Multi-Operator System for Accessing Satellite Resources

• US 20130077561A1
• Filed: 09/23/2011
• Published: 03/28/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/23/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Krikorian, Haig Francis, Inoue, Hisashi, Griffin, Kim Ciarlariello, Corbett, Angelia M.
• Granted Patent: US 8,873,456 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/316
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/1851 Systems using a satellite or space-based relay H04B7/18508, H04B7/18521 take precedence; providing specific services H04B7/18523 - H04B7/18576
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18519 Operations control, administration or maintenance

Abstract

A satellite control system comprising a communications system and an information management system. The communications system is configured to receive commands from a plurality of operators. The communications system is further configured to send the commands to a satellite using a number of communications links. The information management system may be configured to avoid conflicts between the commands sent by the communications system to the satellite from different operators in the plurality of operators that cause an undesired operation of the satellite. The information management system may be configured to provide a desired level of security for information sent between the plurality of operators and the satellite.

Claims

1. A satellite control system comprising:

a communications system configured to receive commands from a plurality of operators and send the commands to a satellite using a number of communications links; and

an information management system configured to avoid conflicts between the commands sent by the communications system to the satellite from different operators in the plurality of operators that cause an undesired operation of the satellite.

2. The satellite control system of claim 1, wherein the information management system comprises:

a command manager; and

a data manager.

3. The satellite control system of claim 1, wherein different commands in the commands are encrypted using different types of security and wherein the information management system comprises:

command processors in the satellite, wherein a command processor in the command processors is configured only to decrypt a particular command in the commands using a decryption system that is unique to a particular operator in the plurality of operators, wherein the particular operator generates the particular command.

4. The satellite control system of claim 1 further comprising:

command processors in the satellite, wherein a command processor in the command processors is configured to decrypt a particular command in the commands only from a particular operator in the plurality of operators, wherein the particular operator generates the particular command.

5. The satellite control system of claim 1, wherein the information management system comprises:

command processors in the satellite, wherein a command processor in the command processors is configured to process a particular command in the commands only from a particular operator in the plurality of operators, wherein the particular operator generates the particular command.

6. The satellite control system of claim 1, wherein the information management system comprises:

a computer system configured to process a group of commands based on a type of command for each command in the group of commands.

7. The satellite control system of claim 6, wherein the group of commands includes a first type of command and a second type of command and wherein the computer system is configured to buffer data in a buffer for a first command of the first type of command;

process the first command when all of the data for the first command is present in the buffer; and

process a second command of the second type of command without buffering the data for the second command when the data for the second command is received.

8. The satellite control system of claim 6, wherein the computer system is configured to give priority to a portion of the commands.

9. The satellite control system of claim 7, wherein the first command is partially received when the data for the second command is received and the second command is processed without waiting for remaining data for the first command.

10. The satellite control system of claim 1, wherein the information management system comprises:

a transmission controller configured to allow the commands to be sent only from one operator at a time in the plurality of operators and send the commands to the communications system.

11. The satellite control system of claim 1, wherein the information management system allows an operator in the plurality of operators access to a group of commands for a portion of the satellite assigned to the operator while other commands to other portions of the satellite are unavailable.

12. The satellite control system of claim 1 further comprising:

a data manager configured to prevent the satellite from transmitting data about the satellite resulting from a command from an operator in the plurality of operators.

13. The satellite control system of claim 12, wherein the data about the satellite resulting from the command from the operator in the plurality of operators is telemetry.

14. The satellite control system of claim 12, wherein the data manager is configured to prevent the satellite from transmitting the data about the satellite resulting from a first command that is assigned to one operator and is configured to transmit the data about the satellite from a second command that is assigned to another operator.

15. The satellite control system of claim 1, wherein the communications system comprises:

a satellite operations center; and

a gateway in communication with the satellite operations center, wherein the gateway is configured to send data generated by a payload in the satellite to an operator in the plurality of operators using a communications link that avoids the satellite operations center.

