Patents Assigned to Space Exploration Technologies Corp.
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Patent number: 11716110Abstract: Technologies for provided for a radio frequency input/output (RFIO) combiner/splitter. An example combiner/splitter can include an RFIO circuit including a receive path including first and second low noise amplifiers (LNAs), first switches, resistors, and capacitors, each of the first switches being in series with a respective one of the first capacitors and first resistors; a transmit path including a first power amplifier (PA) including second switches coupled to second resistors and third switches coupled to third resistors, and a second PA including fourth switches coupled to fourth resistors and fifth switches coupled to fifth resistors, each of the second switches, the third switches, the fourth switches, and the fifth switches being in series with one or more respective ones of the second resistors, the third resistors, the fourth resistors, and the fifth resistors; and a balun that couples the Rx and Tx path to an RFIO terminal.Type: GrantFiled: March 24, 2022Date of Patent: August 1, 2023Assignee: Space Exploration Technologies Corp.Inventors: Amir Agah, Eric Pepin, Kim W. Schulze
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Patent number: 11716153Abstract: In an embodiment, an apparatus includes a transmit section including a first baseband section and a first radio frequency (RF) section, wherein the transmit section is configured to receive a calibration signal, the first RF section is configured to generate a RF calibration signal based on modulating the calibration signal. The calibration signal comprises an orthogonal code based signal; and a receive section configured to receive the RF calibration signal over-the-air, the receive section includes a second RF section and a calibration section, the second RF section is configured to generate a received calibration signal based on the RF calibration signal, the received calibration signal and a reference signal associated with the RF calibration signal comprise inputs to the calibration section and the calibration section is configured to determine one or more of gain, baseband delay, or RF delay compensation values, based on the inputs, to calibrate the transmit section.Type: GrantFiled: May 18, 2022Date of Patent: August 1, 2023Assignee: Space Exploration Technologies Corp.Inventors: David Francois Jacquet, Masoud Kahrizi, Robert Baummer, Jr., Jean-Noel Rozec, Fabrice Jean André Belvèze, Paul Lee Pearson, Francois Lucien Emile Icher, Marc Gens, Pascal Triaire
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Patent number: 11711084Abstract: In an embodiment, an apparatus includes an integrated circuit (IC) chip configured to receive a timing signal and a reference clock signal. The IC chips is configured to a reference time signal based on the timing signal and the reference clock signal. The IC chip includes a phase lock loop (PLL). The PLL is synchronized based on the reference time signal.Type: GrantFiled: April 5, 2022Date of Patent: July 25, 2023Assignee: Space Exploration Technologies Corp.Inventors: David Francois Jacquet, Mostafa Ghazali, Masoud Kahrizi, Andras Tantos
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Patent number: 11705640Abstract: An apparatus includes a plurality of conductive structures having first sides and second sides opposite the first sides, wherein the second sides of the plurality of conductive structures are configured to be physically coupleable with a printed circuit board (PCB) of a receiver or a transmitter. The first sides of the plurality of conductive structures are configured to be spaced from the PCB by a first distance when the plurality of conductive structures is physically coupled with the PCB. The apparatus includes an antenna having a first side and a second side opposite the first side. The first side of the antenna includes a radiating side of the antenna and the second side of the antenna is disposed closer to the plurality of conductive structures than the first side of the antenna when the plurality of conductive structures is physically coupled with the PCB.Type: GrantFiled: January 25, 2022Date of Patent: July 18, 2023Assignee: Space Exploration Technologies Corp.Inventors: Javier Rodriguez De Luis, Nil Apaydin, Ersin Yetisir, Alireza Mahanfar, Siamak Ebadi
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Patent number: 11699852Abstract: In one embodiment of the present disclosure, a phased array antenna system includes a first portion carrying an antenna lattice including a plurality of antenna elements, wherein the plurality of antenna elements are arranged in a first configuration, and a second portion carrying a beamformer lattice including a plurality of beamformer elements, wherein the plurality of beamformer elements are arranged in a second configuration different from the first configuration, wherein each of the plurality of antenna elements are electrically coupled to one of the plurality of beamformer elements.Type: GrantFiled: February 14, 2019Date of Patent: July 11, 2023Assignee: Space Exploration Technologies Corp.Inventors: Alireza Mahanfar, Javier Rodriguez De Luis
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Patent number: 11695222Abstract: In some embodiments, a phased array antenna includes a carrier; a first plurality of antenna elements carried by the carrier and configured to transmit and/or receive signals at a first value of a parameter, and a second plurality of antenna elements carried by the carrier and configured to transmit and/or receive signals at a second value of the parameter different from the first value of the parameter. The antenna elements of the first plurality of antenna elements and the second plurality of antenna elements are located within a common aperture of the phased array antenna.Type: GrantFiled: June 4, 2021Date of Patent: July 4, 2023Assignee: Space Exploration Technologies Corp.Inventors: Alireza Mahanfar, Javier Rodriguez De Luis, Nil Apaydin, Ersin Yetisir, Shaya Karimkashi Arani
