Satellites provide communication between devices such as user terminals (UTs) and ground stations that are in turn connected to other networks, such as the Internet. Latency for signals to and from the satellite can introduce delays due at least in part to propagation time. The latency adversely interacts with data transfers that result in responses from the UT. Downstream data to the UT is processed to determine if a response is expected. Header data is associated with the downstream data that is sent to the satellite. A resource scheduler onboard the satellite uses the header data to provide a prospective grant to the UT to send the expected response. The UT receives the downstream data, response data such as an acknowledgement is generated, and the response data is sent to the satellite using the prospective grant. The system substantially reduces the latency associated with responsive traffic and improves overall throughput.

A source terminal, for communications with a destination terminal via satellite links to two clusters of satellites, comprises a transmitter and a multibeam antenna system. The transmitter includes a preprocessor and a bank of modulators. The preprocessor performs a K-muxing transform, which has an inverse transform, on M concurrent input data streams to generate concurrently M output data streams, M>1. Each output data stream is a linear combination of the M concurrent input data streams. The bank of modulators transforms N of the M output data streams into N signal streams, N≤M. The multibeam antenna system transforms the N signal streams into N shaped beams and radiating N.sub.1 of the N shaped beams towards the first cluster of satellites and N.sub.2 of the N shaped beams towards the second cluster of satellites, where N.sub.1 and N.sub.2 are positive integers and N.sub.1+N.sub.2=N.

A multi-tenant system is provided for coordinating spectrum allocation of a plurality of high-altitude networks (HANs) so that at least one high-altitude platform (HAP) in one of the plurality of HANs is controlled to avoid interfering with a HAP in at least one other HAN of the plurality of HANs. The multi-tenant system comprises a database including: 1) a first interface, 2) a second interface, 3) at least one service module, and 4) a data storage device. The multi-tenant system further comprises a communication controller coupled to the database, the communication controller configured to control various characteristics of HAPs in their respective HANs and links therebetween based on data maintained in the data storage device of the database. The data includes regulatory and coordination constraints provided via the first interface and non-regulatory and external coordination information provided via the second interface.

There is provided a satellite network for data communication, the network comprising a plurality of satellites arranged in medium Earth orbit (MEO) in a plurality of orbital planes such that a plurality of satellites are provided in each orbital plane, each satellite being operable to communicate with at least one terrestrial user terminal and comprising at least one communications antenna operable to generate a spot beam on a predetermined selected terrestrial region to enable said one or more terrestrial user terminals to receive and/or send data via the spot beam. The plurality of satellites is arranged such that the spot beams of at least two satellites are operable to cover the same terrestrial region at any one time.

Systems and methods for adapting a timer(s) for a satellite-based radio access network are disclosed. Embodiments of a method performed by a wireless device and corresponding embodiments of a wireless device are disclosed. In some embodiments, a method performed by a wireless device comprises obtaining a value to be used to offset, extend, and/or scale one or more timers related to the satellite-based radio access network relative to values for non-satellite-based radio access networks. The method further comprises utilizing the value to offset a start of one or more timers, extend one or more timers, and/or scale one or more timers and performing one or more actions based on the one or more offset timers, the one or more extended timers, and/or the one or more scaled timers. Embodiments of a method performed by a base station and corresponding embodiments of a base station are also disclosed.

Disclosed embodiments relate satellites using a Software-Defined Radio (“SDR”) system. In one example, a geostationary (GEO) satellite includes an antenna system including multiple antennas, each configured to provide a spot beam having an adjustable throughput for a terrestrial coverage area while the antenna is in an active state and the satellite is in orbit above the Earth, a front-end subsystem communicatively coupled to the antenna system having an input side including an input filter and an analog-to-digital converter, and an output side including an output filter and a digital-to-analog converter, and a software defined radio (“SDR”) communicatively coupled to the antenna system via the front-end subsystem. The SDR, in response to a surge modification request, modifies a throughput of each active antenna by increasing or decreasing a share of a satellite power budget allotted to the antenna by deactivating or activating a previously active or previously inactive antenna, respectively.

Disclosed embodiments relate to isolation methods for full-duplex communication. In one example, a full-duplex antenna system includes a Tx (transmit) signal path including one or more elements each, means a power amplifier, one or more filters, and a Tx port of a Tx patch antenna operating at a Tx frequency band to transmit an outgoing signal to a satellite, the one or more elements each further including an Rx (receive) signal path including a low noise amplifier driven by an Rx port of an Rx patch antenna operating at an Rx frequency band to receive an incoming signal from the satellite, the Rx frequency band being separated by a guard band from the Tx frequency band, wherein the filters together with a physical separation between the Tx and Rx signal paths provide sufficient isolation to reduce coupling between the Tx signal path and the Rx signal path, allowing the full-duplex antenna system to operate in full-duplex.

Systems and methods for controlling satellites are provided. In one example embodiment, a computing system can obtain a request for image data. The request can be associated with a priority for acquiring the image data. The computing system can determine an availability of a plurality of satellites to acquire the image data based at least in part on the request. The computing system can select from among a plurality of communication pathways to transmit an image acquisition command to a satellite based at least in part on the request priority. The plurality of communication pathways can include a communication pathway via which the image acquisition command is indirectly communicated to the satellite via a geostationary satellite. The computing system can send the image acquisition command to the selected satellite via the selected communication pathway.

Combinations of antenna types, which may include parabolic reflectors, electronically scanned arrays (ESAs), lens antennas and other directional antenna types enable a satellite ground terminal that is adaptable for use in multiple frequency bands such as C, Q, V, Ku, X and Ka bands, with satellites in various orbital configuration such as LEO, MEO, other non-GEO, and GEO, and in various user scenarios such as fixed, At the Quick Halt (ATQH), or On-the-Move (OTM). The VSAT or MVSAT of the invention does not require alteration or modification to support these multiple uses cases. As a result of this interoperability there are savings in unit cost and logistics. The system and method of the invention allow rapid reconfiguration of the ground segment of a satellite communication system to overcome loss of space segment assets, by enabling the inventive ground terminal to quickly transition to communicate with alternative satellites.

A network controller is configured to cause a network to implement a primary network configuration of a network and a secondary network configuration as a backup to the primary network configuration. The network controller may be configured to receive information from a plurality of nodes of a network and information related to the client data to be transmitted through the network. Based on the node information, the network controller is configured to determine available nodes and possible links in the network and then determine a topology of the network. The primary network configuration is determined based on the topology. The network controller then sends instructions to the plurality of nodes of the network to implement the primary network configuration and to switch to a secondary network configuration where a failure of the primary network configuration occurs, wherein the secondary network configuration implements mobile ad-hoc networking in the determined topology.