Automatic detection of motion profiles

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12306311-B2
Application number	US-202217707046-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 29, 2022
Priority date	Mar 31, 2021
Publication date	May 20, 2025
Grant date	May 20, 2025

Abstract

Methods and apparatuses for controlling a satellite antenna based on its motion are disclosed. In some embodiments, the method comprises determining a motion state of an antenna for communication with a satellite, determining a motion profile for the antenna based on the motion state, and controlling the antenna based on the motion profile.

First claim

We claim:

1. A method comprising:
determining a motion state of an antenna for communication with a satellite;
determining a motion profile for the antenna based on the motion state; and
controlling the antenna based on the motion profile, wherein controlling the antenna comprises
determining whether the motion state of the antenna indicates that the antenna is stationary,
applying a first set of parameters upon determining that the motion state of the antenna indicates that the antenna is stationary,
determining whether the motion state of the antenna indicates that the antenna is moving, and
applying a second set of parameters upon determining that the motion state of the antenna indicates that the antenna is moving, wherein the first set of parameters cause the antenna to determine orientation of the antenna using tilt indications from one or more accelerometers and the second set of parameters cause the antenna to determine orientation of the antenna without using the tilt indications from the one or more accelerometers.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein determining the motion state of the antenna comprises determining whether the antenna is stationary or moving based on one or more sensors on the antenna.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the one or more sensors comprises a gyroscope, an accelerometer, and a global position system (GPS) sensor, and wherein determining whether the antenna is stationary or moving is based on data from the gyroscope, the accelerometer, and the GPS sensor, or data derived therefrom.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein determining whether the antenna is stationary or moving comprises:
obtaining, by a satellite user terminal, first and second readings from the gyroscope and the accelerometer, respectively, and a GPS report of a speed from the GPS sensor;
deriving, by the satellite user terminal, first, second and third values from the first and second readings and the speed;
comparing, by the satellite user terminal, the first, second and third values to first, second and third thresholds, respectively; and
determining that the antenna is in motion based on results of comparing the first, second and third values to first, second and third thresholds, respectively.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein deriving first, second and third values from the first and second readings and the speed comprises at least two of:
setting the first value to a maximum value from a set of absolute values of gyroscope components of the first reading;
setting the second value to a norm of x, y and z accelerometer components of the second reading and calculating a rolling average of a predetermined period of time of a standard deviation of the second reading; and
setting the third value to the speed for a current frame or a last-reported GPS speed if no GPS report exists for the current frame.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein determining that the antenna is in motion comprises determining any one of the first, second and third values is greater than its corresponding first, second and third thresholds, respectively.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the first and second sets of parameters includes parameters affecting cross polarization performance, and wherein applying the first set of parameters improves cross polarization performance over cross polarization performance resulting from application of the second set of parameters.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the second set of parameters cause the antenna to determine antenna orientation using sensor data other than accelerometers data to determine the orientation of the antenna.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the first set of parameters cause the antenna to perform bias estimation of the gyroscope and measure a gravity vector of the one or more accelerometers and the second set of parameters do not cause the antenna to perform gyroscope bias estimation and measure a gravity vector of the one or more accelerometers.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the first set of parameters cause the antenna to perform a first pointing and tracking algorithm and the second set of parameters cause the antenna to perform a second pointing and tracking algorithm, the first and second pointing and tracking algorithms being different.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the second pointing and tracking algorithm uses a more expanded search space when the antenna is moving and searching for a satellite signal than the first pointing and tracking algorithm used when the antenna is stationary.

12. A satellite network terminal antenna comprising:
an antenna aperture having a plurality of antenna elements;
a plurality of sensors;
an antenna controller coupled to the plurality of sensors and the antenna aperture, the antenna controller having one or more processors operable to:
determine whether the antenna is stationary or moving based on the plurality sensors on the antenna;
determine a motion profile for the antenna based on a motion state; and
control the antenna based on the motion profile, wherein the one or more processors control the antenna by
determining whether the motion state of the antenna indicates that the antenna is stationary,
applying a first set of parameters upon determining that the motion state of the antenna indicates that the antenna is stationary,

determining whether the motion state of the antenna indicates that the antenna is moving, and
applying a second set of parameters upon determining that the motion state of the antenna indicates that the antenna is moving,
wherein the first set of parameters cause the antenna to determine orientation of the antenna using tilt indications from one or more accelerometers and the second set of parameters cause the antenna to determine orientation of the antenna without using the tilt indications from the one or more accelerometers.

13. The satellite network terminal antenna of claim 12 wherein the one or more sensors comprises a gyroscope, an accelerometer, and a global position system (GPS) sensor, and wherein the one or more processors determine whether the antenna is stationary or moving based on data from the gyroscope, the accelerometer, and the GPS sensor, or data derived therefrom.

14. The satellite network terminal antenna of claim 13 wherein the one or more processors determine whether the antenna is stationary or moving by:
obtaining first and second readings from the gyroscope and the accelerometer, respectively, and a GPS report of a speed from the GPS sensor;
deriving first, second and third values from the first and second readings and the speed;
comparing the first, second and third values to first, second and third thresholds, respectively; and
determining that the antenna is in motion if results of comparing the first, second and third values to first, second and third thresholds, respectively, indicates any one of the first, second and third values is greater than its corresponding first, second and third thresholds, respectively.

15. The satellite network terminal antenna of claim 14 wherein deriving first, second and third values from the first and second readings and the speed comprises two or more of:
setting the first value to a maximum value from a set of absolute values of gyroscope components of the first reading;
setting the second value to a norm of x, y and z accelerometer components of the second reading and calculating a rolling average of a predetermined period of time of a standard deviation of the second reading; and
setting the third value to the speed for a current frame or a last-reported GPS speed if no GPS report exists for the cu

Assignees

• Kymeta Corp

Inventors

• Kumar Piyush
• Rothaar Bruce
• Kreeger Michael
• Wanka Andreas

Classifications

• H01Q1/288

  Satellite antennas · CPC title

• H01Q21/064

  using horn or slot aerials (slotted waveguides arrays H01Q21/005) · CPC title

• G01S19/02 Primary

  Details of the space or ground control segments · CPC title

• H01Q3/26 Primary

  varying the relative phase or relative amplitude of energisation between two or more active radiating elements; varying the distribution of energy across a radiating aperture ({H01Q3/12,} H01Q3/22, H01Q3/24 take precedence) · CPC title