Satellite system with rolling wave handovers
First Claim
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1. A satellite system, comprising:
- a plurality of satellites consisting of N satellites, each satellite including a plurality of steerable beams, the plurality of satellites adapted to be in a common orbit and to implement handovers of steerable beams between adjacent satellites in sequence for pairs of adjacent satellites in a single direction around the common orbit, the common orbit divided into N−
1zones, each zone associated with a set of ground locations, a handover of beams between adjacent satellites including concurrent handover of all steerable beams of a zone between the adjacent satellites;
the satellites are non-geosynchronous satellites;
the plurality of satellites are configured such that each time one of the satellites is at a first trigger location, a new first rolling wave of handovers is started that includes performing handovers of a first group of dependent spot beams between adjacent satellites in sequence for pairs of adjacent satellites in the single direction around the common orbit; and
the plurality of satellites are configured such that each time one of the satellites is at a second trigger location, a new second rolling wave of handovers is started that includes performing handovers of a second group of dependent spot beams between adjacent satellites in sequence for pairs of adjacent satellites in the single direction around the common orbit.
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Abstract
A constellation of non-geosynchronous satellites are in a common orbit. Each time one of the satellites is at a trigger location, a new rolling wave of handovers is started that includes performing handovers of a group of dependent spot beams between adjacent satellites in sequence for pairs of adjacent satellites in a single direction around the orbit.
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Citations
19 Claims
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1. A satellite system, comprising:
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a plurality of satellites consisting of N satellites, each satellite including a plurality of steerable beams, the plurality of satellites adapted to be in a common orbit and to implement handovers of steerable beams between adjacent satellites in sequence for pairs of adjacent satellites in a single direction around the common orbit, the common orbit divided into N−
1zones, each zone associated with a set of ground locations, a handover of beams between adjacent satellites including concurrent handover of all steerable beams of a zone between the adjacent satellites;the satellites are non-geosynchronous satellites; the plurality of satellites are configured such that each time one of the satellites is at a first trigger location, a new first rolling wave of handovers is started that includes performing handovers of a first group of dependent spot beams between adjacent satellites in sequence for pairs of adjacent satellites in the single direction around the common orbit; and the plurality of satellites are configured such that each time one of the satellites is at a second trigger location, a new second rolling wave of handovers is started that includes performing handovers of a second group of dependent spot beams between adjacent satellites in sequence for pairs of adjacent satellites in the single direction around the common orbit. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A method of operating a satellite system, comprising:
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orbiting a plurality of non-geosynchronous satellites consisting of N satellites in a common orbit, the common orbit including N−
1 zones;N−
1 satellites of the plurality of satellites maintaining communication with ground locations of the N−
1 zones with an individual satellite of the N−
1 satellites maintaining communication with ground locations of a zone in which it is located, a remaining satellite of the plurality of satellites in handover at a given time; andeach time one of the plurality of satellites is at a trigger location, starting a new rolling wave of handovers that includes performing handovers of a group of dependent spot beams between adjacent satellites in sequence for pairs of adjacent satellites in a single direction around the common orbit, including; performing a first handover from a second satellite to a first satellite at a first time, the first handover including concurrent handover of all steerable beams of the second satellite to the first satellite; subsequently, performing a second handover from a third satellite to the second satellite at a second time, the second handover including concurrent handover of all steerable beams of the third satellite to the second satellite; and subsequently, performing a third handover from a fourth satellite to the third satellite at a third time, the third handover including concurrent handover of all steerable beams of the fourth satellite to the third satellite. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A satellite system, comprising:
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a non-geosynchronous satellite having steerable beams that are steerable by mechanically or electrically steerable antennas, the non-geosynchronous satellite configured to concurrently handover all of its steerable beams to a trailing adjacent satellite and subsequently reconfigure pointing of steerable antennas of the steerable beams, the non-geosynchronous satellite is configured to concurrently receive handover of all steerable beams from a leading adjacent satellite after reconfiguring the pointing of the steerable antennas of the steerable beams; and the non-geosynchronous satellite is configured to follow an orbit that is divided into zones, each zone associated with a set of ground locations, and to concurrently handover all of its steerable beams to the trailing adjacent satellite when the non-geosynchronous satellite is located in a first zone and to concurrently receive handover of all steerable beams from the leading adjacent satellite when the non-geosynchronous satellite is in a second zone that is separated from the first zone by a gap. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16)
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17. A satellite system, comprising:
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a plurality of satellites consisting of N satellites, each satellite including a plurality of steerable beams, the plurality of satellites adapted to be in a common orbit and to implement handovers of steerable beams between adjacent satellites in sequence for pairs of adjacent satellites in a single direction around the common orbit, the common orbit divided into N−
1zones with gaps between zones, each zone associated with a set of ground locations;a first satellite configured to travel in the common orbit, the first satellite is configured to travel in a gap between zone A and zone A+1, the first satellite is configured to point all of its steerable beams at ground locations associated with zone A+1; and a second satellite configured to travel in the common orbit, the first satellite is configured to move into zone A+1 while the second satellite is in zone A+1, the second satellite is configured to concurrently hand over all of its steerable beams to the first satellite while the first satellite and the second satellite are in zone A+1, the second satellite is configured to move out of zone A+1 into a gap between zone A+1 and zone A+2, the first satellite is configured to update pointing of its steerable beams while the first satellite traverses zone A+1 and maintains communication with ground terminals using its beams of the group. - View Dependent Claims (18)
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19. A method of operating a satellite system that includes a plurality of satellites having steerable beams that are steerable by steerable antennas, the plurality of satellites including a first satellite and a second satellite of N satellites in a common orbit that is divided into N−
- 1 zones with gaps between the zones, the method comprising;
implementing handovers of all steerable beams of a zone between adjacent satellites in sequence for pairs of adjacent satellites in a single direction around the common orbit, wherein a handover between the first satellite and the second satellite includes; the first satellite traveling in a gap between zone A and zone A+1; the first satellite pointing all of its steerable beams at ground locations associated with zone A+1 while traveling in the gap between zone A and zone A+1; the first satellite moving into zone A+1 while the second satellite is in zone A+1and while the second satellite maintains communication with the ground locations associated with zone A+1; the second satellite concurrently handing over all of its steerable beams to the first satellite while the first satellite and the second satellite are in zone A+1; subsequently, the second satellite moving out of zone A+1 into a gap between zone A+1 and zone A+2; subsequently, the second satellite travelling in a gap between zone A+1 and zone A+2; the second satellite pointing all of its steerable beams at ground locations associated with zone A+2 while travelling in the gap between zone A and zone A+1; and the first satellite updating pointing of its steerable beams of the group of beams while the first satellite traverses zone A+1 and maintains communication with ground terminals using its beams of the group.
- 1 zones with gaps between the zones, the method comprising;
Specification