	US 11,777,215 B2
	System and method for a digitally beamformed phased array feed
Michael Thomas Pace, Albuquerque, NM (US); David Gregory Baur, Sandia Park, NM (US); Theodore Lyman Schuler-Sandy, Albuquerque, NM (US); William Kennedy, Quincy, MA (US); Jeffrey Gerard Micono, Albuquerque, NM (US); William Louis Walker, Albuquerque, NM (US); and Garrett James Newell, Albuquerque, NM (US)
Assigned to BlueHalo, LLC, Huntsville, AL (US)
Filed by BlueHalo, LLC, Huntsville, AL (US)
Filed on Mar. 9, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/690,841.
Application 17/690,841 is a continuation of application No. 17/679,817, filed on Feb. 24, 2022.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/262,124, filed on Oct. 5, 2021.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/188,959, filed on May 14, 2021.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/200,260, filed on Feb. 24, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2022/0268870 A1, Aug. 25, 2022
Int. Cl. H01Q 5/48 (2015.01); H01Q 1/02 (2006.01); H04B 7/08 (2006.01); H01Q 3/34 (2006.01); G01S 3/04 (2006.01); G01S 3/38 (2006.01); G01S 3/42 (2006.01); H01Q 3/22 (2006.01); H01Q 3/38 (2006.01); H01Q 21/06 (2006.01); H01Q 19/13 (2006.01); H04B 7/0408 (2017.01); H04B 17/23 (2015.01); G01S 3/40 (2006.01); H01Q 3/08 (2006.01); H01Q 3/20 (2006.01); H01Q 3/26 (2006.01); H01Q 5/28 (2015.01); H01Q 15/16 (2006.01); H01Q 19/10 (2006.01); H01Q 21/00 (2006.01); H04B 7/06 (2006.01)

CPC H01Q 5/48 (2015.01) [G01S 3/043 (2013.01); G01S 3/046 (2013.01); G01S 3/38 (2013.01); G01S 3/40 (2013.01); G01S 3/42 (2013.01); H01Q 1/02 (2013.01); H01Q 3/08 (2013.01); H01Q 3/20 (2013.01); H01Q 3/22 (2013.01); H01Q 3/2682 (2013.01); H01Q 3/34 (2013.01); H01Q 3/38 (2013.01); H01Q 5/28 (2015.01); H01Q 15/16 (2013.01); H01Q 19/108 (2013.01); H01Q 19/13 (2013.01); H01Q 21/0068 (2013.01); H01Q 21/062 (2013.01); H04B 7/0408 (2013.01); H04B 7/0639 (2013.01); H04B 7/0695 (2013.01); H04B 7/086 (2013.01); H04B 7/0865 (2013.01); H04B 17/23 (2015.01)]

23 Claims

1. A method comprising:

(a) generating, by a digital software system, a graphical display during a first time period by the steps of:

i. receiving, by the digital software system via a pedestal controller operatively connected to a first parabolic reflector, first angular direction information comprising a first azimuth axis component and a first elevation axis component associated with the first parabolic reflector;

ii. receiving, by the digital software system via a data transport bus, a first set of respective first digital data streams associated with a first plurality of partial beams,

wherein each respective partial beam of the first plurality of partial beams is associated with a respective first digital data stream and data in the respective first digital data stream is associated with a first plurality of respective modulated radio frequency signals received by a plurality of antenna array elements;

iii. processing, by the digital software system, the first set of respective first digital data streams associated with the first plurality of partial beams to generate a second set of respective second digital data streams associated with the first plurality of beams, wherein each beam of the first plurality of beams is based on at least two respective first digital data streams;

iv. processing, by the digital software system, the second set of respective second digital data streams associated with the first plurality of beams to determine respective location information for each object of a first set of objects associated with the first plurality of beams including at least a first object and a second object;

v. generating, by the digital software system, the graphical display which displays:

(1) the first plurality of beams;

(2) the first set of objects including at least the first object and the second object;

(3) a first azimuth axis based on the first azimuth axis component; and

(4) a first elevation axis based on the first elevation axis component; and

vi. displaying, by the digital software system, at least a portion of the graphical display on a display operably connected to the digital software system;

(b) assigning, by the digital software system, priority information to the first object and the second object by the steps of:

i. selecting the first object displayed by the graphical display;

ii. assigning first priority information to the first object;

iii. assigning a first beam of the first plurality of beams to the first object;

iv. selecting the second object displayed by the graphical display;

v. assigning second priority information to the second object; and

vi. assigning a second beam of the first plurality of beams to the second object;

(c) providing, by the digital software system, respective direction information associated with the first beam, the second beam and the first parabolic reflector by the steps of:

i. generating, by the digital software system, a respective first weighting factor associated with the first beam as part of a first array of weighting factors associated with the first plurality of beams based on:

(1) the respective location information associated with the first object;

(2) the first azimuth axis; and

(3) the first elevation axis;

ii. generating, by the digital software system, a respective second weighting factor associated with the second beam as part of the first array of weighting factors associated with the first plurality of beams based on:

(1) the respective location information associated with the second object;

(2) the first azimuth axis; and

(3) the first elevation axis;

iii. generating, by the digital software system, second angular direction information comprising a second azimuth axis component and a second elevation axis component associated with the first parabolic reflector based on:

(1) the first beam;

(2) the second beam;

(3) the respective location information associated with the first object;

(4) the respective location information associated with the second object;

(5) the first priority information;

(6) the second priority information;

