The described features generally relate to adjusting a native antenna pattern of a satellite to adapt communications via the satellite. For example, a communications satellite may include an antenna having a feed array assembly, a reflector, and a linear actuator coupled between the feed array assembly and the reflector. The feed array assembly may have a plurality of feeds for communicating signals associated with a communications service, and the reflector may be configured to reflect the signals transmitted between the feed array assembly and one or more target devices. The linear actuator may have an adjustable length, or otherwise provide an adjustable position between the feed array assembly and the reflector. By adjusting the position of the feed array assembly relative to the reflector, the communications satellite may provide a communications service according to a plurality of native antenna patterns.

Apparatuses, methods, and systems of hub communication with a satellite network or a terrestrial network are disclosed. One method includes detecting presence of the satellite network, detecting, by the hub, presence of a terrestrial network, selecting to connect to one of the satellite network or the terrestrial network based on a priority ruleset, estimating a propagation delay between the hub and a base station of the satellite network when the satellite network is selected, adjusting a timing offset between transmit and receive radio frames at the hub based on whether the satellite network or the terrestrial network is selected, and based at least on the propagation delay, and communicating with the base station of the satellite network or a base station of the terrestrial network.

The described features generally relate to adjusting a native antenna pattern of a satellite to adapt communications via the satellite. For example, a communications satellite may include an antenna having a feed array assembly, a reflector, and a linear actuator coupled between the feed array assembly and the reflector. The feed array assembly may have a plurality of feeds for communicating signals associated with a communications service, and the reflector may be configured to reflect the signals transmitted between the feed array assembly and one or more target devices. The linear actuator may have an adjustable length, or otherwise provide an adjustable position between the feed array assembly and the reflector. By adjusting the position of the feed array assembly relative to the reflector, the communications satellite may provide a communications service according to a plurality of native antenna patterns.

The disclosure relates to a method for transmitting sensor data from multiple sensors to a satellite. In a first phase, which is designated as a registration phase, the satellite registers the sensors in question and allocates each sensor a time window for transmitting the respective sensor data, and in a second phase, which is designated as a transmission phase, the satellite requests the sensor data in the individual sensors in a controlled manner, e.g., according to a list generated by the satellite during the registration phase. Thus, it is possible for satellites to access a ground-based sensor system in an optimized and self-learning manner. The disclosure additionally relates to a satellite suitable for carrying out the aforementioned method.

Example beam hopping methods and apparatus are described. In one example method, a first satellite sends a communication signal to a first area by using a first beam, where the communication signal is used by the first satellite to communicate with a terminal device in the first area, and the first area belongs to an area covered by the first satellite. The first satellite sends a positioning signal to a second area by using a second beam, where the positioning signal is used by a terminal device in the second area for positioning measurement.

In one embodiment, an over-the-air millimeter wave repeater for a communications network comprises: a donor unit including a first plurality of modular electronic components and an access point including a second plurality of modular electronic components. The donor unit communicates downlink mmWave spectrum wireless signals received from a base station to the access point and radiates uplink mmWave spectrum wireless signals received from the access point to the base station. The access point radiates the downlink mmWave spectrum wireless signals received from the donor unit into a coverage area, receives the uplink mmWave spectrum wireless signals received from the coverage area, and communicates the uplink mmWave spectrum wireless signals to the donor unit. The first and second plurality of modular electronic components includes at least one of a modular antenna component, a modular signal conditioning component, a modular signal interface component, and a modular controller.

A system and method for beamforming includes providing an antenna including feeds, a coverage area including service areas and data streams for each of the service areas; selecting a cluster of M feeds from the feeds; computing, with a GBBF processor (ground based beam former), M×N weights; generating M feed excitations by distributing the N data streams per the M×N weights; switching an array to transfer a respective one of the M feed excitations to a respective one of the M feeds; and beamforming, with the M feeds of the antenna, N beams. In the method, the N beams are each focused on a respective service area of each of the N data streams, the M×N weights improve the transmitting into the respective service area of each of the N data streams, and at least one of the N beams includes a portion of a plurality of the M feed excitations.

Broadband satellite communications systems using optical feeder links are disclosed. Various optical modulation schemes are disclosed that can provide improved capacity for fixed spot beam, on board beamforming, and ground-based beamforming broadband satellite systems.

Methods, systems, and devices are described for providing network access services to mobile users via multi-user network access terminals over a multi-beam satellite system. Quality-of-service (QoS) is controlled for the mobile devices at a per-user level according to user-specific traffic policies. Mobile users may be provisioned on the satellite system according to a set of traffic policies based on their service level agreement (SLA). System resources of the satellite may be allocated to mobile users based on the demand of each mobile user and the set of traffic polices associated with each mobile user, regardless of which multi-user network access terminal is used to access the system. Dynamic multiplexing of traffic from fixed terminals and mobile users on the same satellite beam can take advantage of statistical multiplexing of large numbers of users and on different usage patterns between fixed terminals and mobile users.

A communication system comprises a remote digital beam-forming network configured to receive a set of input signals destined for a set of user devices and generate element signals to be radiated by a set of remote antenna array elements; a pre-processor coupled to the remote digital beam-forming network, configured to perform a wavefront multiplexing transform on signal waveforms including the element signals and generate wavefront multiplexed signals; an optical line terminal coupled to the pre-processor, configured to process the wavefront multiplexed signal streams to generate optical waveform streams; and optical fibers coupling the optical line terminal to a set of optical network units.