Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatuses for providing layer-2 connectivity through a non-routed ground segment network, are described. A system includes a non-autonomous gateway in communication with a satellite configured to relay data packets. The non-autonomous gateway is configured to receive the data packets from the satellite at layer-1 (L1) of the OSI-model, generate a plurality of virtual tagging tuples within the layer-2 packet headers of the plurality of data packets. The non-autonomous gateway is further configured to transmit, at layer-2 (L2) of the OSI-model, the virtually tagged data packets. Each of the packets may include a virtual tagging tuple and an entity destination. The system further includes a L2 switch in communication with the non-autonomous gateway. The L2 switch may be configured to receive the data packets and transmit the data packets to the entity based on the virtual tuples associated with each of the data packets.

Abstract: A system and method of the disclosure relates to satellite tracking. The system may comprise a tracking receiver that includes a first analog-to-digital (A/D) converter coupled between a sum input and a digital signal processor (DSP), a second A/D converter coupled between a difference input and the DSP, and a calibration output coupled to the sum input and coupled to the difference input. The first A/D converter may convert an signal received at the sum input into a sum digital signal, and provide the sum digital signal to the DSP. The second A/D converter may convert an signal received at the difference input into a difference digital signal, and provide the difference digital signal to the DSP. The tracking receiver may generate an calibration signal and provide the calibration signal through the calibration output.

Abstract: An antenna may have features to ameliorate ice accumulation thereon. For instance, the antenna may include a feed structure between a reflector and a radome. The radome may cover at least a portion of the antenna and/or components of the antenna. A heating element may be located at various locations on the feed structure of the antenna. The heating element may heat the radome or other aspects of the antenna. The heating element may heat the radome or other aspects by infrared radiation, and/or via circulating warmed air. A fan may be provided to promote circulation of warmed air. The heat ameliorates ice accumulation the antenna so that ice accumulation does not diminish the electromagnetic performance of the antenna.

Abstract: An antenna element can include a feed and a radiating element and a dielectric substrate having a first surface and a second surface, the dielectric substrate comprising the feed of the antenna element within the dielectric substrate. The antenna element module can also include an integrated circuit (IC) chip adhered to the first surface the dielectric substrate and coupled to the feed of the antenna element. The IC chip can include a circuit to adjust a signal communicated with the feed. The antenna element module can further include a plastic antenna carrier adhered to the second surface of the dielectric substrate. The plastic antenna carrier can include a body portion comprising a cavity for the radiating element of the antenna element, the radiating element positioned in the cavity of the body portion of the plastic antenna carrier.

Abstract: A reflector antenna heating system includes a dielectric radome that covers a first side of a reflector and a feed subsystem of an antenna. The system also includes a plurality of heater blower devices on a second side of the reflector, each of the plurality of heater blower devices having an inlet port and an outlet port. The system further includes a plurality of outlet duct assemblies, wherein each of the plurality of outlet duct assemblies is coupled to the outlet port of a respective heater blower device to direct heated air around a perimeter of the reflector and along an inside surface of the dielectric radome. One or more gaps proximal to a center of the reflector are included to recirculate cooled air toward a plurality of inlet ducts for the plurality of heater blower devices to feed the inlet port of each heater blower device.

Abstract: A system and method of the disclosure relates to structuring at least one resource of an application programming interface (API) for a server. In the method, a plurality of field-level elements may be defined. Each of the plurality of field-level elements may be associated with a respective property. Also, first and second message-level elements may be defined. The first message-level element may be based on a first field-level element of the plurality of field-level elements, and the second message-level element may be based on the first field-level element. The API may be associated with a first resource having properties resolved based on at least the first and second message-level elements.

Abstract: An artificial magnetic conductor (AMC) antenna apparatus includes a ground plane and a flexible antenna element layer above the ground plane. The ground plane includes a conductive base surface, a plurality of memory metal wires, and a frequency selective surface (FSS) layer above the base surface, where the FSS layer includes a plurality of conductive patches separated from one another. Each of the memory metal wires electrically connects one of the conductive patches to the base surface. Each of the memory metal wires is rigid in a memory-shaped state, causing the FSS layer to be fixedly spaced from the base surface during operation of the AMC antenna apparatus. The memory metal wires are each flexible in a non-memory-shaped state, enabling the FSS layer to be collapsed towards the base surface when the antenna apparatus is stowed.