(7) the first azimuth axis; and

(8) the first elevation axis;

iv. transmitting, from the digital software via a system controller to a first respective digital beamformer of a plurality of digital beamformers operatively connected to the plurality of antenna array elements and the system controller, the respective first weighting factor associated with the first beam;

v. transmitting, from the digital software via the system controller to a second respective digital beamformer of the plurality of digital beamformers operatively connected to the plurality of antenna array elements and the system controller, the respective second weighting factor associated with the second beam; and

vi. transmitting, by the digital software system via the pedestal controller to the first parabolic reflector, the second angular direction information;

(d) updating, by the digital software system, the graphical display during a second time period by the steps of:

i. receiving, by the digital software system via the pedestal controller, third angular direction information comprising a third azimuth axis component and a third elevation axis component associated with the first parabolic reflector;

ii. receiving, by the digital software system via the data transport bus, a third set of respective third digital data streams associated with the first plurality of partial beams,

wherein each respective partial beam of the first plurality of partial beams is associated with a respective third digital data stream and data in the respective third digital data stream is associated with a second plurality of respective modulated radio frequency signals received by the plurality of antenna array elements;

iii. processing, by the digital software system, the third set of respective third digital data streams associated with the first plurality of partial beams to generate a fourth set of respective fourth digital data streams associated with the first plurality of beams, wherein each beam of the first plurality of beams is based on at least two respective fourth digital data streams;

iv. processing, by the digital software system, the fourth set of respective fourth digital data streams associated with the first plurality of beams to generate first object movement information associated with the first object and second object movement information associated with the second object,

wherein the first object movement information comprises a first object angular velocity and a first object angular direction, and wherein the first object angular direction comprises a first object elevation angle component and a first object azimuth angle component, and

wherein the second object movement information comprises a second object angular velocity and a second object angular direction, and wherein the second object angular direction comprises a second object elevation angle component and a second object azimuth angle component; and

v. updating, by the digital software system, the graphical display to display:

(1) the first plurality of beams;

(2) the first set of objects including the first object and the second object based at least on the first object movement information and the second object movement information;

(3) a second azimuth axis based on the third azimuth axis component; and

(4) a second elevation axis based on the third elevation axis component;

(e) determining, by the digital software system, whether to unassign the first beam from the first object or the second beam from the second object by the steps of:

i. determining, by the digital software system, whether one of the first object and the second object has exceeded a first maximum distance from the second elevation axis and the second azimuth axis based on:

(1) the respective location information associated with the first object;

(2) the respective location information associated with the second object;

(3) the first object movement information;

(4) the second object movement information;

(5) the second azimuth axis; and

(6) the second elevation axis; and

(f) in the case where one of the first object and the second object has not exceeded the first maximum distance, providing, by the digital software system, respective updated direction information associated with the first beam, the second beam and the first parabolic reflector by the steps of:

i. generating, by the digital software system, fourth angular direction information comprising a fourth azimuth axis component and a fourth elevation axis component associated with the first parabolic reflector by the steps of:

a. determining, by the digital software system, a first angular direction trajectory associated with the respective angular direction of the first parabolic reflector based on:

i. the respective location information associated with the first object;

ii. the respective location information associated with the second object;

iii. the first priority information;

iv. the second priority information;

v. the first object movement information;

vi. the second object movement information;

vii. the third angular direction information;

viii. the second azimuth axis;

ix. the second elevation axis;

b. determining, by the digital software system, whether the first parabolic reflector is projected to exceed a maximum elevation angle based on the first angular direction trajectory;

c. in the case where the first parabolic reflector is not projected to exceed the maximum elevation angle, generating, by the digital software system, the fourth angular direction information based on:

1. the first beam;

2. the second beam; and

3. the first angular direction trajectory;

d. in the case where the first parabolic reflector is projected to exceed the maximum elevation angle, determining, by the digital software system, whether the second elevation axis has exceeded a first threshold elevation angle;

e. in the case where the second elevation has not exceeded the first threshold elevation angle, generating, by the digital software system, the fourth angular direction information based on:

1. the first beam;

2. the second beam; and

3. the first angular direction trajectory;

f. in the case where the second elevation axis has exceeded the first threshold elevation angle, calculating, by the digital software system, a first tangent trajectory associated with the respective angular direction of the first parabolic reflector based on the first angular direction trajectory, wherein the first tangent trajectory comprises a first azimuth trajectory component and a first elevation trajectory component; and

g. generating, by the digital software system, the fourth angular direction information based on:

1. the first beam;

2. the second beam; and

3. the first tangent trajectory;

ii. generating, by the digital software system, a respective third weighting factor associated with the first beam as part of a second array of weighting factors associated with the first plurality of beams based on:

(1) the first angular direction trajectory;

(2) the fourth angular direction information;

(3) the first object movement information;

(4) the second azimuth axis; and

(5) the second elevation axis;

iii. generating, by the digital software system, a respective fourth weighting factor associated with the second beam as part of the second array of weighting factors associated with the first plurality of beams based on:

(1) the first angular direction trajectory;

(2) the fourth angular direction information;

(3) the second object movement information;

(4) the second azimuth axis; and

(5) the second elevation axis;

iv. transmitting, by the digital software system via the pedestal controller to the first parabolic reflector, the fourth angular direction information,

wherein the pedestal controller adjusts the respective angular direction associated with the first parabolic reflector based on the fourth angular direction information;

v. transmitting, from the digital software system via the system controller to the first respective digital beamformer of the plurality of digital beamformers, the respective third weighting factor; and

vi. transmitting, from the digital software system via the system controller to the second respective digital beamformer of the plurality of digital beamformers, the respective fourth weighting factor.