Modulating satellite capacity

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12438603-B2
Application number	US-202018245745-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 23, 2020
Priority date	Sep 23, 2020
Publication date	Oct 7, 2025
Grant date	Oct 7, 2025

Abstract

Methods, systems, and devices for satellite operations are described. A system for satellite communications may include a payload, a power system, and a thermal management component. The payload may be configured to provide a service with varying levels of capacity based on a demand profile. The payload may consume electrical energy at a peak rate when a level of demand indicated by the demand profile is above a threshold and at a lower, off-peak rate when a level of demand indicated by the demand profile is below a threshold. The peak rate may exceed a rate at which electrical energy is generated by the power system. The thermal management component may process excess thermal energy generated by the payload when the payload operates at the peak rate. Processing the excess thermal energy may include storing thermal energy while the payload operates at the peak rate.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system for satellite communications, comprising:
a payload configured to utilize electrical energy at a first rate over a subinterval of an interval, the subinterval being associated with a level of demand for accessing the payload that exceeds a threshold, wherein thermal energy generated by the payload during the subinterval based at least in part on the electrical energy being utilized at the first rate exceeds a thermal processing capability of the payload;
a power system configured to generate electrical energy at a second rate over the interval and to supply electrical energy to the payload at the first rate over the subinterval, the first rate being larger than the second rate, wherein the power system comprises an energy storage component configured to supply at least a portion of the electrical energy supplied to the payload at the first rate over the subinterval; and
a thermal management component configured to process a first portion of the thermal energy generated at the payload during the subinterval, wherein the first portion of the thermal energy generated at the payload is in excess of the thermal processing capability of the payload, and wherein a second portion of the thermal energy generated at the payload during the subinterval is processed by the payload in accordance with the thermal processing capability of the payload,
wherein the thermal management component is further configured to:
store a first amount of the first portion of the thermal energy generated during the subinterval based at least in part on processing the first portion of the thermal energy generated at the payload during the subinterval, and
release, during a second subinterval of the interval, the first amount of the first portion of the thermal energy generated during the subinterval that was stored during the subinterval,

wherein the payload is configured to utilize electrical energy at a third rate over the second subinterval, the third rate being smaller than the second rate.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the energy storage component configured to:
store a first amount of electrical energy at a beginning of the subinterval; and
store a second amount of electrical energy that is less than the first amount of electrical energy at an end of the subinterval based at least in part on the first rate being greater than the second rate.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the subinterval corresponds to a period associated with the demand for accessing communication services provided by the payload that exceeds the threshold.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the thermal management component comprises:
a medium, wherein at least a portion of the medium is configured to transition from a first phase to a second phase during the subinterval based at least in part on absorbing the first amount of the first portion of the thermal energy generated during the subinterval.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein a temperature of the thermal management component is configured to remain within a range during a duration associated with the thermal management component transitioning from the first phase to the second phase.

6. The system of claim 4 , wherein:
second thermal energy is generated by the payload during the second subinterval based at least in part on the electrical energy being utilized at the third rate, the second thermal energy generated during the second subinterval being within the thermal processing capability of the payload; and
the power system is configured to supply electrical energy to the payload at the third rate during the second subinterval.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the first rate is based at least in part on second thermal energy released by the payload during the second subinterval.

8. The system of claim 6 , wherein the energy storage component of the power system is configured to:
store a first amount of electrical energy at an end of the subinterval; and
store a second amount of electrical energy that is greater than the first amount of electrical energy at an end of the second subinterval based at least in part on the third rate being smaller than the second rate.

9. The system of claim 6 , wherein the second subinterval corresponds to a period associated with the demand for accessing communication services provided by the payload that is below the threshold.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the power system comprises:
a solar array configured to generate the electrical energy at the second rate over the interval.

11. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
first transponders that are associated with a first polarization for communications; and
second transponders that are associated with a second, orthogonal polarization for communications, wherein:
the payload is configured to activate both the first transponders and the second transponders during the subinterval, and
the payload is configured to activate one of the first transponders or the second transponders during the second subinterval of the interval.

12. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
first transponders that are associated with first transmission beams that combine to serve a geographic area; and
second transponders that are associated with second transmission beams that combine to serve the geographic area, wherein:
the payload is configured to activate both the first transponders and the second transponders during the subinterval, and
the payload is configured to activate one of the first transponders or the second transponders during the second subinterval of the interval.

13. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a plurality of transponders, wherein:
a first set of signals from a first quantity of the plurality of transponders are combined during the subinterval to form first transmission beams that serve a geographic area, and
a second set of signals from a second quantity of the plurality of transponders are combined during the second subinterval of the interval to form second transmission beams that serve the geographic area, the first quantity being greater than the second quantity.

14. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
amplifiers that are configurable to draw either a first amount of power or a second amount of power that is less than the first amount of power, wherein:
the amplifiers are configured to draw the first amount of power during the subinterval, and
the amplifiers are configured to draw the second amount of power during the second subinterval of the interval.

15. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
first amplifiers; and
second amplifiers, wherein:
the payload is configured to activate both the first amplifiers and the second amplifiers during the subinterval, and
the payload is configured to activate one of the first amplifiers or the second amplifiers during the second subinterval of the interval.

16. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
first amplifiers configured to draw a first amount of power; and
second amplifiers configured to draw a second amount of power that is less than the first amount of power, wherein:
the payload is configured to activate the first amplifiers and deactivate the second amplifiers during the subinterval, and
the payload is configured to deactivate the first amplifiers and activate the second amplifiers during the second subinterval of the interval.

17. A method for satellite communications, comprising:
utilizing, by a payload, electrical energy at a first rate over a subinterval of an interval, the subinterval bei

Assignees

• Viasat Inc

Inventors

• Buer Kenneth V

Classifications

• B64G1/428

  Power distribution and management · CPC title

• H04B7/18597

  Arrangements for system physical machines management, i.e. for construction, operations control, administration, maintenance · CPC title

• H04B7/18519

  Operations control, administration or maintenance · CPC title

• B64G1/44

  using radiation, e.g. deployable solar arrays · CPC title

• B64G1/427

  Thermal power storage · CPC title