SoftBankCorp.( President & CEO Junichi Miyakawa, “ SoftBank ”) moment blazoned that in September 2023 it successfully conducted a field trial using its spherical antenna * 1 for High Altitude Platform Station( HAPS) stratospheric- grounded wireless communication systems at Hokkaido Spaceport, Taiki Town, Hokkaido, Japan. The trial successfully vindicated content area optimization technology that maximizes communication capacity across an entire communication area covered by HAPS. The field trial employed a 5G-ready spherical antenna developed by SoftBank.
Part of this field trial was grounded on the “ Dynamic Area Optimization Technology Using CPS for Aerial Platforms ”( JPJ012368C05701) * 2 exploration design, which was chosen and commissioned by the National Institute of Information and Dispatches Technology( “ NICT ”) in Japan for its “ Beyond 5G R&D Promotion Project ” in 2022.
Area optimization technology is essential to realize HAPS- grounded broadband networks with high- capacity and high- quality communication. “ Sunglider, ” SoftBank’s uncrewed aircraft system developed for HAPS, can cover a wide area up to a maximum periphery of 200 km. To ameliorate the communication capacity in each area unit, still, it’s necessary to cover the communication area with multiple cells, which correspond to shafts. likewise, communication capacity can vary depending on position characteristics similar as densely peopled areas or sparsely populated mountainous regions — within the communication area. Consequently, SoftBank is considering using its spherical antenna as an antenna type for the “ Service Link ” that facilitates data transmission and event between HAPS in the stratosphere and communication bias on the ground. By using beamforming and directional control through digital beamforming technology * 3, SoftBank is developing area optimization technology that concentrates shafts in areas with high population consistence and business grounded on information that includes the distribution of druggies on the ground. By optimizing shafts according to the conditions within a communication area, SoftBank will work to maximize communication capacity and deliver other network content advancements.
In the field trial, the communication quality within the communication area formed by a spherical antenna mounted on an upstanding work platform was measured to confirm the placement of cells that varied according to stoner position. likewise, to capture stoner distribution information, in one illustration, position- grounded information on communication bias was used for optimized computations of ray direction and ray range of six cells in the vertical aeroplane
, and grounded on these results, ray control was performed using the spherical antenna. By performing periodic adaptations, this ray control can also allow for dynamic control grounded on stoner distribution that varies according to time ages.
As a result of this field trial, when area optimization technology was applied grounded on communication device positions, the shafts were meetly directed to the separate directions of each communication device, and the signal event situations from each ray matched the theoretical values. SoftBank therefore verified it’s possible to optimally control the placement of cells as demanded, indeed in out-of-door surroundings. SoftBank also verified the feasibility and effectiveness of HAPS area optimization technology that it has delved to date.
Using the knowledge and data attained through this field trial, SoftBank will continue to work to realize the practical use of HAPS and enhance its communication network.
For further details, please relate to this Notice from SoftBank dated September 2, 2021 “ SoftBankCorp. and HAPSMobile Accelerate High Altitude Platform Station( HAPS) R&D to give Stable and High- quality Connectivity for unborn Commercial Services ”
Research design for R&D related to enhancing upstanding platforms and optimizing their network content within covered areas on an functional base, with a view to realizingNon-Terrestrial Networks( NTN) that achieve wide- area content from upstanding platforms. CPS is an condensation of Cyber Physical Systems.
A technology that controls the breadth and phase of transmitted and entered signals through digital control to concentrate radio swells in a specific direction for communication.
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