Abstract: A method and system for communicating includes a plurality of cells having base units therein. Each of the base units communicates with a plurality of users within the cells. A communications platform is located in a stratospheric location for transmitting and receiving information with respect to the base units. A gateway station communicates with the communications platform and routes signals to terrestrial networks or other user back through the communications platform. A microcell within at least one of the cells is used to provide coverage in a small geographic area such as within a building. Each of the microcells is also in communication with the gateway station through the platform.

Abstract: An optical communication terminal transmits data via an optical signal with a transmit mirror positioned to direct the optical signal. The optical communication terminal includes a processor configured to develop a control signal for a mirror controller to establish an optimal position of the transmit mirror. The optical communication terminal further includes a modulator coupled to the processor that modulates the optical signal in accordance with a position of the transmit mirror during transmission of the optical signal. The optimal position of the transmit mirror may be established by a scanning routine that adjusts the position of the transmit mirror to a plurality of predetermined offset positions during transmission of the optical signal. The intensity of the optical signal as received by a further optical communication terminal is then determined and provided via modulation of a further optical signal transmitted back to the first-named optical communication terminal.

Abstract: A satellite constellation has a plurality of network satellites that form a network. A gateway satellite is disposed adjacent to the network. The gateway satellites receive an optical signal from the network and converts the signal to an electrical signal. The gateway satellite has a sorter and a reshaping circuit for reshaping the electrical signal to form a reshaped signal. The electrical signal is converted back to an optical signal corresponding to the reshaped signal. The optical signal corresponding to the reshaped signal has reduced noise in comparison to the input optical signal. The optical signal is then retransmitted to another satellite.

Abstract: A method, apparatus, and article of manufacture for sharing viewer preference information between a first user and a second user is disclosed. The method comprises the steps of storing first user viewer preference information characterizing media programs selected by the first user in a memory of a first user device, and transmitting at least a portion of the first viewer preference information to a second user for storage in a memory of a second user device. The article of manufacture comprises a data storage device tangibly embodying instructions to perform these method steps. The apparatus comprises a first user device which includes at least one receiver for receiving media programs and second user viewer preferences, a processor, a memory for storing viewer preference information characterizing the media programs selected by the first user, and a transmitter, for transmitting viewer preferences information to a second user device.

Abstract: A satellite system includes a plurality of orbit slots having a first orbital and a second orbital slot. A first satellite occupies a first orbital slot and generates a first set of uniform beams. A second satellite located in a second orbital slot generates a second set of uniform beams. A tiling pattern on the face of the Earth has a plurality of cells, with each of the cells having a defined frequency for communication. The first set of beams and the second set of beams are generated according to parameters to avoid interference between them. The parameters may include satellite orbit separations, beam size, multiplicity of band reuse, and ground station received beamwidth.

Abstract: A modular mobile terminal for a satellite system is disclosed in which the satellite system has a ground station and a network such as a telephone network coupled to the ground station. Each of the mobile terminals has a radome layer and a support layer having a plurality of circuit traces formed thereon. An element module is coupled between the support layer and the radome layer. Each element module comprises a housing and a radiating patch having a feed therethrough. A dielectric layer is coupled adjacent to the radiating patch. A ground plane is disposed adjacent to the dielectric layer on the opposite side of the dielectric layer as the radiating patch. A plurality of circuit chips is coupled to the ground plane. The support layer of the array has a plurality of circuit traces formed thereon. A plurality of interconnections between the circuit chips and the plurality of traces connect the traces and the circuit chips.

Abstract: A method and system for using two-way ranging navigation to accurately determine the location of a transponder platform above-Earth or a fixed or mobile target on the ground or on water. The two-way ranging navigation measurements are used as calibration references, thereby improving the positioning accuracy of GPS. The system includes GPS and a two-way ranging navigation system for taking position measurements of a target. A correction factor is determined as a function of the measurements and the GPS position is adjusted by the correction factor. The method for calibrating GPS using two-way ranging navigation involves taking a two-way ranging navigation measurement and a GPS measurement of a target, determining a correction factor as a function of the measurements, and correcting the GPS position by taking a second GPS measurement and adjusting it by the correction factor.

Abstract: A method employing a casting head having a variably displaceable cavity surface. The casting head comprises a cavity, at least partially formed by plurality of surfaces, including a carrier surface adjacent the cavity, and a variably displaceable drive surface for controlling a pressure of a viscous casting material in a region proximate the carrier surface. In one embodiment of the invention, the casting head further comprises a doctor blade, disposed proximate the carrier surface, forming a gap therebetween for egress of the casting material. In another embodiment of the casting head, the variably displaceable drive surface is comprised of a piston. The piston is actuated by a driver-controlled motor according to a pre-determined displacement program, or according to the level of the casting material in the cavity.

