System and method for a digitally beamformed phased array feed

1. A method of updating a graphical display, determining beam assignment, and providing updated direction information comprising:

(a) updating, by a digital software system, a graphical display during a first time period by the steps of:

i. receiving, by the digital software system via a pedestal controller operatively connected to a first parabolic reflector, first angular direction information comprising a first azimuth axis component and a first elevation axis component associated with the first parabolic reflector;

ii. receiving, by the digital software system via a data transport bus, a first set of respective first digital data streams associated with a first plurality of partial beams,

wherein each respective partial beam of the first plurality of partial beams is associated with a respective first digital data stream and data in the respective first digital data stream is associated with a first plurality of respective modulated radio frequency signals received by a plurality of antenna array elements;

iii. processing, by the digital software system, the first set of respective first digital data streams associated with the first plurality of partial beams to generate a second set of respective second digital data streams associated with the first plurality of beams, wherein each beam of the first plurality of beams is based on at least two respective first digital data streams, and

wherein a first beam is assigned to a first object and a second beam is assigned to a second object;

iv. processing, by the digital software system, the second set of respective second digital data streams associated with the first plurality of beams to generate:

(1) first location information associated with the first object;

(2) second location information associated with the second object;

(3) first object movement information associated with the first object; and

(4) second object movement information associated with the second object,

wherein the first object movement information comprises a first object angular velocity and a first object angular direction, and wherein the first object angular direction comprises a first object elevation angle component and a first object azimuth angle component,

wherein the second object movement information comprises a second object angular velocity and a second object angular direction, and wherein the second object angular direction comprises a second object elevation angle component and a second object azimuth angle component, and

wherein the first object is associated with first priority information and the second object is associated with second priority information; and

v. updating, by the digital software system, the graphical display to display:

(1) the first plurality of beams;

(2) the first object based at least on the first object movement information;

(3) the second object based at least on the second object movement information;

(4) a first azimuth axis based on the first azimuth axis component; and

(5) a first elevation axis based on the first elevation axis component;

(b) determining, by the digital software system, whether to unassign the first beam from the first object or the second beam from the second object by the steps of:

i. determining, by the digital software system, whether one of the first object and the second object has exceeded a first maximum distance from the second elevation axis and the second azimuth axis based on:

(1) the first location information associated with the first object;

(2) the second location information associated with the second object;

(3) the first object movement information;

(4) the second object movement information;

(5) the first azimuth axis; and

(6) the first elevation axis; and

(c) in the case where one of the first object and the second object has not exceeded the first maximum distance, providing, by the digital software system, respective updated direction information associated with the first beam, the second beam and the first parabolic reflector by the steps of:

i. generating, by the digital software system, second angular direction information comprising a second azimuth axis component and a second elevation axis component associated with the first parabolic reflector by the steps of:

a. determining, by the digital software system, a first angular direction trajectory associated with the respective angular direction of the first parabolic reflector based on:

i. the first location information associated with the first object;

ii. the second location information associated with the second object;

iii. the first priority information;

iv. the second priority information;

v. the first object movement information;

vi. the second object movement information;

vii. the first angular direction information;

viii. the first azimuth axis;

ix. the first elevation axis;

b. determining, by the digital software system, whether the first parabolic reflector is projected to exceed a maximum elevation angle based on the first angular direction trajectory;

c. in the case where the first parabolic reflector is not projected to exceed the maximum elevation angle, generating, by the digital software system, the second angular direction information based on:

i. the first beam;

ii. the second beam; and

iii. the first angular direction trajectory;

d. in the case where the first parabolic reflector is projected to exceed the maximum elevation angle, determining, by the digital software system, whether the second elevation axis has exceeded a first threshold elevation angle;

e. in the case where the second elevation has not exceeded the first threshold elevation angle, generating, by the digital software system, the second angular direction information based on:

i. the first beam;

ii. the second beam; and

iii. the first angular direction trajectory;

f. in the case where the second elevation axis has exceeded the first threshold elevation angle, calculating, by the digital software system, a first tangent trajectory associated with the respective angular direction of the first parabolic reflector based on the first angular direction trajectory, wherein the first tangent trajectory comprises a first azimuth trajectory component and a first elevation trajectory component;

g. generating, by the digital software system, the second angular direction information based on:

i. the first beam;

ii. the second beam; and

iii. the first tangent trajectory;

ii. generating, by the digital software system, a respective first weighting factor associated with the first beam as part of a first array of weighting factors associated with the first plurality of beams based on:

(1) the first angular direction trajectory;

(2) the second angular direction information;

(3) the first object movement information;

(4) the first azimuth axis; and

(5) the first elevation axis;

iii. generating, by the digital software system, a respective second weighting factor associated with the second beam as part of the first array of weighting factors associated with the first plurality of beams based on:

(1) the first angular direction trajectory;

(2) the second angular direction information;

(3) the second object movement information;

(4) the first azimuth axis; and

(5) the first elevation axis;

iv. transmitting, by the digital software system via the pedestal controller to the first parabolic reflector, the second angular direction information,

wherein the pedestal controller adjusts the respective angular direction associated with the first parabolic reflector based on the second angular direction information;

v. transmitting, from the digital software via a system controller to a first respective digital beamformer of a plurality of digital beamformers operatively connected to the plurality of antenna array elements and the system controller, the respective first weighting factor; and

vi. transmitting, from the digital software system via the system controller to a second respective digital beamformer of the plurality of digital beamformers operatively connected to the plurality of antenna array elements and the system controller, the respective second weighting factor.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein each partial beam is formed by a respective digital beamformer of the plurality of digital beamformers.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein each of the first plurality of beams comprises 2 partial beams.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first priority information is a primary object weight.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first priority information is a secondary object weight.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first priority information is a ternary object weight.

7. The method of claim 4 , wherein the second priority information is a primary object weight.

8. The method of claim 4 , wherein the second priority information is a secondary object weight.

9. The method of claim 4 , wherein the second priority information is a ternary object weight.

10. The method of claim 5 , wherein the second priority information is a primary object weight.

11. The method of claim 5 , wherein the second priority information is a secondary object weight.

12. The method of claim 5 , wherein the second priority information is a ternary object weight.

13. The method of claim 6 , wherein the second priority information is a primary object weight.

14. The method of claim 6 , wherein the second priority information is a secondary object weight.

15. The method of claim 6 , wherein the second priority information is a ternary object weight.