Mobile satellite user information request system and methods

• US 6,272,316 B1
• Filed: 06/03/1998
• Issued: 08/07/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 11/17/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Globalstar Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Globalstar Incorporated
• Inventors: Penwarden, Kent A, Wiedeman, Robert A, Monte, Paul A
• Primary Examiner(s): TO, DORIS HA
• Application Number:
  US09/089,565
• Time in Patent Office: 1,161 Days
• Field of Search: 455/12.1, 455/427-430, 455/455, 455/457, 455/450, 455/517, 455/566, 455/575, 342/357, 342/352, 342/353, 342/457
• US Class Current: 455/13.1
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/42 Determining position
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/185 Space-based or airborne stations; Stations for satellite systemsH04B7/204 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18539 Arrangements for managing radio, resources, i.e. for establishing or releasing a connection

Abstract

A method in accordance with this invention for operating a satellite communications system of a type that has a plurality of earth orbiting satellites, at least one terrestrial user terminal, and at least one terrestrial gateway, includes steps of determining a location and an azimuthal orientation of the user terminal; determining locations of one or more satellites co-visible to the user terminal and to the gateway; determining a signal quality of paths to each satellite co-visible with the gateway; displaying a representation to an operator of the user terminal, the representation depicting at least the orientation of the user terminal, the determined locations of the one or more satellites, and the determined signal qualities for satellites that are in use and those that are not in use; and changing the location of the user terminal in response to the displayed representation. Also, an unattended user terminal located a desired geographical position can generate a map of the sky over a period of time, the map indicating satellite availability at the desired position. The map can subsequently be used by the user terminal and/or the gateway to schedule communications, thereby conserving one or both of system capacity and user terminal battery power.

Claims

1. A method for operating a satellite communications system having a plurality of earth orbiting satellites, at least one terrestrial user terminal, and at least one terrestrial gateway, comprising the steps of:

determining a location and an orientation of the user terminal;

determining locations of one or more satellites co-visible to the user terminal and the gateway;

determining a signal quality of paths to each satellite co-visible with the gateway;

displaying a representation to an operator of the user terminal, the representation depicting at least the orientation of the user terminal, the determined locations of the one or more satellites, and the determined signal qualities; and

changing the location of the user terminal in response to the displayed representation.

2. A method as in claim 1, wherein the step of determining a location of the user terminal includes the steps of:

prompting the operator to input information descriptive of an environment of the user terminal; and

determining the location also in accordance with the information that is inputted by the operator.

3. A method as in claim 1, wherein the step of determining locations of one or more satellites uses a current time and date.

4. A method as in claim 1, wherein the step of determining locations of one or more satellites uses a future time and date.

5. A method as in claim 4, and further comprising a step of:

prompting the operator to input a future time and date; and

determining the locations of the one or more satellites in accordance with the future time and date that is inputted by the operator.

6. A method as in claim 1, wherein the step of determining the locations of the one or more satellites includes a step of determining an elevation angle of each of the one or more satellites relative to the determined location of the user terminal, and wherein the step of displaying also displays a representation of the determined elevation angle.

7. A method as in claim 1, wherein the step of determining locations of one or more satellites employs satellite ephemerides data that is stored in at least one of the user terminal or the gateway.

8. A method as in claim 7, and for the case where the satellite ephemerides data is stored in the user terminal, further comprising an initial step of transferring all or part of the satellite ephemerides data from the gateway to the user terminal through at least one satellite.

9. A method as in claim 1, wherein the step of displaying includes an initial step of transmitting path quality information from the gateway to the user terminal through at least one satellite.

10. A method as in claim 1, wherein the step of displaying includes a step of displaying a graphic presentation of the sky which comprises indications of the location, elevation angle and direction of movement of the co-visible satellites, and also an azimuthal orientation of the user terminal.

11. A method as in claim 1, wherein the step of displaying includes a step of displaying a graphic presentation of the sky which comprises an indication of an obscura region of the sky that is devoid of satellites.

12. A method as in claim 1, wherein the step of displaying includes a step of displaying a representation of satellite paths that are in use by the user terminal, and an indication of the signal quality of those satellite paths that are in use and also those that are not in use.

13. A method as in claim 1, and further comprising preliminary steps of:

positioning the user terminal at a predetermined location; and

operating the user terminal over a period of time so as make a stored record of satellite availability at the predetermined location.

14. A method as in claim 13, and further comprising a step of transmitting the record from the user terminal to the gateway for storage.

15. A method as in claim 14, wherein at least one of the user terminal or the gateway makes a call set-up decision using the stored record, a current time, and a current location of the user terminal.

