Holographic Satellite Antenna Updates From Manufacturing Feedback
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Solution Overview
Problem
The manufacturing and testing of complex electronic devices, such as satellite antennas, are costly and time-consuming, and existing methods do not effectively account for aging or environmental factors, making it difficult to update devices in the field, especially those with unique configurations or operating in high-latency networks.
Innovation Solution
A method and apparatus that leverage production performance data to improve manufacturing and design by correlating sub-segment improvements with satellite antenna life-cycle and environmental factors, using machine learning to automate changes in antenna design and configuration based on manufacturing and field data, enabling remote software updates and configuration adjustments.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If traditional manufacturing and testing methods are used for satellite antennas, then manufacturing precision and reliability can be ensured, but manufacturing costs and time consumption increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by embedding sensors and testing capabilities during the manufacturing process itself, rather than performing comprehensive testing after assembly. This allows defects to be detected and corrected early in production, maintaining quality while reducing rework and accelerating throughput.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements feedback mechanisms where real-time data from sensors during manufacturing is fed back to control systems, enabling automatic adjustments to maintain precision. This closed-loop control ensures manufacturing quality without requiring extensive post-manufacturing testing, thereby improving productivity.
2Reliability
If comprehensive testing is performed during manufacturing, then product reliability is improved, but manufacturing time and costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs testing actions preliminarily by integrating functional tests into the manufacturing workflow at intermediate stages. Components are tested as they are assembled rather than waiting for final assembly, ensuring reliability while minimizing the time dedicated to testing activities.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent maintains continuity of useful action by conducting testing continuously throughout the manufacturing process rather than as discrete interruptive events. Sensors continuously monitor product quality, and testing operations overlap with manufacturing operations, reducing total testing time while maintaining high reliability standards.
3Measurement precision
If specialized testing equipment is used, then measurement precision is improved, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies universality by designing testing equipment that can perform multiple measurement functions. The same sensor system and testing apparatus are used across different manufacturing stages and for different product components, reducing the need for specialized single-purpose equipment while maintaining measurement precision through calibrated multi-functional instruments.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses copying by implementing virtual models and digital twins of the physical product that replicate measurement data and performance characteristics. These digital copies allow for virtual testing and analysis, reducing the need for complex physical testing equipment while maintaining measurement accuracy through computational simulation.
4Adaptability or versatility
If frequent software updates are deployed to field devices, then adaptability and performance improvement are enhanced, but network bandwidth consumption and update complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies segmentation by dividing software updates into modular components or patches that can be transmitted and installed incrementally. Instead of deploying complete software images, only specific updated modules are transmitted over the network, reducing bandwidth consumption while maintaining the ability to provide frequent updates and improve device adaptability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses copying by transmitting lightweight metadata and configuration parameters rather than complete software copies. The field devices maintain local copies of core software and receive only the necessary updates or configuration changes, significantly reducing network bandwidth requirements while enabling frequent adaptability improvements.
Data Source
AI summary
System and methods are disclosed for improving manufacturing processes, improving manufactured products, and improving deployed devices. The devices can be reconfigurable holographic antennas (“antennas”). Manufacturing test results for a plurality of antennas is collected. Field performance data and antenna management information is collected for a plurality of deployed antennas. Query selection criteria, machine learning correlation criteria and a minimum correlation threshold are passed to a server to query for matching records from a data store and to perform machine learning on the query results to generate improvements to processes, manufactured antenna performance and deployed antenna performance.