Method and apparatus for beam selection for a multibeam, multi-satellite communications system

• US 10,020,877 B2
• Filed: 07/25/2017
• Issued: 07/10/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hughes Network Systems LLC (Echostar Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Hughes Network Systems LLC (Echostar Corporation)
• Inventors: Roos, David Alan
• Primary Examiner(s): Cattungal, Ajay
• Application Number:
  US15/659,271
• Publication Number:
  US 20170324470A1
• Time in Patent Office: 350 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18508 with satellite system used as relay, i.e. aeronautical mobile satellite service
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18528 Satellite systems for providing two-way communications service to a network of fixed stations, i.e. fixed satellite service or very small aperture terminal [VSAT] system
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/2041 Spot beam multiple access

Abstract

An apparatus for satellite selection within a multi-satellite communication system, comprising an antenna, receiver, and transmitter, and a processing module configured to calculate a normalized distance metric for the plurality of user spot beams of a first and second satellite, select the user spot beam with the lowest normalized distance metric, and determine which of the at least first or second satellite is transmitting the selected user spot beam. Further, a method for increasing the aggregate capacity of a satellite communications network, comprising identifying high traffic regions within a coverage area of a first satellite, determining which user spot beams of the first satellite are available to each of the identified regions, determining a normalized distance metric for each user spot beam identified, and plotting a second beam pattern of a second satellite to produce at least one user spot beam with a lower normalized distance metric.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

one or more non-transitory computer-readable mediums having instructions stored thereon that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the system to;

determine a current location of a mobile satellite terminal comprising an antenna configured to send and receive RF signals;

identify a plurality of user spot beams providing coverage to the determined current location;

calculate a normalized distance metric for each of the plurality of user spot beams;

identify a user spot beam of the plurality of user spot beams having a lowest normalized distance metric; and

select the user spot beam having the lowest normalized distance metric and a satellite associated with the user spot beam having the lowest normalized distance metric.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the system to:

determine whether the antenna of the mobile satellite terminal needs to be repositioned to connect with the selected satellite.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the system to:

reposition the antenna to connect with the selected satellite.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the system to:

select an outroute on the selected user spot beam using an antenna of the mobile satellite terminal.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein for each of the plurality of user spot beams the normalized distance metric is calculated according to the equation:

6. The system of claim 5 wherein the radius Ri is calculated according to the equation:

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the mobile satellite terminal is a satellite terminal of an aircraft or terrestrial vehicle.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the aircraft or terrestrial vehicle comprises the one or more non-transitory computer-readable mediums.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the mobile satellite terminal comprises the one or more non-transitory computer-readable mediums.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein identifying a plurality of user spot beams providing coverage to the determined current location comprises using the determined current location of the mobile satellite terminal and a table of user spot beam locations.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein identifying a plurality of user spot beams providing coverage to the determined current location comprises scanning an antenna of the mobile satellite terminal to search for user spot beams.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the current location of the mobile satellite terminal is determined using a position determination device.

13. A method, comprising:

determining a current location of a mobile satellite terminal comprising an antenna configured to send and receive RF signals;

identifying a plurality of user spot beams providing coverage to the determined current location;

calculating a normalized distance metric for each of the plurality of user spot beams;

identifying a user spot beam of the plurality of user spot beams having a lowest normalized distance metric; and

selecting the user spot beam having the lowest normalized distance metric and a satellite associated with the user spot beam having the lowest normalized distance metric.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

determining whether the antenna of the mobile satellite terminal needs to be repositioned to connect with the selected satellite.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

repositioning the antenna to connect with the selected satellite.

16. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

selecting an outroute on the selected user spot beam using an antenna of the mobile satellite terminal.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein the mobile satellite terminal is a satellite terminal of an aircraft or terrestrial vehicle, wherein the mobile satellite terminal is configured to identifying the user spot beam having the lowest normalized distance metric and select the user spot beam having the lowest normalized distance metric and a satellite associated with the user spot beam having the lowest normalized distance metric.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein the current location of the mobile satellite terminal is determined using a position determination device.

19. A system comprising:

one or more non-transitory computer-readable mediums having instructions stored thereon that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the system to;

determine a plurality of user spot beams available to a mobile satellite terminal during a predetermined route based on a stored table of user spot beam parameters, the user spot beam parameters comprising the locations of centers and radii of each of the plurality of user spot beams;

calculate a normalized distance metric for each of the plurality of user spot beams available during the predetermined route; and

using at least the calculated normalized distance metric for each of the plurality of user spot beams, preselect one or more of the plurality of user spot beams for the route.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the system to:

determine what satellite is transmitting to each of the one or more preselected plurality of user spot beams.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the system to:

identify each user spot beam with the lowest normalized distance metric for a plurality of points along the route, wherein preselecting the one or more of the plurality of user spots beams for the route comprises preselecting the one or more of the plurality of user spots beam having a lowest normalized distance metric for a plurality of points along the route.

22. The system of claim 19, wherein the mobile satellite terminal is a satellite terminal of an aircraft or terrestrial vehicle.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the aircraft or terrestrial vehicle comprises the one or more non-transitory computer-readable mediums.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the mobile satellite terminal comprises the one or more non-transitory computer-readable mediums.

25. The system of claim 19, wherein for each of the plurality of user spot beams the normalized distance metric is calculated according to the equation:

26. A method, comprising:

determining a plurality of user spot beams available to a mobile satellite terminal during a predetermined route based on a table of user spot beam parameters stored in a memory, the user spot beam parameters comprising the locations of centers and radii of each of the plurality of user spot beams;

calculating a normalized distance metric for each of the plurality of user spot beams available during the predetermined route; and

using at least the calculated normalized distance metric for each of the plurality of user spot beams, preselect one or more of the plurality of user spot beams for the route.

27. The method of claim 26, further comprising:

determining what satellite is transmitting to each of the one or more preselected plurality of user spot beams.

28. The method of claim 27, further comprising:

identifying each user spot beam with the lowest normalized distance metric for a plurality of points along the route, wherein preselecting the one or more of the plurality of user spots beams for the route comprises preselecting the one or more of the plurality of user spots beam having a lowest normalized distance metric for a plurality of points along the route.

29. The method of claim 26, wherein the mobile satellite terminal is a satellite terminal of an aircraft or terrestrial vehicle.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein the mobile satellite terminal is configured to preselect the one or more of the plurality of user spot beams for the route.

31. The method of claim 26, wherein for each of the plurality of user spot beams the normalized distance metric is calculated according to the equation: