A system of architecture, apparatus and calibration method is invented for high-power flexible-polarization payload for satellite communications. The system comprises onboard phase-tracked apparatus, flexible polarization mechanism, and in-orbit calibration method. The power combining and polarization performance of the phase-tracked payload is monitored on ground by measuring the cross-polarization discrimination (XPD) and/or axial ratio (AR). The high performance over the life is achieved by optimization of the XPD or AR on ground and adjusting complex gain of the transponders. The high-power flexible-polarization in-orbit-calibration payload may be applied but not limited to UHF, L, S, C, X, Ku and Ka-band high power satellite systems.

An aircraft based satellite communication (SATCOM) terminal includes a broadband aperture configured to communicate through non-geostationary orbit (NGSO) satellites for broadband communications, a management aperture configured to receive NGSO satellite management information from a geostationary orbit (GSO) satellite, and at least one processor that performs operations. The operations receive the NGSO satellite management information from the GSO satellite, where the NGSO satellite management information indicates positions and associated time of a set of the NGSO satellites. The operations acquire a second communication link with a second NGSO satellite among the set using the NGSO satellite management information during handoff switching from using a first communication link that was previously acquired with a first NGSO satellite to using the second communication link being acquired with the second NGSO satellite. The operations then perform broadband communications through the broadband aperture and the second communication link with the second NGSO satellite. Related ground-based control centers are disclosed.

A method and system for distributive flow control and bandwidth management in networks is disclosed. The method includes: providing multiple Internet Protocol (IP) Gateways (IPGWs) that each have a maximum send rate and one or more sessions with associated throughput criteria, wherein each IPGW performs flow control by limiting information flows by the respective maximum send rate and throughput criteria; providing multiple Code Rate Organizers (CROs) that each have a bandwidth capacity, wherein each CRO performs bandwidth allocation of its respective bandwidth capacity to one or more IPGWs of the multiple IPGWs; interconnecting the multiple IPGWs with the multiple CROs; and performing bandwidth management across the multiple CROs and IPGWs. In the method, an IPGW of the multiple IPGWs provides flow control across a plurality of the CROs of the multiple CROs, and a CRO of the multiple CROs allocates bandwidth to a plurality of the IPGWs of the multiple IPGWs.

A satellite communication system comprises a satellite configured to provide a plurality of spot beams adapted for communication using time domain beam hopping to switch throughput among spot beams of the plurality of spot beams. The plurality of spot beams includes a first spot beam that illuminates and communicates with a first gateway and a first set of subscriber terminals. The satellite is configured to implement a beam hopping plan that during a hopping period provides throughput to the first spot beam for an aggregated time duration based on bandwidth assignments to the first gateway and the first set of subscriber terminals.

A satellite receiver for wireless signals having carrier frequencies in the V or the W band of frequencies is described. The satellite receiver may receive the wireless signals at high elevation angles, such as greater than 62° . This high elevation angle may reduce losses, which may allow the satellite receiver to communicate at a data rate of at least 50 Mbps. In order to accommodate these system requirements, the one or more satellites that provide the wireless signals may have eccentric geosynchronous or near-geosynchronous orbits that are inclined relative to an equatorial plane of the Earth, such as an eccentricity between 0.12 and 0.3. Moreover, the one or more satellites may have ground tracks substantially along one or more continents, and may be in view of dense population regions in the one or more continents with a higher frequency than low-density population regions in the one or more continents.

A satellite receiver with a switchable array of antenna elements for receiving wireless signals from at least a satellite is described. The antenna elements may be dynamically selected based at least in part on a location and motion of the satellite receiver, and a location and a motion of at least the satellite that provides wireless signals. Moreover, the antenna elements may also be dynamically selected based at least in part on utilization and/or availability of a terrestrial wireless communication network that communicates with the satellite receiver. The satellite receiver may predict availability of communication with at least the satellite. Furthermore, the array of antenna elements may provide improved power efficiency, pointing accuracy and/or isotropic gain relative to an array of antenna elements without switched antenna elements, such as for carrier frequencies in the V or the W band of frequencies.

A mobile station provided in a satellite communication network comprised of multiple orbiting satellites, wherein the mobile station includes a transceiver that is capable of communication with each of the multiple orbiting satellites, the communication comprising an uplink communication channel and a downlink communication channel, a memory storing data and executable program instructions, and a processor coupled to the transceiver and to the memory, the processor configured to execute the executable program instructions to manage satellite communication handover by performing the steps of maintaining a current communication link between the mobile station and a first orbiting satellite of the multiple orbiting satellites if a signal quality of the current communication link is greater than a first signal quality threshold, identifying at least a second orbiting satellite and a third orbiting satellite of the multiple orbiting satellites as handover candidates based on a relative position of the mobile station to the multiple orbiting satellites, wherein a relative distance of the mobile station to the second orbiting satellite is less than a relative distance of the mobile station to the third orbiting satellite, handing over communication of the mobile station to the third orbiting satellite if the signal quality of the current communication link is not greater than the first signal quality threshold and if a projected signal quality of a communication link between the mobile station and the third orbiting satellite is greater than a second signal quality threshold, and handing over communication of the mobile station to the second orbiting satellite if the signal quality of the current communication link is not greater than the first signal quality threshold and if the projected signal quality of a communication link between the mobile station and the third orbiting satellite is not greater than a second signal quality threshold and if a projected signal quality of a communication link between the mobile station and the second orbiting satellite is greater than a third signal quality threshold.

Within a satellite communications system, a base station communicates with standard compliant user equipment (UE) via a satellite having a field of view. The base station has a processor that instructs the satellite to generate a wide beam signal covering a plurality of cells in the field of view, and detects an access request from a user equipment within the plurality of cells over the wide beam signal. The base station, comprising a processing device such as an eNodeB, then generates one or more network broadcast/access signals that is uplink to a satellite and broadcasted via one or more nominal beams generated by the satellite, covering all the inactive cells, one of the plurality of cells having the access request.

The current invention relates to methods and systems for evaluating a filling state of a load bearing means by means of a monitoring system comprising a sensing module; said load bearing means adapted for being carried by a transport unit; said load bearing means comprising a loading space; said sensing module situated in proximity to said load bearing means and outside of said loading space; said sensing module comprising an emitter, a receiver, an evaluator and a memory comprising calibration data; said sensing module configured for carrying out a plurality of steps; wherein a spacing S between said emitter and said receiver does not exceed 200 mm; and wherein a maximum dimension M of said load bearing means is not smaller than 4 m.

An aircraft based satellite communication (SATCOM) terminal includes a broadband aperture configured to communicate through non-geostationary orbit (NGSO) satellites for broadband communications, a management aperture configured to receive NGSO satellite management information from a geostationary orbit (GSO) satellite, and at least one processor that performs operations. The operations receive the NGSO satellite management information from the GSO satellite, where the NGSO satellite management information indicates positions and associated time of a set of the NGSO satellites. The operations acquire a second communication link with a second NGSO satellite among the set using the NGSO satellite management information during handoff switching from using a first communication link that was previously acquired with a first NGSO satellite to using the second communication link being acquired with the second NGSO satellite. The operations then perform broadband communications through the broadband aperture and the second communication link with the second NGSO satellite. Related ground-based control centers are disclosed.