Abstract: In satellite communication systems, the cost of a terminal often corresponds to a maximum data rate that the terminal is required to transmit towards a satellite. The higher the data rate, the higher the Effective Isotropic Radiated Power (EIRP) the terminal may be required to radiate. The EIRP of the terminal is directly proportionate to the transmission power and to the effective area of the antenna. Using coherent transmission combining may facilitate a similar EIRP while reducing the cost of the terminal through using smaller antennas and lower radiated power. Methods, apparatuses, systems, and computer readable media are described herein for facilitating coherent combining of transmissions.

Abstract: In satellite communication systems, the cost of a terminal often corresponds to a maximum data rate that the terminal is required to transmit towards a satellite. The higher the data rate, the higher the Effective Isotropic Radiated Power (EIRP) the terminal may be required to radiate. The EIRP of the terminal is directly proportionate to the transmission power and to the effective area of the antenna. Using coherent transmission combining may facilitate a similar EIRP while reducing the cost of the terminal through using smaller antennas and lower radiated power. Methods, apparatuses, systems, and computer readable media are described herein for facilitating coherent combining of transmissions.

Abstract: Systems and methods of multiport amplifier (MPA) implementation system, including: at least one input matrix, including a plurality of complex modulators, wherein each complex modulator is configured to receive an input channel stream, a summation logic block, configured to sum the complex product of the plurality of complex modulators, and a dual Digital to Analog (DAC) converter, configured to receive summation digital complex output from the summation logic block, a plurality of RF modulators, wherein each RF modulator is configured to receive a dual analog output as baseband I/Q branches from a corresponding DAC converter, and a plurality of amplifiers, wherein each complex amplifier is configured to receive the output of a corresponding RF Modulator for amplification to an output RF matrix.

Abstract: Systems and methods of multiport amplifier (MPA) implementation system, including: at least one input matrix, including a plurality of complex modulators, wherein each complex modulator is configured to receive an input channel stream, a summation logic block, configured to sum the complex product of the plurality of complex modulators, and a dual Digital to Analog (DAC) converter, configured to receive summation digital complex output from the summation logic block, a plurality of RF modulators, wherein each RF modulator is configured to receive a dual analog output as baseband I/Q branches from a corresponding DAC converter, and a plurality of amplifiers, wherein each complex amplifier is configured to receive the output of a corresponding RF Modulator for amplification to an output RF matrix.

Abstract: In satellite communication systems, the cost of a terminal often corresponds to a maximum data rate that the terminal is required to transmit towards a satellite. The higher the data rate, the higher the Effective Isotropic Radiated Power (EIRP) the terminal may be required to radiate. The EIRP of the terminal is directly proportionate to the transmission power and to the effective area of the antenna. Using coherent transmission combining may facilitate a similar EIRP while reducing the cost of the terminal through using smaller antennas and lower radiated power. Methods, apparatuses, systems, and computer readable media are described herein for facilitating coherent combining of transmissions.

Abstract: Systems and methods of multiport amplifier (MPA) implementation system, including: at least one input matrix, including a plurality of complex modulators, wherein each complex modulator is configured to receive an input channel stream, a summation logic block, configured to sum the complex product of the plurality of complex modulators, and a dual Digital to Analog (DAC) converter, configured to receive summation digital complex output from the summation logic block, a plurality of RF modulators, wherein each RF modulator is configured to receive a dual analog output as baseband I/Q branches from a corresponding DAC converter, and a plurality of amplifiers, wherein each complex amplifier is configured to receive the output of a corresponding RF Modulator for amplification to an output RF matrix.

Abstract: A system is disclosed for adaptively controlling transmission rate between first and second terminals. The system comprising a controller and a transmit unit. The controller comprising a computing unit, a storage unit and a memory unit. The transmit unit is to transmit signals over a communication link from the first terminal to the second terminal and the computing unit is adapted to receive indication of a signal-to-noise-ratio (SNR) of transmission in the communication link and to execute program stored in the memory unit to change the transmission rate of the transmit unit in response to changes in the SNR.

Abstract: A mobile terminal, operational both to receive and transmit, may comprise a mobile antenna and an antenna controller that may be configured to control the mobile antenna at least for keeping it pointed towards the satellite, e.g. as the mobile terminal and/or the satellite move. Disclosed is a method that may be used by the antenna controller for optimizing the pointing of the mobile antenna, the method may be based on assessing both the reception quality and the transmission quality. This method may be used for overcoming degradation, mainly to transmission quality, that may result from squints between an optimal reception direction and an optimal transmission direction associated with the mobile antenna.

Abstract: An example method includes estimating whether a collision occurred between a plurality of wide band response signals, the wide band response signals being responsive to a first interrogation signal transmitted by a first reader; when the collision is estimated to have occurred and the first reader received a first response from a particular tag, transmitting, by the first reader, a second interrogation signal, the second interrogation signal initiating a communication session between the reader and the particular tag; and transmitting, by the first reader, an acknowledgement packet to cause the tag to refrain from responding to a command during the communication session; and a second reader to refrain from interrogating the particular tag during the communication session.

