Achieving Joint Transmission and Performance Reliability with Minimal-Cost-Variance Control

Abstract

This paper explores the design process of transponded satellite communications using control-theoretic approach, pre-qualification processes, and performance risk mitigation methods. Specifically, the approach seeks to move beyond traditional joint transmission of multiple transmit uplinks to a non-processing satellite transponder, and generating an aggregate downlink to a ground hub, toward a greater consideration of performance reliability exposure for shared transponded satellite communications. The minimal-cost-variance control based joint transmission further relies on dynamical feedback estimates supported by Kalman filtering that guide the mitigation of closed-loop performance uncertainty associated with the employment of joint transmission for transponded links. The system and method herein are also used to identify positive consequences that effectively address inherent uncertainties in transponded satellite communications as opposed to simply avoiding them and using unnecessary conservative link margins.