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Patent number: 11677538Abstract: In an embodiment, an apparatus includes an integrated circuit (IC) chip configured to receive a timing signal and a reference clock signal and generate a first reference time signal based on the timing signal and the reference clock signal. The IC chip includes a clock phase lock loop (PLL) configured to generate and provide a second reference clock signal at a higher frequency than the reference clock signal; the IC chip is further configured to generate a second reference time signal based on the first reference time signal and the second reference clock signal. The second reference time signal specifies a count of a number of cycles of the second reference clock signal starting from a particular cycle of the second reference clock signal. The second reference time signal has a finer count resolution than the first reference time signal for a same time period.Type: GrantFiled: September 17, 2021Date of Patent: June 13, 2023Assignee: Space Exploration Technologies Corp.Inventors: Andras Tantos, David Francois Jacquet, Mario Toma
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Patent number: 11671162Abstract: In an embodiment, a cross-polarization interference compensation module is included in a receiver of a wireless communication system. The module includes first and second input lines configured to receive respective first and second down-converted digital polarized signals based on receipt of a wireless transmission. The module further includes first and second output lines electrically coupled to at least one modem. The module further includes a first complex finite impulse response (FIR) filter configured to receive the second down-converted digital polarized signal and generate a correction factor that cancels cross-polarization components in the first down-converted digital polarized signal. The module further includes a first filter coefficient engine in communication with the first complex FIR filter and configured to adapt the first complex FIR filter over time based on the first and second down-converted digital polarized signals.Type: GrantFiled: April 14, 2021Date of Patent: June 6, 2023Assignee: Space Exploration Technologies Corp.Inventor: Martin S. McCormick
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Patent number: 11671123Abstract: A wireless communications system includes a pre-distortion actuator configured to receive a carrier-modulated signal and convert the carrier-modulated signal into an output signal. The system includes one or more antennas configured to receive the output signal and transmit the output signal, one or more power amplifiers electrically coupled between the pre-distortion actuator and the one or more antennas and a receiver configured to receive the output signal over-the-air and generate feedback based on the output signal. The pre-distortion actuator is configured to generate the output signal by applying a correction to the carrier-modulated signal that cancels out nonlinearities associated with the one or more antennas and/or the one or more power amplifiers. The pre-distortion actuator is configured based on the feedback.Type: GrantFiled: February 25, 2021Date of Patent: June 6, 2023Assignee: Space Exploration Technologies Corp.Inventors: Martin S. McCormick, Feipeng Wang
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Patent number: 11665043Abstract: A wireless communications system includes a pre-distortion actuator configured to receive a carrier-modulated signal and convert the carrier-modulated signal into an output signal. The system includes one or more antennas configured to receive the output signal and transmit the output signal, one or more power amplifiers electrically coupled between the pre-distortion actuator and the one or more antennas and a receiver configured to receive the output signal over-the-air and generate feedback based on the output signal. The pre-distortion actuator is configured to generate the output signal by applying a correction to the carrier-modulated signal that cancels out nonlinearities associated with the one or more antennas and/or the one or more power amplifiers. The pre-distortion actuator is configured based on the feedback.Type: GrantFiled: February 14, 2022Date of Patent: May 30, 2023Assignee: Space Exploration Technologies Corp.Inventors: Martin S. McCormick, Feipeng Wang
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Patent number: 11658384Abstract: An antenna apparatus having a housing enclosing antenna components and a leg extending from the housing includes a base securable to a surface and configured to receive a bottom portion of the leg. A locking assembly defined at the bottom portion of the leg is moveable between a first position, wherein the leg is removable from the base, and a second position, wherein the leg is lockingly secured within the base.Type: GrantFiled: October 8, 2020Date of Patent: May 23, 2023Assignee: Space Exploration Technologies Corp.Inventors: Ryan Kennett, Anthony Sims
