Interleaved Multi-Satellite Spot Beams for Dense Frequency Reuse

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Solution Overview

Problem

Satellite communications systems face challenges in providing increased capacity density for spot beams without sacrificing capacity in adjacent beams, while also managing satellite size, weight, power, and complexity constraints, as well as the high costs associated with launching large satellites.

Innovation Solution

The approach involves interleaving the frequency reuse plans of multiple satellites to form an aggregate frequency reuse cell plan, allowing each cell to be covered by a combination of spot beams from multiple satellites, thereby increasing capacity density without increasing satellite size, weight, power, or complexity, and reducing launch costs by using fewer antennas and smaller satellites.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If the number of spot beams is increased to provide higher capacity density, then system capacity density is improved, but satellite size, weight, power, and complexity increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesystem capacity densityVSAvoidsatellite complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent divides the frequency reuse plan into segments that can be interleaved across multiple satellites. Each satellite implements a portion of the overall frequency reuse pattern, with beams segmented to work in conjunction with other satellites to achieve the desired capacity density without requiring a single large complex satellite

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent combines the capabilities of multiple satellites by interleaving their frequency reuse plans. The aggregate frequency reuse cell plan merges the beam patterns of multiple satellites to achieve higher system capacity density that would be impossible for a single satellite to achieve alone

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

2Productivity

If the number of spot beams is increased to provide higher capacity density, then system capacity density is improved, but satellite weight increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesystem capacity densityVSAvoidsatellite weight

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSWeight of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The system segments the total number of beams across multiple lighter satellites rather than concentrating all beams in one heavy satellite. Each satellite carries fewer antennas and less weight, but the combined system achieves the required capacity density

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

3Productivity

If the number of spot beams is increased to provide higher capacity density, then system capacity density is improved, but launch costs increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesystem capacity densityVSAvoidlaunch costs

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the total system capacity across multiple smaller satellites that can be launched separately or in smaller groups, avoiding the need to launch one extremely large and expensive satellite. This reduces launch costs while achieving the same aggregate capacity density

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

4Reliability

If frequency reuse patterns are applied to avoid inter-beam interference, then beam quality is improved, but system capacity density is reduced

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvebeam qualityVSAvoidsystem capacity density

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent resolves the interference-capacity contradiction by adding the dimension of multiple satellites in different orbital positions. Frequency reuse patterns that would be too restrictive for a single satellite become less constraining when distributed across multiple satellites, as the spatial separation in different orbital dimensions allows for more aggressive frequency reuse while maintaining beam quality

Inventive Principle:

Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

Data Source

PatentUS10447385B2Approaches for achieving improved capacity plans for a satellite communications system via interleaved beams from multiple satellites

Publication Date: 2019.10.15 HUGHES NETWORK SYST

AI summary

A method is provided for interleaving frequency reuse plans of multiple satellites to form an aggregate frequency reuse cell plan. A first plurality of spot beams is generated by a first satellite for a first frequency reuse plan based on radio frequency (RF) spectrum bands. A second plurality of spot beams is generated by a second satellite for a second frequency reuse plan based on the RF spectrum bands. The first and second plurality of spot beams are interleaved to generate an aggregate frequency reuse cell plan. According to the aggregate frequency reuse plan, each of a first plurality of cells is covered by a combination of at least two of the plurality of spot beams of the first satellite, and each of a first plurality of cells is covered by a combination of at least two of the plurality of spot beams of the second satellite.