Adaptive Beamforming Frequency Channel Allocation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Wireless communication systems face challenges in efficiently utilizing allocated frequency bandwidths, particularly in space-based communications, where excess capacity often goes unused due to inflexible frequency reuse plans, limiting the ability to provide high data rate services to underserved areas while protecting against interference.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a digital channelization engine and adaptive beamformer in communication platforms to dynamically allocate frequency channels and beamforming techniques, allowing for discrimination between user categories and efficient reuse of unused bandwidth by secondary users through frequency hopping and dynamic beamforming, while maintaining fixed allocations for primary users.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If frequency reuse plans are formed into hardware prior to deployment, then system design is simplified and primary user allocations are protected, but post-deployment alterations are not feasible and excess capacity cannot be utilized
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic frequency allocation where the frequency assignment controller can reassign frequency channels to different users based on real-time demand. The system transitions from static hardware-formed frequency plans to dynamic software-controlled allocation, allowing the communications platform to adapt frequency assignments post-deployment while maintaining protection for primary users through coordinated frequency hopping.
2Reliability
If high PSD is provided to enable low cost user terminals, then user terminal cost is reduced, but interference mitigation capability is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs frequency hopping where both primary and secondary users periodically change their operating frequency channels according to predetermined patterns. This periodic frequency switching allows secondary users to transmit at high PSD without causing sustained interference to primary users, as they operate on different frequencies at different times, thus maintaining both high data rates and interference mitigation.
3Reliability
If fixed frequency allocations are assigned to primary users, then primary user communication is protected and reliable, but secondary users cannot utilize unused bandwidth capacity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the frequency spectrum into primary user channels and secondary user channels, with the frequency assignment controller dynamically managing allocations. The system divides time-frequency resources such that primary users have guaranteed protected channels while secondary users can utilize unused capacity in other channels, achieving both protection and efficient bandwidth utilization through segmented resource allocation.
4Productivity
If frequency hopping is applied to secondary users, then bandwidth utilization is maximized and excess capacity is utilized, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a universal frequency assignment controller that manages frequency hopping for both primary and secondary users through a single integrated system. This multi-functional controller handles primary user protection, secondary user allocation, and frequency coordination simultaneously, reducing overall system complexity compared to separate dedicated systems for each function.
Data Source
AI summary
A communication platform such as a spacecraft, airborne platform, or terrestrial line of site wireless platform is provided with adaptive digital beamforming. The satellite digitizes a full spectrum allocation for digital channelization. A channelization engine can determine a particular user or user group associated with an uplink signal. In this manner, the communication platform can apply different processing based on the user or group associated with a signal. For example, the communication platform receives uplink signals associated with a first user group and a second user group in one embodiment. The platform dynamically generates one or more spot beams for the first user group and the second group. The platform discriminates the uplink signals to apply frequency hopping for the downlink frequency channel assignments to the second user group while the downlink frequency channel assignments for the first user group remain fixed.