Artificial satellite with an orbit having a long staying time in a zenith direction, an orbit control method and a communication system therewith

• US 6,328,264 B1
• Filed: 09/29/2000
• Issued: 12/11/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 05/21/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Ito, Masahiro, Nakamura, Shigeki, Ikeda, Masahiko, Yabutani, Takashi, Maeda, Toshihide, Owada, Masataka, Hamano, Nobuo, Yoshida, Tomiharu
• Primary Examiner(s): ELDRED, JOHN W
• Application Number:
  US09/672,062
• Time in Patent Office: 438 Days
• Field of Search: 244/158.R, 455/12.1, 455/13.1, 455/13.2, 342/352, 342/356
• US Class Current: 244/158.4
• CPC Class Codes: B64G 1/1007 Communications satellites
• CPC Class Codes: B64G 1/1085 Swarms and constellations
• CPC Class Codes: B64G 1/242 Orbits and trajectories
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18539 Arrangements for managing radio, resources, i.e. for establishing or releasing a connection

Abstract

A communication system, wherein plural elliptical orbits in which an apogee is located on a specified service area are so defined that an individual right ascension of north-bound node may be established with a designated angle. A satellite is made to travel on an individual elliptical orbit and a group of satellites to be arranged on said elliptical orbits are used so that at least one of artificial satellites having a communication system may be always viewable within a pre-defined range of ascending vertical angle in a zenith direction from the service area.

Claims

1. A communication system, wherein

plural individual elliptical orbits in which an apogee is located on a specified service area are so defined that an individual right ascension of a north-bound node is established with a designated angle;

an artificial satellite is made to travel on a respective ones of said plural individual elliptical orbit; and

a group of artificial satellites arranged on respective ones of said plural individual elliptical orbits are used so that at least one of the artificial satellites having a communication system is always viewable within a pre-defined range of operational elevational angle in a zenith direction from said service area, and that said group of artificial satellites are on respective orbits obtained by combining an inclination angle and an eccentricity squared of said individual elliptical orbit so that a right ascension of north-bound node is a designated angle and that a time period during which an respective ones of said group of artificial satellites is viewable from ground is substantially identical.

2. A communication system, wherein

plural individual elliptical orbits in which an apogee is located on a specified service area are so defined that individual orbital planes of said individual elliptical orbits are established with a designated angle;

an artificial satellite is made to travel on a respective ones of said plural individual elliptical orbits; and

a group of artificial satellites arranged on respective ones of said plural individual elliptical orbits are used so that at least one of the artificial satellites having any one of communication systems is always viewable within a pre-defined range of operational elevational angle in a zenith direction from said service area, and that said group of artificial satellites is on respective orbits obtained by combining an inclination angle and an eccentricity squared of said elliptical orbit so that a right ascension of a north-bound node is a designated angle and that a time period during which respective ones of said group of artificial satellites is viewable from ground is substantially identical.

3. A communication system, wherein

plural elliptical orbits are defined, in which their apogees are located on a specified service area and their trajectories mapped on the ground are substantially identical to one another;

and

a group of artificial satellites are used so that a single artificial satellite traveling on an elliptical orbit having 12-hours or 24-hours period is located exclusively on an individual orbit;

at least one artificial satellite is located on an elliptical orbit so that a right ascension of a north-bound node of individual orbits is shifted by an angle equivalent to a division of 360 degree by the number of satellites, and that at least one artificial satellite having a communication system is viewable at an angle position larger than a maximum elevation angle with which a geostationary satellite is viewed from said service area; and

that

when one of the artificial satellites is located at a perigee on its orbit, a true anomaly of another of the artificial satellites is defined to be shifted by an angle equivalent to a division of its time period by the number of satellites, wherein

said group of artificial satellites are located on respective orbits obtained by combining any of an elliptical inclination angle and an eccentricity squared of the plural elliptical orbits so that their duration time while which they are viewable from the ground is substantially identical to one another.

4. A communication system of claim 3, wherein said service area is defined one of by a latitude and a longitude of northernmost, southernmost, westernmost and easternmost points of a corresponding service area, and by a latitude and a longitude of corner points of a polygon, other than said four points, including a whole of said service area in case that a part of said service area is not included in a rectangle with said corners points.

