Abstract: Various arrangements for performing transmodulation of a forward feeder link are presented. A first data stream and a second data stream can be modulated into a higher-order modulation forward feeder link having a higher-order digital modulation scheme. A satellite can receive the higher-order modulation forward feeder link. The satellite can demodulate the higher-order modulator forward feeder link into a bit stream. This bit stream may then be remodulated and retransmitted as multiple forward user links.

Abstract: Various arrangements for a satellite-based forward link overlay are presented herein. In some embodiments, broadband data is modulated at a particular frequency, phase, and/or timing to create a broadband data signal. The frequency, phase, and/or timing are used to modulate a low-bandwidth data signal. The low-bandwidth data signal can then be combined with the broadband data signal and transmitted via satellite to a geographic region. A low-bandwidth receiver unit may determine the frequency, phase, and/or timing from the embedded broadband signal and use such information to demodulate and despread the low-bandwidth data signal.

Abstract: Various arrangements for performing transmodulation of a forward feeder link are presented. A first data stream and a second data stream can be modulated into a higher-order modulation forward feeder link having a higher-order digital modulation scheme. A satellite can receive the higher-order modulation forward feeder link. The satellite can demodulate the higher-order modulator forward feeder link into a bit stream. This bit stream may then be remodulated and retransmitted as multiple forward user links.

Abstract: A system and method for tracking non-geo synchronous orbit satellites on orbiting planes of regular motion patterns. The method includes providing a first satellites moving in a direction descending in latitude in first orbital planes and a second satellites moving in a direction ascending in latitude in second orbital planes; steering an antenna to an antenna tilt ? from normal with a single axis mechanism lined up with a first axis; scanning, electronically, with a linear array at a scan angle ? along a second axis; and locking to a signal from a handed-from satellite from the first satellites, where the first axis is angled from the second axis, the steering along the first axis and the scanning along the second axis jointly track the handed-from satellite, the first orbits seem parallel, the second orbits seem parallel, and the first orbits seem aligned with the antenna tilt ?. A handoff between the first satellites may use one of the second satellites as a steppingstone.

Abstract: A system and method for estimating a geolocation. The method includes tessellating a coverage area into a camping cell and adjacent cells; subdividing the camping cell into grid points where each grid point of the grid points has an associated relative offset from a camping beam center; illuminating, with a platform, the camping cell with a camping beam and each of the adjacent cells with adjacent beams; receiving a camping beam signal strength and adjacent beams signal strengths for each grid point of the grid points; profiling, at each grid point of the grid points, ratios of the camping beam signal strength to each one of the adjacent beams signal strengths; mapping the ratios and the associated relative offset of each grid point of the grid points; and estimating a relative geolocation of a User Terminal (UT) from the camping beam center based on a UT camping beam signal strength and UT adjacent beams signal strengths.

Abstract: Systems and methods are described, and one method includes allocate a continuous duration within a TDMA scheme, for asynchronous NOMA transmissions, and extending from an allocation start time to an allocation termination time, formed of contiguous time slots of the TDMA scheme, and included providing to asynchronous NOMA user terminals an indication of the allocation start time and termination time, indicating allowance to perform asynchronous NOMA transmissions within a start time constraint that starts of the asynchronous NOMA transmissions do not precede the allocation start time, and terminations of the asynchronous NOMA transmissions do not succeed the allocation termination time.

Abstract: A user terminal (UT) to transmit small amounts of data, the UT including: a packet including the data, where the packet is less than 128 bytes; a frequency synchronizer to synchronize a transmission frequency of an ASCMA return link connecting the UT with a satellite gateway; and an ASCMA transmitter to transmit, without acquiring timing synchronization with the satellite gateway from the UT, the packet modulated over the synchronized transmission frequency as an ASCMA waveform including a preamble to indicate a start of a transmission. Other embodiments of this aspect include corresponding computer systems, apparatus, and computer programs recorded on one or more computer storage devices, each configured to perform the actions of the methods.

Abstract: A method and system for delivering services to terminals and associated edge devices in a satellite communication system. A network node remotely creates at least one service appliance within a terminal of the satellite communication system and customer premise equipment (CPE) connected to the terminal. Containerized applications are then transmitted from the network node to the service appliance. The service appliance subsequently executes the containerized application using hardware resources of the terminal and CPE. Usage of the containerized application can also be monitored.

Abstract: A transmitter, including a signal processor programmed to generate, based on input serial data, for each of an integer number of subcarriers mutually orthogonal to each other, a respective first parallel data stream. The signal processor is further programmed to modulate each of the integer number of subcarriers respectively with the respective parallel stream to generate the integer number of data-modulated subcarriers. The signal processor is further programmed to modulate a single carrier occupying a same bandwidth as the integer number of subcarriers with a unique word and one or more pilot symbols to generate a second signal. The signal processor combines the first signal and second signal to generate a third signal. The signal processor generates an output signal by applying a transmit filter to the third signal.

Abstract: Techniques for data transmission include a geostationary earth orbiting satellite that includes a first optical communication system configured to receive forward-direction user data via a forward optical link between the satellite and a stratospheric high-altitude communication device, and a first radio frequency (RF) communication system configured to transmit, via a plurality of RF spot beams, the forward-direction user data. The stratospheric high-altitude communication device includes a second RF communication system configured to receive the forward-direction user data via a plurality of concurrent forward RF feeder links, and a second optical communication system configured to transmit to the satellite, via the forward optical link, the forward-direction user data received via the plurality of forward RF feeder links.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer-storage media, for determining a set of communication parameters for receiving data transmissions. In some implementations, a method includes receiving a first data transmission sent according to a first communication parameter scheme that includes at least one of a first modulation or a first coding. A second data transmission is received. A second communication parameter scheme of the second transmission is determined.

