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Anderson, R. E.

Publications and source records attributed to Anderson, R. E..

At least 19 records
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1983

Mobile radio alternative systems study, executive summary

Present day mobile communication technologies, systems and equipment are described from background in evaluating the concepts generated in the study. Average propagation ranges are calculated for terrestrial installations in each of seven physiographic areas of the contiguous states to determine the number of installations that would be required for nationwide coverage. Four system concepts are defined and analyzed to determine how well terrestrial systems can fulfill the requirements at acceptable costs.

Anderson, R. E.↗
NASA NTRS1983

Mobile radio alternative systems study. Volume 1: Traffic model

The markets for mobile radio services in non-urban areas of the United States are examined for the years 1985-2000. Three market categories are identified. New Services are defined as those for which there are different expressed ideas but which are not now met by any application of available technology. The complete fulfillment of the needs requires nationwide radio access to vehicles without knowledge of vehicle location, wideband data transmission from remote sites, one- and two way exchange of short data and control messages between vehicles and dispatch or control centers, and automatic vehicle location (surveillance). The commercial and public services market of interest to the study is drawn from existing users of mobile radio in non-urban areas who are dissatisfied with the geographical range or coverage of their systems. The mobile radio telephone market comprises potential users who require access to the public switched telephone network in areas that are not likely to be served by the traditional growth patterns of terrestrial mobile telephone services. Conservative, likely, and optimistic estimates of the markets are presented in terms of numbers of vehicles that will be served and the radio traffic they will generate.

Tucker, W. T.↗
NASA NTRS1983

Mobile radio alternative systems study. Volume 2: Terrestrial

Terrestrial systems for satisfying the markets for mobile radio services in non-urban areas of the United States in the years from 185 to 2000 were investigated. Present day mobile communication technologies, systems and equipment are described for background in evaluating the concepts generated. Average propagation ranges are calculated for terrestrial installations in each of seven physiographic areas of the contiguous states to determine the number of installations that would be required for nationwide coverage. Four system concepts are defined and analyzed to determine how well terrestrial systems can fulfill the requirements at acceptable costs. Nationwide dispatch, telephone and data services would require terrestrial installations in many locations where they would be used infrequently and would not recover their investment. Access to a roaming vehicle requires that the vehicle location be known within the range limit of the terrestrial installation in which the vehicle is present at the time of the call. Access to that installation must be made through the public switched telephone network, usually involving a long-distance toll charge, and requiring costly means to track or locate the vehicle as it moved through the network of installations.

Cromwell, N.↗
NASA NTRS1983

Mobile radio alternative systems study satellite/terrestrial (hybrid) systems concepts

The use of satellites for mobile radio service in non-urban areas of the United States in the years from 1985 to 2000 was investigated. Several satellite concepts are considered: a system with single-beam coverage of the fifty United States and Puerto Rico, and multi-beam satellites with greater capacity. All of the needed functions and services identified in the market study are provided by the satellite systems, including nationwide radio access to vehicles without knowledge of vehicle location wideband data transmission from remote sites, two way exchange of short data and control messages between vehicles and dispatch or control centers, and automatic vehicle location (surveillance). The costs of providing the services are within acceptable limits, and the desired returns to the system investors are attractive. The criteria by which the Federal Communication judges the competing demands for public radio spectrum are reviewed with comments on how the criteria might apply to the consideration of land mobile satellites. Institutional arrangements for operating a mobile satellite system are based on the present institutional arrangements in which the services are offered to the end users through wireline and radio common carriers, with direct access by large private and government users.

Kiesling, J. D.↗
NASA NTRS1982

Signalling characteristics in satellite-aided land mobile communications

The feasibility of land mobile radio communications has been demonstrated by a large number of experiments with NASA's ATS satellites. Significant differences in the propagation characteristics of satellite and terrestrial mobile signal paths were observed in the experiments. Terrestrial paths are best in cities where they can provide frequency reuse and assure communication by bouncing signals around obstructions. Satellites may be best in thinly populated areas because they eliminate the need for many tower mounted relays. The satellite paths do not have the severe Rayleigh fading that limits the range and signal quality of terrestrial paths if the satellite is above approximately ten degrees elevation, a value easily achieved for the United States. The experiments verified that high quality voice communications and other functions, such as data transmission and vehicle position surveillance, are easily accomplished through geostationary satellites with vehicle transmitter power and antenna gain no different than those of terrestrial mobile communications.

