INTERFERENCE SUPPRESSION IN A SATELLITE COMMUNICATION SYSTEM USING ONBOARD BEAMFORMING AND GROUND-BASED PROCESSING

摘要

A satellite is configured to communicate with a ground base station to providecoverage for communication in a first geographic region, and suppress from thecommunication, interference from a second geographic region. The satelliteincludes anonboard beamformer (OBBF), feed array and feeder-link antenna. The OBBF isconfigured to produce first and second spot beams for respective ones of thefirst andsecond geographic regions. The feed array is configured to receive first andsecondsignals in respective ones of the first and second spot beams for respectivegeographicregions. At least portions of the first and second signals carry respectiveones of thecommunication and the interference. The feeder-link antenna, then, isconfigured totransmit the first signals and second signals to the ground base station thatis configuredto suppress any of the interference from at least the portion of the firstsignals carryingthe communication.