Distributed Beamforming via User-Side Signal Processing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional beamforming systems either require the platform terminal to track the location of mobile user terminals or rely on a priori known geometry, which can be impractical, especially when the platform terminal is limited in size, weight, and power, and may be located in hostile environments, and they suffer from bandwidth expansion issues.
Innovation Solution
A distributed beamforming system where the platform terminal splits incoming signals into orthogonal individual wireless signals transmitted to user terminals, which apply amplitude weights and phase shifts to combine these signals into a beamformed signal, performing beamforming processing at the user terminals rather than at a gateway or satellite.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Power
If gateway-side ground-based beamforming is used, then additional processing power is available, but bandwidth expansion is proportional to the number of antenna elements requiring additional spectrum
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the beamforming function by separating the antenna array (on the platform) from the beamforming processing (at the gateway). Each antenna element transmits independent wide-area beams, and the gateway performs digital signal processing to create directional beams. This segmentation allows the platform to remain simple while the gateway handles the complex processing, resolving the bandwidth expansion issue by processing signals after transmission rather than requiring coordinated phase control across all antenna elements simultaneously.
2Adaptability or versatility
If on-board beamforming is used, then the system is self-contained, but the platform terminal is limited in size, weight, and power and may be located in hostile environments
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the beamforming processing function from the platform terminal and relocates it to the gateway. The platform terminal retains only the antenna array that transmits wide-area beams, while the computationally intensive beamforming calculations are performed at the gateway using received signal data. This extraction resolves the contradiction by eliminating the need for complex SWaP-constrained hardware on the platform while maintaining system functionality.
3Reliability
If the platform terminal tracks mobile user terminals, then communication quality is maintained, but the platform terminal requires location knowledge and tracking capability
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses feedback from user terminals reporting their locations and channel conditions to the gateway. The gateway then calculates appropriate beamforming weights based on this feedback information and transmits the processed signals back to users. This feedback mechanism allows the system to maintain high communication quality for mobile users without requiring the platform terminal to perform complex tracking, as the gateway handles all location-based beamforming calculations using updated user information.
Data Source
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AI summary
A distributed beamforming system includes a platform terminal and a plurality of user terminals. The platform terminal includes an antenna array including a plurality of antenna elements. Each antenna element transmits a wide-area beam configured to encompass each of the plurality of user terminals. The platform terminal also includes one or more processors in electronic communication with the antenna array and a memory coupled to the one or more processors. The memory stores data into a database and program code that, when executed by the one or more processors, causes the platform terminal to receive an incoming signal and split the incoming signal into a plurality of individual wireless signals. Each individual wireless signal corresponds to one of the plurality of antenna elements of the antenna array. The system also transmits the plurality of individual wireless signals to the user terminal by the antenna array.