IP Library Granted Patent US 7,970,346
Granted Patent B2
US 7,970,346 · App. 12/400,160 · Granted Jun 28, 2011

Methods of reducing interference including calculation of weights based on errors and related systems

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 7,970,346
App. No.
12/400,160
Granted
Jun 28, 2011
Kind
B2
Abstract

Methods of reducing interference in a satellite communications system may include receiving a plurality of feeder link signals and time aligning the plurality of feeder link signals to provide time aligned feeder link signals. At least two of the time aligned feeder link signals may be combined to provide reduced interference of at least one of the feeder link signals. Related systems are also discussed.

Claims (47)

1. A method of reducing interference in a satellite communications system, the method comprising:

providing an error of a received feeder link signal wherein the received feeder link signal is received over a feeder link between a Space-Based Component (SBC) and Ground-Based Equipment (GBE);

providing first and second feeder link signals;

calculating a weight based on the error;

applying the weight to the second feeder link signal to provide an error correction signal;

combining the error correction signal with a component of the first feeder link signal to provide an interference reduced feeder link signal; and

transmitting the interference reduced feeder link signal over the feeder link between the Space-Based Component (SBE) and the Ground-Based Equipment (GBE).

2. A method according to claim 1 wherein the received feeder link signal is received at the Space-Based Component (SBC) or at the Ground-Based Equipment (GBE).

3. A method of reducing interference in a satellite communications system, the method comprising:

providing an error of a received feeder link signal wherein the received feeder link signal is received at a Space-Based Component (SBC) or at Ground-Based Equipment (GBE);

providing first and second feeder link signals;

calculating a weight based on the error;

applying the weight to the second feeder link signal to provide an error correction signal;

combining the error correction signal with a component of the first feeder link signal to provide an interference reduced feeder link signal;

calculating a second weight;

applying the second weight to the first feeder link signal to provide a second error correction signal; and

combining the second error correction signal with a component of the second feeder link signal to provide a second interference reduced feeder link signal.

4. A method according to claim 3 wherein the first and second feeder link signals are provided by a Space-Based component (SBC) and/or by a Ground-Based equipment (GBE).

5. A method according to claim 3 wherein the interference reduced feeder link signal and/or the second interference reduced signal is/are transmitted to/by a Space-Based Component (SBC) or a Ground-Based Equipment (GBE).

6. A method according to claim 3 wherein the combining takes place at the Space-Based Component (SBC) and/or at the Ground-Based Equipment (GBE).

7. A method according to claim 2 wherein the received feeder link signal includes an information component, and wherein providing an error of a received feeder link signal comprises comparing the information component with at least one value of the received feeder link signal.

8. A method according to claim 7 wherein the comparing is performed at the Space-Based Component (SBC) and/or at the Ground-Based equipment (GBE).

9. A method according to claim 8 wherein a result of the comparing is transmitted to the Space-Based Component (SBC) and/or to the Ground-Based equipment (GBE).

10. A method according to claim 7 wherein the information component comprises a-priori known information.

11. A method according to claim 2 further comprising:

calculating a second weight;

applying the second weight to the first feeder link signal to provide a second error correction signal; and

combining the second error correction signal with a component of the second feeder link signal to provide a second interference reduced feeder link signal.

12. A method according to claim 11 wherein the first and second feeder link signals are provided by the Space-Based component (SBC) and/or by the Ground-Based equipment (GBE).

13. A method according to claim 11 wherein the interference reduced feeder link signal and/or the second interference reduced signal is/are transmitted to/by the Space-Based Component (SBC) or the Ground-Based Equipment (GBE).

14. A method according to claim 11 wherein the combining takes place at the Space-Based Component (SBC) and/or at the Ground-Based Equipment (GBE).

15. A satellite communications system comprising:

a processor configured to process an error of a received feeder link signal wherein the received feeder link signal is received over a feeder link between a Space-Based Component (SBC) and Ground-Based Equipment (GBE), to process first and second feeder link signals, to calculate a weight to be applied to the second feeder link signal based on the error, to apply the weight to the second feeder link signal to provide an error correction signal, to combine the error correction signal with a component of the first feeder link signal to provide a first interference reduced signal, and to transmit the interference reduced signal over the feeder link between the Space-Based Component (SBC) and the Ground-Based Equipment (GBE).

16. A satellite communications system according to claim 15 wherein the processor is at the Space-Based Component (SBC) and/or at the Ground-Based Equipment (GBE).

17. A satellite communications system comprising:

a processor at a Space-Based Component (SBC) and/or at Ground-Based Equipment (GBE), wherein the processor is configured to process an error of a feeder link signal, to process first and second feeder link signals, to calculate a weight to be applied to the second feeder link signal based on the error, to apply the weight to the second feeder link signal to provide an error correction signal, and to combine the error correction signal with a component of the first feeder link signal to provide a first interference reduced signal wherein the processor is further configured to calculate a second weight to be applied to the first feeder link signal to provide a second error correction signal, and to combine the second error correction signal with a component of the second feeder link signal to provide a second interference reduced signal.

18. A satellite communications system according to claim 17 wherein the first and second feeder link signals are provided to the processor via spatially diverse paths and/or different antenna patterns.

