Virtualized Multi-Satellite Signal Processing System
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Solution Overview
Problem
The high cost and complexity of monitoring large satellite constellations, such as Low Earth Orbit (LEO) constellations, due to the need for multiple antennas to track individual satellites, even when they are within the field of view of a single antenna, necessitate a more efficient and scalable solution for signal processing.
Innovation Solution
A scalable signal processing system that virtualizes the processing of digitized spectrum from multiple satellites, allowing a single antenna to receive and process signals from multiple satellites concurrently, using digitizers and processing cores that can operate in parallel and provide high availability through redundancy, enabling the extraction of individual satellite signals from a composite spectrum.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If multiple antennas are used to monitor individual satellites in a constellation, then each satellite can be tracked individually, but the cost and complexity of the ground system increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple satellite signal reception capabilities into a single ground antenna system. By using signal processing techniques to separate and process signals from multiple satellites simultaneously, the system achieves the functionality of multiple dedicated antennas while using a single physical antenna, thereby reducing ground equipment complexity and cost while maintaining reliable satellite monitoring capability
Solution Approach 2:
The ground antenna system is designed to perform multiple functions: it can receive and process signals from multiple different satellites simultaneously, monitor multiple orbit planes, and track multiple satellites within its field of view. This multi-functional capability replaces what would traditionally require multiple specialized antennas, reducing overall system complexity while maintaining comprehensive satellite monitoring
2Reliability
If multiple antennas are deployed to track satellites in a constellation, then complete coverage is achieved, but the cost of the ground system increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system merges the functionality of multiple ground antennas into a single antenna by implementing advanced signal processing that can separate and independently process signals from multiple satellites. This consolidation reduces the quantity of ground equipment needed while maintaining complete coverage of the satellite constellation through virtualized signal processing capabilities
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses virtualization to create virtual copies of antenna reception capabilities. Instead of physically deploying multiple antennas, the system creates virtual antenna elements through signal processing that can independently track and process signals from multiple satellites, effectively copying the functional capability of multiple antennas without the physical hardware overhead
3Quantity of substance
If a single antenna monitors multiple satellites concurrently, then ground equipment quantity is reduced, but signal processing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces complex mechanical signal separation methods with digital signal processing techniques. Instead of using multiple physical antennas with mechanical beamforming, the system uses software-based signal separation and processing algorithms to independently extract and process signals from multiple satellites received by a single antenna, reducing hardware complexity while managing processing complexity through efficient algorithms
Solution Approach 2:
The signal processing system segments the composite signal received from multiple satellites into individual satellite signals through digital processing. By dividing the processing task into separate signal streams for each satellite, the system manages the complexity of processing multiple signals concurrently while using a single antenna, making the processing complexity manageable through structured segmentation of the signal processing pipeline
Data Source
AI summary
A scalable signal processing system is disclosed that processes digitized spectrum received from a constellation of satellites (or other sources), extracting multiple digital signals from multiple sources through multiple acquisition sites that is virtualized with high availability. A system of one or more antennas can receive a range of frequencies of raw spectrum covering multiple visible orbit planes, where a single antenna can receive signals from multiple satellite concurrently. This can be particularly useful when establishing a constellation satellites, where a number of satellites can be grouped together within an antenna's field of view. A group of digitizers receive the signals from the antennas and creates raw samples to form a spectrum sample pool. The spectrum sample pool is stored in a raw frame archive, where the digitizers and raw frame archive can be co-located and can also be co-located with one or more of the antennas.