16. The satellite control system of claim 15, wherein the data generated by the payload in the satellite is one of mission data and telemetry.

17. The satellite control system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of operators comprises an owner of the satellite and a number of customers.

18. The satellite control system of claim 2, wherein the data manager is configured to provide a desired level of security for information sent between the plurality of operators and the satellite.

19. The satellite control system of claim 2, wherein the command manager is configured to avoid the conflicts between the commands sent by the communications system to the satellite from the different operators in the plurality of operators that cause the undesired operation of the satellite.

20. The satellite control system of claim 2, wherein the data manager is located in at least one of the communications system and the satellite.

21. The satellite control system of claim 2, wherein the command manager is located in at least one of a user operations center, a satellite operations center, and the satellite.

22. A satellite control system comprising:

a communications system configured to receive commands from a plurality of operators and send the commands to a satellite using a number of communications links; and

an information management system configured to provide a desired level of security for information sent between the plurality of operators and the satellite.

23. The satellite control system of claim 22, wherein the information management system comprises:

a command manager; and

a data manager.

24. The satellite control system of claim 23, wherein the data manager is configured to provide the desired level of security for the information sent between the plurality of operators and the satellite.

25. The satellite control system of claim 23, wherein the command manager is configured to avoid conflicts between the commands sent by the communications system to the satellite from different operators in the plurality of operators that cause an undesired operation of the satellite.

26. The satellite control system of claim 23, wherein the data manager is located in at least one of the communications system and the satellite.

27. The satellite control system of claim 23, wherein the command manager is located in at least one of a user operations center, a satellite operations center, and the satellite.

28. The satellite control system of claim 22, wherein different commands in the commands are encrypted using different types of security and wherein the information management system comprises:

command processors in the satellite, wherein a command processor in the command processors is configured only to decrypt a particular command in the commands using a decryption system that is unique to a particular operator in the plurality of operators, wherein the particular operator generates the particular command.

29. The satellite control system of claim 22, wherein the information management system comprises:

a data manager in the information management system configured to prevent the satellite from transmitting data about the satellite resulting from a command from an operator in the plurality of operators.

30. The satellite control system of claim 29, wherein the data about the satellite resulting from the command from the operator in the plurality of operators is telemetry.

31. The satellite control system of claim 29, wherein the data manager is configured to prevent the satellite from transmitting the data about the satellite resulting from a first command that is assigned to one operator and is configured to transmit the data about the satellite from a second command that is assigned to another operator.

32. The satellite control system of claim 22, wherein the information management system comprises:

a data router configured to route mission data to a customer operations center without passing through a satellite operations center.

33. A satellite management system comprising:

a communications system configured to receive commands from a plurality of operators and send the commands to a satellite using a number of communications links; and

an information management system configured to avoid conflicts between the commands sent by the communications system to the satellite from different operators in the plurality of operators and manage data received from the satellite with a desired level of security.

34. The satellite management system of claim 33, wherein the commands comprise:

groups of commands, wherein a group of commands in the groups of commands is assigned to an operator in the plurality of operators and is configured only to cause an operation of a portion of resources in the satellite assigned to the operator.

35. The satellite management system of claim 33, wherein the information management system comprises:

a data manager configured to route the data received from the satellite to the plurality of operators with the desired level of security for the plurality of operators.

36. The satellite management system of claim 33, wherein the data is comprised of at least one of telemetry and mission data.

37. The satellite management system of claim 33, wherein the information management system comprises:

a data transmitter configured to selectively send the data to the operators to maintain the desired level of security.

38. The satellite management system of claim 33 further comprising:

command processors in the satellite configured to process the commands, wherein a command processor in the command processors is assigned to a particular operator in the plurality of operators and is configured to process a command; and

decryption systems in the satellite configured to decrypt encrypted commands, wherein a decryption system in the decryption systems associated with the command processor is configured only to decrypt an encrypted command generated by the particular operator in the plurality of operators to form the command for processing by the command processor.