Patents Assigned to AST & Science, LLC
  • Patent number: 11718421
    Abstract: An antenna assembly has a solar layer having one or more solar cells generating solar power, an antenna layer connected to the solar layer and having electronic components utilizing the solar power generated by the solar layer, and a thermal dissipation device dissipating heat locally at the antenna assembly. A large number of antenna assemblies are connected to form an antenna array in which heat is generated locally at each antenna assembly and dissipated locally at each antenna assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2023
    Assignee: AST & Science, LLC
    Inventors: Ryan D. Honour, Javier Hernandez Bahlsen, Huiwen Yao, Adam H. Halperin, Abel Avellan
  • Patent number: 11722211
    Abstract: A closed-loop motion monitoring and control system for structural mode control in a large, flexible space structure. The system uses combined sensor data to detect low-magnitude, low-frequency motion, estimate structure deformation constants, and damp structural vibrations with electromagnetic torque application.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2023
    Assignee: AST & Science, LLC
    Inventors: Darren J. Zanon, Raymond J. Sedwick
  • Patent number: 11685555
    Abstract: An antenna assembly has a solar layer having one or more solar cells generating solar power, an antenna layer connected to the solar layer and having electronic components utilizing the solar power generated by the solar layer, and a thermal dissipation device dissipating heat locally at the antenna assembly. A large number of antenna assemblies are connected to form an antenna array in which heat is generated locally at each antenna assembly and dissipated locally at each antenna assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2023
    Assignee: AST & Science, LLC
    Inventors: Ryan D. Honour, Javier Hernandez Bahlsen, Huiwen Yao, Adam H. Halperin, Abel Avellan
  • Patent number: 11683009
    Abstract: An array of antenna assemblies each generate solar power and utilize the generated solar power at that antenna assembly, which enables large amounts of power to be generated. An antenna assembly having a flat antenna layer forming a first outer surface of said antenna assembly, a flat solar layer forming a second outer surface of said antenna assembly, and a flat structural layer having a flat support structure sandwiched between the antenna layer and the solar layer. The antenna layer has a flat antenna plate with one or more antennas at the first outer surface of the antenna assembly to communicate with Earth. The solar layer has a flat solar plate with one or more solar cells at the second outer surface of the antenna assembly to receive solar energy and generate power.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2023
    Assignee: AST & Science, LLC
    Inventors: Javier Hernandez Bahlsen, Aitor Martinez De Osaba Fernandez, Ryan D. Honour, Abel Avellan, Huiwen Yao, Adam H. Halperin
  • Patent number: 11671850
    Abstract: A satellite communication system includes a phased antenna array having a field of view (FoV) and configured to communicate with a plurality of cells in the FoV via a plurality of beams. Each of the plurality of beams is associated with one of the plurality of cells. A phased antenna array is configured to apply adaptive taper selection, based on both the satellite position (in relation to a satellite service beam) and its surrounding interference scenario.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2022
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2023
    Assignee: AST & Science, LLC
    Inventors: Sriram Jayasimha, Abel Avellan, Huiwen Yao
  • Patent number: 11652541
    Abstract: A communication system has a control module with a control processing device, and a plurality of common modules. Each of the common modules has a common processing device. The control module and the plurality of common modules are connected with at least one adjacent common module to form a communication array. The control module and the common modules communicate via a first routing path having a first path of common modules of the plurality of common modules, and a second routing path having a second path of common modules of the plurality of common modules different than the first path of common modules. The control module and the plurality of common modules communicate via the second routing path when one of the first set of common modules fails.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2023
    Assignee: AST & Science, LLC
    Inventors: Huiwen Yao, Adam H. Halperin
  • Patent number: 11623768
    Abstract: An antenna system is configured for use in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) around Earth. The system has a plurality of antenna satellites coupled together to form a phased array. Each of the plurality of antenna satellites have an antenna body with an antenna and a solar cell. A processing device determines an orientation of the plurality of antenna satellites and position the phased array in the orientation based on an analysis of the solar cell of the antenna bodies facing the sun, the antenna of the antenna bodies facing the Earth, and maintaining a torque equilibrium of the phased array.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2023