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Patent number: 11652286Abstract: In one embodiment of the present disclosure, an antenna assembly includes a plurality of layers defining an antenna assembly including a plurality of PCB layers and a plurality of non-PCB layers, the antenna assembly having a top surface and a bottom surface, and adhesive coupling between the PCB layers and the non-PCB layers.Type: GrantFiled: June 3, 2020Date of Patent: May 16, 2023Assignee: Space Exploration Technology Corp.Inventors: David Milroy, Samuel Belden
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Patent number: 11652525Abstract: Systems, methods, and computer-readable media are provided for hybrid beamforming.Type: GrantFiled: March 24, 2022Date of Patent: May 16, 2023Assignee: Space Exploration Technologies Corp.Inventors: Eric Pepin, Kim W. Schulze, Amir Agah, Dean A. De Carli, Philippe Riondet
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Patent number: 11611392Abstract: In one embodiment of the present disclosure, a satellite communication system includes a satellite constellation including a plurality of satellites in non-geosynchronous orbit (non-GEO), wherein at least some of the plurality of satellites travel in a first orbital path at a first inclination, and an end point terminal having an earth-based geographic location, the end point terminal having an antenna system defining a field of regard for communicating with the satellite constellation, wherein the field of regard is a limited field of regard, wherein the field of regard is tilted from a non-tilted position to a tilted position, and wherein the tilt angle of the tilted position is a function of the latitude of the geographic location.Type: GrantFiled: June 3, 2020Date of Patent: March 21, 2023Assignee: Space Exploration Technologies Corp.Inventors: Duncan E. Adams, David Milroy, Jonathan François Cornelis Herman, Jessica D. Johnson
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Patent number: 11606134Abstract: In some embodiments, an apparatus includes a plurality of first conductive traces oriented in a first direction in a first layer and plurality of second conductive traces oriented in a second direction in a second layer coupled by vias to define first hierarchical networks. A plurality of third conductive traces oriented in the first direction in a third layer and a plurality of fourth conductive traces oriented in the second direction in a fourth layer are coupled by vias to define second hierarchical networks. Open ends of the first or second traces at a last stage of the first hierarchical networks comprise first ends and open ends of the third or fourth traces at a last stage of the second hierarchical networks comprise second ends. A first end and a corresponding second end are non-collinear to each other and perpendicular to a major plane of the first layer.Type: GrantFiled: September 9, 2021Date of Patent: March 14, 2023Assignee: Space Exploration Technologies Corp.Inventors: Nil Apaydin, Chiara Pelletti, Souren Shamsinejad, Alireza Mahanfar
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Patent number: 11600915Abstract: In one embodiment of the present disclosure, an antenna apparatus includes a housing assembly including a radome portion and a lower enclosure portion, wherein the radome portion and lower enclosure portion are couplable to form an inner compartment for housing antenna components of the antenna assembly, an antenna stack assembly disposed within the inner compartment, wherein the antenna stack assembly generates heat when in operation, and a heat transfer system within the inner compartment configured to facilitate the flow of heat toward the radome portion.Type: GrantFiled: June 3, 2020Date of Patent: March 7, 2023Assignee: Space Exploration Technologies Corp.Inventors: David Milroy, Duncan E. Adams, Andrea Papi, Scott Kaufman, Ersin Yetisir, Anthony Sims
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Patent number: 11563270Abstract: Systems, methods, and non-transitory media are provided for cross-coupling modeling and compensation. An example method can include determining one or more cross-coupling coefficients representing electrical cross-coupling within a component of a phased array antenna, wherein the component of the phased array antenna includes one or more signal paths between one or more beamformers of the phased array antenna and a set of antenna elements of the phased array antenna; based on the one or more cross-coupling coefficients, modifying one or more beamforming weights calculated for one or more signals routed via the one or more signal paths, wherein the modified one or more beamforming weights compensate for the electrical cross-coupling effect within the component of the phased array antenna; and applying, by the one or more beamformers, the modified one or more beamforming weights to the one or more signals routed via the one or more signal paths.Type: GrantFiled: January 14, 2021Date of Patent: January 24, 2023Assignee: Space Exploration Technologies Corp.Inventors: Eric Pepin, Kim W. Schulze, Ersin Yetisir, Javier Rodriguez De Luis
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Patent number: D986228Type: GrantFiled: January 9, 2020Date of Patent: May 16, 2023Assignee: Space Exploration Technologies Corp.Inventors: Jackson Shaffner, Anthony Sims, Ryan Kennett, Michael J. Conte, Victor Q. Dang, Duncan Edwin Adams
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Patent number: D989750Type: GrantFiled: April 2, 2021Date of Patent: June 20, 2023Assignee: Space Exploration Technologies Corp.Inventors: Anthony Sims, Tad A. Kilbury, J. Gabriel Rustia
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Patent number: D992540Type: GrantFiled: July 3, 2021Date of Patent: July 18, 2023Assignee: Space Exploration Technologies Corp.Inventors: Anthony Sims, J. Gabriel Rustia, Daniel Cykman, Aman Thomas