Automated ground system with telemetry initiated command assistance

• US 6,597,892 B1
• Filed: 04/18/2000
• Issued: 07/22/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 04/18/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: Ses Americom
• Inventors: Taylor, Christopher, Schramm, John Philip, Nowak, Thomas G., Caldwell, Winfield A. III, Moscatiello, Kevin J., Massaro, Anthony W., White, Henry H., Pritchard, Michael E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Trost, William
• Assistant Examiner(s): TORRES, MARCOS L
• Application Number:
  US09/551,732
• Time in Patent Office: 1,190 Days
• Field of Search: 455/11.1, 455/12.1, 455/13.1, 455/427, 455/426, 370/241, 714/134, 340/870-1-8
• US Class Current: 455/12.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18519 Operations control, administration or maintenance

Abstract

A ground-control system for a fleet of satellites provides a highly reliable means that automatically recognizes undesirable telemetry state changes and automatically transmits the required commands to the proper satellite to place the satellite operational parameters into the desired state. The ground-control system utilizes hardware, software and two redundant ground-control sites: a Control site and a Monitor site. There may also be a number of disabled sites to replace one of the redundant ground-control sites, at a moment'"'"'s notice, if necessary. Both redundant sites constantly and independently monitor and verify validity of satellite telemetry. Upon occurrence of an undesired state change (event) upon a particular satellite, ground-control computers at both sites independently recognize the event and automatically begin a response. The control site computer verifies no critical satellite on-board commanding is scheduled to take place, discontinues interruptible activities, directs the monitor site computer to stop any transmission to the event satellite, switches the RF hardware to access the proper satellite and transmits the required commands. If the control site computer cannot interrupt its own activities, it directs the monitor site computer to verify no critical satellite on-board commanding is scheduled to take place and then discontinues interruptible activities to transmit the required commands. If the monitor site computer cannot interrupt activities, it passes the response back to the control site where the control site computer stores the required commands in the queue until activities can be interrupted for the transmission of the required commands.

Claims

1. A satellite ground-control system for a fleet of at least one satellite that automatically detects database-specified telemetry state changes on monitored satellites in the fleet and transmits required commands to an appropriate satellite in the fleet in order to configure the appropriate satellite'"'"'s operational parameters into a desired state, wherein the system utilizes redundant, geographically-distributed ground-control sites in a network architecture and associated ground-control system software, comprising:

means for maintaining a plurality of Telemetry Initiated Command Assistance (TICA) table databases, each of the TICA table databases corresponding to a ground control site, the TICA table databases containing information related to satellite telemetry, ground station control, values to trigger a command response to the undesirable telemetry state changes referred to as events, said TICA table databases being updateable by an authorized ground-control site;

a first ground-control site independently monitoring satellite telemetry from the fleet of at least one satellite, comprising;

a first TICA Server for responding to undesirable telemetry state changes by selecting pre-defined command sequences to be sent to a satellite in the fleet of at least one satellite;

a first telemetry processing unit ground system process server (TPU GSPServer) for pre-processing telemetry frames comprising points of datum received from the fleet of at least one satellite, the pre-processing of the telemetry frames determining;

satellite identification information, whether datum points are received in an uncorrupted state, whether a datum point is referenced in the corresponding TICA table database, and if so, determining whether an undesirable event has occurred and if so, then sending a TICA event message to the first TICA server;

a first command and ranging generator (CRG) NodeServer providing command priority messages to the first TICA server;

a first primary Video NodeServer, and a first backup Video NodeServer communicating stored on-board commands updates with at least one TICA Server in the ground system;

a second ground-control site independently monitoring satellite telemetry from the fleet of at least one satellite, comprising;

a second TICA Server for responding to undesirable telemetry state changes by generating command messages to be sent to a satellite in the fleet of at least one satellite;

a second telemetry processing unit ground system process server (TPU GSPServer) for pre-processing telemetry frames comprising points of datum received from the fleet of at least one satellite, the pre-processing of the telemetry frames determining;

satellite identification information, whether datum points are received in an uncorrupted state, whether a datum point is referenced in the corresponding TICA table database, and if so, determining whether an undesirable event has occurred and if so, then sending a TICA event message to the second TICA server;

a second command and ranging generator (CRG) NodeServer providing command priority messages to the first and second TICA server;

a second primary Video NodeServer, and a second backup Video NodeServer communicating stored on-board commands updates with at least one TICA Server in the ground system,

wherein one of the TICA Servers of the first and second TICA Servers is designated a Control TICA Server and the other TICA server is designated as a Monitor TICA server, the Control and Monitor TICA servers communicating update information between them, and the Control TICA server responding to TICA events, as necessary, but when the Control TICA server is busy, directing the Monitor TICA server to respond to selected TICA event messages.

2. A system as recited in claim 1, further comprising a CommonServer for maintaining shared data including stored on-board commands, the shared data being accessible by the TICA Server, the CommonServer receiving instantaneous stored on-board commands updates, wherein the TICA Servers receive periodic stored on-board commands updates from a Video NodeServer.

