A method for transmitting data from a population of devices to a relay station travelling with respect to one another. For transmitting the data to the relay station, each device includes at least one transmission slot resulting from a channel access method and a transmission window within which the relay station is to travel. The relay station is to broadcast an instruction to the population of devices before the data transmission, and, upon receiving the instruction, at least part of the population of devices is to set a modified transmission slot.

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.

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.

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 method of operating a satellite communication network is disclosed. The network includes a plurality of satellites interconnected by a plurality of satellite-to-satellite communication links. Each of the plurality of satellites is configured to communicate with at least one ground station using respective ground-satellite communication links. The method includes transmitting a routing table to each of the satellites. Each routing table has a list of destination satellites, and defines at least two possible routes leading to it. An alert message identifying a problem communication link is transmitted to a subset of the plurality of satellites. In response to receiving the alert message, subsequent data packets are routed through the communication network by the satellites using their respective routing table to avoid the problem communication link.

Techniques for improving data rates at mobile terminals that are subject to periodic channel interruptions in a beyond-line-of-sight communication system are disclosed, including improved encoding and decoding systems that identify blockages and modify receiver operation during blockages to reduce data errors. In certain embodiments, encoding, symbol mapping, interleaving, and use of unique periodic identifiers function to enable a series of packets that may be received in a blockage impaired channel with reduced errors.

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.

Systems and methods configured to form and manage different types of beams toward target ground terminals to optimally communicate with the terminals. In one set of embodiments, the UAV generates a set of beams to cover cells on the ground, the beams are divided into groups, and the UAV communications system deterministically and sequentially turns a subset of the beams on/off to reduce cross-beam interference and increase system throughput. In another embodiment, in order to increase throughput, the UAV communications system determines the highest data rate on the downlink and uplink that are decodable at the receiver given the received signal to interference plus noise ratio (SINR) while maintaining a low packet error rate. Systems and methods are described to determine the UAV antenna pattern toward different terminals needed for SINR calculation and data rate determination.

Apparatuses, methods, and systems of hub communication with a satellite network or a terrestrial network are disclosed. One method includes determining a propagation delay between a wireless communication device and a base station of a satellite network, adjusting, by the wireless communication device, a timing offset between transmit and receive radio frames at the wireless communication device based on whether the satellite network or a terrestrial network is selected, and based at least on the propagation delay, configuring air interface communication protocol timer values including at least a wait time for a response based on at least a frame offset between uplink and downlink frames at the base station of the satellite network, and communicating, by the wireless communication device, with the base station of the satellite network when the satellite network is selected, and with a base station of the terrestrial network when the terrestrial network is selected.

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.