Satellite Optical Relay Link for Flexible Gateway Placement

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Solution Overview

Problem

The increasing demand for satellite communications bandwidth leads to the need for more gateway ground stations, which often must be located in undesirable geographic areas due to the limitations of radio frequency (RF) spectrum and the requirement for high-throughput satellite systems.

Innovation Solution

A satellite communication system utilizing an optical relay link between a communication satellite and a ground station, where a communication relay apparatus operates at high altitudes to facilitate both RF and optical communication links, allowing for increased bandwidth and efficient data transfer while enabling gateway stations to be located more flexibly.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If more gateway ground stations are distributed over larger regions to increase bandwidth, then the satellite communication capacity increases, but the gateway stations must be located in undesirable geographic locations

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesatellite communication throughputVSAvoidgateway station location flexibility

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces a communication relay apparatus as an intermediary component between the satellite and gateway ground stations. This relay apparatus receives optical signals from the satellite, converts them to RF signals, and transmits them to gateway stations. By inserting this intermediate conversion node, the system achieves higher throughput through optical links while allowing gateway stations to be located in more flexible geographic positions since they only need RF communication capability rather than direct optical alignment with the satellite.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Productivity

If RF spectrum is reused across multiple spot beams to increase capacity, then the throughput increases, but the RF spectrum limitations constrain further capacity expansion

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecommunication capacityVSAvoidavailable RF spectrum

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces the RF-based feeder link between satellite and gateway with an optical communication link. The satellite transmits optical signals to the communication relay apparatus, which then converts to RF for gateway transmission. This substitution of optical for RF in the satellite-to-relay segment provides vastly greater bandwidth capacity, eliminating the RF spectrum limitation as a constraint on capacity expansion while maintaining RF spectrum reuse benefits in the relay-to-gateway segment.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

3Productivity

If optical communication is used for the feeder link to increase bandwidth, then data transfer rates increase, but atmospheric interference may affect the optical signal

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedata transfer rateVSAvoidatmospheric interference

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent positions the communication relay apparatus at high altitude (stratospheric or upper atmospheric region) to receive optical signals from the satellite. By elevating the optical reception point to higher dimensions in the atmosphere, the system minimizes the path length through dense atmospheric layers, thereby reducing atmospheric interference such as turbulence, absorption, and scattering while still achieving the bandwidth benefits of optical communication.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

This solution enhances communication efficiency, increases available bandwidth, and improves link efficiency by using an optical feeder link and RF gateway link, reducing atmospheric interference and enabling more efficient RF spectrum reuse, thus supporting higher data transfer rates and flexible ground station placement.

Implementation Method 1

an optical terminal to transmit and receive optical communication signals to and from a communication satellite over a feeder link

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectOptical communication: Light

Implementation Method 2

a radio frequency terminal to transmit and receive radio frequency communication signals to and from a gateway station over a gateway link

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectRadio frequency communication: Electromagnetic Induction

Data Source

PatentUS10103812B2Satellite communication system

Publication Date: 2018.10.16 THE BOEING CO

AI summary

A satellite communication system may include a communication satellite orbiting Earth, a user terminal in radio communication with the communication satellite through a user link, a communication relay apparatus operating at an altitude of approximately 65,000 feet and in optical communication with the communication satellite through a feeder link, and a gateway station in radio communication with the communication relay apparatus through a gateway link.