Wireless communication link quality forecasting

Apparatus for forecasting likely wireless communication link quality changes due to atmospheric conditions and responding to a predicted quality change in sufficient time to allow communication link adaptation, the atmospheric conditions including events likely to evolve in the vicinity of the communication link in the short-term down to and less than 15 minutes from forecasting, said apparatus comprising:

• input means for providing data indicative of atmospheric conditions, said data including at least one of measured communication link attenuation, barometric measurements taken in the vicinity of the communication link, surface wind measurements taken in the vicinity of the communication link, air temperature measurements taken in the vicinity of the communication link, and atmospheric microwave power emission measurements taken in the vicinity of the communication link;
• processing means for receiving said data and including a preprocessing stage enhancing data features of interest in said data received from said input means and a processing stage to extract prediction of short-term link quality change from said enhanced data;
• and
• output means for receiving said prediction from said processing means to thereby accommodate initiation of communication link remediation measures when required.

A method for short-term forecasting of quality changes of a wireless communication link comprising:

• receiving indicia indicative of selected evolving vicinal atmospheric conditions;
• processing said indicia to derive short-term link quality change prediction based at least in part on selected utilization of past communication link performance, wherein said short-term link quality change includes events likely to evolve down to and less than 15 minutes from said prediction;
• and
• utilizing said prediction remedially.

A monolithic microwave integrated (circuit radiometer receiver comprising:

• an antenna;
• a monolithic microwave integrated circuit transceiver connected with said antenna and configured with a muted transmitter, said transceiver having an intermediate frequency output;
• a detector diode connected with said output of said transceiver;
• and
• amplification means for signal amplification at selected stages between said antenna and said diode, said amplification means providing total amplification between said antenna and said diode selected so that, in response, output voltage changes at said diode are proportional to sky emission power changes received at said antenna.