The Boeing Company
Distributed beamforming system with user side beamforming processing

Abstract:

A distributed beamforming system includes a platform terminal and a plurality of user terminals. The platform terminal includes an antenna array including a plurality of antenna elements. Each antenna element transmits a wide-area beam configured to encompass each of the plurality of user terminals. The platform terminal also includes one or more processors in electronic communication with the antenna array and a memory coupled to the one or more processors. The memory stores data into a database and program code that, when executed by the one or more processors, causes the platform terminal to receive an incoming signal and split the incoming signal into a plurality of individual wireless signals. Each individual wireless signal corresponds to one of the plurality of antenna elements of the antenna array. The system also transmits the plurality of individual wireless signals to the user terminal by the antenna array.