The Boeing Company

Murat Veysoglu

Greg Busche

Lisa Kuo

John T Sullivan

Ying J Feria

Lori Shima

Raenaurd D Turpin

Keith Jarett

John Baldauf

Daniel F Mathews

Gregory Clayton Busche

Manuel C Martinez-Lavin

Lindsay E Krejcarek

Jeffrey Matthew Jesiolowski

Louis R Fermelia

Becky Xiao-Chun Li

Kihyun Kevin Suh

Chandra S Koduru

A system includes a direct radiating array antenna and one or more processors. The antenna includes an array of elements configured to radiate radiofrequency (RF) energy to form a beam having multiple frequency channels. The one or more processors are configured to generate an excitation plan for powering the elements to form the beam. The excitation plan assigns multiple corresponding beamforming coefficients to each element in a group of the elements. Each beamforming coefficient designates power allocated to the assigned element for radiating RF energy at an associated frequency channel. The excitation plan provides a substantially uniform power distribution among the elements in the group, and at least some of the elements in the group have different allocations of power among the multiple frequency channels of the beam than other elements in the group.

Systems and methods of controlling a direct radiating array antenna

A method of thinning a phased antenna array including defining a performance characteristic for the phased antenna array, partitioning the phased antenna array to define a plurality of sectors that each include an equal number of radiating element locations, wherein each radiating element location is either an active radiating element location or an inactive radiating element location. The method also includes determining a number of active radiating element locations to be included in a first sector of the plurality of sectors, and determining, based on the number of active radiating element locations, at least one arrangement of active and inactive radiating element locations in the first sector configured to achieve the performance characteristic. The method further includes applying the at least one arrangement to each remaining sector of the plurality of sectors such that the phased antenna array has rotational symmetry.

Phased antenna array and method of thinning thereof

A system includes a plurality of satellites including respective antennas and circuitry. The satellites form a satellite constellation and revolve around a rotating astronomical object from which a source radiates interference toward a target satellite for at least some period of time as the target satellite revolves in a target orbit. The satellites' respective antennas may capture the interference when the satellite constellation is substantially in-line between the source and target satellite, and their circuitry may generate respective measurements based thereon. The circuitry may geolocate or cause transmission of the respective measurements for geolocation of the source based on the respective measurements to thereby identify a location of the source on the astronomical object.

Interference geolocation using a satellite constellation

A method for locating an interferer is provided. The method includes determining, from one of a time difference of arrival (TDOA) signature and a frequency difference of arrival (FDOA) signature between a first signal received at a satellite at a first location and a second signal received at the same satellite at a second location, a first curve on which the interferer lies, determining, from direction of arrival information generated using signals received from the interferer at a plurality of elements of a linear array on the satellite, a second curve on which the interferer lies, and determining, based on an intersection between the first and second curves, the location of the interferer.

Single satellite geolocation systems and methods

A method for mitigating interference using a phased array receiving antenna is provided. The method includes perturbing a first communications beam and a second communications beam received at the phased array receiving antenna to generate a first composite beam and a second composite beam, cross-correlating the first composite beam and the second composite beam, receiving communications data using the first composite beam and the second composite beam, and determining a direction of a received interference signal based on the cross-correlation of the first composite beam and the second composite beam.

Systems and methods for interference geolocation and mitigation using a phased array receiving antenna

A method for processing data from an antenna array including a plurality of elements distributed on opposite sides of a central point is disclosed. The method includes determining an adjustment for a first signal associated with a beam and a first element of the plurality of elements. The first element is located on a first side of the central point of the antenna array. The method includes applying the determined adjustment to the first signal, and applying the determined adjustment to a second signal. The second signal is associated with the beam and a second element of the plurality of elements. The second element is located on a second side of the central point of the antenna array substantially a same distance away from the central point as the first element.

