Back to results
US 11,239,906 B2Granted
Beam hopping synchronization system
AssigneeAirbus Defence and Space GmbH
InventorSteve Laws
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An improved procedure and associated hardware to allow a satellite to switch antenna coverages according to predefined repetitive sequences and to align switching of the antenna sequence with ground data sequence switching. The principle of synchronisation of the sequence switching is based on the anticipation of the exact time at which change in beam hopping sequence occurs at the satellite, such that a change to a beam hopping sequence can be reflected in ground data sequence switching without losing connectivity between the satellite and ground segment.
Claims13
A satellite payload comprising:
- a plurality of beamforming networks;
- a communication means arranged to receive data in a data sequence from a ground station of a communications network and to transmit the received data via a respective plurality of satellite beams created by the plurality of beamforming networks;
- storage means for storing a beam hopping sequence;
- a controller arranged to control transmission of data by the communication means according to the stored beam hopping sequence in a manner synchronised with the data sequence from the ground station;
- and
- a synchronisation pulse generator for generating a series of synchronisation pulses, each at a respective clock reset time separated by a predetermined period of time derived from a master clock signal common to the satellite payload and the ground station;
- wherein the controller is arranged to:
- (i) receive an update to the stored beam hopping sequence from the ground station;
- (ii) determine one or more of the plurality of satellite beams for which the stored beam hopping sequence is to be updated and configure a respective one or more beamforming networks associated with the determined one or more satellite beams to be responsive to receipt of one of the series of synchronisation pulses;
- (iii) issue a control command to the synchronisation pulse generator to release one of the generated synchronisation pulses to each of the plurality of beamforming networks at the respective clock reset time, and to cause the one or more beamforming networks configured to be responsive to receipt of the synchronisation pulse to implement the updated beam hopping scheme at a time synchronised with the clock reset time to enable the clock reset time to be observable at the ground station;
- and
- (iv) update the stored beam hopping sequence.
9 more elements
A ground station comprising:
- a communication means for transmitting a plurality of data frames to a satellite payload via an uplink and for transmitting control information to the satellite payload via a control channel;
- and
- a controller for controlling the communication means to transmit the plurality of data frames according to a data sequence synchronised with a master clock signal common to the ground station and the satellite payload, and to transmit information to the satellite payload defining an update to a beam hopping sequence for the satellite payload;
- wherein the controller is configured to observe the update to the beam hopping sequence at the satellite payload, and determine a first point in time at which an instruction to update the beam hopping sequence was released, and
- wherein the controller is arranged to determine a series of second points in time, calculated based on the first point in time, at which a future instruction to update the beam hopping sequence is capable of being released, and to configure one or more user terminals to update a respective data sequence used by the respective one or more user terminals at a time corresponding to one of the second points in time in response to a further update to the beam hopping sequence occurring a time synchronised with the one of the second points in time.
2 more elements
A method of beam hopping system synchronisation performed at a ground station of a communications network, comprising:
- determining a data sequence for transmitting data from the ground station to a satellite payload configured to implement a beam hopping sequence, wherein the data sequence is synchronised with a master clock signal common to the ground station and the satellite payload;
- transmitting an update to the beam hopping sequence to the satellite payload;
- observing the update to the beam hopping sequence at the satellite payload, and determining a first point in time at which an instruction to update the beam hopping sequence was released;
- determining a series of second points in time, calculated based on the first point in time, at which a future instruction to update the beam hopping sequence is capable of being released;
- and
- configuring one or more user terminals to update a respective data sequence used by the respective one or more user terminals at a time corresponding to one of the second points in time in response to a further update to the beam hopping sequence occurring a time synchronised with one of the second points in time.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.