Anderson, R. E.↗
NASA NTRS1981

Position surveillance using one active ranging satellite and time-of-arrival of a signal from an independent satellite

A satellite-aided mobile communication service was tested for position surveillance, with an automatic responder circuit connected between the vehicle receiver and transmitter, and a receiver coded for signals from another satellite. Using the ATS-6 and GOES satellites, a tone-code ranging transponder was connected between the receiver and transmitter, and a 468 MHz receiver was connected to the responder unit for passive reception of the 100 bit per second timing and data signal. Results showed lines of position derived from the active ranging through ATS-6 to be accurate to approximately 0.1 nautical mile, while the NOAA-GOES signals were accurate to about 1.6 miles. The active ranging bandwidth was 2.44 kHz, and the integration time was 0.1 second, while the limitation on accuracy was the 100 Hz bandwidth. This technique of position surveillance was concluded to be feasible and simple to operate, providing needed, good quality communications to the inland waterways industry.

Anderson, R. E.↗
NASA NTRS1980

Satellite-aided mobile communications limited operational test in the trucking industry

An experiment with NASA's ATS-6 satellite, that demonstrates the practicality of satellite-aided land mobile communications is described. Satellite communications equipment for the experiment was designed so that it would be no more expensive, when mass produced, than conventional two-way mobile radio equipment. It embodied the operational features and convenience of present day mobile radios. Vehicle antennas 75 cm tall and 2 cm in diameter provided good commercial quality signals to and from trucks and jeeps. Operational applicability and usage data were gathered by installing the radio equipment in five long-haul tractor-trailer trucks and two Air Force search and rescue jeeps. Channel occupancy rates are reported. Air Force personnel found the satellite radio system extremely valuable in their search and rescue mission during maneuvers and actual rescue operations. Propagation data is subjectively analyzed and over 4 hours of random data is categorized and graded as to signal quality on a second by second basis. Trends in different topographic regions are reported. An overall communications reliability of 93% was observed despite low satellite elevation angles ranging from 9 to 24 degrees.

Anderson, R. E.↗
NASA NTRS1980

Position surveillance using one active ranging satellite and time-of-arrival of a signal from an independent satellite

Position surveillance using one active ranging/communication satellite and the time-of-arrival of signals from an independent satellite was shown to be feasible and practical. A towboat on the Mississippi River was equipped with a tone-code ranging transponder and a receiver tuned to the timing signals of the GOES satellite. A similar transponder was located at the office of the towing company. Tone-code ranging interrogations were transmitted from the General Electric Earth Station Laboratory through ATS-6 to the towboat and to the ground truth transponder office. Their automatic responses included digital transmissions of time-of-arrival measurements derived from the GOES signals. The Earth Station Laboratory determined ranges from the satellites to the towboat and computed position fixes. The ATS-6 lines-of-position were more precise than 0.1 NMi, 1 sigma, and the GOES lines-of-position were more precise than 1.6 NMi, 1 sigma. High quality voice communications were accomplished with the transponders using a nondirectional antenna on the towboat. The simple and effective surveillance technique merits further evaluation using operational maritime satellites.

Anderson, R. E.↗
NASA NTRS1980

Satellite-aided mobile communications, experiments, applications and prospects

NASA's ATS-series of satellites were used in a series of communications and position fixing experiments with automotive vehicles, ships and aircraft. Applications of the communications were demonstrated and evaluated for public services including law enforcement, search and rescue, and medical emergency, and for commercial uses in the land and maritime transportation industries. The technical success of the experiments and the demonstrated potential value of the communications prompted a study that concluded an operational satellite-aided system would be a valuable augmentation of planned trunking or cellular type terrestrial mobile radio telephone systems.

Anderson, R. E.↗
NASA NTRS1979

Satellite-aided mobile radio concepts study: Concept definition of a satellite-aided mobile and personal radio communication system

The satellite system requires the use of a large satellite antenna and spacecraft array power of about 12 kW or more depending on the operating frequency. Technology developments needed include large offset reflector multibeam antennas, satellite electrical power sybsystems providing greater than 12 kW of power, signal switching hardware, and linearized efficient solid state amplifiers for the satellite-aided mobile band. Presently there is no frequency assignment for this service, and it is recommended that an allocation be pursued. The satellite system appears to be within reasonable extrapolation of the state of the art. It is further recommended that the satellite-aided system spacecraft definition studies and supporting technology development be initiated.

