Controlling antenna beam generation to compensate for motion of a high-altitude platform

A method of controlling a high-altitude platform (HAP) to move in a pattern in the stratosphere to provide coverage to a region of interest and compensate for the movement of the HAP relative to the region of interest by forming a plurality of beams to cover the region of interest, wherein a plurality of coverages formed by the plurality of beams on the region of interest can rotate relative to the region of interest in accordance with the movement of the HAP in the stratosphere, the method comprising:

• monitoring, by a controller, movement of the HAP in the stratosphere;
• determining, by the controller, that the HAP has moved in the stratosphere relative to the region of interest;
• determining, by the controller based on the relative movement of the HAP, that a first one of a plurality of antenna units in the HAP will no longer be able to provide a first coverage for providing communication services to a selected portion of the region of interest, wherein the plurality of antenna units are cylindrical or torus-shaped antenna units that are phased array fed reflectors (PAFRs);
• selecting, by the controller, one of multiple feeds of a second one of the plurality of antenna units based on at least one of azimuth or elevation, wherein the second one of the plurality of antenna units contains at least one of the plurality of antenna units that was utilized to form beams to provide a second coverage adjacent to the first coverage;
• and
• causing, by the controller, an antenna array switching circuit in the HAP to adjust beams transmitted by the plurality of antenna units by switching from the first one of the plurality of antenna units to the second one of the plurality of antenna units to provide the communication services via the selected feed to the selected portion of the region of interest while compensating for the relative movement of the HAP, such that an interruption of the communication services provided to the selected portion of the region of interest due to the movement of the HAP is prevented, wherein the interruption of the communication services includes repeated reselections in an idle mode and handovers in a connected mode.

An antenna system included in a high-altitude platform (HAP), the HAP configured to move in a pattern in the stratosphere to provide communication services to a region of interest by forming a plurality of beams to cover the region of interest, wherein a plurality of coverages formed by the plurality of beams on the region of interest can rotate relative to the region of interest in accordance with the movement of the HAP in the stratosphere, the antenna system configured to prevent an interruption in the communication services due to the movement of the HAP, the antenna system comprising:

• a plurality of antenna units, each of the plurality of antenna units being configured to transmit beams that provide communication services to a selected portion of the region of interest, wherein the plurality of antenna units are cylindrical or torus-shaped antenna units that are phased array fed reflectors (PAFRs);
• and
• a controller configured to:
• determine, based on relative movement of the HAP, that a first one of the plurality of antenna units will no longer be able to provide a first coverage for providing the communication services to the selected portion of the region of interest,
• select one of multiple feeds of a second one of the plurality of antenna units based on at least one of azimuth or elevation to compensate for the relative movement of the HAP, wherein the second one of the plurality of antenna units contains at least one of the plurality of antenna units that was utilized to form beams to provide a second coverage adjacent to the first coverage, and
• based on the determination, adjust the beams transmitted by the antenna units so that the second one of the plurality of antenna units provides the communication services via the selected feed to the selected portion of the region of interest while compensating for the relative movement of the HAP, wherein the interruption of the communication services includes repeated reselections in an idle mode and handovers in a connected mode.