Abstract: A communication system and method for reconfigurably transmitting and receiving signals via a multi-beam reflector antenna array are disclosed. The multi-beam antenna system comprises a plurality of rings of single beam reflectors, each reflector having its own feed, wherein the plurality of rings are substantially concentric or nested and disposed on separate planes such that the reflectors of adjacent rings are substantially interleaved. The method, in one embodiment, comprises generating beams from a first, second and third ring of single beam feeds, respectively reflecting each beam from the first, second and third ring of single beam feeds on a separate reflector to a substantially separate coverage area, wherein the first, second and third rings are substantially concentric and disposed on separate planes such that the reflectors of adjacent rings are substantially interleaved.

Abstract: A communications system and method of operating the communications system includes a high altitude communication device that communicates with a plurality of user terminals and a gateway station. The gateway station couples the users to terrestrial networks and other users. The high altitude communication device has gateway station that assigns a first code to a beam of a first plurality of users. The gateway station continually determines whether an interference occurs between the first beam and the second beam by determining whether the first interference contour intersects the second interference contour when the first interference contour intersects the second interference contour. The gateway station declares an interference when the contours intersect and reassigns a second resource to the first beam.

Abstract: A method for beamforming signals for an array of receiving or transmitting elements includes the steps of selecting a beam elevation and azimuth and grouping elements of an antenna array into element ensembles that are substantially aligned with a wavefront projection on the antenna array corresponding to the selected beam elevation and azimuth.

Abstract: A scalable switch matrix and demodulator bank architecture for a satellite payload processor wherein the demodulators are connected to the output ports of the switches as the data load on the uplink beams varies. The switch matrix includes a first switch layer for receiving the uplink transmission beams and a plurality of demodulators connected to the output parts of the first switch layer. The number of demodulators is limited by the number of active uplink sub-bands which is generally less than the number of sub-bands per beam times the number of transmission beams. Thus, only a relatively few number of demodulators are distributed among the uplink transmission beams as required. This results in a readily scalable architecture having higher demodulation utilization rates than dedicated demodulation architectures.

Abstract: A mobile wireless communications system including a plurality of individual transponding nodes of various types, all in communication with a central processing hub. A local user signal is processed by the central processing hub and radiated through multiple paths to a plurality of the plurality of individual transponding platforms simultaneously. The signal is then re-radiated by each of the plurality of the plurality of individual transponding platforms to a mobile terminal that receives the re-radiated signal from the plurality of the plurality of individual transponding platforms coherently and in phase. The central hub synchronizes both the signals received and transmitted from each user through one or more of the transponding nodes. This synchronization is such that the relative arrival time of the PN encoded data in the user signals is synchronized to within a fraction of a chip in both the forward and return links.

Abstract: A communication system including a first transceiver located on a first platform at a predetermined altitude. A first antenna is located on the first platform and connected to the first transceiver. A second antenna is connected to the other end of the first transceiver. A second transceiver is located on a ground hub physically and independent of the first platform. A third antenna is located on the ground hub and connected to the second transceiver. The third antenna is adapted to communicate with the second antenna. The first platform is maintained in a stratospheric orbit. A beamforming system is connected to the second transceiver and mounted on the ground hub. The beamforming system provides a beamformed signal from the second transceiver to the first transceiver effective to drive the first array antenna to radiate multiple beams to a surface, whereby the multiple beams create time varying and dissimilar footprints thereon.

Abstract: A communication system has a high altitude communication device generating a plurality of user link beams having a first communication characteristic and a feeder link having a first communication characteristic. A gateway terminal receives the user link beam. A user terminal receives at least one of the user link beams. The plurality of user link beams comprises a first user link beam within a first cell and a first isolation zone outside the first cell. The plurality of user link beams comprises a second user link beam having the first communication characteristic and positioned within a second cell and a second isolation zone outside said second cell. The second isolation zone overlaps the first isolation zone. The feeder link is positioned within the first isolation zone and the second isolation zone. The feeder link has the first communication characteristic.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is an arrangement for shielding electronic sensors from undesired microwave or millimeter wave radiation. In this arrangement, reflective element is disposed in the sensor path to intercept incoming signals. The reflective element has a pluraity of adjacent parallel ridges therein having sloped faces angled for reflecting incoming desired infrared radiation onto the sensor. The width of the ridges are selected so that desired signals will be reflected by the sloped ridge faces but undesired microwave or millimeter radiation will be reflected by the overall major surface of the mirror. Accordingly, undesired microwave or millimeter radiation will be reflected away from the sensor by the overall front major surface thereby preventing the sensor from being damaged.