Anderson, R. E.↗
NASA NTRS1977

Emergency-vehicle VHF antenna

Helical VHF antenna mounts on roof of moving vehicle to communicate with distant stations via earth satellites. Antenna requires no pointing and can provide two-way communication while vehicle moves at high speed. Device has proved extremely successful in electrocardiogram transmission tests between medical services vehicle and hospital emergency room.

Anderson, R. E.↗
NASA NTRS1977

Automatic transponder

A method and apparatus for the automatic, remote measurement of the internal delay time of a transponder at the time of operation is provided. A small portion of the transmitted signal of the transponder is converted to the receive signal frequency of the transponder and supplied to the input of the transponder. The elapsed time between the receive signal locally generated and the receive signal causing the transmission of the transmitted signal is measured, said time being representative of or equal to the internal delay time of the transponder at the time of operation.

Anderson, R. E.↗
NASA NTRS1977

Experiments in data collection technology using satellites

A variety of techniques potentially useful to data collection have been tested. An automatic data collection platform with a minicomputer collects and preprocesses data, then sends desired information when interrogated through a communication satellite. Position surveillance by tone-code ranging through communication satellites is automatic, real time and accurate. Emergency medical data transmissions from ambulances to hospitals can be extended to rural and remote areas by direct satellite links. A small platform can send emergency-related data through a satellite while the satellite is routinely relaying powerful communication signals. A low orbit satellite provides means to locate existing emergency locator beacons.

Anderson, R. E.↗
NASA NTRS1975

ATS-5 trilateration support

The development of an L-band trilateration network capable of locating the ATS-5 satellite, determining the satellite's orbital elements, and predicting the satellite position was investigated. An automatic tone-code ranging transponder was used to compare ranging measurements and communications reliability for the VHF and L-band. The L-band transponder network, analytical techniques, and the determination of the Kepler orbit parameters are described along with the calibration procedures, operation procedures, and verification of trilateration position.

Brisken, A. F.↗
NASA NTRS1974

A new method for satellite orbit determination using an operational worldwide transponder network

The method utilizes computer programs developed for the forthcoming ATS-F/NIMBUS-F tracking and data relay experiment where the basic tracking measurements are multiple path round-trip propagation times and rates. This method of orbit computation has recently been successfully evaluated by tracking a geostationary satellite (ATS-3) using an existing VHF (150 MHz) network of automatic transponders. A master station sequentially interrogates each transponder via the ATS-3. The master site is located at Schenectady, N. Y. and four automatic transponders were located at Shannon, Reykajavik, Buenos Aires, and Seattle respectively. Data at hourly intervals were collected during a 24 hour period on April 18-19, 1973. After correcting this data for known systematic errors it was provided as input to an orbit determination program where all satellite motions during signal propagation are rigorously accounted for. The resulting estimated ATS-3 orbit yielded observational residuals on the order of 100 meters. By using more than one satellite the present scheme is further capable of accurately locating several stationary or mobile terminals as part of the overall orbital solution.

Lynn, J. J.↗
NASA NTRS1973

Experimental investigation of aeronautical and maritime communications and surveillance using satellites

The experimental program described included an evaluation of every significant factor affecting the accuracy of position fixing by range measurements from geostationary satellites. The tone-code ranging technique was found to provide a precision of roughly 0.1 n mi at mid-lattitudes with one range measurement at L-band and one at VHF. The factors which introduce bias errors were studied analytically and experimentally, and means of rectifying the bias errors were developed. An operational system at L-band may be expected to provide position fix accuracy of 0.1 n mi over large regions of the earth. The ranging technique developed within this program is digital, and uses a single signalling waveform and a single modem for communications and ranging.

Anderson, R. E.↗
NASA NTRS1972

ATS ranging and position fixing experiment, phase 3

The experiments to test the concept of position location by range measurements from pairs of satellites in the L-band using ATS-5 are reported. Results of the ranging experiments confirmed that ranging resolution measured in tens or hundreds of feet may be achieved at VHF and L-band within the radio frequency bandwidths used for communications with simple, inexpensive, automatic equipment.

Anderson, R. E.↗