Patents by Inventor Donald W. Becker

Donald W. Becker has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Publication number: 20220311509
    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: Application
    Filed: January 31, 2022
    Publication date: September 29, 2022
    Inventors: John Hai O'Neill, Donald W. Becker, Mark J. Miller
  • 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
  • Publication number: 20210175965
    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: Application
    Filed: September 3, 2020
    Publication date: June 10, 2021
    Applicant: VIASAT, INC.
    Inventors: John Hai O'Neill, Donald W. Becker, Mark J. Miller
  • Patent number: 10819421
    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: April 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2020
    Assignee: VIASAT, Inc.
    Inventors: John Hai O'Neill, Donald W. Becker, Mark J. Miller
  • Publication number: 20200028582
    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: Application
    Filed: April 26, 2019
    Publication date: January 23, 2020
    Applicant: ViaSat, Inc.
    Inventors: John Hai O'Neill, Donald W. Becker, Mark J. Miller
  • Patent number: 10320472
    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: February 27, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2019
    Assignee: VIASAT, INC.
    Inventors: John Hai O'Neill, Donald W. Becker, Mark J. Miller
  • Publication number: 20190052352
    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: Application
    Filed: February 27, 2017
    Publication date: February 14, 2019
    Inventors: John Hai O'Neill, Donald W. Becker, Mark J. Miller
  • Publication number: 20180013488
    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: Application
    Filed: February 27, 2017
    Publication date: January 11, 2018
    Inventors: John Hai O'Neill, Donald W. Becker, Mark J. Miller
  • Patent number: 9621257
    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: December 11, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2017
    Assignee: ViaSat, Inc.
    Inventors: John Hai O'Neill, Donald W. Becker, Mark J. Miller
  • Patent number: 9386550
    Abstract: Systems and methods are described synchronizing communications frames and their respective time slots for satellite communications architectures having multiple satellites in the same orbital slot in such a way that addresses inter-satellite inter-beam interference. In some embodiments, the first and second satellites communicate with a respective number of ground terminals (e.g., gateway and user terminals) according to first and second satellite time slots, respectively. The satellites maintain relative positions in their orbital slot to manifest a maximum path delay difference between first and second path delays, the first path delay being between the first ground terminals and the first satellite, and the second path delay being between the first ground terminals and the second satellite. A synchronization system can offset the first satellite time slots from the second satellite time slots as a function of the maximum path delay difference.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2016
    Assignee: VIASAT INC.
    Inventor: Donald W. Becker
  • Publication number: 20150295639
    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: Application
    Filed: December 11, 2014
    Publication date: October 15, 2015
    Inventors: John Hai O'Neill, Donald W. Becker, Mark J. Miller
  • Patent number: 9036661
    Abstract: Systems, devices, processors, and methods are described which may be used for the reception of a wireless broadband signal at a user terminal from a gateway via a satellite. A wireless signal may include a series of physical layer frames, each frame including a physical layer header and payload. The received signal is digitized and processed using various novel physical layer headers and related techniques to synchronize the physical layer frames and recover data from physical layer headers for purposes of demodulation and decoding.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2015
    Assignee: ViaSat, Inc.
    Inventors: Donald W. Becker, Matthew D. Nimon, William H. Thesling
  • Patent number: 8897409
    Abstract: Symbol timing acquisition is described for a wireless broadband signal received at a user terminal from a gateway via a satellite. In-phase and quadrature channels of the wireless signal may each be sampled at a rate of one sample per symbol. The samples may be interpolated to generate an early interpolation and a late interpolation for each of the samples. A difference measurement is obtained between the early interpolation and the late interpolation for a set of the samples. A number of the difference measurements may be averaged, and symbol timing may be modified based on the average. This process may be continued on an iterative basis to acquire symbol timing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 25, 2014
    Assignee: ViaSat, Inc.
    Inventors: Donald W. Becker, Matthew D. Nimon, William H. Thesling
  • Patent number: 8805275
    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: May 24, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 12, 2014
    Assignee: Viasat Inc.
    Inventors: John Hai O'Neill, Donald W. Becker, Mark J. Miller
  • Patent number: 8683283
    Abstract: Systems, devices, processors, and methods are described which may be used for the reception of a wireless broadband signal at a user terminal from a gateway via satellite. A physical layer header may be identified, the header including a number of subcode blocks. A phase may be estimated for each of the subcode blocks, and intra-header phase differences may be calculated. The intra-header phase differences may be used to calculate a frequency error, which may be corrected. Frequency errors may be monitored and, when such errors fall below a threshold level, an alternative inter-frame frequency error tracking method may be used.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2014
    Assignee: ViaSat, Inc.
    Inventors: Donald W. Becker, Matthew D. Nimon, William H. Thesling
  • Publication number: 20130329630
    Abstract: Systems and methods are described synchronizing communications frames and their respective time slots for satellite communications architectures having multiple satellites in the same orbital slot in such a way that addresses inter-satellite inter-beam interference. In some embodiments, the first and second satellites communicate with a respective number of ground terminals (e.g., gateway and user terminals) according to first and second satellite time slots, respectively. The satellites maintain relative positions in their orbital slot to manifest a maximum path delay difference between first and second path delays, the first path delay being between the first ground terminals and the first satellite, and the second path delay being between the first ground terminals and the second satellite. A synchronization system can offset the first satellite time slots from the second satellite time slots as a function of the maximum path delay difference.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 14, 2013
    Publication date: December 12, 2013
    Applicant: VIASAT, INC.
    Inventor: Donald W. Becker
  • Publication number: 20130331026
    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: Application
    Filed: May 24, 2013
    Publication date: December 12, 2013
    Inventors: John Hai O'Neill, Donald W. Becker, Mark J. Miller
  • Patent number: 8547863
    Abstract: A method for determining attenuation settings across carriers in a return link bandwidth of a user terminal comprises determining a first attenuation setting for a user terminal at a first transmission frequency, where the first attenuation setting is based on a first signal quality metric value of a first message sent from the user terminal at the first transmission frequency. The method also comprises determining a second attenuation setting for the user terminal at a second transmission frequency, where the second attenuation setting is based on a second signal quality metric value of a second message sent from the user terminal at the second transmission frequency. The method also comprises determining the attenuation settings across the carriers in the return link bandwidth of the user terminal based on the first attenuation setting and the second attenuation setting.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2013
    Assignee: ViaSat, Inc.
    Inventors: Mark J. Miller, Donald W. Becker
  • Patent number: 8401038
    Abstract: Systems, devices, processors, and methods are described which may be used for the reception of a wireless broadband signal at a user terminal from a gateway via a satellite. A wireless signal may include a series of physical layer frames, each frame including a physical layer header and payload. The received signal is digitized and processed using various novel physical layer headers and related techniques to synchronize the physical layer frames and recover data from physical layer headers for purposes of demodulation and decoding.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2013
    Assignee: ViaSat, Inc.
    Inventors: Donald W. Becker, Matthew D. Nimon, William H. Thesling
  • Patent number: 8300571
    Abstract: Systems, devices, processors, and methods are described which may be used for the reception of a wireless broadband signal at a user terminal from a gateway via a satellite. A wireless signal may include a series of physical layer frames, each frame including a physical layer header and payload. The received signal is digitized and processed using various novel physical layer headers and related techniques to synchronize the physical layer frames and recover data from physical layer headers for purposes of demodulation and decoding.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2012
    Assignee: ViaSat, Inc.
    Inventors: Donald W. Becker, Matthew D. Nimon, William H. Thesling