5. A communication system of claim 3, wherein said service area is a represented by land delimiting Japan.

6. A communication system of claim 3, wherein said service area is located in an area between a north latitude of approximately 70 degrees and a south latitude of approximately 70 degrees in the whole world.

7. A communication system of claim 3, wherein said service area is located in an area between a north latitude of approximately 85 degrees and a south latitude of approximately 85 degrees in the whole world.

8. A communication system of claim 3, wherein said group of artificial satellites include at least three of said artificial satellites.

9. A communication system of claim 4, wherein said group of artificial satellites include at least three of said artificial satellites.

10. A communication system of claim 5, wherein said group of artificial satellites include at least three or four of said artificial satellites.

11. A communication system of claim 6, wherein said group of artificial satellites include at least three or four of said artificial satellites.

12. A communication system of claim 7, wherein said group of artificial satellites include at least three or four of said artificial satellites.

13. A communication system communicating with a group of artificial satellites, wherein

plural individual elliptical orbits in which an apogee is located on a specified service area are so defined that an individual right ascension of a north-bound node is established with a designated angle;

an artificial satellite travels on a respective ones of said plural individual elliptical orbits; and

at least one of the artificial satellites having a communication system is always viewable within a predefined range of operational elevational angle in a zenith direction from said service area, and said group of artificial satellites are on respective orbits obtained by combining an inclination angle and an eccentricity squared of said elliptical orbit so that a right ascension of a north-bound node is a designated angle and that a time period during which respective ones of said group of artificial satellites is viewable from ground is substantially identical.

14. A communication system communicating with a group of artificial satellites, wherein

plural individual elliptical orbits in which an apogee is located on a specified service area are so defined that individual orbital planes of said elliptical orbits is established with a designated angle;

an artificial satellite travels on a respective one of said plural individual elliptical orbits; and

at least one of the artificial satellites having a communication system is always viewable within a pre-defined range of operational elevational angle in a zenith direction from said service area, and said group of artificial satellites are on respective orbits obtained by combining an inclination angle and an eccentricity squared of said elliptical orbit so that a right ascension of a north-bound node is a designated angle and that a time period during which respective ones of said group of artificial satellites is viewable from ground is substantially identical.

15. A communication system, communicating with a group of artificial satellites, wherein

plural elliptical orbits are defined, in which their apogees are located on a specified service area and their trajectories mapped on the ground are substantially identical to one another;

and

a group of artificial satellites are used so that a single artificial satellite traveling on an elliptical orbit having 12-hours or 24-hours period is located exclusively on an individual orbit;

at least one artificial satellite is located on an elliptical orbit so that a right ascension of a north-bound node of individual orbits is shifted by an angle equivalent to a division of 360 degree by the number of satellites, and that at least one artificial satellite having a communication system is viewable at an angle position larger than a maximum elevation angle with which a geostationary satellite is viewed from said service area; and

that

when one of the artificial satellites is located at a perigee on its orbit, a true anomaly of another of the artificial satellites is defined to be shifted by an angle equivalent to a division of its time period by the number of satellites, wherein said group of artificial satellites are located on respective orbits obtained by combining any of an elliptical inclination angle and an eccentricity squared of the plural elliptical orbits so that their duration time while which they are viewable from the ground are substantially identical to one another.

16. A communication system of claim 15, wherein said service area is defined one of by a latitude and a longitude of northernmost, southernmost, westernmost and easternmost points of a corresponding service area, and by a latitude and a longitude of corner points of a polygon, other than said four points, including a whole of said service area in case that a part of said service area is not included in a rectangle with said corners points.

17. A communication system of claim 15, wherein said service area is represented by land delimiting Japan.

18. A communication system of claim 15, wherein said service area is located in an area between a north latitude of approximately 70 degrees and a south latitude of approximately 70 degrees in the whole world.

19. A communication system of claim 15, wherein said service area is located in an area between a north latitude of approximately 85 degrees and a south latitude of approximately 85 degrees in the whole world.

20. A communication system of claim 15, wherein said group of artificial satellites includes at least three of said artificial satellites.

21. A communication system of claim 16, wherein said group of artificial satellites includes at least three of said artificial satellites.

22. A communication system of claim 17, wherein said group of artificial satellites includes at least three of said artificial satellites.

23. A communication system of claim 18, wherein said group of artificial satellites includes at least three of said artificial satellites.

24. A communication system of claim 19, wherein said group of artificial satellites include at least three or four of said artificial satellites.