US 12,113,605 B2
Determining an attenuation environment of a satellite communication terminal
Ramanamurthy V. Darapu, Gilbert, AZ (US); and Ian A. Cleary, Tempe, AZ (US)
Assigned to Viasat, Inc., Carlsbad, CA (US)
Filed by Viasat Inc., Carlsbad, CA (US)
Filed on Feb. 24, 2020, as Appl. No. 16/798,785.
Application 16/798,785 is a continuation of application No. 16/433,711, filed on Jun. 6, 2019, granted, now 10,594,386.
Application 16/433,711 is a continuation of application No. 15/004,675, filed on Jan. 22, 2016, granted, now 10,361,771, issued on Jul. 23, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2020/0195340 A1, Jun. 18, 2020
Int. Cl. H04B 7/185 (2006.01); G01S 19/21 (2010.01); G01S 19/22 (2010.01); G01S 19/28 (2010.01); G01S 19/48 (2010.01); H04B 17/318 (2015.01); H04W 4/02 (2018.01); H04W 4/029 (2018.01); H04W 8/20 (2009.01)
CPC H04B 7/18513 (2013.01) [G01S 19/22 (2013.01); G01S 19/28 (2013.01); G01S 19/21 (2013.01); H04B 17/318 (2015.01); H04W 4/02 (2013.01); H04W 4/029 (2018.02); H04W 8/20 (2013.01)] 38 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for communications at a satellite terminal, the method comprising:
receiving, at the satellite terminal, signals transmitted from one or more first satellites as the one or more first satellites traverse respective orbital paths across the sky relative to the satellite terminal;
determining a mapping of an attenuation environment surrounding the satellite terminal based at least in part on mapping one or more radio frequency (RF) signal characteristics associated with the signals received from the one or more first satellites with respective positions of the one or more first satellites along their respective orbital paths when transmitting the signals and on applying spatial filtering for interpolating the one or more RF signal characteristics between the respective positions, wherein the mapping of the attenuation environment indicates one or more obstructions between the satellite terminal and the one or more first satellites across two spatial dimensions; and
installing an antenna of the satellite terminal with a boresight alignment aligned with a second satellite based at least in part on the mapping of the attenuation environment surrounding the satellite terminal, wherein the second satellite is not of the one or more first satellites, and wherein the antenna of the satellite terminal comprises an array of antenna elements operable for electronically configuring a direction of transmission or reception that is based at least in part on the boresight alignment.