Abstract: In satellite communication systems, the cost of a terminal often corresponds to a maximum data rate that the terminal is required to transmit towards a satellite. The higher the data rate, the higher the Effective Isotropic Radiated Power (EIRP) the terminal may be required to radiate. The EIRP of the terminal is directly proportionate to the transmission power and to the effective area of the antenna. Using coherent transmission combining may facilitate a similar EIRP while reducing the cost of the terminal through using smaller antennas and lower radiated power. Methods, apparatuses, systems, and computer readable media are described herein for facilitating coherent combining of transmissions.

Abstract: A radiation pattern of a phased array antenna, comprising a plurality of antenna elements, may be dynamically modified using phase shifters to apply variable phase shifts between antenna elements. In a phased array antenna designed for airborne applications, the phase shifters may be required to enable a fine phase-shifting resolution and to operate over a wide temperature range. The phase shifters may also be required to perform while exhibiting small process variations, small form factor, low power consumption, and low loss. One possible solution to this is a passive vector-interpolating phase shifter configured to exhibit such characteristics.

Abstract: A tunable slope equalizer comprising a waveguide (e.g., rectangular waveguide) and posts (e.g., cylindrical posts) configured to move inside the internal cavity of the waveguide is presented. The degree of depth the posts may be inserted into the cavity of the waveguide may determine the orientation of the frequency response slope, e.g., positive or negative, and the maximum (or approximately maximum) insertion loss at minimum (or approximately minimum) or maximum (or approximately maximum) operating frequency, respectively. Being a mechanical device, the tunable slope equalizer may be fabricated at a relatively higher level of precision, leading to lower variances in performance over production.

Abstract: Examples disclosed herein describe an antenna architecture (e.g., a planar electronically steered antenna architecture) that enables operation at low elevation angles, down to zero degrees from the satellite. The proposed ‘3SA’ architecture may improve power consumption and array footprints. The proposed ‘3SA’ architecture can support aero terminal implementation on aircraft, enabling the use of GEO, MEO and LEO satellites even in regions having low elevation angles. The architecture may include a horizontal antenna array and vertical antenna array as well as a controller for switching between the antenna arrays.

Abstract: A satellite communication system may be configured to establish multiple different tunnels between a first satellite modem and a second satellite modem in accordance with a protocol. The first satellite modem may receive a packet via a tunnel established in accordance with a different protocol, determine an endpoint identifier corresponding to the tunnel based on information from one or more headers included in the packet, identify one of the multiple different tunnels that corresponds to the tunnel, generate a corresponding packet omitting at least a portion of the information from the one or more headers and comprising at least a portion of data included in a payload of the packet and an information block comprising a tunnel index corresponding to the identified one of the multiple different tunnels, and transmit the corresponding packet to the second satellite modem via the identified one of the multiple different tunnels.

Abstract: A radiation pattern of a phased array antenna, comprising a plurality of antenna elements, may be dynamically modified using phase shifters to apply variable phase shifts between antenna elements. In a phased array antenna designed for airborne applications, the phase shifters may be required to enable a fine phase-shifting resolution and to operate over a wide temperature range. The phase shifters may also be required to perform while exhibiting small process variations, small form factor, low power consumption, and low loss. One possible solution to this is a passive vector-interpolating phase shifter configured to exhibit such characteristics.

Abstract: A wideband transceiver for a gateway is presented. The wideband transceiver may interface with the gateway's processors over an interface that carries data encapsulated in baseband frames. The wideband transceiver may comprise a modulator and a high power amplifier and may improve a transmitted signal quality and may utilize a wideband for wireless communications, for example, for a satellite communication system.

Abstract: A method for designing Non-Geosynchronous Orbit (NGSO) satellite constellations and NGSO satellite constellations thereof are presented. An NGSO satellite constellation may be designed to allow an earth station to perform handover between two satellites of the NGSO satellite constellation while the two satellites appear to be at about a same location in the sky relative to the earth station. In such constellation, an earth station may perform such handover between the two satellites in a Make-Before-Break fashion while the earth station may be configured to use a single, slow-tracking antenna, such as a mechanically tracking dish antenna.

Abstract: A collection of methods, which when combined together provide suitable bandwidth resources for real-time content exchange over a satellite-based network, wherein the network employs a reservation-based access scheme, such as but not limited to DVB-RCS. Furthermore, the methods provide suitable bandwidth wherein transmission conditions deteriorate while real-time content is being exchanged and the already allocated resources can no longer be used.

Abstract: A satellite communication system may be configured to establish multiple different tunnels between a first satellite modem and a second satellite modem in accordance with a protocol. The first satellite modem may receive a packet via a tunnel established in accordance with a different protocol, determine an endpoint identifier corresponding to the tunnel based on information from one or more headers included in the packet, identify one of the multiple different tunnels that corresponds to the tunnel, generate a corresponding packet omitting at least a portion of the information from the one or more headers and comprising at least a portion of data included in a payload of the packet and an information block comprising a tunnel index corresponding to the identified one of the multiple different tunnels, and transmit the corresponding packet to the second satellite modem via the identified one of the multiple different tunnels.

