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 system and method for reliably and efficiently monitoring and arbitrating the performance of one or more UTM infrastructure systems are provided herein. The method for monitoring and arbitrating a plurality of UTM infrastructure networks involves monitoring and arbitrating a plurality of unmanned traffic management (UTM) infrastructure networks comprising integrating a UTM arbitration system between the plurality of UTM infrastructure networks, wherein the UTM arbitration system is operably configured to simultaneously monitor the UTM infrastructure networks; monitoring information and/or data associated with one or more UTM systems associated with the UTM infrastructure networks; detecting the presence or absence thereof of one or more inconsistencies in the data and/or information associated with the one or more UTM systems; and initiating a reconciliation activity in response to detecting the presence of at least one inconsistency in the data and/or information associated with the one or more UTM systems.

An enhanced L-band Digital Aeronautical Communications System (LDACS) may include LDACS ground stations, and LDACS airborne stations configured to communicate with the LDACS ground stations. The enhanced LDACS may also include a Cloud-based network controller configured to allocate LDACS resources to the LDACS ground stations and the LDACS airborne stations based upon a number of LDACS airborne stations, respective flight paths of each LDACS airborne station, a respective type of each LDACS airborne station, and historical data on communication use for each LDACS airborne station.

A method and apparatus for non-terrestrial network beam switching is provided. A non-terrestrial network base station includes a transmitter configured to transmit downlink data to user equipment and a receiver configured to receive uplink data from the user equipment. A channel bandwidth of the non-terrestrial network base station is divided into a plurality of bandwidth parts respectively corresponding to a plurality of geographic areas, and each bandwidth part is respectively associated with a satellite beam. When the user equipment is located in a first geographic area, the transmitter transmits the downlink data to the user equipment over a corresponding first bandwidth part. After the user equipment transitions from the first geographic area to a second geographic area, the transmitter transmits the downlink data to the user equipment over a corresponding second bandwidth part of the plurality of bandwidth parts.

Instead of users (e.g., independent owners/operators of different satellites) having to calculate orbit determination for each satellite themselves, an orbit determination service automatically calculates the orbit determination (OD) based on a user request. The calculated OD can then be used by a satellite ground station service to determine appropriate orientations for a ground station antenna in order to communicate with the satellite. In some embodiments, the OD service uses information from the calculations of ODs for multiple satellites and users to update a model used in the OD calculation, for example, to provide a more accurate model for Earth's atmosphere to be applied in subsequent OD calculations. In some embodiments, the OD service uses a user-provided computer-aided drawing (CAD) file of the satellite to produce or tune models specific to the satellite, for example, to generate more accurate models for solar radiation pressure and ballistic drag.

A circuit includes an acquisition unit configured to acquire information regarding a flight and a measurement report control unit configured to control a measurement report process on a reference signal transmitted from a base station device, on a basis of the information regarding the flight acquired by the acquisition unit.

The present disclosure includes devices, systems, and methods for communicating with unmanned aerial vehicles. In one embodiment, the present disclosure includes a server including a communication interface, a memory, and an electronic processor communicatively connected to the memory. The electronic processor is configured to communicate with one or more unmanned aerial vehicles via the communication interface and a satellite network, communicate with the one or more unmanned aerial vehicles via the communication interface and a terrestrial network, and communicate with the one or more unmanned aerial vehicles via the communication interface and a combination of the satellite network and the terrestrial network.

Herein provided is an interface for use in transmitting data from an aircraft including a first connector configured for physically and removably coupling a communication module to a communication system which obtains the data on-board the aircraft from at least one data source within the aircraft, and a second connector for digitally coupling the communication module to a processing unit of the communication module producing at least one message for transmission based on the data, the at least one message comprising information of interest identified based on the data. The interface is configured for conducting the at least one message from the processing unit to at least one radio via the second connector.

A network for providing high speed data communications may include multiple terrestrial transmission stations that are located within overlapping communications range and a mobile receiver station. The terrestrial transmission stations provide a continuous and uninterrupted high speed data communications link with the mobile receiver station employing a wireless radio access network protocol.

In an embodiment, a system comprises height-measuring circuitry coupled to a vehicle, in which the height-measuring circuitry is configured to measure a height parameter of the vehicle. The system further comprises a radio transceiver coupled to a portion of the vehicle, in which the radio is configured to transmit a radio frequency (RF) signal. The system further comprises at least one processor configured to receive the height parameter from the height-measuring circuitry. The system further comprises at least one antenna coupled to the radio transceiver and coupled to the at least one processor. The at least one antenna is configured to output the RF signal at a beamwidth, and the at least one processor is operative to configure the at least one antenna to vary the beamwidth of the RF signal based on the height parameter.