Abstract: A mobile terminal, operational both to receive and transmit, may comprise a mobile antenna and an antenna controller that may be configured to control the mobile antenna at least for keeping it pointed towards the satellite, e.g. as the mobile terminal and/or the satellite move. Disclosed is a method that may be used by the antenna controller for optimizing the pointing of the mobile antenna, the method may be based on assessing both the reception quality and the transmission quality. This method may be used for overcoming degradation, mainly to transmission quality, that may result from squints between an optimal reception direction and an optimal transmission direction associated with the mobile antenna.

Abstract: An example method includes estimating whether a collision occurred between a plurality of wide band response signals, the wide band response signals being responsive to a first interrogation signal transmitted by a first reader; when the collision is estimated to have occurred and the first reader received a first response from a particular tag, transmitting, by the first reader, a second interrogation signal, the second interrogation signal initiating a communication session between the reader and the particular tag; and transmitting, by the first reader, an acknowledgement packet to cause the tag to refrain from responding to a command during the communication session; and a second reader to refrain from interrogating the particular tag during the communication session.

Abstract: The Very Light Readers of the present invention are based on an augmented Tag circuit with a preferred embodiment including at least one VLSI chip integrating a UWB front end, digital transceiver, and possibly an internal controller; a UWB Antenna; a power supply; a controller configured to implement the Media Access Control protocol of the system; a Communication Interface subsystem for connection to the system network and a clock source. Also described is a system capable of reducing collision occurrence in a network for communicating between multiple readers and a plurality of RF Tags. Tags are configured to receive interrogation signals and transmit response signals. Readers are configured to transmit interrogation signals, receive response signals, estimate the quantity of responses received to an interrogation, determine the round trip delay time of each response and estimates whether a collision between responses has occurred. If so, the Reader transmits an additional interrogation signal.

Abstract: Satellite communication systems utilize spreading by repetition techniques, including block repetition, to enable operation at low signal to noise conditions. A carrier frequency offset between a transmitter and a receiver results in phase offsets between repetitions. Thus, combining the repetitions requires estimation of the phase offset between the repetitions before coherent de-spreading can be performed. Disclosed herein are methods for estimating a phase offset between successive block repetitions. The methods may utilize more than two repetitions for determining a common phase offset between any two successive repetitions. In some embodiments, these methods may allow summation of repetitions with better coherency and/or with a lower de-spreading loss.

Abstract: Methods are presented herein for estimating at least a frequency (offset) for a block of received symbols using two or more estimation stages. These methods may allow reducing the computational complexity of a frequency estimator while maintaining large frequency offset coverage and high frequency estimation accuracy. Also presented herein are satellite communication systems employing a burst transmission or continuous transmission, and configured to estimate at least a frequency (offset) for a received burst or a block of received symbols using two or more estimation stages. In some embodiments, a received burst or a received block of symbols may include a Unique Word located at or about the center of the received burst or the block of symbols.

Abstract: A system and method for packing data over User Packets and packing the User Packets over DVB-S2 Frames, using the DVB-S2-ACM satellite transmission standard.

Abstract: Satellite communication systems utilize spreading by repetition techniques, including block repetition, to enable operation at low signal to noise conditions. A carrier frequency offset between a transmitter and a receiver results in phase offsets between repetitions. Thus, combining the repetitions requires estimation of the phase offset between the repetitions before coherent de-spreading can be performed. Disclosed herein are methods for estimating a phase offset between successive block repetitions. The methods may utilize more than two repetitions for determining a common phase offset between any two successive repetitions. In some embodiments, these methods may allow summation of repetitions with better coherency and/or with a lower de-spreading loss.

Abstract: Modern digital signals include framing. A known sequence of transmission symbols (Unique Word (UW)) included in the transmitted signal may be used by a receiver for framing synchronization. A receiver configured to receive such a signal may be configured to detect the UW even when the signal is received with some frequency uncertainty (e.g. offset or error). A method is presented for fast acquisition of symbol and/or frame timing of a signal, including in the presence of frequency uncertainty. In some embodiments, the presented method may be used for determining a frequency offset of the received signal and a location of a unique word (UW) within a frame of the received signal, wherein said determining is based on a two-dimensional search map.

Abstract: Methods are presented herein for estimating at least a frequency (offset) for a block of received symbols using two or more estimation stages. These methods may allow reducing the computational complexity of a frequency estimator while maintaining large frequency offset coverage and high frequency estimation accuracy. Also are presented satellite communication systems employing any of burst transmission and continuous transmission. Said systems may be configured to estimate at least a frequency (offset) for any of a received burst or a block of received symbols using two or more estimation stages. In some embodiments, said burst or said block of symbols may include a Unique Word located at or about the center of the block of symbols.

Abstract: This invention presents methods for transmitting and receiving data via a satellite and satellite communication systems thereof. A transmitted signal may include a stream of transmission blocks, whereas each transmission block may differ from a previous transmission block by any of a spreading characteristic, an error correction code-rate characteristic and a modulation characteristic. In addition, any of the spreading, error correction code-rate and modulation characteristics may be changed in accordance with momentary reception conditions at a receiving station.

Abstract: This invention presents methods for transmitting and receiving data via a satellite and satellite communication systems thereof. A transmitted signal may include a stream of transmission blocks, whereas each transmission block may differ from a previous transmission block by any of a spreading characteristic, an error correction code-rate characteristic and a modulation characteristic. In addition, any of the spreading, error correction code-rate and modulation characteristics may be changed in accordance with momentary reception conditions at a receiving station.