Abstract: In one example, an antenna system is described. The antenna system includes a primary antenna on an aircraft. The primary antenna is mechanically steerable and has an asymmetric antenna beam pattern with a narrow beamwidth axis and a wide beamwidth axis at boresight. The antenna system also includes a secondary antenna on the aircraft, the secondary antenna including an array of antenna elements. The antenna system also includes an antenna selection system to control communication of a signal between the aircraft and a target satellite via the primary antenna and the secondary antenna. The antenna selection system switches communication of the signal from the primary antenna to the secondary antenna when a performance characteristic for communication with the target satellite satisfies a threshold due to a position of the aircraft relative to the target satellite.

Abstract: Methods, systems and devices for use in semiconductor package manufacture of a package having a die and die substrate are provided. A method for use in semiconductor package manufacture includes steps of forming one or more wirebond interconnections between the die and the die substrate, capturing input data representative of wirebond interconnection features during inspection of the formed wirebond interconnections, and passing the captured input data to a machine learning (ML) engine. The method further includes processing the captured input data with the machine learning engine using a trained model to obtain an output array of data, evaluating the output array of data to determine a predicted radio-frequency (RF) performance rating, and outputting the predicted RF performance rating. Training data set processing may include applying image data and parameters to a multi-layer neural network to obtain a set of candidate ML models, and selecting an optimal ML model.

Abstract: In an exemplary embodiment, a phased array antenna comprises multiple subcircuits in communication with multiple radiating elements. The radio frequency signals are independently adjusted for both polarization control and beam steering. In a receive embodiment, multiple RF signals of various polarizations are received and combined into at least one receive beam output. In a transmit embodiment, at least one transmit beam input is divided and transmitted through multiple radiating elements, with the transmitted beams having various polarizations. In an exemplary embodiment, the phased array antenna provides multi-beam formation over multiple operating frequency bands. The wideband nature of the active components allows for operation over multiple frequency bands simultaneously.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and devices for communications are described. One or more flows between a node and one or more other nodes in a communication network may be monitored over a time period. During the monitoring, it may be identified that, during a subset of the time period, communications over at least one of the flows were restricted by the communication network based on receiving at least one indicator of congestion for the at least one flow. A quantity of traffic communicated over the one or more flows during the subset of the time period may then be determined, and respective flow rates of the one or more flows may be obtained. The obtained flow rates may be used to calculate a data rate of one or more connections between the node and the one or more other nodes.

Abstract: Techniques are described for adaptive control of media channel interfaces for delivery of media content over communications systems to transport craft passengers. Embodiments monitor viewership of various media channel offerings provided to transport craft passengers to compute aggregated viewership scores. Based on the scores, respective prominence parameters associated with the various media channel offerings can be automatically updated. Interface control signals can be communicated to cause media channel interfaces being displayed on passenger devices to dynamically and automatically update the graphical listings of the media channel offerings in accordance with the updates to their respective prominence parameters. Dynamically updating the graphical prominence of different media channel offerings can tend to make passengers more likely to view a smaller subset of the media channel offerings, thereby helping to maintain high passenger satisfaction with less network capacity demand.

Abstract: Described herein are systems and methods for improving network performance by advertising a single network address at diverse points (e.g., gateways) interfacing between two networks. The result of advertising a single network address at diverse points is that network traffic routing can select a shortest or lowest cost communication path that includes one of the points that advertised the single network address. Inline metadata and/or sideband signaling may be used to indicate to a network client which gateway received the traffic so that this gateway can be selected for subsequent network communication. The disclosed systems and methods assign the same network address to multiple nodes (e.g., client, switch, server, router, etc.), which is advertised to the network. Routing network traffic can use routing tables to find an optimal or superior communication path that includes one of the nodes that advertised the network address.

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: Described herein are technologies that utilize full duplex gateway terminals in satellite networks with half duplex user equipment. The disclosed scheduling technologies incorporate the knowledge of the propagation delay between a gateway terminal and each UE in communication with the gateway terminal. Based on this propagation delay, a scheduler can allocate DL and UL time slots in a scheduling frame in a way that avoids allocating overlapping DL and UL time slots at each UE.

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: Technology is described for providing electronic advertisements on an aircraft. A server onboard the aircraft may receive a notification that a public announcement is occurring on the aircraft. The server may identify an announcement tag associated with the public announcement. The server may select an electronic advertisement based in part on the announcement tag associated with the public announcement. The electronic advertisement may be selected from a data store of electronic advertisements. The server may send the electronic advertisement to a client device to be displayed via a graphical user interface on the client device after the public announcement is finished.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and devices for a wakeup receiver operation is described. The apparatus may include a splitter that splits a received signal into a first component signal and a second component signal. The signal may include a code sequence, where each symbol of a plurality of symbols of the code sequences includes one of a set of sub-sequences. The apparatus may delay the first component signal and multiply the first component signal with the delayed first component signal and delay the second component signal and multiply the second component signal with the delayed second component signal to generate a first and second output. The apparatus may also determine a representation of the code sequence based on a sequence of levels of the first output and the second output over the plurality of symbols.