Abstract: A geosynchronous equatorial orbit (GEO) ground station may concurrently receive at a tracking receiver both a first signal (downlink data) at a first frequency from a GEO satellite and an internally-generated calibration signal at a second frequency. Based on the calibration signal, the tracking receiver may determine a first phase value for the second frequency, then, from the first phase value, determine a second phase value associated with the first frequency based on a first phase offset between the first frequency and the second frequency according to a set of receiver calibration factors, then generate a phase correction value for signals received at the first frequency without interrupting the downlink data coming from the GEO satellite. Having accurate phasing allows the tracking receiver to report tracking errors correctly to the antenna controller and therefore allow for improved tracking performance.

Abstract: Methods, apparatuses, and systems are provided for improving utilization of the satellite communications system through various “deltacasting” techniques for handling content sets (e.g., feeds or websites). Embodiments operate in a client-server context, including a server optimizer, a client optimizer, and, in some embodiments, a pre-positioning client. Within this client-server context, content sets are multicast (e.g., anticipatorily pre-positioned in a local dictionary) to end users of the communications system and are handled at the content set level, according to set-level metadata and/or user preferences. In some embodiments, when locally stored information from the content sets is requested by a user, deltacasting techniques are used to generate fingerprints for use in identifying and exploit multicasting and/or other opportunities for increased utilization of links of the communications system.

Abstract: A multi-beam phased array antenna system includes a beamformer responsive to control signals to convert between a plurality of subarray signals and a plurality of beam signals. The system also includes a plurality of subarrays to communicate a plurality of beams corresponding to the plurality of beam signals. Each subarray includes a plurality of radiating elements. Each subarray also includes subarray beamforming circuitry responsive to respective beam weights to adjust RF signals communicated with the radiating elements, and convert between the adjusted RF signals and one respective subarray signal. The system further includes a controller that determines two or more beams, wherein the two or more beams are the same communication type. The beamformer assigns disjoint subsets of subarrays to each of the determined two or more beams. The controller also provides the beam weights for each of the plurality of subarrays and provides the control signals to the beamformer.

Abstract: An apparatus for monitoring a network communication system onboard a vehicle comprises a network interface and control circuitry. The control circuitry is configured to obtain location data indicating geographic locations of a plurality of vehicles within a geographic area, generate a first interface comprising a first portion and a second portion, and generate first graphical interface data within the first portion of the first interface. The first graphical interface data represents a map of the geographic area and a plurality of vehicle icons. Each of the plurality of vehicle icons is selectable via user input and at a position on the map corresponding to a respective geographic location of one of the plurality of vehicles. The control circuitry is further configured to generate second graphical interface data within the second portion of the first interface. The second graphical interface data represents vehicle identifiers for the plurality of vehicles.

Abstract: Systems and methods for supporting more flexible coverage areas and spatial capacity assignments using satellite communications systems are disclosed. A hub-spoke, bent-pipe satellite communications system includes: terminals; gateways; a controller for specifying data for controlling satellite operations in accordance with a frame definition including timeslots for a frame and defining an allocation of capacity between forward and return traffic; and a satellite including: pathways; at least one LNA, an output of which is for coupling to a pathway and to amplify uplink beam signals in accordance with the allocation; and at least one HPA, an input of which is for coupling to the pathway and to amplify downlink beam signals in accordance with the allocation, and wherein the frame definition specifies at least one pathway as a forward pathway for at least one timeslot and as a return pathway for at least one other timeslot in the frame.

Abstract: A method for pointing an antenna can include positioning, by a positioner, a beam of an antenna mounted on a vehicle to an initial angular position towards a target satellite based on an initial pointing direction for the antenna, the initial pointing direction being defined in a fixed reference plane and communicating, from the antenna, a signal with the target satellite, wherein the positioner controls an orientation of a pedestal of the antenna. The method also includes, executing, by an antenna control unit (ACU), an offset compensation operation of the antenna. The offset correction operation can include adjusting a pointing direction of the antenna to a plurality of angular positions and selecting a scan offset angle based on measured signal metrics for the plurality of angular positions. The method can include calculating a yaw compensation of the antenna based on the initial pointing direction and on a yaw pointing direction.

Abstract: Embodiments seek to protect privacy of potentially sensitive client resources in web transactions using crowd-disambiguation. Crowd-disambiguation machines can aggregate information about resources from multiple clients as resource fingerprints, and can use the fingerprints to provide crowd-sourced services in a privacy-protected manner. For example, embodiments can communicate a resource fingerprint as a fully ambiguated resource instance (FARI) and a partially disambiguated resource instance (PDRI). When one (or few) clients communicates the resource fingerprint, the identity of the resource remains obfuscated from the crowd-disambiguation machine. As more clients communicate fingerprints for the same resource (e.g., identified by the matching FARIs), respective, differently generated PDRIs of those fingerprints enable the crowd-disambiguation machine to resolve further portions of the resource, ultimately permitting the resource to be revealed and considered non-private (e.g.

