Patents Assigned to Viasat, Inc.
  • Patent number: 11310333
    Abstract: Embodiments seek to improve web page loading time using server-machine-driven hint generation for based on client-machine-driven feedback. For example, client computers having page renderers are in communication with content servers and hinting processors. The hinting processors can use hinting feedback from multiple page rendering instances to automatically generate hints for optimizing loading and/or rendering of those pages. In some implementations, in response to page requests from the page renderers, content servers can request hints from hinting processors and send those hints to the requesting page renderers for use in improving the page loading experience. In other implementations, in response to page requests from the page renderers, content servers can instruct the requesting page renderers to contact an appropriate hinting processor and to retrieve appropriate hints therefrom for use in improving the page loading experience.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2022
    Assignee: VIASAT, INC.
    Inventors: Peter Lepeska, David Lerner
  • Patent number: 11303026
    Abstract: Disclosed is an antenna having an electrically conductive base. In some embodiments, a first radiating element (102) may overlie the electrically conductive base and be operative in a first frequency band. A second radiating element (104) may overlie the first radiating element (102) and have a footprint smaller than the first radiating element (102). The second radiating element (104) may be operative in a second frequency band. The second radiating element (104) may overlie the first radiating element (102) by a distance such that isolation between the feed lines of respective first and second radiating elements, in the first and second frequency bands, is greater than or equal to 15 dB.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2022
    Assignee: Viasat, Inc.
    Inventor: Martin Gimersky
  • Patent number: 11303006
    Abstract: Determining movement for alignment of a satellite antenna using accelerometer data and gyroscope data of the satellite antenna. Described techniques include receiving accelerometer data for a first time period from an accelerometer mounted on the antenna and analyzing the accelerometer data to determine a movement time window for a movement event of the antenna. The techniques may include receiving gyroscope data for the first time period from a gyroscope mounted on the antenna and analyzing the gyroscope data during the movement time window to determine an amount of movement of the antenna due to the movement event.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2022
    Assignee: Viasat, Inc
    Inventors: Clifford K. Burdick, Kurt A. Zimmerman, Kevin House, David H. Irvine
  • Patent number: 11303937
    Abstract: Embodiments provide efficient delivery of multiple media channels to in-transport terminals, for example, to reduce channel zapping delay in a bandwidth efficient manner. For example, an in-transport media (ITM) server can distribute multiple channel offerings to ITM clients in a transport craft. Meanwhile, the ITM server can monitor which channel offerings are presently being consumed via the ITM clients, and can transmit feedback to a remote media server, accordingly. Based on the feedback, the ITM server can receive the channel offerings from the remote media server, in such a way that one or more of the channel offerings is received as a low-fidelity instance when not presently being consumed via any of the ITM clients, and one or more of the channel offerings is received as a high-fidelity instance when presently being consumed via at least one of the ITM clients.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2022
    Assignee: VIASAT, INC.
    Inventors: Joshua G. Slater, Joshua J. Righetti, Nirmalkumar Velayudhan
  • Patent number: 11296780
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and devices are described for providing dynamic spatial allocation of satellite capacity based on aircraft load forecasting. In embodiments, a satellite communications system provides network access service over a service area via a plurality of satellite user beams, predicts spatial network resource demand for the service area over one or more service periods based at least in part on forecasted travel paths of a plurality of mobile multi-user terminals over the one or more service periods and respective predicted service demands for the plurality of mobile multi-user terminals, determines a satellite capacity resource configuration for the plurality of satellite user beams for the one or more service periods based on the predicted spatial network resource demand, and then adapts at least one characteristic of the plurality of satellite user beams for the one or more service periods based on the determined satellite capacity resource configuration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2022
    Assignee: Viasat, Inc.
    Inventor: George M. Peponides
  • Patent number: 11290525
    Abstract: Systems and methods are described for avoiding redundant data transfers using delta coding techniques when reliably and opportunistically communicating data to multiple user systems. According to embodiments, user systems track received block sequences for locally stored content blocks. An intermediate server intercepts content requests between user systems and target hosts, and deterministically chucks and fingerprints content data received in response to those requests. A fingerprint of a received content block is communicated to the requesting user system, and the user system determines based on the fingerprint whether the corresponding content block matches a content block that is already locally stored. If so, the user system returns a set of fingerprints representing a sequence of next content blocks that were previously stored after the matching content block.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2022
    Assignee: VIASAT, Inc.