Systems and methods of analog beamforming for direct radiating phased array antennas

A system is provided for overlapping cells for wireless coverage in a cellular communication system. The system includes a beam-weight generator and beamformer coupled to the beam-weight generator. The beam-weight generator is configured to generate a plurality of beam weights including at least first and second sets of beam weights. And the beamformer is configured to apply the first and second sets of beam weights to signals in a cellular communication system. The cellular communication system provides coverage over a geographic region divided into cells arranged in overlapping first and second layers of cells having criteria optimized for respective, distinct first and second types of services, or communication by respective, distinct first and second types of user terminals. In this regard, the criteria are reflected in the first and second sets of beam weights.

Overlapping cells for wireless coverage

A satellite is configured to communicate with a ground base station to provide coverage for communication in a first geographic region, and suppress from the communication, interference from a second geographic region. The satellite includes an onboard beamformer (OBBF), feed array and feeder-link antenna. The OBBF is configured to produce first and second spot beams for respective ones of the first and second geographic regions. The feed array is configured to receive first and second signals in respective ones of the first and second spot beams for respective geographic regions. At least portions of the first and second signals carry respective ones of the communication and the interference. The feeder-link antenna, then, is configured to transmit the first signals and second signals to the ground base station that is configured to suppress any of the interference from at least the portion of the first signals carrying the communication.

Interference suppression in a satellite communication system using onboard beamforming and ground-based processing

A phased-array antenna system includes an array of antenna feed elements that produces a radiation pattern to provide spot beams within which to receive a signal in a frequency band and carrying communication from a terminal at a known geographic location. A beamformer forms the spot beams; and a channelizer divides the frequency band into frequency subbands, and measures power levels of the signal over respective frequency subbands. And an antenna controller selects a frequency subband based on the measured power levels indicating that the signal includes an identifiable interference, and calculates a set of beam weights based on the measured power level over the selected frequency subband, and based on the known geographic location of the terminal. The beamformer, then, forms the spot beams based on the calculated set of beam weights to thereby suppress at least some of the identifiable interference from the signal.

Adaptive interference suppression via subband power measurements of a phased-array antenna

A method is provided that includes measuring amplitudes and phases of signals reflected off a reflector of a satellite, with the amplitudes and phases forming a first set of measurements. The method includes calculating an element correlation matrix as a function of the first set of measurements. The element correlation matrix represents a radiated feed element pattern off the reflector. And the method includes adjusting a formed beam pattern of a beamformer based on the element correlation matrix to thereby compensate for a non-ideal surface of the reflector.

Compensating for a non-ideal surface of a reflector in a satellite communication system

A method for processing communications signals. The communications signals are received from an area. The communications signals are received from a portion of the area in which interference is present. The interference is reduced from the communications signals received from the area using the communications signals received from the portion of the area.

Interference mitigation for a communications system

A relay and distribution apparatus is provided for a cellular communication system. The relay and distribution apparatus includes an antenna system configured to lay down beams in overlapping first and M second N-cell frequency reuse patterns. The first frequency reuse pattern may be for communication of control channels of a cellular communication system, and the second frequency reuse patterns may be for communication of traffic channels exclusive of control channels of the cellular communication system. The second frequency reuse patterns may be staggered with one another. And cells of the second frequency reuse patterns may have a size only a fraction of which is for transmission of traffic channels any of which may be assignable through a control channel of the first reuse frequency pattern.

Staggered cells for wireless coverage

A system is provided for overlapping cells for wireless coverage in a cellular communication system. The system includes a beam-weight generator and beamformer coupled to the beam-weight generator. The beam-weight generator is configured to generate a plurality of beam weights including at least first and second sets of beam weights. And the beamformer is configured to apply the first and second sets of beam weights to signals in a cellular communication system. The cellular communication system provides coverage over a geographic region divided into cells arranged in overlapping first and second layers of cells having criteria optimized for communication by respective, distinct first and second types of user terminals. In this regard, the criteria are reflected in the first and second sets of beam weights.

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Cypress, CA, United States of America

Murat Veysoglu