Abstract: Described herein are systems and methods that dynamically manage network traffic for individual subscribers based on past and current data usage rates. The disclosed systems and methods operate to control data traffic for a group of subscribers that share a common access network or that share a common access link to an access network. Prior to an individual subscriber reaching their data plan limit, the disclosed systems and methods track individual subscribers' past and current data rates and manage individual subscribers' current usage rates so that each subscriber's continually or periodically updating past usage rate stays within a provisioning rate for the group. This can improve user experience because rather than waiting until a subscriber has reached their plan data limit to impose strict data usage restrictions, the disclosed systems and methods use modest restrictions continuously or intermittently during the plan period.

Abstract: Methods of antenna pointing and antenna assemblies implementing those methods are disclosed. An example method includes providing a user terminal antenna assembly including an antenna and an auto-peak device. The antenna includes a reflector, a subreflector, and a feed, the feed oriented relative to the reflector and the subreflector to produce a beam. The antenna further includes a tilt assembly to tilt the subreflector relative to the reflector and the feed. The method further includes providing a control signal to tilt the subreflector in a plurality of tilt positions to move the beam while measuring corresponding signal strength of a signal communicated via the antenna at each of the plurality of tilt positions. Additionally, the method includes selecting a tilt position from the plurality of tilt positions based on a measured signal strength, and providing the control signal to tilt the subreflector to the selected tilt position.

Abstract: An AMC antenna apparatus includes a ground plane and a flexible antenna element layer above the ground plane. The ground plane includes a conductive base surface, a plurality of flexible conductors, and a frequency selective surface (FSS) layer above the base surface, where the FSS layer includes a plurality of conductive patches separated from one another. Each of the flexible conductors electrically connects one of the conductive patches to the base surface. A latch mechanism is arranged between the base layer and the FSS layer. An inflatable bladder system between the base layer and the FSS layer is configured to receive a gas input during deployment of the antenna apparatus and inflate to produce force sufficient to cause the latch mechanism to transition from an unlatched state to a latched state in which the conductive base surface is fixedly separated from the FSS layer at a predetermined distance.

Abstract: A reflector antenna heating system (212) includes a dielectric radome (250) that covers a first side of a reflector (216) and a feed subsystem (218) of an antenna (200). The system also includes a plurality of heater blower devices (254) on a second side of the reflector (216), each of the plurality of heater blower devices (254) having an inlet port (259) and an outlet port (260). The system further includes a plurality of outlet duct assemblies (256), wherein each of the plurality of outlet duct assemblies (256) is coupled to the outlet port (260) of a respective heater blower device (254) to direct heated air around a perimeter of the reflector (216) and along an inside surface of the dielectric radome (250). One or more gaps (267) proximal to a center of the reflector (216) are included to recirculate cooled air toward a plurality of inlet ducts (262) for the plurality of heater blower devices (254) to feed the inlet port (259) of each heater blower device.

Abstract: In anticipation of a client device establishing a connection over a network with a remote host service, a pre-connect module generates a connection request (referred to herein as a “pre-connect request”) on behalf of the client device and sends the pre-connect request to the remote host server. The remote server responds with a connection response (referred to herein as a “pre-connect response”), which is pre-positioned on the client-side of the network along with information for generating a later connection request that is in material respects the same as the pre-connect request. Then, when the client device later seeks to establish a connection with the remote host server, the client device determines whether it has in local storage generation information for generating a connection request to the remote host server. If so, the client device uses the generation information to generate a connection request that is in material respects the same as the pre-connect request.

Abstract: Systems and methods for mobile connectivity provisioning at an access network are described. The access network has a service connection to a service center that is external to the access network. The method includes receiving, from a mobile vehicle, an indication of a connection request for a device on the mobile vehicle. The connection request identifies the device using a media access control (MAC) address. The method includes generating a globally unique identifier (GUID) associated with the MAC address and transmitting a first message comprising the GUID to a network access terminal on the vehicle. The network access terminal redirects the connection request to the service center via a traffic connection. The redirected connection request includes the GUID. The access network receives an indication of a network service for the device from the service center; the indication identifies the device based on the GUID.