    Assignee: AST & Science, LLC
    Inventors: Adam H. Halperin, Raymond J. Sedwick
  • Patent number: 11595116
    Abstract: A satellite communication system leverages the carrier offset detection capability of the demodulator contained in an on-board modem of M&C channel. The modem detects the frequency error ?f, introduced in the signal path from the output of the base station at ground to the output of baseband conversion on the satellite, by analyzing the baseband signal at the baseband conversion to estimate the received carrier f?c and subtracting it the from the expected frequency (fc).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2023
    Assignee: AST & Science, LLC
    Inventors: Huiwen Yao, Praveen Kumar Tangutoori
  • Patent number: 11581958
    Abstract: OFDM-BPSK symbol sequences are used for mutual-coupling based phase array calibration. Such substitution allows phase to be estimated more accurately using a given estimation duration without compromising other estimates' (amplitude and group delay) accuracies.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2023
    Assignee: AST & Science, LLC
    Inventors: Sriram Jayasimha, Christos Kasparis, Peter King, David Wheeler, Huiwen Yao
  • Patent number: 11528077
    Abstract: A ground station processes downlink signals received from respective satellites. The ground station has a plurality of signal conditioning devices each receiving a respective one of the downlink signals and providing a conditioned downlink signal. A plurality of Doppler and/or Delay compensator devices each receive a respective conditioned downlink signal from a respective one of the plurality of signal conditioning devices. The compensator devices conduct Doppler and/or Delay compensation on the received conditioned downlink signal, and provide a compensated downlink signal output. A selector or diversity combiner receives the compensated downlink signal from each of the plurality of Doppler and/or Delay compensators.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2022
    Assignee: AST & Science, LLC
    Inventors: Sriram Jayasimha, Jyothendar Paladugula
  • Patent number: 11515935
    Abstract: A base station for communication with a terminal station having a plurality of terminal station antennas. The base station has a plurality of directional antennas, each of the plurality of directional antennas in communication with satellites in view. The base station also has a processing device (e.g., eNodeB) to transmit each of the multiple base-station antenna signals via each of the plurality of directional antennas to satellites and/or the beams of the same satellite seen by the terminal station for retransmission to the plurality of terminal station antennas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2022
    Assignee: AST & Science, LLC
    Inventors: Huiwen Yao, Abel Avellan, Sriram Jayasimha, Zhi Zhong Yu
  • Patent number: 11463159
    Abstract: A GSM satellite communication system is in communication with a first satellite having a first field of view including a first plurality of cells in which a plurality of active User Equipment (UEs) are located. The plurality of active UEs are in direct communication with the first satellite. The satellite communication system includes a first feeder link and a first tracking antenna configured to communicate with the plurality of active UEs via the first satellite directly serving the first plurality of cells; a first processing device configured to communicate with the plurality of active UEs; and a second processing device configured to normalize delay for a plurality of beam centers of the first plurality of cells, and provide the normalized delay to the first processing device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2022
    Assignee: AST & Science, LLC
    Inventors: Zhi Zhong Yu, Federico Pedro Fawzi, Abel Avellan
  • Patent number: 11411638
    Abstract: A ground station has a power management communication system for use with a satellite having one or more solar cells that generate solar power, an energy storage that collects solar power from the one or more solar cells and provides stored energy, and one or more electronic components. The power management communications system has a learning artificial intelligence algorithm that allocates solar power from the one or more solar cells and stored energy from the energy storage to the one or more electronic components, based on a number of factors including communication needs, adjustable parameters, and performance indicators. The user can indicate the desired communication to be achieved, and the system determines the appropriate operating parameters for the satellite.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2022
    Assignee: AST & Science, LLC
    Inventors: Adam H. Halperin, Raymond J. Sedwick
  • Patent number: 11239904