Abstract: Methods and systems are described for providing end-to-end beamforming. For example, end-to-end beamforming systems include end-to-end relays and ground networks to provide communications to user terminals located in user beam coverage areas. The ground segment can include geographically distributed access nodes and a central processing system. Return uplink signals, transmitted from the user terminals, have multipath induced by a plurality of receive/transmit signal paths in the end to end relay and are relayed to the ground network. The ground network, using beamformers, recovers user data streams transmitted by the user terminals from return downlink signals. The ground network, using beamformers generates forward uplink signals from appropriately weighted combinations of user data streams that, after relay by the end-end-end relay, produce forward downlink signals that combine to form user beams.

Abstract: Methods and systems are described for providing end-to-end beamforming. For example, an end-to-end beamforming system include a relay satellite and a ground network to provide communications to user terminals located in user beam coverage areas. The ground network includes geographically distributed access nodes and a central processing system (CPS). Beamformers of the ground network generate forward uplink signals from appropriately weighted combinations of user data streams that, after relay by the satellite, produce forward downlink signals that combine to form forward user beams.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and devices for a dual-polarized antenna array are described. An example antenna array may include a parallel plate polarizer that may include upper and lower plates. The antenna array may include stepped septums extending between the plates, each of the stepped septums having a first and second side surfaces, the stepped septums comprising first and second sets that are inverted relative to each other. The antenna array may include a first divided waveguides associated with a first polarization that may have a first set of opposing walls formed by first portions of the upper and lower plates and a second set of opposing walls. The antenna array may include second divided waveguides associated with a second polarization that may have a first set of opposing walls formed by second portions of the upper and lower plates and a second set of opposing walls.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and devices are described for providing selectable content offerings to mobile users via mobile terminals over a satellite system. In embodiments, a database of access profiles for accessing a network via the satellite system may be maintained. Each access profile corresponds to a respective content category of a plurality of content categories and is associated with a respective set of content sources available via the network. Devices may be provided with a respective set of content categories for display based at least in part on a device-specific profile associated with the corresponding device. In embodiments, a request is received from particular device for a particular content category. An access profile may be identified from the database that is associated with the particular content offering. Communications may be permitted between the device and the respective set of content sources associated with the content category associated with the access profile.

Abstract: The described features generally relate to adjusting a native antenna pattern of a satellite to adapt communications via the satellite. For example, a communications satellite may include an antenna having a feed array assembly, a reflector, and a linear actuator coupled between the feed array assembly and the reflector. The feed array assembly may have a plurality of feeds for communicating signals associated with a communications service, and the reflector may be configured to reflect the signals transmitted between the feed array assembly and one or more target devices. The linear actuator may have an adjustable length, or otherwise provide an adjustable position between the feed array assembly and the reflector. By adjusting the position of the feed array assembly relative to the reflector, the communications satellite may provide a communications service according to a plurality of native antenna patterns.

Abstract: Disclosed are systems and methods for steering network traffic over different access networks based on a classification of the network traffic. A first access network provides a first network path between a client device and a destination network and a second access network provides a second network path between the client device and the destination network. The access networks have different characteristics, such as latency or available bandwidth. A traffic classifier receives network messages and assigns classifications to the received network messages. A policy enforcer determines routes for individual network messages. The determined route is based at least in part on the classification assigned by the traffic classifier.

Abstract: Methods and systems are described for providing satellite beam handover based on predicted network conditions. In embodiments, a satellite communications system retrieves flight plan data for a plurality of aircraft being provided a network access service, identifies, for each aircraft respective candidate satellite beams of the plurality of satellite beams for providing the network access service, each candidate satellite beam having an associated service timeframe for providing the network access service, obtains, for each of the respective candidate satellite beams, a beam utilization score indicative of predicted beam utilization by the plurality of aircraft over the associated service timeframe, selects satellite beams for providing the network access service of each aircraft of the plurality of aircraft based at least in part on the beam utilization scores, and schedules handover of the network access service for the plurality of aircraft to the selected satellite beams.

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: In some embodiments, a method comprises: identifying past trips, each of the past trips having a past trip characteristic similar to a particular trip characteristic of a particular trip; obtaining a vehicle identifier used during each of the past trips; obtaining status of one or more onboard services provided during each of the past trips; generating interface data representing: a past trip header, the past trip characteristic for each of the past trips, the vehicle identifier used during each of the past trips, an icon for each of the past trips having a feature indicating the status of one or more onboard services provided during the past trip, and an additional icon indicating status of onboard services provided during the particular trip; transmitting the interface data to cause a display device to generate/display a viewer.