Hybrid analog/digital beam forming rain fade mitigation

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

determining fade conditions for one or more gateways in gateway clusters of a set of gateway clusters;

selecting a proper subset of the gateway clusters based on the fade conditions determined for the one or more gateways, wherein selecting the proper subset of the gateway clusters comprises:

deselecting a first gateway cluster of the set of gateway clusters that is currently active in data transmission with a satellite, the first gateway cluster including a plurality of gateways, and

selecting a second gateway cluster of the set of gateway clusters for inclusion in the proper subset, wherein the second gateway cluster is currently inactive for data transmission with the satellite, the second gateway cluster including a plurality of gateways;

determining a beam plan based on the proper subset of the gateway clusters; and

executing the beam plan.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the gateways in a gateway cluster are operable to form an analog beam with a satellite, wherein at least some of the analog beams in a gateway cluster at least partially overlap and combine to form a digital beam.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein selecting a proper subset of the gateway clusters based on the fade conditions determined for the one or more gateways comprises:

determining an aggregate data capacity for at least a plurality of the gateway clusters based on the fade conditions; and

selecting the gateway clusters with aggregate data capacities that are the highest out of the set of gateway clusters.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein selecting a proper subset of the gateway clusters based on the fade conditions determined for each gateway comprises:

determining, for each of at least a plurality of the gateway clusters, a number of included gateways that satisfies a fade threshold; and

selecting the gateway clusters with the most number of included gateways that satisfy the fade threshold.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining fade conditions for the one or more gateways in the gateway clusters of the set of gateway clusters comprises:

determining a strength of signals between each gateway of the one or more gateways and the satellite; and

determining the fade conditions from the strength of the signals.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining a beam plan based on the proper subset of the gateway clusters comprises:

determining beamforming coefficients for each of the gateways in the proper subset of the gateway clusters based on the gateways in the proper subset of the gateway clusters.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein executing the beam plan comprises:

providing the beam plan to the gateways in the proper subset of the gateway clusters from a satellite that is in communication with the set of gateway clusters.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein selecting a proper subset of the gateway clusters based on the fade conditions determined for the one or more gateways is performed by a satellite.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein selecting a proper subset of the gateway clusters based on the fade conditions determined for the one or more gateways is performed by a central operations center.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the set of gateway clusters includes a first plurality of active gateway clusters that are currently communicating with the satellite, the first plurality including the first gateway cluster, and a second plurality of spare gateway clusters that are not currently communicating with the satellite, the second plurality including the second gateway cluster, and

wherein the second gateway cluster is selected as a replacement for the first gateway cluster for communicating with the satellite.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining fade conditions for the one or more gateways in the gateway clusters comprises, for a gateway cluster, controlling one or more gateways in the cluster to transmit a signal to a satellite, the signal transmitted at a known power and including a unique tone or code word identifying the corresponding gateway, and

wherein the method further comprises:

identifying, by the satellite, the gateways corresponding to received signals using the unique tones or code words; and

determining, by the satellite, relative fades with the gateways by computing a difference between the known power and signal power detected by the satellite.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining fade conditions for the one or more gateways in the gateway clusters comprises, for a gateway cluster, controlling a satellite to transmit a signal to each of one or more gateways in the gateway cluster, the signal transmitted at a known power and including a unique tone or code word corresponding to the gateway, and

wherein the method further comprises, for each of one or more gateways in a gateway cluster:

determining a relative fade with the satellite by computing a the difference between the known power and signal power detected by the gateway; and

transmitting information about the relative fade to a central operations center, the information including the unique tone or code word corresponding to the gateway.

13. A system comprising:

a processor; and

a non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions executable by the processor and, when executed, configured to cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

determining fade conditions for one or more gateways in gateway clusters of a set of gateway clusters;

selecting a proper subset of the gateway clusters based on the fade conditions determined for the one or more gateways, wherein selecting the proper subset of the gateway clusters comprises:

deselecting a first gateway cluster of the set of gateway clusters that is currently active in data transmission with a satellite, the first gateway cluster including a plurality of gateways, and

selecting a second gateway cluster of the set of gateway clusters for inclusion in the proper subset, wherein the second gateway cluster is currently inactive for data transmission with the satellite, the second gateway cluster including a plurality of gateways;

determining a beam plan based on the proper subset of the gateway clusters; and

executing the beam plan.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein the gateways in a gateway cluster are operable to form an analog beam with a satellite, wherein at least some of the analog beams in a gateway cluster at least partially overlap and combine to form a digital beam.