    Inventor: David Lerner
  • Patent number: 11283171
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for implementing a phased array antenna having a boresight direction. A scan angle within a defined range of scan angles is selected for the phased array antenna such that the selected scan angle is different from a scan angle associated with the boresight direction. An antenna port impedance associated with each of a plurality of antenna elements comprising the phased array antenna varies with the scan angle of the phased array antenna. A plurality of amplifiers are each coupled to an antenna port of one of the plurality of antenna elements. Each of the plurality of amplifiers is configured such that a maximum value for a performance characteristic of the plurality of amplifiers is achieved when an impedance at the antenna port corresponds to the selected scan angle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2022
    Assignee: VIASAT, INC.
    Inventor: Konrad Miehle
  • Patent number: 11276937
    Abstract: A waveguide structure for a compact and scalable dual-polarized antenna array. In one example, a waveguide device comprises septum polarizers dividing common waveguides into first waveguides associated with a first polarization and second waveguides associated with a second polarization. The sets of septum polarizers may be inverted relative to each other to form first groups of four adjacent first waveguides for each type of waveguide. The waveguide device may also include a waveguide feed network including a first waveguide feed stage including waveguide combiner/dividers coupled between the four adjacent waveguides intermediate waveguides. The waveguide device may further include a second waveguide feed stage coupled with the first intermediate waveguides and the second intermediate waveguides, wherein the second waveguide feed stage extends in a direction perpendicular to the first waveguide feed stage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2022
    Assignee: VIASAT, Inc.
    Inventors: Frederic Bongard, Stefano Vaccaro
  • Publication number: 20220077907
    Abstract: One example includes a phased-array antenna system (10). The system includes antenna elements (16) each including an element adjustment circuit (24) and a radiating element (114). A beamforming network (14) receives a carrier signal and generates element carrier signals. A baseband DSP (22) generates a plurality of composite beamforming data signals associated with a respective one of the antenna elements (16) and is generated based on combining individual beamforming data signals. Each of the individual beamforming data signals is associated with a respective beam and is based on combining a data signal associated with the respective beam with an antenna weight associated with the respective beam and the respective one of the antenna elements (16).
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 21, 2021
    Publication date: March 10, 2022
    Applicant: VIASAT, INC.
    Inventors: PETER S. WYCKOFF, JOSEPH J. LUNA
  • Publication number: 20220077597
    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.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 4, 2021
    Publication date: March 10, 2022
    Applicant: ViaSat, Inc.
    Inventors: David W. Corman, Rob Zienkewicz, David R. Saunders
  • Patent number: 11271640
    Abstract: Systems and methods are described for robust scheduling of beam switching patterns in satellite communications systems. Embodiments operate in context of a hub-spoke satellite communications architecture having a number of gateway terminals servicing large numbers of user terminals over a number of spot beams. The satellite includes switching subsystems that distribute capacity to the user beams from multiple of the gateway terminals in a shared manner according to a beam group switching pattern. The beam group switching pattern is robustly formulated to continue distributing capacity during gateway outages (e.g., when one or two gateway terminals are temporarily non-operational due to rain fade, equipment failure, etc.). For example, the beam group switching pattern can be formulated to minimize worst-case degradation of capacity across user beams, to prioritize certain beams or beam groups, etc.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2022
    Assignee: VIASAT, Inc.
    Inventors: John Hai O'Neill, Donald W. Becker, Mark J. Miller
  • Patent number: 11265078
    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. The satellite communications system may employ a satellite with a feed array assembly and may use on-board beamforming or ground-based beamforming. Beam hopping within timeslots of the frame may be used to provide coverage to different cells in different time periods. The flexible coverage areas may be provided using changes in satellite position, antenna patterns, or beam resource allocations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2022
    Assignee: VIASAT, Inc.
    Inventors: Mark J. Miller, Charles N. Pateros, Aaron J. Mendelsohn, Donald L. Runyon
  • Patent number: 11258472
    Abstract: Methods and devices for radio frequency (RF) loopback for transceivers are described. A transceiver for communicating RF signals with a target device may transmit signals at a transmit frequency and receive signals at a (different) receive frequency. The transceiver may include a waveguide diplexer for separating and combining signals based on frequency. The transceiver may be configured to couple a loopback signal from a common port of the waveguide diplexer; the loopback signal may be based on a transmit signal. The transceiver may include a loopback translator to translate the loopback signal from the transmit frequency to the receive frequency and provide the translated loopback signal to a receiver used for receiving signals from the target device. The receiver may compare the translated loopback signal with a representation of the transmit signal to generate a compensation signal. A transmitter may use the compensation signal to adjust subsequent transmit signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2022
    Assignee: VIASAT, Inc.
