Ultra Small Aperture Antenna Spectral Replication Coherent Combining

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Solution Overview

Problem

Ultra small aperture antennas in satellite communication systems face challenges due to reduced antenna gain, increased thermal noise, and susceptibility to Adjacent Satellite Interference (ASI), making them impractical for use in satellite communications, especially in lower frequency bands like C and Ku bands.

Innovation Solution

A satellite communication system that uses spectral replication to boost power density by transmitting multiple spectral replicas, which are coherently combined in frequency and phase at the receiving antenna, thereby increasing the power and gain of the signal, allowing for the use of ultra small aperture antennas.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of manufacture

If the aperture of the remote station antenna is reduced, then the cost and size of the antenna are reduced, but the G/T (antenna Gain/system noise Temperature) degrades and the antenna becomes more susceptible to thermal noise and interference

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveantenna cost and sizeVSAvoidsignal-to-noise ratio

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The signal transmission is segmented into multiple spectral replicas transmitted through different satellites or transponders. Each replica carries a portion of the total signal energy, allowing the receiving antenna to collect energy from multiple sources rather than relying on a single high-power transmission path.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Multiple spectral replicas received from different satellites or transponders are coherently combined at the receiving station. This merging process consolidates the signal energy from multiple paths into a single enhanced signal, effectively increasing the signal-to-noise ratio despite using a small aperture antenna.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

2Volume of moving object

If the aperture of the remote station antenna is reduced, then the antenna size is reduced, but the beam width increases and the field of view increases causing more Adjacent Satellite Interference (ASI)

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveantenna sizeVSAvoidAdjacent Satellite Interference

Core Design Contradiction:

Volume of moving objectVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The interference problem is segmented by distributing signal transmission across multiple satellites or transponders rather than concentrating all power on a single transmission path. This allows the system to exploit spatial and frequency diversity to separate desired signals from adjacent satellite interference.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Multiple spectral replicas are created and transmitted through different satellites or transponders. The receiving station receives multiple copies of the signal and coherently combines them, effectively copying the signal through multiple independent paths to avoid interference on any single path.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

3Reliability

If satellite power (EIRP) is increased, then the link performance is improved, but the cost increases significantly

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvelink performanceVSAvoidsatellite power and cost

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSPower

Solution Approach 1:

The total required signal power is segmented and distributed across multiple satellites or transponders. Instead of requiring one satellite to transmit with very high power, multiple satellites transmit with moderate power levels, achieving the same cumulative signal energy at the receiver.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The signal energies from multiple satellites or transponders are merged through coherent combining at the receiving station. This consolidation of energy from multiple sources achieves high link performance without requiring any single satellite to expend excessive power.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

4Reliability

If multiple spectral replicas are transmitted and coherently combined, then the power density is boosted and ultra small aperture antennas become feasible, but the system complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepower density at receiverVSAvoidsystem complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

Multiple spectral replicas are created as copies of the original signal and transmitted through different satellites or transponders. The receiving station receives these copies and coherently combines them, enabling ultra-small aperture antennas by concentrating the energy from multiple copied signal paths.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

Data Source

PatentUS7907894B2System and method for enabling ultra small aperture communication antenna using spectral replication and coherent frequency and phase combining

Publication Date: 2011.03.15 ANUVU IP HLDG LLC

AI summary

A system for enabling use of ultra-small aperture terminals in satellite communications is provided. The system comprises a transmitter configured to receive an input signal having information, a bandwidth, and an amplitude, replicate the input signal into two or more replications of the input signal, convert each of the two or more replications to have a frequency tuned to two or more corresponding satellite transponders while maintaining the bandwidth and all the information of the input signal, and combine the two or more replications into a single uplink signal. A transmit antenna is configured to transmit the uplink signal to the two or more satellite transponders.