15. The system of claim 13 , wherein selecting a proper subset of the gateway clusters based on the fade conditions determined for the one or more gateways comprises:

determining an aggregate data capacity for at least a plurality of the gateway clusters based on the fade conditions; and

selecting the gateway clusters with aggregate data capacities that are the highest out of the set of gateway clusters.

16. The system of claim 13 , wherein selecting a proper subset of the gateway clusters based on the fade conditions determined for each gateway comprises:

determining, for each of at least a plurality of the gateway clusters, a number of included gateways that satisfies a fade threshold; and

selecting the gateway clusters with the most number of included gateways that satisfy the fade threshold.

17. The system of claim 13 , wherein determining fade conditions for the one or more gateways in the gateway clusters of the set of gateway clusters comprises:

determining a strength of signals between each gateway of the one or more gateways and the satellite; and

determining the fade conditions from the strength of the signals.

18. The system of claim 13 , wherein determining a beam plan based on the proper subset of the gateway clusters comprises:

determining beamforming coefficients for each of the gateways in the proper subset of the gateway clusters based on the gateways in the proper subset of the gateway clusters.

19. The system of claim 13 , wherein executing the beam plan comprises:

providing the beam plan to the gateways in the proper subset of the gateway clusters from a satellite that is in communication with the set of gateway clusters.

20. The system of claim 13 , wherein selecting a proper subset of the gateway clusters based on the fade conditions determined for the one or more gateways is performed by a satellite.

21. The system of claim 13 , wherein the set of gateway clusters includes a first plurality of active gateway clusters that are currently communicating with the satellite, the first plurality including the first gateway cluster, and a second plurality of spare gateway clusters that are not currently communicating with the satellite, the second plurality including the second gateway cluster, and

wherein the second gateway cluster is selected as a replacement for the first gateway cluster for communicating with the satellite.

22. The system of claim 13 , wherein determining fade conditions for the one or more gateways in the gateway clusters comprises, for a gateway cluster, controlling one or more gateways in the cluster to transmit a signal to a satellite, the signal transmitted at a known power and including a unique tone or code word identifying the corresponding gateway, and

wherein the operations further comprise:

identifying, by the satellite, the gateways corresponding to received signals using the unique tones or code words; and

determining, by the satellite, relative fades with the gateways by computing a difference between the known power and signal power detected by the satellite.

23. The system of claim 13 , wherein determining fade conditions for the one or more gateways in the gateway clusters comprises, for a gateway cluster, controlling a satellite to transmit a signal to each of one or more gateways in the gateway cluster, the signal transmitted at a known power and including a unique tone or code word corresponding to the gateway, and

wherein the operations further comprise, for each of one or more gateways in a gateway cluster:

determining a relative fade with the satellite by computing a the difference between the known power and signal power detected by the gateway; and

transmitting information about the relative fade to a central operations center, the information including the unique tone or code word corresponding to the gateway.

24. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions executable by one or more processors and, when executed, configured to cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:

determining fade conditions for one or more gateways in gateway clusters of a set of gateway clusters;

selecting a proper subset of the gateway clusters based on the fade conditions determined for the one or more gateways, wherein selecting the proper subset of the gateway clusters comprises:

deselecting a first gateway cluster of the set of gateway clusters that is currently active in data transmission with a satellite, the first gateway cluster including a plurality of gateways, and

selecting a second gateway cluster of the set of gateway clusters for inclusion in the proper subset, wherein the second gateway cluster is currently inactive for data transmission with the satellite, the second gateway cluster including a plurality of gateways;

determining a beam plan based on the proper subset of the gateway clusters; and

executing the beam plan.