Satellite Spot Beam Nutation for Coverage Expansion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current broadband satellite communication systems face challenges in increasing capacity over geographic areas without sacrificing capacity in adjacent beams, while also managing satellite size, weight, power, and complexity constraints.
Innovation Solution
The solution involves controlling spot beams to nutate or move in a pattern about an origin or central point, increasing the coverage area of each beam without increasing satellite size or complexity, by using a processor to manage the movement of communications beams over time.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the number of beams is increased to increase available bandwidth and capacity, then the capacity of the satellite increases, but the satellite size, weight, power, and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by making the beam patterns movable rather than fixed. The spot beams are controlled to nutate or move in patterns about an origin point, allowing the same physical beam hardware to serve multiple geographic locations at different times. This dynamic beam movement enables increased capacity and coverage area without adding more physical beams to the satellite, thereby avoiding increased satellite complexity.
2Productivity
If the number of beams is increased to increase available bandwidth, then the capacity of the satellite increases, but the satellite size and weight increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses dynamic beam movement to allow existing beam hardware to cover larger geographic areas over time. By nutating or moving spot beams in patterns about origin points, the effective coverage area of each beam is increased without adding more beams. This eliminates the need to increase satellite size and weight to achieve higher capacity.
3Area of stationary object
If the coverage area of each beam is increased, then the capacity distribution over geographic regions is optimized, but inter-beam interference increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies periodic action by having spot beams nutate or move in periodic patterns about origin points. The beams sweep through different positions and orientations in a repeating cycle, allowing coverage of larger areas while maintaining sufficient separation from other beams at any given moment. This periodic movement pattern enables expanded coverage without sustained interference conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The dynamic movement of beams in controlled patterns allows the coverage area of each beam to be effectively increased over time without causing continuous inter-beam interference. The beams move through space in coordinated fashion, ensuring that when one beam is positioned to cover a certain area, other beams are positioned elsewhere, thus maintaining interference-free operation while achieving broader overall coverage.
Data Source
AI summary
Approaches for wireless telecommunications systems (e.g., satellite systems), that employ beams that move in a pattern to increase the coverage area of the beams, are provided. A wireless telecommunications apparatus comprises an antenna configured to generate communications beams for providing data communications services over a respective coverage area on the surface of the Earth. The apparatus further comprises a processor configured to control each of at least one of the communications beams to move its coverage area in a respective pattern over a respective period of time. Further, a method comprises generating, via a wireless telecommunications apparatus, communications beams, wherein each beam provides data communications services over a respective coverage area on the surface of the Earth, and controlling each of at least one of the communications beams to move its coverage area in a respective pattern of movement over a respective period of time.