Methods and systems are described for providing end-to-end beamforming. For example, end-to-end beamforming systems include end-to-end relays and ground networks to provide communications to user terminals located in user beam coverage areas. The ground segment can include geographically distributed access nodes and a central processing system. Return uplink signals, transmitted from the user terminals, have multipath induced by a plurality of receive/transmit signal paths in the end to end relay and are relayed to the ground network. The ground network, using beamformers, recovers user data streams transmitted by the user terminals from return downlink signals. The ground network, using beamformers generates forward uplink signals from appropriately weighted combinations of user data streams that, after relay by the end-end-end relay, produce forward downlink signals that combine to form user beams.

A room device comprising two or more connectors (2a, 2b, 15) for providing building power to the room device (1); a device controller (3a) configured to operate a heating, ventilation and/or air-conditioning system (4); a device memory (3b) in operative communication with the device controller (3a); wherein the device memory (3b) and the device controller (3a) require building power for standard operation; a transponder controller (5a) and an antenna (5c); a transponder memory (5b) being powerable by the transponder controller (5a); a device firmware stored in the device memory (3b), the device firmware including instructions causing the device controller (3a) upon providing building power to the room device (1) to: connect to the transponder controller (5a) such that the device controller (3a) is in operative communication with the transponder controller (5a); transfer the initial configuration data stored in the transponder memory (5b) to the device memory (3b).

Various embodiments include a device comprising: two connectors for powering the device; a controller to operate an HVAC system; a memory; a transponder controller and an antenna for near field communication; and a transponder memory storing a configuration version and an address list. Firmware in the transponder memory includes instructions for the controller to: connect to a handheld device; determine an address thereof; determine whether the address is on the list; if so: receive initial configuration data from the handheld device, and store it in the transponder memory. There is firmware in the device memory telling it to: connect to the transponder controller; read a device version; read the configuration version in the transponder memory; determine whether the configuration version is compatible with the device version; and if so, transfer the initial configuration data to the memory, and thereafter use the initial configuration data in operation of the system.

Examples disclosed herein relate to a phased array antenna system for use with a Low Earth Orbit (“LEO”) satellite constellation. The phased array antenna system has a plurality of antenna panels positioned in a dome and an antenna controller to control the plurality of antenna panels, the controller directing a first antenna panel to transmit a first signal and a second antenna panel to transmit a second signal to a LEO satellite, the first signal having a first phase and the second signal having a second phase different from the first phase.

In an exemplary embodiment, a phased array antenna comprises multiple subcircuits in communication with multiple radiating elements. The radio frequency signals are independently adjusted for both polarization control and beam steering. In a receive embodiment, multiple RF signals of various polarizations are received and combined into at least one receive beam output. In a transmit embodiment, at least one transmit beam input is divided and transmitted through multiple radiating elements, with the transmitted beams having various polarizations. In an exemplary embodiment, the phased array antenna provides multi-beam formation over multiple operating frequency bands. The wideband nature of the active components allows for operation over multiple frequency bands simultaneously.

A method and system for adjusting satellite communication network based on weather nowcasting are provided herein. The method may include: receiving weather conditions within a specified geographic region from a plurality of sources; obtaining positions of at least one terrestrial terminal within said specified area and a position of a communication satellite being in communication with said at least one terrestrial terminal; generating nowcasting predictions of weather conditions in a plurality of locations along communication paths between said communication satellite and said at least one terrestrial terminals, based on the received weather conditions; calculating total signal attenuation integral along said communication paths, over time, based on said nowcasting predictions; and dynamically adjusting communication characteristics of the at least one terrestrial terminal according to the calculated total signal attenuation.

A method of increasing reliability of a wireless radio includes: creating a first waveform at a first center frequency of an encoded data stream using a first wireless radio; creating a second waveform at a second center frequency of the encoded data stream using the first wireless radio; combining the first waveform and the second waveform into a composite waveform with redundant data streams at different center frequencies using the first wireless radio; wirelessly transmitting the composite waveform using the first wireless radio; wirelessly receiving the composite waveform; filtering the received composite waveform using a first filter band; digitizing the received composite waveform using the second wireless radio; demodulating the digitized composite waveform into a first data stream and a second data stream with the second wireless radio; and creating a third data stream representative of the encoded data stream.

Techniques for data transmission include a geostationary earth orbiting satellite that includes a first optical communication system configured to receive forward-direction user data via a forward optical link between the satellite and a stratospheric high-altitude communication device, and a first radio frequency (RF) communication system configured to transmit, via a plurality of RF spot beams, the forward-direction user data. The stratospheric high-altitude communication device includes a second RF communication system configured to receive the forward-direction user data via a plurality of concurrent forward RF feeder links, and a second optical communication system configured to transmit to the satellite, via the forward optical link, the forward-direction user data received via the plurality of forward RF feeder links. A substantial portion of forward feeder data throughput for all forward RF service link transmissions by the satellite is carried via the forward optical link and the plurality of forward RF feeder links.

A dynamic satellite map updating system measures geographic position and travel information of in-flight aircraft in a fleet of aircraft equipped to establish in-flight connectivity services from a plurality of satellite beams. The in-flight aircraft include an on-board satellite map program with satellite map parameters to indicate which satellite beam of a group of available satellite beams is the most desirable based on the in-flight aircraft's geographic location. The system selects in-flight aircraft, determines updated satellite map parameters for the selected aircraft, and transmits the updated satellite map parameters to the aircraft to assemble new satellite map programs to relieve wireless data outage conditions on one or more of the satellite beams. The dynamic satellite updating system may transmit the updated satellite map parameters over an existing satellite data connection to make up-to-date adjustments to the communications load among the group of available satellite beams.

In one embodiment, a communicating device (e.g., either a ground station server or a particular distributed module of a satellite communication system) mitigates congestion on a particular return communication path via an intermediate satellite from the plurality of distributed modules to the ground station server. In particular, in response to determining that the level of congestion is above a threshold, then the communication device mitigates the congestion by, e.g., one or both of either a) determining an uncongested return communication path from a particular distributed module to the ground station server, ensuring that the uncongested return communication path would not interfere with any unintended receiver, and then causing the particular distributed module to use the uncongested return communication path, and b) enforcing one or more communication restrictions on a utilized return communication path to reduce the effect of a communication on the overall congestion of the utilized return communication path.