay, a scheduler can allocate DL and UL time slots in a scheduling frame in a way that avoids allocating overlapping DL and UL time slots at each UE.

Using time division duplexing systems in frequency division duplexing networks

Access node farm for end-to-end beamforming

Methods and systems are described for providing end-to-end beamforming. For example, an end-to-end beamforming system include a relay satellite and a ground network to provide communications to user terminals located in user beam coverage areas. The ground network includes geographically distributed access nodes and a central processing system (CPS). Beamformers of the ground network generate forward uplink signals from appropriately weighted combinations of user data streams that, after relay by the satellite, produce forward downlink signals that combine to form forward user beams.

System and method for end-to-end beamforming

Satellite for end to end beamforming

The phased array antenna system is described. The phased array antenna system formed on one or more layers of a printed circuit board (PCB). The phased array antenna system be may include a beam forming network to convert between one or more element signals and a beam signal. The phased array antenna system may include one or more control circuits, where each control circuit may receive the element signals for corresponding antenna element. Each of the control circuits may further may establish a control signal path and an element signal path between the antenna elements and the beamforming network, where the signal path may carry multiplexed element and control signals. The control circuits may include a signal adjustment circuit that may adjust the corresponding element signal (e.g., in phase or amplitude) based on the control signal.

Circuit architecture for distributed multiplexed control and element signals for phased array antenna

The described features generally relate to determining dynamic signal quality criteria for an installation of satellite terminals for communications in a satellite communications system. In particular, the signal quality criteria for an installation may be based on an identified position of the satellite terminal to be installed, and in some examples based on the positions and signal characteristics of neighboring satellite terminals that have already been installed. In some examples, a signal quality map may be generated for a service beam coverage area, based on predetermined transmission characteristics and/or measured transmissions from a number of satellite terminals served by a communications satellite. The generated signal quality map may then be used to determine a signal quality threshold for the installation of a satellite terminal being installed for communications in a satellite communications system.

Dynamic signal quality criteria for satellite terminal installations

The described features generally relate to receiving one or more positioning signals at a satellite terminal during installation of the satellite terminal at a customer premises, and providing position-based access to a satellite communications system based on a satellite terminal installation position determined from the received positioning signals. The determined installation position of the satellite terminal may then be employed for various network access techniques, such as providing access to the satellite communications system, providing position-based content, or restricting content via the satellite communications system based on the determined installation position. In some examples the determined installation position of the satellite terminal may be used to approximate a propagation delay between the satellite terminal and various devices of the satellite communications system, such as a serving satellite and/or a serving gateway, to improve device synchronization and radio frequency spectrum resource utilization.

Position-based access to satellite networks for satellite terminals

Determination of a set physical orientation of an electronically steerable satellite antenna using received signals at the satellite antenna is described. The set physical orientation of the satellite antenna may be static for the antenna. In turn, the antenna may scan a beam through a range of angles to measure signal strength of signals from transmitters (e.g., satellites) to determine a direction of incidence of the signals. The direction of incidence of the signals from corresponding known orbital locations of the satellites allow the satellite antenna to determine the set physical orientation to a high degree of precision. Specifically, the high degree of precision allows avoidance angles to non-target satellites to be minimized to allow more efficient antenna operation with fewer interference mitigation operations.

Systems and methods for determining orientation of an electronically steerable antenna

A packaged semiconductor chip includes a semiconductor sub strate having formed thereon: radio-frequency (RF) input and output contact pads, DC contact pads, and first and second amplifier stages. An input of the first amplifier stage is coupled with the RF input contact pad. An input and an output of the second amplifier stage are respectively coupled to an output of the first amplifier stage and the RF output contact pad. The DC contact pads and the input of the first amplifier stages are connected via an input bias coupling path. The outputs of the amplifier stages are connected via an output bias coupling path. The chip further includes a lead frame having RF input and output pins electrically coupled to the RF input and output contact pads, and input bias pins electrically coupled to the DC contact pad.

Modularized power amplifier devices and architectures

Growing community of inventors

Gilbert, AZ, United States of America

Kenneth V Buer