Improving the system capacity of broadband services using multiple high-altitude platforms

A method of significantly improving the capacity of high-altitude platform (HAP) communications networks operating in the millimeter-wave bands is presented. It is shown how constellations of HAPs can share a common frequency allocation by exploiting the directionality of the user antenna. The system capacity of such constellations is critically affected by the minimum angular separation of the HAPs and the sidelobe level of the user antenna. For typical antenna beamwidths of approximately 5/spl deg/ an inter-HAP spacing of 4 km is sufficient to deliver optimum performance. The aggregate bandwidth efficiency is evaluated, both theoretically using the Shannon equation, and using practical modulation and coding schemes, for multiple HAP configurations delivering either single or multiple cells. For the user antenna beamwidths used, it is shown that capacity increases are commensurate with the increase in the number of platforms, up to 10 HAPs. For increases beyond this the choice of constellation strategy becomes increasingly important

Survey of Inter-satellite Communication for Small Satellite Systems: Physical Layer to Network Layer View

Small satellite systems enable whole new class of missions for navigation, communications, remote sensing and scientific research for both civilian and military purposes. As individual spacecraft are limited by the size, mass and power constraints, mass-produced small satellites in large constellations or clusters could be useful in many science missions such as gravity mapping, tracking of forest fires, finding water resources, etc. Constellation of satellites provide improved spatial and temporal resolution of the target. Small satellite constellations contribute innovative applications by replacing a single asset with several very capable spacecraft which opens the door to new applications. With increasing levels of autonomy, there will be a need for remote communication networks to enable communication between spacecraft. These space based networks will need to configure and maintain dynamic routes, manage intermediate nodes, and reconfigure themselves to achieve mission objectives. Hence, inter-satellite communication is a key aspect when satellites fly in formation. In this paper, we present the various researches being conducted in the small satellite community for implementing inter-satellite communications based on the Open System Interconnection (OSI) model. This paper also reviews the various design parameters applicable to the first three layers of the OSI model, i.e., physical, data link and network layer. Based on the survey, we also present a comprehensive list of design parameters useful for achieving inter-satellite communications for multiple small satellite missions. Specific topics include proposed solutions for some of the challenges faced by small satellite systems, enabling operations using a network of small satellites, and some examples of small satellite missions involving formation flying aspects.Comment: 51 pages, 21 Figures, 11 Tables, accepted in IEEE Communications Surveys and Tutorial

Contributions to channel modelling and performance estimation of HAPS-based communication systems regarding IEEE Std 802.16TM

New and future telecommunication networks are and will be broadband type. The existing terrestrial and space radio communication infrastructures might be supplemented by new wireless networks that make and will make use of aeronautics-technology. Our study/contribution is referring to radio communications based on radio stations aboard a stratospheric platform named, by ITU-R, HAPS (High Altitude Platform Station). These new networks have been proposed as an alternative technology within the ITU framework to provide various narrow/broadband communication services. With the possibility of having a payload for Telecommunications in an aircraft or a balloon (HAPS), it can be carried out radio communications to provide backbone connections on ground and to access to broadband points for ground terminals. The latest implies a complex radio network planning. Therefore, the radio coverage analysis at outdoors and indoors becomes an important issue on the design of new radio systems. In this doctoral thesis, the contribution is related to the HAPS application for terrestrial fixed broadband communications. HAPS was hypothesised as a quasi-static platform with height above ground at the so-called stratospheric layer. Latter contribution was fulfilled by approaching via simulations the outdoor-indoor coverage with a simple efficient computational model at downlink mode. This work was assessing the ITU-R recommendations at bands recognised for the HAPS-based networks. It was contemplated the possibility of operating around 2 GHz (1820 MHz, specifically) because this band is recognised as an alternative for HAPS networks that can provide IMT-2000 and IMT-Advanced services. The global broadband radio communication model was composed of three parts: transmitter, channel, and receiver. The transmitter and receiver parts were based on the specifications of the IEEE Std 802.16TM-2009 (with its respective digital transmission techniques for a robust-reliable link), and the channel was subjected to the analysis of radio modelling at the level of HAPS and terrestrial (outdoors plus indoors) parts. For the channel modelling was used the two-state characterisation (physical situations associated with the transmitted/received signals), the state-oriented channel modelling. One of the channel-state contemplated the environmental transmission situation defined by a direct path between transmitter and receiver, and the remaining one regarded the conditions of shadowing. These states were dependent on the elevation angle related to the ray-tracing analysis: within the propagation environment, it was considered that a representative portion of the total energy of the signal was received by a direct or diffracted wave, and the remaining power signal was coming by a specular wave, to last-mentioned waves (rays) were added the scattered and random rays that constituted the diffuse wave. At indoors case, the variations of the transmitted signal were also considering the following matters additionally: the building penetration, construction material, angle of incidence, floor height, position of terminal in the room, and indoor fading; also, these indoors radiocommunications presented different type of paths to reach the receiver: obscured LOS, no LOS (NLOS), and hard NLOS. The evaluation of the feasible performance for the HAPS-to-ground terminal was accomplished by means of thorough simulations. The outcomes of the experiment were presented in terms of BER vs. Eb/N0 plotting, getting significant positive conclusions for these kind of system as access network technology based on HAPS

Power-Efficient Radio Resource Allocation for Low-Medium -Altitude Aerial Platform Based TD-LTE Networks

In order to provide an increased capacity, throughput and QoS guarantee for terrestrial users in emergency scenarios, a low-medium-altitude aerial platform based time-division-duplex long term evolution (TD-LTE) system referred to as Aerial LTE, is presented in this paper. Additionally a power-efficient radio resource allocation mechanism is proposed for both the Aerial LTE downlink and uplink, which is modeled as a cooperative game. Our simulation results demonstrate that the proposed algorithm imposes an attractive tradeoff between the achievable throughput and the power consumption while ensuring fairness among users

CINR Performance of Downlink Mobile WiMAX IEEE 802.16e Deployed Using Coexistence Cellular Terrestrial and HAPS

Deploying WiMAX through High Altitude Platform Station (HAPS) system is a new means of wireless delivery method and thus attracting much the attention in a telecommunication society. However delivering WiMAX through the terrestrial network has already been started a few years ago. Therefore, we need to look at the scenario of coexistence system both of HAPS and terrestrial in delivering WiMAX services. This paper evaluates the performance of coexistence system between cellular HAPS and terrestrial for the downlink scenario when they are transmitting WiMAX mobile 802.16e services. Our evaluation is based on the performance simulation of coexistence model using two methods. First method is a footprint exchange between the two systems.The second method is a combination of footprint exchange and HAPS footprint enhancement. The proposed methodsare then evaluated by computer simulation in terms of carrier to interference plus noise ratio (CINR) performance. In general, both methods resulting performance enhancement in CINR quality compared with coexistence deployment with normal scenario of the cell configuration used by HAPS and terrestrial. The method of combining footprint exchange and HAPS footprint enhancement is able to improve CINR more than 10 dB compared with the normal footprint configuration for all users location inside the coverage