US 11,843,188 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. 17/690,870.
Application 17/690,870 is a continuation of application No. 17/679,817, filed on Feb. 24, 2022, granted, now 11,670,855.
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 2022/0278735 A1, Sep. 1, 2022
Int. Cl. H01Q 21/00 (2006.01); H04B 7/06 (2006.01); 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)
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)] 15 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method comprising: (a) updating, 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, and wherein a first beam is assigned to a first object and a second beam is assigned to a second object; iv. processing, by the digital software system, the second set of respective second digital data streams associated with the first plurality of beams to generate: (1) first location information associated with the first object; (2) second location information associated with the second object; (3) first object movement information associated with the first object; and (4) 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, 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 wherein the first object is associated with first priority information and the second object is associated with second priority information; and v. updating, by the digital software system, the graphical display to display: (1) the first plurality of beams; (2) the first object based at least on the first object movement information; (3) the second object based at least on the second object movement information; (4) a first azimuth axis based on the first azimuth axis component; and (5) a first elevation axis based on the first elevation axis component; (b) 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 first location information associated with the first object; (2) the second location information associated with the second object; (3) the first object movement information; (4) the second object movement information; (5) the first azimuth axis; and (6) the first elevation axis; ii. in the case where the one of the first object and the second object has exceeded the first maximum distance, determining, by the digital software system, whether the first object or the second object has higher priority based on the first priority information and the second priority information; iii. in the case where the first object has higher priority than the second object, unassigning, by the digital software system, the second beam of the first plurality of beams from the second object; and iv. in the case where the second object has higher priority than the first object, unassigning, by the digital software system, the first beam of the plurality of beams from the first object; (c) in the case where the second beam is unassigned from the second object, providing, by the digital software system, respective updated direction information associated with the first beam and the first parabolic reflector by the steps of: i. 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 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 first location information associated with the first object; ii. the first object movement information; iii. the first angular direction information; iv. the first azimuth axis; and v. the first 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 second angular direction information based on: i. the first beam; and ii. 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 first elevation axis has exceeded a first threshold elevation angle; e. in the case where the second elevation axis has not exceeded the first threshold elevation angle, generating, by the digital software system, the second angular direction information based on: i. the first beam; and ii. 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 second angular direction information based on: i. the first beam; and ii. the first tangent trajectory; ii. 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 first angular direction trajectory; (2) the second angular direction information; (3) the first object movement information; (4) the first azimuth axis, and (5) the first elevation axis; iii. transmitting, by the digital software system via the pedestal controller to the first parabolic reflector, the second angular direction information, wherein the pedestal controller adjusts the respective angular direction associated with the first parabolic reflector based on the second angular direction information; and 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; and (d) in the case where the first beam is unassigned from the first object, providing, by the digital software system, respective updated direction information associated with the second beam and the first parabolic reflector by the steps of: i. generating, by the digital software system, the second angular direction information comprising the second azimuth axis component and the second elevation axis component associated with the first parabolic reflector by the steps of: a. determining, by the digital software system, the first angular direction trajectory associated with the respective angular direction of the first parabolic reflector based on: i. the second location information associated with the second object; ii. the second object movement information; iii. the first angular direction information; iv. the first azimuth axis; and v. the first elevation axis; b. determining, by the digital software system, whether the first parabolic reflector is projected to exceed the 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 second angular direction information based on: i. the second beam; and ii. 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 first elevation axis has exceeded the first threshold elevation angle; e. in the case where the first elevation axis has not exceeded the first threshold elevation angle, generating, by the digital software system, the second angular direction information based on: i. the second beam; and ii. the first angular direction trajectory; f. in the case where the first elevation axis has exceeded the first threshold elevation angle, calculating, by the digital software system, the 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 the first azimuth trajectory component and the first elevation trajectory component; and g. generating, by the digital software system, the second angular direction information based on: i. the second beam; and ii. the first tangent trajectory; ii. generating, by the digital software system, a respective second 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 second angular direction information; (3) the second object movement information; (4) the first azimuth axis, and (5) the first elevation axis; iii. transmitting, by the digital software system via the pedestal controller to the first parabolic reflector, the second angular direction information, wherein the pedestal controller adjusts the respective angular direction associated with the first parabolic reflector based on the second angular direction information; and iv. 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.