Interference-Aware Relay Reception for Satellite IoT Beam Nulling
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Solution Overview
Problem
In satellite IoT platforms, interference signals from numerous ground IoT terminals make it difficult to accurately estimate the propagation channel and form a reception beam to nullify interference, especially due to unknown signal sequences and arrival timings.
Innovation Solution
A wireless communication system with a relay apparatus that includes a first signal receiver, a reception waveform recorder, and a second signal transmitter, and a receiving apparatus with a second signal receiver, a reception processor, and a controller, which calculates interference generation time and position to suppress interference signals based on observation results.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If ZF or MMSE method is used to form reception beam, then the reception beam can be directed toward desired signal and null toward interference signal, but accurate estimation of propagation channel components becomes difficult when enormous number of ground IoT terminals transmit interference signals
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an observation apparatus as an intermediary device that observes and measures interference signals from ground IoT terminals. The observation apparatus transmits the observed interference signals to the relay apparatus, enabling accurate estimation of interference propagation channels without requiring the relay apparatus to directly process enormous numbers of interference signals. This intermediary measurement approach resolves the contradiction by providing precise interference channel information despite the large quantity of interference sources.
2Manufacturing precision
If reception beam is formed using estimated propagation channels, then null can be directed toward interference signal, but the null direction becomes inaccurate when signal sequence and arrival timing of interference signals are unknown
Solution Approach 1:
The observation apparatus performs preliminary observation and measurement of interference signals before they reach the relay apparatus. By pre-measuring the interference signals, their propagation channels, and characteristics in advance, the system obtains accurate interference information without needing to know the signal sequences or arrival timings at the relay apparatus. This preliminary action ensures accurate null direction even when interference signal details are unknown to the main system.
3Reliability
If conventional reception beam forming is used, then processing can be performed with available information, but the system cannot constantly direct null toward interference signal generation source due to difficulty in estimating propagation channel from enormous number of terminals
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the interference signal processing function into two independent parts: (1) the observation apparatus that measures and observes interference signals from ground terminals, and (2) the relay apparatus that uses the pre-measured interference information for beam forming. This segmentation divides the complex task of processing enormous numbers of interference signals into manageable parts, where the observation apparatus handles the difficult measurement task and the relay apparatus focuses on beam forming, thereby improving reliability while reducing overall system complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
The receiving apparatus includes a signal receiver, a second signal reception processor, a first signal reception processor, and a controller. The signal receiver receives the second signal indicating the reception time and the waveform data indicating the waveform of the first signal received from the transmission apparatus by each of the plurality of receiving antennas of the relay apparatus. The second signal reception processor performs reception processing of the second signal to acquire waveform data. The first signal reception processor performs reception processing of the first signal indicated by the waveform data to acquire data set to the first signal by the transmission apparatus. The controller calculates a generation time and a generation position of the interference signal with respect to the first signal on the basis of the observation result of the radio signal in the observation apparatus. The controller instructs the first signal reception processor to perform, in the reception processing, an operation of suppressing an interference signal arriving at the relay apparatus from a generation position at the generation time on the first signal at the reception time corresponding to the generation time.