SPACE SATELLITE TRACKING AND IDENTIFICATION
First Claim
1. A satellite-tracking system comprising:
- a plurality of beacon devices located on a corresponding plurality of space objects, each beacon device including a location sensor and configured to transmit location information,a database that includes a plurality of sets of customer parameters, each customer being associated with a corresponding space object, each set of customer parameters including one or more intended recipient of messages associated with the corresponding space object,a processing center that is configured to receive the location information from the plurality of beacon devices to determine the location of each corresponding space object, anda message generator that is configured to selectively generate messages based on the set of customer parameters associated with each corresponding space object, and to send the generated messages to the corresponding intended recipients of the messages.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A Space Tracking and Identification (STI) method and system uses low-cost identification and location beacon devices situated on each satellite. Preferably, these beacon devices are substantially independent of the mission-specific and satellite-specific navigation and communication systems, thereby allowing their use on any satellite or other space object. The beacon preferably includes a GPS receiver, an on-board processor, and a transmitter that transmits an identifier of the satellite and location information, and optionally other navigation-related information, to a relay satellite or directly to a ground-based system. The ground system delivers the received information, or a processed version thereof, to a recipient associated with the satellite identifier. The beacon preferably uses a Sensor Enabled Notification System (SENS) transmitter that uses Code Phase Division Multiple Access (CPDMA™) to assure low-cost, low-bandwidth, and virtually unlimited extensibility.
27 Citations
40 Claims
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1. A satellite-tracking system comprising:
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a plurality of beacon devices located on a corresponding plurality of space objects, each beacon device including a location sensor and configured to transmit location information, a database that includes a plurality of sets of customer parameters, each customer being associated with a corresponding space object, each set of customer parameters including one or more intended recipient of messages associated with the corresponding space object, a processing center that is configured to receive the location information from the plurality of beacon devices to determine the location of each corresponding space object, and a message generator that is configured to selectively generate messages based on the set of customer parameters associated with each corresponding space object, and to send the generated messages to the corresponding intended recipients of the messages. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A method comprising:
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receiving, at a receiving device, a composite signal that includes a plurality of location reports from a plurality of beacon devices situated on a corresponding plural of space objects, decoding, at a decoder, each location report of the plurality of location reports, determining, at a processing device, a location corresponding to each space object based on the location reports, determining, by the processing device, a set of customer parameters associated with each space object, the customer parameters including identification of intended recipients for location messages, generating, by the processing device, one or more location messages based on the location reports and the customer parameters, and sending, by the processing device, the one or more location messages to the intended recipients. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 37)
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31. A tangible and non-transitory computer readable medium that includes code that, when executed by a processor, causes the processor to:
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receive a composite signal that includes a plurality of location reports from a plurality of beacon devices situated on a corresponding plural of space objects, decoding each location report of the plurality of location reports, determining a location corresponding to each space object based on the location reports, determining a set of customer parameters associated with each space object, the customer parameters including identification of intended recipients for location messages, generating one or more location messages based on the location reports and the customer parameters, and sending the one or more location messages to the intended recipients. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 38, 39, 40)
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Specification