Adaptive Satellite Demodulation for Priority-Based Message Delay
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing satellite communication systems for Low Earth Orbital (LEO) constellations face challenges in providing real-time service while optimizing for power consumption, memory requirements, and bandwidth, especially when communicating with low-power small terminals in environments with high interference.
Innovation Solution
An adaptive demodulation system that prioritizes on-board demodulation of high-priority messages for short-delay transmission and delegates lower-priority message demodulation to ground stations, utilizing high-gain antenna arrays efficiently to communicate with small terminals.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of time
If on-board demodulation is performed for all messages, then real-time service is ensured, but on-board processing power and power consumption increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments messages into high-priority and low-priority categories. High-priority messages undergo on-board demodulation for real-time delivery, while low-priority messages are stored as raw samples and processed later on the ground. This segmentation resolves the contradiction by applying different processing strategies to different message types, ensuring real-time service for critical messages without overloading on-board processing power.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements dynamic adaptive demodulation where the satellite adjusts its processing behavior based on buffer status, power availability, and message priority. The demodulation threshold is dynamically adjusted to optimize the balance between real-time service and power consumption, allowing the system to adapt to varying operational conditions rather than using a fixed processing strategy.
2Loss of time
If on-board memory is increased to store all received samples, then delay-tolerant service is improved, but satellite mass and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments stored data into processed messages and raw samples. Only essential high-priority messages are retained on-board after demodulation, while low-priority messages are discarded after ground processing. This reduces the memory burden and satellite mass while maintaining delay-tolerant service capability for non-critical communications.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent treats raw signal samples as temporary, disposable data that can be discarded after ground processing. Instead of permanently storing all samples, the system processes them transiently on the ground and discards them after extraction, reducing long-term storage requirements and satellite mass.
3Productivity
If high-gain antenna arrays are used to communicate with small terminals, then communication efficiency is improved, but on-board processing complexity and power consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the communication task into two phases: on-board signal acquisition using high-gain antenna arrays, and offline demodulation processing on the ground. This segmentation allows the satellite to use sophisticated antenna arrays for efficient signal capture without burdening on-board processing resources, resolving the contradiction between communication efficiency and processing complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces ground stations as intermediaries that perform the complex demodulation processing. The satellite's high-gain antenna arrays efficiently capture signals from small terminals, then transfer raw samples to ground stations for sophisticated processing. This intermediary approach enables the use of advanced antenna technology without increasing on-board processing complexity.
4Reliability
If the number of ground stations is increased to ensure real-time service, then message delivery reliability is improved, but system cost and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments service requirements into real-time and delay-tolerant categories. Only high-priority messages requiring real-time delivery are routed through multiple ground stations, while low-priority messages can be handled by fewer ground stations with longer processing times. This segmentation reduces the overall number of ground stations needed while maintaining real-time service reliability for critical communications.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies different service quality levels to different messages based on priority. High-priority messages receive premium real-time processing with multiple ground station involvement, while low-priority messages accept delayed processing with fewer ground stations. This local quality differentiation reduces overall system complexity while ensuring real-time reliability where needed.
Data Source
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AI summary
An aspect of the invention concerns a method for processing a signal received from at least one terminal, said method being performed on-board by a satellite equipped with an antenna array comprising a plurality of element; said satellite comprising a memory and means for processing data contained in said memory; said method comprising: a step (2R1) of receiving, a low bit rate signal from at least one terminal; a step (2D1) of demodulating the low bit rate signal received from said terminal; a step (2E1) of extracting information from the demodulated low bit rate signal, said information containing data concerning a signal, said main signal, to be sent by said terminal; a step (2R2) of receiving, the main signal containing at least one message from at least one terminal; a step (2S1) of sampling the main signal received by each element of the antenna array; a step (2S2) of storing the sampled main signal in the satellite memory; when the satellite is in the range of a ground station, a step (2T1) of transmitting the stored samples to the ground station for further processing along with information extracted from the demodulated low bit rate signal and corresponding to said stored sample.