    Abstract: A communication system has a phased antenna array configured to communicate via a plurality of beams with a wireless device, such as user equipment (e.g., a smart phone). The plurality of beams define a field of view of the phased antenna array, the field of view having a plurality of cells and each of the plurality of beams is associated with one of the plurality of cells within the field of view. A processing device detects the wireless device within the field of view and determines a coarse geographic location of the wireless device within the field of view of the wireless device when the wireless device is within the field of view, or within a cell. The system further determines a fine geographic location for the wireless device based on frequency offset (due to Doppler) and signal flight time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2022
    Assignee: AST & Science, LLC
    Inventors: Raymond J. Sedwick, Abel Avellan
  • Patent number: 11159228
    Abstract: A high throughput fractionated satellite (HTFS) system and method where the functional capabilities of a conventional monolithic spacecraft are distributed across many small or very small satellites and a central command and relay satellite, the satellites are separated and flight in carefully design formations that allows the creation of very large aperture or apertures in space drastically reducing cost and weight and enabling high throughput capabilities by spatially reuse spectrum.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 26, 2021
    Assignee: AST & Science, LLC
    Inventors: Abel Avellan, Sriram Jayasimha
  • Patent number: 11121764
    Abstract: Within a satellite communications system, a base station communicates with standard compliant user equipment (UE) via a satellite having a field of view. The base station has a processor that instructs the satellite to generate a wide beam signal covering a plurality of cells in the field of view, and detects an access request from a user equipment within the plurality of cells over the wide beam signal. The base station, comprising a processing device such as an eNodeB, then generates one or more network broadcast/access signals that is uplink to a satellite and broadcasted via one or more nominal beams generated by the satellite, covering all the inactive cells, one of the plurality of cells having the access request.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2021
    Assignee: AST & Science, LLC
    Inventors: Huiwen Yao, Abel Avellan
  • Patent number: 11021270
    Abstract: An antenna assembly has a solar layer having one or more solar cells generating solar power, an antenna layer connected to the solar layer and having electronic components utilizing the solar power generated by the solar layer, and a thermal dissipation device dissipating heat locally at the antenna assembly. A large number of antenna assemblies are connected to form an antenna array in which heat is generated locally at each antenna assembly and dissipated locally at each antenna assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2021
    Assignee: AST & Science, LLC
    Inventors: Ryan D. Honour, Javier Hernandez Bahlsen, Huiwen Yao, Adam H. Halperin, Abel Avellan
  • Patent number: 10979133
    Abstract: A high throughput fractionated satellite (HTFS) system and method where the functional capabilities of a conventional monolithic spacecraft are distributed across many small or very small satellites and a central command and relay satellite, the satellites are separated and flight in carefully design formations that allows the creation of very large aperture or apertures in space drastically reducing cost and weight and enabling high throughput capabilities by spatially reuse spectrum.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2021
    Assignee: AST & Science, LLC
    Inventors: Abel Avellan, Sriram Jayasimha
  • Patent number: 10972195
    Abstract: An antenna array includes an antenna assembly. The antenna assembly includes a plurality of elements. The antenna assembly is configured to measure a reference combined parameter of a reference element of the plurality of elements, measure a first combined parameter of the reference element and a first neighbor element of the plurality of elements and being adjacent or diagonal with respect to the reference element, calculate a differential parameter according to the first combined parameter and the reference combined parameter, and adjust a parameter of the first neighbor element according to the differential parameter. The parameter of first neighbor element is a phase or a amplitude of first neighbor element. The first combined parameter includes a coupling contribution of the first neighbor element and the reference element, and contributions from a path of the first element and a path of the reference element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2021
    Assignee: AST & Science, LLC
    Inventors: Huiwen Yao, Sriram Jayasimha
  • Patent number: 9973266
    Abstract: A high throughput fractionated satellite (HTFS) system and method where the functional capabilities of a conventional monolithic spacecraft are distributed across many small or very small satellites and a central command and relay satellite, the satellites are separated and flight in carefully design formations that allows the creation of very large aperture or apertures in space drastically reducing cost and weight and enabling high throughput capabilities by spatially reuse spectrum.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2018
    Assignee: AST & Science, LLC
    Inventors: Abel Avellan, Sriram Jayasimha