Abstract: A communication system may be configured to transmit information from one or more information sources to a plurality of users over limited capacity media while enforcing one or more Quality of Service policies, such as maximum information rate (MIR) policies. Methods are presented herein for enforcing maximum information rate on two or more levels in a hierarchal and extendable manner, for at least the purposes of maximizing utilization of available capacity over said media and of fair distributing said capacity between all users. Also presented herein is a method for estimating load over said media.

Abstract: A radiation pattern of a phased array antenna, comprising a plurality of antenna elements, may be dynamically modified using phase shifters to apply variable phase shifts between antenna elements. In a phased array antenna designed for airborne applications, the phase shifters may be required to enable a fine phase-shifting resolution and to operate over a wide temperature range. The phase shifters may also be required to perform while exhibiting small process variations, small form factor, low power consumption, and low loss. One possible solution to this is a passive vector-interpolating phase shifter configured to exhibit such characteristics.

Abstract: A mobile terminal, operational both to receive and transmit, may comprise a mobile antenna and an antenna controller that may be configured to control the mobile antenna at least for keeping it pointed towards the satellite, e.g. as the mobile terminal and/or the satellite move. Disclosed is a method that may be used by the antenna controller for optimizing the pointing of the mobile antenna, the method may be based on assessing both the reception quality and the transmission quality. This method may be used for overcoming degradation, mainly to transmission quality, that may result from squints between an optimal reception direction and an optimal transmission direction associated with the mobile antenna.

Abstract: A receiver is presented, such that the receiver may be configured to receive transmissions in accordance with a continuous waveform and to relock quickly on a received transmission when the transmitter is switched or a change in the waveform parameters is made. The receiver may be configured to support reception of a shared channel and/or of a channel allocated for SCPC usage and may be modified while used (e.g., dynamic SCPC). In addition, a satellite communication system is presented, the satellite communication system comprising at least one receiver in accordance with the above-described receiver. The satellite communication system may be configured to utilize the receiver's characteristics for at least the purpose of achieving a highly efficient return link channel.

Abstract: A first computing device and a second computing device may both be located behind the same gateway. The first computing device and the second computing device may not be part of a same local area network. Accordingly, the first computing device and the second computing device may not be discoverable to each other via standard layer two discovery protocols. The first computing device may be a tunneled device and the second computing device may be a non-tunneled device. Accordingly, the first computing device and the second computing device may not be discoverable to each other via standard layer three discovery protocols. Described herein are systems and methods for performing IP packet manipulation to facilitate a local discovery session between the first computing device and the second computing device.

Abstract: A microwave antenna for two-way communication via a satellite is presented. The antenna may feature lightweight plastic construction that may allow the antenna to be highly dynamic, to feature high tracking capabilities and to require a much simpler drive construction. The presented antenna may provide high reliability at a reasonable cost. Such antenna may be highly suitable for on-the-move communication applications. The antenna may be used for supporting airborne communication systems operative via satellites.

Abstract: A communication system may be configured to transmit information from one or more information sources to a plurality of users over limited capacity media while enforcing one or more Quality of Service policies, such as maximum information rate (MIR) policies. Methods are presented herein for enforcing maximum information rate on two or more levels in a hierarchal and extendable manner, for at least the purposes of maximizing utilization of available capacity over said media and of fair distributing said capacity between all users. Also presented herein is a method for estimating load over said media.

Abstract: A collection of methods, which when combined together provide suitable bandwidth resources for real-time content exchange over a satellite-based network, wherein the network employs a reservation-based access scheme, such as but not limited to DVB-RCS. Furthermore, the methods provide suitable bandwidth wherein transmission conditions deteriorate while real-time content is being exchanged and the already allocated resources can no longer be used.

Abstract: Some applications that cannot operate over a non-reliable delivery service may operate sufficiently well over less than a completely guaranteed delivery service. Such an application may perform relatively well even if some transmitted data is not delivered, as long as the application has information regarding which receiving entities received what part of the data. In a point-to-multipoint system, data may be transmitted from a source node to a plurality of destination nodes using a plurality of multicast datagrams. Methods are presented herein for efficiently enabling the source node to determine for each of the plurality of destination nodes which multicast datagrams were successfully received. Also presented are methods for compressing data transmitted from the source node to the destination nodes, wherein a compression dictionary is transmitted from the source node to the destination node using multicast datagrams.

Abstract: A satellite communication system may be configured to establish multiple different tunnels between a first satellite modem and a second satellite modem in accordance with a protocol. The first satellite modem may receive a packet via a tunnel established in accordance with a different protocol, determine an endpoint identifier corresponding to the tunnel based on information from one or more headers included in the packet, identify one of the multiple different tunnels that corresponds to the tunnel, generate a corresponding packet omitting at least a portion of the information from the one or more headers and comprising at least a portion of data included in a payload of the packet and an information block comprising a tunnel index corresponding to the identified one of the multiple different tunnels, and transmit the corresponding packet to the second satellite modem via the identified one of the multiple different tunnels.