19. A satellite communications system according to claim 17 wherein the first and second interference reduced signals are provided by the processor over spatially diverse paths and/or different antenna patterns.

20. A satellite communications system according to claim 17 wherein the first and/or second interference reduced signals are provided by the processor to the Space-Based Component (SBC) and/or to the Ground-Based equipment (GBE).

21. A satellite communications system according to claim 16 wherein the feeder link signal includes an information component that is used to derive the error by comparing the information component with at least one value of the feeder link signal.

22. A satellite communications system according to claim 21 wherein the comparing is performed the Space-Based Component (SBC) and/or at the Ground-Based Equipment (GBE).

23. A satellite communications system according to claim 22 wherein a result of the comparing is transmitted to the Space-Based Component (SBC) and/or to the Ground-Based Equipment (GBE).

24. A satellite communications system according to claim 21 wherein the information component comprises a-priori known information.

25. A satellite communications system according to claim 16 wherein the processor is further configured to calculate a second weight to be applied to the first feeder link signal to provide a second error correction signal, and to combine the second error correction signal with a component of the second feeder link signal to provide a second interference reduced signal.

26. A satellite communications system according to claim 25 wherein the first and second feeder link signals are provided to the processor via spatially diverse paths and/or different antenna patterns.

27. A satellite communications system according to claim 25 wherein the first and second interference reduced signals are provided by the processor over spatially diverse paths and/or different antenna patterns.

28. A satellite communications system according to claim 25 wherein the first and/or second interference reduced signals are provided by the processor to the Space-Based Component (SBC) and/or to the Ground-Based equipment (GBE).

Assignments (18)
ASSIGNMENT OF AND AMENDMENT TO INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY SECURITY AGREEMENTS Recorded Dec 13, 2024
From: U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION; LIGADO NETWORKS LLC; ATC TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
To: U.S. BANK TRUST COMPANY, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS SUCCESSOR COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 069631/0485 →
U.S. ASSIGNMENT OF AND AMENDMENT TO INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY SECURITY AGREEMENTS Recorded Mar 3, 2023
From: U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS EXISTING COLLATERAL AGENT
To: U.S. BANK TRUST COMPANY, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS SUCCESSOR COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 062952/0826 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Dec 28, 2022
From: ATC TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
To: U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
Reel/Frame 062230/0806 →
SECOND LIEN PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Oct 30, 2020
From: ATC TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
To: U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS COLLATERAL TRUSTEE
Reel/Frame 054262/0207 →
FIRST LIEN PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Oct 30, 2020
From: ATC TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
To: U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS COLLATERAL TRUSTEE
Reel/Frame 054262/0295 →
U.S. ASSIGNMENT OF AND AMENDMENT TO INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Oct 26, 2020
From: JEFFERIES FINANCE LLC; LIGADO NETWORKS LLC; ATC TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
To: U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
Reel/Frame 054298/0001 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Oct 26, 2020
From: JEFFERIES FINANCE LLC
To: ATC TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
Reel/Frame 054297/0444 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Oct 26, 2020
From: CORTLAND CAPITAL MARKET SERVICES LLC
To: LIGADO NETWORKS LLC; ATC TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
Reel/Frame 054297/0724 →
ASSIGNMENT OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Oct 22, 2020
From: CREDIT SUISSE AG, CAYMAN ISLANDS BRANCH
To: CORTLAND CAPITAL MARKET SERVICES LLC
Reel/Frame 054214/0165 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Sep 11, 2020
From: ATC TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
To: JEFFERIES FINANCE LLC
Reel/Frame 053755/0916 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT (FIRST LIEN) Recorded Jan 22, 2016
From: ATC TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
To: CREDIT SUISSE AG, CAYMAN ISLANDS BRANCH
Reel/Frame 037573/0939 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT (SECOND LIEN) Recorded Jan 22, 2016
From: ATC TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
To: JEFFERIES FINANCE LLC
Reel/Frame 037573/0963 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 30, 2015
From: KARABINIS, PETER D.
To: MOBILE SATELLITE VENTURES, LP
Reel/Frame 036695/0049 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 30, 2015
From: MOBILE SATELLITE VENTURES, LP
To: ATC TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
Reel/Frame 036695/0138 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Jun 14, 2011
From: LIGHTSQUARED LP; ATC TECHNOLOGIES, LLC; LIGHTSQUARED INC. OF VIRGINIA; LIGHTSQUARED SUBSIDIARY LLC
To: WILMINGTON TRUST FSB, AS COLLATERAL TRUSTEE
Reel/Frame 026438/0603 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Oct 12, 2010
From: ATC TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
To: WILMINGTON TRUST FSB, AS COLLATERAL TRUSTEE
Reel/Frame 025126/0120 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Oct 7, 2010
From: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON AS COLLATERAL AGENT
To: ATC TECHNOLOGIES, LLC; LIGHTSQUARED LP; LIGHTSQUARED FINANCE CO.
Reel/Frame 025105/0605 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Apr 1, 2010
From: MOBILE SATELLITE VENTURES LP; MSV FINANCE CO.
To: BANK OF NEW YORK, THE
Reel/Frame 024176/0137 →