16. A method for operating a satellite communications system having a plurality of earth orbiting satellites, at least one terrestrial user terminal, and at least one terrestrial gateway, comprising the steps of:

positioning the user terminal at a predetermined location; and

operating the user terminal over a period of time so as make a stored record of satellite availability at the predetermined location.

17. A method as in claim 16, and further comprising a step of transmitting the record from the user terminal to the gateway for storage.

18. A method as in claim 17, wherein at least one of the user terminal or the gateway makes a call set-up decision using the stored record, a current time, and a current location of the user terminal.

19. A method for operating a satellite communications system having a plurality of earth orbiting satellites, at least one terrestrial user terminal, and at least one terrestrial gateway, comprising the steps of:

storing in the user terminal a record of at least one predetermined geographical location from where the user terminal is expected to desire communication, and an indication of satellite availability at the at least one location over a period of time;

transmitting the stored record to the gateway that serves the user terminal for storage in the gateway; and

subsequently establishing communication with the user terminal in accordance with at least one of the stored records.

20. A method as in claim 19, wherein the step of storing in the user terminal includes steps of:

receiving signals from satellites over a sufficiently long period of time to accumulate a record of received signal quality; and

associating the received signal quality record with stored satellites ephemerides data to create a map of the sky with received signal quality associated with positions of the satellites.

21. A method as in claim 20, wherein the step of establishing communication includes steps of:

predicting when satellites will be in positions in the sky providing favorable communications with the user terminal; and

scheduling

scheduling a future communication from the location to coincide with favorable satellite positions in the sky.

22. A method as in claim 21, wherein the step of scheduling includes a step of displaying to an operator of the user terminal at least a time of occurrence of the favorable satellite positions and a duration of the favorable satellite positions.

23. A method as in claim 21, and further comprising a step of storing a queue of messages for later automatic transmission during a time when it is predicted that satellites will be in positions in the sky providing favorable communications with the user terminal.

24. A method as in claim 21, and further comprising a step of initiating at the gateway a communication with the user terminal during a time when it is predicted that satellites will be in positions in the sky providing favorable communications with the user terminal, when the user terminal has registered at the predetermined location.

25. A method as in claim 24, wherein the step of initiating comprises a step of alerting another party that the user terminal will be available for communication at the predicted time.

26. A satellite communications system, comprising:

a plurality of satellites;

at least one terrestrial gateway; and

at least one terrestrial user terminal comprising a transceiver for conducting bidirectional communications with said gateway through at least one satellite of said plurality of satellites;

said system further comprising means for determining a location and an orientation of the user terminal, for determining locations, relative to the location of said user terminal, of one or more satellites that are co-visible to said user terminal and to said gateway, and for determining a signal quality of paths to each satellite that is co-visible with the gateway;

wherein said user terminal further comprises a display for displaying a representation to an operator of the user terminal, the representation depicting at least the determined orientation of the user terminal, the determined locations of the one or more satellites, and the determined signal qualities.

27. A system as in claim 26, wherein said determining means further determines a current elevation angle of each of the one or more satellites relative to the determined location of said user terminal, and wherein said display also displays a representation of the determined elevation angle.

28. A system as in claim 26, wherein said determining means employs satellite ephemerides data that is stored in at least one of said user terminal or said gateway.

29. A system as in claim 26, wherein said display further displays a graphic presentation of the sky which comprises indications of the location, elevation angle and direction of movement of said co-visible satellites, and also an azimuthal orientation of said user terminal.

30. A system as in claim 26, wherein said display further displays a graphic presentation of the sky which comprises an indication of an obscura region of the sky that is devoid of satellites.

31. A system as in claim 26, wherein said display further displays a representation of satellite paths that are in use between said user terminal and one or more satellites, and a representation of a signal quality of those satellite paths that are in use and also those that are not in use.

32. A system as in claim 26, and further comprising:

a controller in said user terminal for operating said user terminal over a period of time at a certain location so as to store a record of satellite availability at the certain location, said controller transmitting the stored record from said user terminal to said gateway for storage, wherein

at least one of said user terminal or said gateway makes a call-related decision using the stored record, a current time, and a current location of the user terminal.

33. A satellite communications system, comprising:

a plurality of satellites;

at least one terrestrial gateway; and

at least one terrestrial user terminal comprising a transceiver for conducting bidirectional communications with said gateway through at least one satellite of said plurality of satellites;

said user terminal further comprising a controller for operating said user terminal over a period of time at a certain location so as to store a record of satellite availability at the certain location, said controller transmitting the stored record from said user terminal to said gateway for storage such that at least one of said user terminal or said gateway makes a call-related decision using the stored record, a current time, and a current location of the user terminal.