Apparatus and method for generating boundaries of satellite coverage beams

1. A method comprising:

selecting a plurality of beam points, from a set of points on a coordinate system, to be included within a beam definition;

determining a number of ellipses that enclose the selected beam points while excluding at least some of the remaining points from the set of points;

assigning the selected beam points to a corresponding ellipse;

optimizing geometric information for each ellipse to enclose the selected beam points assigned thereto; and

defining a coverage beam for a satellite communication system based on a contour resulting from a combined shape of all the ellipses using the optimized geometric information.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

adjusting parameters of one or more components of at least one transmitter contained in a communication satellite based, at least in part, on the optimized geometric information associated each ellipse; and

shaping the coverage beam of the at least one transmitter to match a combined shape of all the ellipses.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving the geometric information for each ellipse at a user terminal; and

selecting, by the user terminal, a coverage beam based, at least in part, on the geometric information and location information for the user terminal.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the determining comprises:

calculating a centroid for the selected plurality of beam points; and

identifying maximum distance points (MDPs) relative to the centroid,

wherein the number of ellipses is determined based, at least in part, on the number of MDPs.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the identifying further comprises:

calculating, for each beam point, a distance and angle from the centroid;

determining a beam outline based on beam points furthest from the centroid; and

selecting MDPs as beam points furthest away from the centroid and not approximately 180° apart from another beam point which forms part of the beam outline.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

estimating a center for each ellipse; and

estimating an initial radius major and an initial radius minor for each ellipse,

wherein the selected beam points are assigned based, at least in part, on a distance to the center of each ellipse.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the initial radius minor is equal to the initial radius major.

8. The method of claim 6 , wherein the initial radius major for each ellipse is determined as a distance between the estimated center and a furthest beam point within each ellipse.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the optimizing further comprises:

obtaining initial parameters for each ellipse;

determining a number of assigned beam points within each ellipse;

adjusting at least one of a center position, major radius, minor radius, tilt angle of a major axis, or translation of center about the centroid for each ellipse; and

repeating the determining and the adjusting if the number of assigned beam points for each respective ellipse has increased from a previous adjusting.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein at least one ellipse contains one or more excluded points, and further comprising:

determining a number of sub-ellipses that enclose the assigned beam points for the at least one ellipse while omitting the one or more excluded points within the at least one ellipse;

re-assigning the assigned beam points from the at least one ellipse into a corresponding sub-ellipse; and

optimizing geometric information for each sub-ellipse to enclose the re-assigned beam points assigned thereto, while omitting all excluded points.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein the geometric information for at least one ellipse cannot be optimized such that the ellipse encloses the selected beam points assigned thereto, while omitting all excluded points, and further comprising:

determining a number of sub-ellipses that enclose the assigned beam points for the at least one ellipse;

re-assigning the assigned beam points from the at least one ellipse into a corresponding sub-ellipse; and

optimizing geometric information for each sub-ellipse to enclose the re-assigned beam points assigned thereto, while omitting all excluded points.

12. The method of claim 2 , wherein:

the adjusting comprises supplying coordinate information and geometric information of each ellipse to a beam forming unit of the communication satellite; and

the shaping comprises combining radiation of one or more elementary beams of the at least one transmitter.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the adjusting further comprises:

modifying at least one of an amplitude and phase distribution of signals to be used in a coverage beam based, at least in part, on the coordinate information and geometric properties of each ellipse; and

applying the modified signals to a plurality of radiating elements in a feed array of the at least one transmitter to form the one or more elementary beams.

14. An apparatus comprising:

a processor configured to:

select a plurality of beam points, from a set of points on a coordinate system, to be included within a beam definition;

determine a number of ellipses that enclose the selected beam points while excluding at least some of the remaining points from the set of points;

assign the selected beam points to a corresponding ellipse;

optimize geometric information for each ellipse to enclose the selected beam points assigned thereto; and

define a coverage beam for a satellite communication system based on a contour resulting from a combined shape of all the ellipses using the optimized geometric information.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 , further comprising:

at least one user terminal configured to receive the geometric information for each ellipse, and

wherein the user terminal is configured to select a coverage beam based, at least in part, on the geometric information and location information for the user terminal.

16. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the processor is further configured to determine the number of ellipses by:

calculating a centroid for the selected plurality of beam points; and

identifying maximum distance points (MDPs) relative to the centroid,

wherein the number of ellipses is determined based, at least in part, on the number of MDPs.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the processor is further configured to identify MDPs by:

calculating, for each beam point, a distance and angle from the centroid;

determining a beam outline based on beam points furthest from the centroid; and

selecting MDPs as beam points furthest away from the centroid and not approximately 180° apart from another beam point which forms part of the beam outline.

18. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the processor is further configured to:

estimate a center for each ellipse; and

estimate an initial radius major and an initial radius minor for each ellipse,

wherein the selected beam points are assigned based, at least in part, on a distance to the center of each ellipse.

19. The apparatus of claim 18 , wherein the initial radius minor is equal to the initial radius major.

20. The apparatus of claim 18 , wherein the initial radius major for each ellipse is determined as a distance between the estimated center and a furthest beam point within each ellipse.

21. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the processor is further configured to:

generate initial parameters for each ellipse;

determine a number of assigned beam points within each ellipse;

adjust at least one of a center position, major radius, minor radius, tilt angle of a major axis, or translation of center about the centroid for each ellipse; and

repeat the determine and the adjust if the number of assigned beam points for each respective ellipse has increased from a previous adjustment.

22. The apparatus of claim 21 , wherein at least one ellipse contains one or more excluded points, and wherein the processor is further configured to:

determine a number of sub-ellipses that enclose the assigned beam points for the at least one ellipse while omitting the one or more excluded points within the at least one ellipse;

re-assign the assigned beam points from the at least one ellipse into a corresponding sub-ellipse; and

optimize geometric information for each sub-ellipse to enclose the re-assigned beam points assigned thereto, while omitting all excluded points.

23. The apparatus of claim 21 , wherein the geometric information for at least one ellipse cannot be optimized such that the ellipse encloses the selected beam points assigned thereto, while omitting all excluded points, and wherein the processor is further configured to:

determine a number of sub-ellipses that enclose the assigned beam points for the at least one ellipse;

re-assign the assigned beam points from the at least one ellipse into a corresponding sub-ellipse; and

optimize geometric information for each sub-ellipse to enclose the re-assigned beam points assigned thereto, while omitting all excluded points.

24. The apparatus of claim 14 , further comprising:

a communication satellite including at least one transmitter,

wherein the communication satellite is configured to adjust parameters of one or more components of at least one transmitter, at least in part, on the optimized geometric information associated each ellipse, and

wherein the at least one transmitter generates the coverage beam to have a shape which matches a combined shape of all the ellipses.

25. The apparatus of claim 24 , further comprising:

a beam forming unit disposed within the communication satellite,

wherein the communication satellite is further configured to adjust the parameters by supplying coordinate information and geometric properties of each ellipse to the beam forming unit, and

wherein the shape of the coverage beam is achieved through combined radiation of one or more elementary beams by the at least one transmitter.

26. The apparatus of claim 24 , wherein the communication satellite is further configured to adjust parameters of the one or more components by:

modifying at least one of an amplitude and phase distribution of signals to be used in the coverage beam based, at least in part, on the coordinate information and geometric properties of each ellipse; and

applying the modified signals to a plurality of radiating elements in a feed array to form the one or more elementary beams.