Abstract: A user terminal (UT) to transmit small amounts of data, the UT including: a packet including the data, where the packet is less than 128 bytes; a frequency synchronizer to synchronize a transmission frequency of an ASCMA return link connecting the UT with a satellite gateway; and an ASCMA transmitter to transmit, without acquiring timing synchronization with the satellite gateway from the UT, the packet modulated over the synchronized transmission frequency as an ASCMA waveform including a preamble to indicate a start of a transmission. Other embodiments of this aspect include corresponding computer systems, apparatus, and computer programs recorded on one or more computer storage devices, each configured to perform the actions of the methods.

Abstract: Interference cancellation in a receiver can be used to improve bandwidth efficiency. The transmission of bursts from different terminals scheduled at separate time intervals can overlap partially such that time used for information transmission is optimized. For example, a receiver includes a signal processor including instructions executable to select first data including a first burst and a successive second burst from a transmission. The signal processor demodulates and decodes information from the first burst. The signal processor further generates a remodulated first burst based on recoded and remodulated information and generates second data by subtracting the remodulated first burst from the first data. The signal processor synchronizes with a stored symbol pattern in the second burst; and demodulates and decodes the information from the second burst. With such arrangement, the performance of each link is not affected by the partially overlapping burst.

Abstract: Techniques for data transmission include a geostationary earth orbiting satellite that includes a first optical communication system configured to receive forward-direction user data via a forward optical link between the satellite and a stratospheric high-altitude communication device, and a first radio frequency (RF) communication system configured to transmit, via a plurality of RF spot beams, the forward-direction user data. The stratospheric high-altitude communication device includes a second RF communication system configured to receive the forward-direction user data via a plurality of concurrent forward RF feeder links, and a second optical communication system configured to transmit to the satellite, via the forward optical link, the forward-direction user data received via the plurality of forward RF feeder links.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for increasing spectral efficiency in non-orthogonal multiple access (NOMA) communication, that implement receiving a signal stream from a user, splitting the signal stream into a plurality of sub-streams, applying a forward error coding (FEC) to each one of the sub-streams, and outputting a corresponding plurality of FEC encoded sub-streams. This can include modulating a corresponding carrier with each of the FEC encoded sub-streams, and combining and transmitting the corresponding plurality of modulated carrier signals. The modulated carrier signals can each carry a respective one of the FEC encoded sub-streams.

Abstract: Techniques for data transmission including receiving, at a geostationary earth orbiting satellite, forward-direction user data via a forward optical link; transmitting, by the geostationary earth orbiting satellite via multiple radio frequency (RF) spot beams, the forward-direction user data received via the forward optical link; receiving, at a stratospheric high-altitude communication device, forward-direction user data via multiple concurrent forward RF feeder links; transmitting, by the stratospheric high-altitude communication device via the forward optical link, the forward-direction user data received via the forward RF feeder links; transmitting, by each of multiple ground-based feeder RF terminals at a same RF feeder site, a respective one of the forward RF feeder links. At least 95% of forward feeder data throughput for all of the forward RF service link transmissions by the satellite is carried via the forward optical link and the forward RF feeder links.

Abstract: A multiple access scheme is provided. A first communications terminal encodes a first data stream using a forward error correction (FEC) code, and scrambles the encoded first data stream based on a first scrambling signature. A second communications terminal encodes a second data stream using the FEC code, and scrambles the encoded second data stream based on a second scrambling signature. The first scrambling signature and the second scrambling signature are used, respectively, by the first terminal and the second terminal to distinguish the first encoded data stream from the second encoded data stream as respectively originating from the first terminal and the second terminal in a multiple access scheme, whereby the first encoded data stream and the second encoded data stream simultaneously share a wireless communications channel. The FEC code is a low density parity check (LDPC) code configured with a data node degree of two or three.

Abstract: Techniques for data transmission including receiving, at a geostationary earth orbiting satellite, forward-direction user data via a forward optical link; transmitting, by the geostationary earth orbiting satellite via multiple radio frequency (RF) spot beams, the forward-direction user data received via the forward optical link; receiving, at a stratospheric high-altitude communication device, forward-direction user data via multiple concurrent forward RF feeder links; transmitting, by the stratospheric high-altitude communication device via the forward optical link, the forward-direction user data received via the forward RF feeder links; transmitting, by each of multiple ground-based feeder RF terminals at a same RF feeder site, a respective one of the forward RF feeder links. At least 95% of forward feeder data throughput for all of the forward RF service link transmissions by the satellite is carried via the forward optical link and the forward RF feeder links.

Abstract: An approach for opportunistic caching of streaming media data is provided to facilitate efficient use of forward transmission resources of a broadband communications system. The approach includes receiving, by a second communications terminal, a first content response transmitted by a first content server, via a broadcast/multicast communications medium, in response to a first content request of a first client device associated with a first communications terminal, wherein the first content response includes first data content requested by the first client device via the first communications terminal. The approach further comprises determining, by a cache controller of a cache storage device of the second communications terminal, to store at least the first data content of the first content response in the local cache storage device associated with the second communications terminal, wherein the determination to store is based on one or more criteria associated with the first content response.

Abstract: Systems and methods are described, and one method includes allocate a continuous duration within a TDMA scheme, for asynchronous NOMA transmissions, and extending from an allocation start time to an allocation termination time, formed of contiguous time slots of the TDMA scheme, and included providing to asynchronous NOMA user terminals an indication of the allocation start time and termination time, indicating allowance to perform asynchronous NOMA transmissions within a start time constraint that starts of the asynchronous NOMA transmissions do not precede the allocation start time, and terminations of the asynchronous NOMA transmissions do not succeed the allocation termination time.