    Inventors: Kenneth V. Buer, Ramanamurthy V. Darapu, Martin Gimersky, David E. Pettit, Bill T. Agar
  • Patent number: 11258172
    Abstract: A multi-beam antenna including a reflector having a single reflector surface defining a first focal region and a second focal region. A first feed group located within the first focal region includes a first feed oriented relative to the reflector to define a first beam pointed in a first direction. The multi-beam antenna further includes a fixed attachment mechanism attaching the first feed group to the reflector such that a position of the first feed group is fixed relative to the reflector. The multi-beam antenna further includes a second feed group located within the second focal region that includes a second feed oriented relative to the reflector to define a second beam pointed in a second direction. The multi-beam antenna further includes an adjustable attachment mechanism attaching the second feed group to the reflector, whereby a difference between the first direction and the second direction is adjustable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2022
    Assignee: VIASAT, Inc.
    Inventors: Donald L. Runyon, Sharad V. Parekh
  • Patent number: 11258507
    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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2022
    Assignee: ViaSat, Inc.
    Inventors: Kenneth V. Buer, Mark J. Miller, Christopher J. Cronin
  • Patent number: 11256775
    Abstract: The present invention relates to systems, apparatus, and methods of using usage data to determine the dependency structures of a web application, including dependency structures between follow-on objects of an initial object in a web transaction. In one embodiment, an input URL and associated dynamic response data are analyzed for such nested or dependent relationships. In further embodiments, analysis of these relationships are used to improve prefetching operations to lower overall page load times.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2022
    Assignee: VIASAT, INC.
    Inventors: Peter Lepeska, William B. Sebastian
  • Patent number: 11252210
    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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2022
    Assignee: VIASAT, Inc.
    Inventors: William B. Sebastian, Peter Lepeska
  • Patent number: 11245467
    Abstract: Systems and methods are described for scintillation mitigation in satellite communications systems with geographically distributed access nodes. Some embodiments operate in context of a bent-pipe satellite that illuminates user and gateway coverage areas with fixed spot beams. Beamforming can be used, along with coordinated, phase-synchronized communication by the distributed access nodes, to generate signals that coherently combine via the satellite. Scintillation and/or other atmospheric irregularities can degrade phase synchronization at the access nodes. Accordingly, embodiments can monitor phase tracking performance of the access nodes to detect when a phase tracking error occurs in at least one of the access nodes. In response to detecting the phase tracking error, embodiments can inhibit transmitting of forward uplink data signals by at least that access node.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2022
    Assignee: ViaSat, Inc.
    Inventor: Mark Dankberg
  • Patent number: 11245196
    Abstract: An antenna includes a reflector and a waveguide assembly. The waveguide assembly includes a feed assembly and a support member that extends from behind the reflector to orient the feed assembly for direct illumination of the reflector. The waveguide assembly includes a first waveguide coupled to a first portion of a common waveguide, a second waveguide coupled to a second portion of the common waveguide, and a septum layer that includes a septum polarizer coupled between the common waveguide and the first and second waveguides.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2022
    Assignee: VIASAT, Inc.
    Inventors: Anders Jensen, Donald L. Runyon
  • Patent number: 11240158
    Abstract: Approaches are described for release-time-driven (RTD) prioritization of on-board content scheduling and delivery to in-transit transport craft via communications systems. In context of a constrained network, content is scheduled to be delivered to those in-transit on-board media servers in a manner driven by respective release times and other prioritization factors associated with the updated content. Each content is associated with a RTD priority profile that can define a release time, a release priority, and a profile plot for the content. The RTD priority profiles can be used to compute priority surfaces that define priority scores over a multidimensional space for a particular time. A subset of the content can be selected for delivery based on the priority surfaces, and can be scheduled for delivery according to network capacity determinations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2022
    Assignee: VIASAT, INC.
    Inventors: Daniel Newman, David McNeil