公开(公告)号：US20240349270A1

公开(公告)日：2024-10-17

申请号：US18430384

申请日：2024-02-01

Applicant: Space Exploration Technologies Corp.

Inventor： Peter J. Worters ,  Martin S. McCormick ,  Andrew G. Whitlow

IPC: H04W72/121 ,  H04B7/185 ,  H04L5/16 ,  H04W56/00 ,  H04W72/1273

CPC classification number: H04W72/121 ,  H04B7/18513 ,  H04L5/16 ,  H04W56/0045 ,  H04W56/0055 ,  H04W72/1273

Abstract: Systems, methods, and non-transitory media are provided for timing transmissions in a wireless communication system. An example method can include determining, at a satellite, a maximum round-trip propagation delay associated with one or more user terminals of a plurality of user terminals, determining, based on the maximum round-trip propagation delay, a respective downlink to uplink (DL/UL) offset for each user terminal, wherein the DL/UL offset comprises a time difference between a first downlink frame at the satellite and a first corresponding uplink frame at the satellite, transmitting a first downlink frame, receiving a first uplink frame from a first user terminal associated with the maximum round-trip propagation delay during the first corresponding uplink frame at the satellite, and receiving a second uplink frame from a second user terminal associated with a round-trip propagation delay less than the maximum round-trip propagation delay during the first corresponding uplink frame at the satellite.

公开(公告)号：US20240214061A1

公开(公告)日：2024-06-27

申请号：US18599760

申请日：2024-03-08

Applicant: Space Exploration Technologies Corp.

Inventor： Thomas Laurance Robinson ,  Calder Christiansen Foster Coalson ,  Jared Michael Greene ,  Steven Douglas Gregory ,  Elliott MacDonald Schwartz ,  Aidan Bauer

IPC: H04B7/185

CPC classification number: H04B7/18513 ,  H04B7/18517 ,  H04B7/18558

Abstract: In one embodiment of the present disclosure, a device for detecting a zone of communication between a user terminal and a satellite constellation including a plurality of satellites in non-geosynchronous (non-GEO) orbit includes one or more processors and memory. The memory stores instructions that, as a result of being executed by the one or more processors, cause the device to: determine a location of the device, wherein the location corresponds to a field of regard for detecting the zone of communication, and wherein the field of regard corresponds to an antenna aperture of the phased array antenna; evaluate a level of communication between the phased array antenna and the satellite constellation associated with the field of regard; and output, to a user of the device, an indication of the level of communication between the phased array antenna and the satellite constellation associated with the field of regard.

公开(公告)号：US20240199240A1

公开(公告)日：2024-06-20

申请号：US18415398

申请日：2024-01-17

Applicant: Space Exploration Technologies Corp.

Inventor： Andrew C. Thompson ,  Patrick Sodt ,  Thomas Tarlton ,  Robert S. Tarlton ,  Solomon Westerman ,  Michael Dergance

IPC: B64G1/64 ,  B64G1/22 ,  B64G1/24 ,  B64G1/40

CPC classification number: B64G1/645 ,  B64G1/2427 ,  B64G1/641 ,  B64G1/223 ,  B64G1/226 ,  B64G1/40 ,  B64G1/643

Abstract: A method of deploying a plurality of spacecraft includes coupling the plurality of spacecraft in a stack to a payload adaptor, the stack extending along a longitudinal axis; launching the payload adaptor into an orbit; and decoupling an entirety of the stack from the payload adaptor after the payload adaptor reaches the orbit.

公开(公告)号：US20240187089A1

公开(公告)日：2024-06-06

申请号：US18437044

申请日：2024-02-08

Applicant: Space Exploration Technologies Corp.

Inventor： Duncan E. Adams ,  David Milroy ,  Jonathan François Cornelis Herman ,  Jessica D. Johnson

IPC: H04B7/185

CPC classification number: H04B7/18519 ,  H04B7/18517 ,  H04B7/18536 ,  H04B7/18547 ,  H04B7/18571 ,  H04B7/18573

Abstract: In one embodiment of the present disclosure, a satellite communication system includes a satellite constellation including a plurality of satellites in non-geosynchronous orbit (non-GEO), wherein at least some of the plurality of satellites travel in a first orbital path at a first inclination, and an end point terminal having an earth-based geographic location, the end point terminal having an antenna system defining a field of regard for communicating with the satellite constellation, wherein the field of regard is a limited field of regard, wherein the field of regard is tilted from a non-tilted position to a tilted position, and wherein the tilt angle of the tilted position is a function of the latitude of the geographic location.

公开(公告)号：US11985611B1

公开(公告)日：2024-05-14

申请号：US17339890

申请日：2021-06-04

Applicant: Space Exploration Technologies Corp.

Inventor： Peter J. Worters ,  Martin S. McCormick ,  Matthew J. Monson

IPC: H04W56/00 ,  H04L5/00 ,  H04W4/02 ,  H04W84/06

CPC classification number: H04W56/0005 ,  H04W56/0045 ,  H04W56/0055 ,  H04W56/006 ,  H04W84/06 ,  H04L5/0007 ,  H04W4/027

Abstract: Systems, methods, and non-transitory media are provided for synchronization of multi-user uplink transmissions. An example method can include receiving, by a user terminal, a downlink radio frame transmitted by a satellite; determining, by the user terminal, a downlink propagation delay associated with the downlink radio frame and an uplink propagation delay associated with an uplink radio frame from the user terminal to the satellite; based on the downlink propagation delay and the uplink propagation delay, determining, by the user terminal, an uplink transmission delay indicating an amount of time to delay a transmission of the uplink radio frame to the satellite so the uplink radio frame is received at the satellite at a same target time as one or more additional uplink radio frames from one or more additional user terminals; and transmitting, by the user terminal, the uplink radio frame at a time corresponding to the uplink transmission delay.

