Multi-carrier Satellite Hub Bandwidth Splitting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Satellite communication systems face challenges in maintaining continuous communication with heterogeneous terminals, particularly due to the limitations of small antennas used in mobile terminals, which result in lower gain and wider beams, leading to signal interference and weather-related path losses, and existing methods for modifying continuous carriers often cause service interruptions.
Innovation Solution
The system modifies properties of continuous carriers, such as frequency and symbol rate, in real-time without interrupting service, using a method that allows receivers to adapt to changes while maintaining lock on the carrier, and splits the forward channel into multiple carriers to optimize bandwidth usage across different terminals.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If small antennas are used in mobile terminals to meet space and aerodynamic requirements, then ease of operation and adaptability improve, but antenna gain decreases and beam width increases causing signal interference and communication reliability deterioration
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the fundamental parameter of carrier frequency, introducing multi-carrier modulation with carriers at different frequencies. This allows the system to compensate for the low gain of small antennas by using multiple frequency channels, where some carriers can be optimized for robustness while others provide capacity, thereby maintaining communication reliability despite the physical constraints of mobile terminals.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the single communication channel into multiple independent carriers. Each carrier can be independently modulated and optimized for different terminal types. This segmentation allows the system to provide robust service to mobile terminals with small antennas while simultaneously providing high-capacity service to fixed terminals with large antennas, resolving the reliability issue for mobile platforms.
2Power
If transmission power is increased to compensate for small antenna deficiencies, then signal strength improves, but spectral density increases causing interference to adjacent satellites and violating transmission regulations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the total transmission power across multiple frequency carriers rather than concentrating it on a single carrier. This segmentation in the frequency domain allows the system to achieve sufficient signal strength through the combined effect of multiple carriers while maintaining spectral density within regulatory limits on each individual carrier, thus avoiding interference to adjacent satellites.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from single-carrier transmission to multi-carrier transmission, adding the frequency dimension to the transmission system. By spreading power across multiple frequency channels, the system achieves the required signal strength without exceeding spectral density constraints on any single frequency, thereby resolving the contradiction between signal strength and interference prevention.
3Object-generated harmful factors
If spectrum spreading techniques are used to reduce spectral density and comply with transmission regulations, then interference to adjacent satellites decreases, but bandwidth requirement increases and system efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the available bandwidth into multiple discrete carriers, each carrying a portion of the total data stream. This allows the system to maintain efficient modulation schemes on each carrier without requiring excessive spreading, thereby complying with spectral density regulations while preserving overall system efficiency through parallel transmission on multiple frequency channels.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements dynamic carrier allocation and modulation adaptation, where the system can dynamically adjust the number of active carriers and their modulation schemes based on channel conditions and service requirements. This dynamic approach allows efficient use of bandwidth while maintaining compliance with transmission regulations, avoiding the fixed overhead of spectrum spreading techniques.
4Adaptability or versatility
If existing methods for modifying continuous carriers are used, then carrier properties can be changed, but service interruptions occur causing loss of communication
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the communication signal into multiple carriers, allowing individual carriers to be modified, added, or removed without affecting the others. When carrier modifications are needed, the system can transition carriers individually while maintaining overall service continuity through the remaining active carriers, thereby enabling carrier configurability without service interruptions.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent ensures continuous communication by maintaining multiple active carriers simultaneously. When one carrier needs modification, the system continues to transmit on the other carriers without interruption, ensuring the useful action of data transmission continues uninterrupted while the necessary carrier transitions are performed.
Data Source
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Figure 3A~3C
AI summary
In a satellite communication system, comprising a hub and a plurality of heterogeneous terminals, the hub may split a bandwidth segment designated for a forward channel into at least two carriers, wherein some of the terminals may listen on a first carrier and some other terminals may listen on the at least second carrier. In this system, the hub may re-arrange the split of the bandwidth segment between the various carriers populating it in real-time or substantially in real-time, while the carriers are actively transmitted, and without causing loss of service and/or loss of data to terminals listening on those carriers. The terminals may be configured to track the carriers as they are re-arranged and to maintain seamless service to the end user throughout the re-arrangement process.