Terminal Transmit Power Control for Fast Gateway Switching

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing power control systems in radio terminals face inefficiencies due to sudden changes in time-variant parameters, leading to time-consuming and resource-wasteful ranging procedures during gateway switching, and inaccuracies from pre-calculated power requirements.

Innovation Solution

Implement a method for radio terminal power control that uses measured data to calculate initial Power Across Frequency (PAF) values and employs a tracking system to adapt to variations, allowing flexible IR layouts and reducing the need for repeated ranging.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Stability of the object's composition

If pre-calculated power values are used to combat large step changes, then power control stability is improved, but measurement precision and accuracy deteriorate due to link budget assumptions and inability to track variations

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepower control stabilityVSAvoidpower requirement accuracy
Core Design Contradiction:
Stability of the object's compositionVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The system implements feedback by continuously measuring actual power requirements at the terminal and reporting them to the gateway. The gateway stores these measured values and uses them to determine power allocations for gateway switches, ensuring that power control decisions are based on actual measurements rather than pre-calculated assumptions.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The system performs preliminary ranging procedures to establish initial power requirements before gateway switching occurs. These pre-measured values are stored in the gateway and readily available for immediate use during gateway switches, eliminating the need for time-consuming ranging procedures at the moment of switching.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Measurement precision

If ranging procedure is repeated during gateway switching, then power control accuracy is maintained, but time consumption and resource usage increase significantly

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepower control accuracyVSAvoidgateway switching delay
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs ranging procedures in advance before gateway switching and stores the measured power requirements in the gateway. When a gateway switch is needed, the pre-measured values are immediately retrieved and applied, eliminating the need to repeat the time-consuming ranging procedure during the actual switch.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The gateway creates and stores copies of terminal power requirement measurements obtained during initial ranging. These copied values are then reused during gateway switching events, avoiding the need to perform new measurements and significantly reducing switching delays.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #26Copying

3Device complexity

If pre-calculated power values are used, then device complexity is reduced, but adaptability deteriorates because time variant parameters like frequency and modulation changes cannot be tracked

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepower control system complexityVSAvoidresponse to frequency and modulation changes
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The system continuously measures actual power requirements at the terminal and feeds back these measurements to the gateway. This feedback mechanism automatically captures variations due to frequency changes, modulation changes, and other time-variant parameters, allowing the system to adapt without increasing complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The terminal autonomously measures its own power requirements and reports them to the gateway. This self-service approach allows the system to automatically track and adapt to changing conditions without requiring complex centralized control or pre-programmed responses to various scenarios.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

4Reliability

If gateway switching is performed using existing design, then connectivity is maintained, but productivity decreases due to minutes-long ranging delays for all terminals

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveconnectivity maintenanceVSAvoidgateway switching speed
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The gateway pre-stores power requirement measurements for all terminals before switching occurs. During gateway switching, these pre-prepared values are immediately applied to all terminals simultaneously, enabling rapid switching without the need to perform sequential ranging procedures that previously delayed the process by minutes.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The gateway utilizes stored copies of terminal power measurements to rapidly execute gateway switching. By copying and applying pre-measured power values to all terminals at once, the system maintains connectivity reliability while dramatically improving switching speed and overall productivity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #26Copying

Data Source

PatentEP4238237B1Power control for frequency variation and gateway switching
Publication Date: 2026.03.11 HUGHES NETWORK SYST
  • EP4238237B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4238237B1 patent drawingFigure 2~3
  • EP4238237B1 patent drawingFigure 4

AI summary

A system and method for managing a transmit power of a terminal includes dividing a spectrum into frequency bins and an inroute layout including inroutes; mapping at least one of the frequency bins with each of the inroute; determining a respective normalized Transmit Power (TP) for each of the frequency bins; calculating a transmission TP based on the respective normalized TP of one or more of the frequency bins mapped to a selected inroute; and transmitting a radio signal with the transmission TP on the selected inroute. A first frequency bin is adjacent a second frequency bin, a respective normalized TP of the first frequency bin compared to a respective normalized TP of the second frequency bin varies no more than a threshold power delta, a count of frequency bins is greater than one and unequal to a count of the inroute layout.