公开(公告)号：US20240120660A1

公开(公告)日：2024-04-11

申请号：US18382413

申请日：2023-10-20

Applicant: Space Exploration Technologies Corp.

Inventor： Alireza Mahanfar ,  Souren Shamsinejad ,  Shaya Karimkashi Arani ,  Siamak Ebadi ,  Ersin Yetisir ,  Peter Sung Tri Hoang ,  Javier Rodriguez De Luis ,  Nil Apaydin

IPC: H01Q21/00 ,  H01Q1/24 ,  H01Q3/26 ,  H05K1/18

CPC classification number: H01Q21/0025 ,  H01Q1/24 ,  H01Q3/26 ,  H05K1/181

Abstract: In some embodiments, an antenna module includes an antenna element having a first side and a second side opposite the first side, the first side comprising a radiating side of the antenna element and a support structure disposed at the second side of the antenna element and configured to define a cavity, the support structure including a portion configured to reduce signal leakage between the antenna element and the cavity.

公开(公告)号：US20240079774A1

公开(公告)日：2024-03-07

申请号：US18505622

申请日：2023-11-09

Applicant: Space Exploration Technologies Corp.

Inventor： Masoud Kahrizi ,  Alex Ahmad Mirzaei ,  Ali Sajjadi ,  Bagher Afshar ,  Babak Vakili-Amini ,  Alireza Mehrnia ,  Behzad Nourani ,  Bernd Pregardier

IPC: H01Q3/36 ,  H01Q3/26 ,  H04B3/52 ,  H04B3/54 ,  H04B7/06

CPC classification number: H01Q3/36 ,  H01Q3/267 ,  H04B3/52 ,  H04B3/54 ,  H04B7/0617

Abstract: In an embodiment, an apparatus includes a first digital beamformer (DBF) associated with a first subset of antennas of a phased array antenna, the first DBF including a transmit section associated with transmission of a first signal at a first frequency in a transmit mode and a receive section associated with receiving of a second signal at a second frequency in a receive mode, the second frequency being different from the first frequency. The apparatus includes a second DBF associated with a second subset of antennas of the phased array antenna. The first and second DBFs are configured to receive a local oscillator signal having the first frequency from a common local oscillator in the transmit mode and receive the local oscillator signal having the second frequency from the common local oscillator in the receive mode.

公开(公告)号：US20240072435A1

公开(公告)日：2024-02-29

申请号：US18242994

申请日：2023-09-06

Applicant: Space Exploration Technologies Corp.

Inventor： Ersin Yetisir

IPC: H01Q3/26 ,  H01Q1/48 ,  H01Q9/04 ,  H01Q21/06 ,  H04B17/12

CPC classification number: H01Q3/267 ,  H01Q1/48 ,  H01Q9/0414 ,  H01Q9/045 ,  H01Q21/065 ,  H04B17/12

Abstract: An antenna calibration system for a phased array antenna in accordance with one embodiment of the present disclosure generally includes: a beamformer corresponding to a subset of antenna cells of a plurality of antenna cells, wherein the beamformer includes a calibration section for comparing a reference signal to a non-reference signal and a first operating antenna within the subset of antenna cells corresponding with the beamformer. In some implementations, the first operating antenna is configured to deliver a first reference signal (mTx) from the beamformer to be received by a second operating antenna for comparison with a first non-reference signal (Rx) in the beamformer, and/or the first operating antenna is configured to deliver a second non-reference signal (Tx) from a third operating antenna for comparison with a second reference signal (mRx) in the beamformer.

公开(公告)号：US11878820B1

公开(公告)日：2024-01-23

申请号：US16870974

申请日：2020-05-10

Applicant: Space Exploration Technologies Corp.

Inventor： Andrew C. Thompson ,  Patrick Sodt ,  Thomas Tarlton ,  Robert S. Tarlton ,  Solomon Westerman ,  Michael Dergance

IPC: B64G1/64 ,  B64G1/24 ,  B64G1/40 ,  B64G1/22

CPC classification number: B64G1/645 ,  B64G1/2427 ,  B64G1/641 ,  B64G1/223 ,  B64G1/226 ,  B64G1/40 ,  B64G1/643

Abstract: A method of releasing spacecraft from a rocket includes arranging spacecraft in a stack on a rocket, launching the rocket until it attains orbital velocity, imposing a flat spin on the rocket, and releasing the entire stack from the rocket during the flat spin. In one aspect, the method includes applying a compressive load along a length of the stack, launching the rocket until it attains orbital velocity, imposing a flat spin on the rocket, and releasing the compressive load to allow the entire stack to separate from the rocket during the flat spin.

公开(公告)号：US11862837B2

公开(公告)日：2024-01-02

申请号：US17245515

申请日：2021-04-30

Applicant: Space Exploration Technologies Corp.

Inventor： Souren Shamsinejad ,  Javier Rodriguez De Luis ,  Nil Apaydin ,  Alireza Mahanfar

IPC: H01P5/19

CPC classification number: H01P5/19

Abstract: In some embodiments, an apparatus includes a first layer having a first plurality of electrically conductive traces comprising a first portion of a plurality of hierarchical networks; a second layer having a second plurality of electrically conductive traces comprising a second portion of the plurality of hierarchical networks; and a plurality of vias electrically connecting the first plurality of electrically conductive traces of the first layer to the respective second plurality of electrically conductive traces of the second layer to define the plurality of hierarchical networks. The first plurality of electrically conductive traces is orientated in a first direction and the second plurality of electrically conductive traces is orientated in a second direction different from the first direction.