Relay-assisted high-capacity satellite feeder links with integrated line-of-sight MIMO RF and optical channels via HAPS
AssigneeHughes Network Systems, LLC
InventorsSayed Hasan Hariq, Rohit Iyer Seshadri
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Techniques are described for providing satellite communications via a relay-assisted hybrid radio frequency/free-space-optical (RF/FSO) ground-satellite link. A high-altitude platform station (HAPS) splits the ground-to-satellite link into a ground-to-HAPS line-of-sight (LoS) multiple-in-multiple-out (MIMO) radio frequency (RF) link, and a HAPS-to-satellite FSO link. The approach mitigates the effects of atmospheric impairments on the FSO link, while also appreciably reducing adverse effects of bandwidth and propagation disparity between the RF and FSO links.
Claims18
A satellite communication system for providing ground-to-satellite communications, the communications system comprising:
- a high-altitude platform station (HAPS) comprising:
- a multiple-in-multiple-out (MIMO) radio frequency (RF) transceiver station comprising a plurality of HAPS RF antennas spaced apart by a HAPS antenna spacing distance that is determined based on an inter-antenna spacing distance of a plurality of RF gateway antennas and a distance between an RF gateway that includes the plurality of RF gateway antennas and the HAPS to maximize a capacity of a line-of-sight (LoS) MIMO RF link and configured to communicate with an RF gateway via the LoS MIMO RF link;
- and
- an optical transceiver station configured to establish a free-space optical (FSO) link with a satellite,
- wherein each of the LoS MIMO RF link and the FSO link is a respective sub-link of a hybrid RF/FSO communication link between the RF gateway and the satellite.
A satellite communication system for providing ground-to-satellite communications, the communications system comprising:
- a high-altitude platform station (HAPS) comprising:
- a multiple-in-multiple-out (MIMO) radio frequency (RF) transceiver station comprising a plurality of HAPS RF antennas spaced apart by a HAPS antenna spacing distance and configured to communicate with an RF gateway via a line-of-sight (LoS) MIMO RF link;
- and
- an optical transceiver station configured to establish a free-space optical FSO) link with a satellite,
- wherein each of the LoS MIMO RF link and the FSO link is a respective sub-link of a hybrid RF/FSO communication link between the RF gateway and the satellite;
- and
- wherein the ground antenna spacing distance and the HAPS antenna spacing distance are the same.
A satellite communication system for providing ground-to-satellite communications, the communications system comprising:
- a high-altitude platform station (HAPS) comprising:
- a multiple-in-multiple-out (MIMO) radio frequency (RF) transceiver station comprising a plurality of HAPS RF antennas spaced apart by a HAPS antenna spacing distance and configured to communicate with an RF gateway via a line-of-sight (LoS) MIMO RF link;
- and
- an optical transceiver station configured to establish a free-space optical (FSO) link with a satellite,
- wherein each of the LoS MIMO RF link and the FSO link is a respective sub-link of a hybrid RF/FSO communication link between the RF gateway and the satellite;
- and
- wherein the HAPS antenna spacing distance (dH,A) and a ground antenna spacing distance (dG,A) are determined based on:
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- where DG,H corresponds to a distance between the RF gateway and the HAPS, and λ corresponds to a wavelength of a carrier frequency used for communications over the LoS MIMO RF link.
A method for providing ground-to-satellite communications, the method comprising:
- deploying a high-altitude platform station (HAPS) comprising:
- a multiple-in-multiple-out (MIMO) radio frequency (RF) transceiver station comprising a plurality of HAPS RF antennas spaced apart by a HAPS antenna spacing distance that is determined based on an inter-antenna spacing distance of a plurality of RF gateway antennas and a distance between an RF gateway that includes the plurality of RF gateway antennas and the HAPS to maximize a capacity of a line of sight (LoS) MIMO RF link and configured to communicate with an RF gateway via the LoS MIMO RF link;
- and
- an optical transceiver station configured to establish a free-space optical (FSO) link with a satellite,
- wherein each of the LoS MIMO RF link and the FSO link is a respective sub-link of a hybrid RF/LSO communication link between the RF gateway and the satellite;
- and
- establishing a relay-assisted ground-satellite communication link between the RF gateway and the satellite via the HAPS.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.