3. A system as recited in claim 1, wherein each Video NodeServer is capable of polling other Video NodeServers in real-time to obtain updated information corresponding to on-board commands, thereby mitigating lost data due to downtime, restarts or database updates and initialization.

4. A system as recited in claim 1, wherein the first ground-control site further comprises a first SwitchServer for receiving messages from the first TICA Server to control signal transmission equipment, the first SwitchServer establishing a signal path to enable sending command sequences to the proper satellite in the fleet of at least one satellite, and

wherein the second ground-control site further comprises a second SwitchServer for receiving messages from the second TICA Server to control signal transmission equipment, the second SwitchServer establishing a signal path to enable sending command sequences to the proper satellite in the fleet of at least one satellite, and

wherein the fleet comprises more than one satellite.

5. A ground system as recited in claim 1, further comprising at least one additional ground-control site independently monitoring satellite telemetry from the fleet of at least one satellite, wherein the at least one additional ground-control site is designated as disabled in the corresponding TICA table database and does not process TICA events until the corresponding TICA table database is modified to identify the at least one additional ground-control site as either Control or Monitor site for a satellite in the fleet of at least one satellite.

6. A system as recited in claim 5, wherein the first ground-control site further comprises a first SwitchServer for receiving messages from the first TICA Server to control signal transmission equipment, the first SwitchServer establishing a signal path to enable sending command sequences to the proper satellite in the fleet of at least one satellite, and

wherein the second ground-control site further comprises a second SwitchServer for receiving messages from the second TICA Server to control signal transmission equipment, the second SwitchServer establishing a signal path to enable sending command sequences to the proper satellite in the fleet of at least one satellite, and

wherein the at least one additional ground-control site further comprises a further SwitchServer for receiving messages from a corresponding TICA Server to control signal transmission equipment, the further SwitchServer establishing a signal path to enable sending command sequences to the proper satellite in the fleet of at least one satellite,

wherein the fleet comprises more than one satellite.

7. A satellite ground-control system for a fleet of at least one satellite that automatically detects database-specified telemetry state changes on monitored satellites in the fleet and transmits required commands to an appropriate satellite in the fleet in order to configure the appropriate satellite'"'"'s operational parameters into a desired state, wherein the system utilizes redundant, geographically-distributed ground-control sites in a network architecture and associated ground-control system software, comprising:

means for maintaining a plurality of Table databases, each of the Table databases corresponding to a ground control site, the plurality of Table databases containing information related to satellite telemetry, ground station control, values to trigger a command response to undesirable telemetry state changes referred to as events, said plurality of Table databases being updateable by an authorized ground-control site;

a first ground-control site independently monitoring satellite telemetry from the fleet of at least one satellite, comprising;

a first responding means for responding to undesirable telemetry state changes by selecting pre-defined command sequences to be sent to a satellite in the fleet of at least one satellite;

a first telemetry processing means for pre-processing telemetry frames comprising points of datum received from the fleet of at least one satellite, the pre-processing of the telemetry frames determining;

satellite identification information, whether datum points are received in an uncorrupted state, whether a datum point is referenced in the corresponding Table database, and if so, determining whether an undesirable event has occurred and if so, then sending an event message to the first responding means;

a first command priority message providing means for providing command priority messages to the first responding means;

a first updating means for communicating stored on-board command updates with at least one responding means in the ground system; and

a second ground-control site independently monitoring satellite telemetry from the fleet of at least one satellite, comprising;

a second responding means for responding to undesirable telemetry by generating command messages to be sent to a satellite in the fleet of at least one satellite;

a second telemetry processing means for pre-processing telemetry frames comprising points of datum received from the fleet of at least one satellite, the pre-processing of the telemetry flames determining;

satellite identification information, whether datum points are received in an uncorrupted state, whether a datum point is referenced in the corresponding Table database, and if so, determining whether an undesirable event has occurred and if so, then sending an event message to the second responding means;

a second command priority message providing means for providing command priority messages to the second responding means;

a second updating means for communicating stored on-board command updates with at least one responding means in the ground system,

wherein one of the ground-control sites of the first and second ground-control sites is designated a Control site and the other ground-control site is designated as a Monitor site, the Control and Monitor sites communicating update information between them, and the Control site responding to events via the corresponding responding means, as necessary, but when the Control site responding means is busy, directing the Monitor site responding means to respond to selected event messages.

8. A system as recited in claim 7, wherein said means for maintaining a plurality of Table database further comprises:

at least one graphic user interface (GUI) enabling an operator at the authorized ground-control site to enter new values for Table parameters, add records, delete records and modify records to the corresponding Table database; and

means for distributing changes made to the corresponding Table database to all Table databases in the satellite ground-control system, thereby ensuring that all Table databases comprise identical data.

9. A method for satellite ground-control of a fleet of at least one satellite that automatically detects database-specified telemetry state changes on monitored satellites in the fleet and transmits required commands to an appropriate satellite in the fleet in order to configure the appropriate satellite'"'"'s operational parameters into a desired state, wherein the system utilizes redundant, geographically-distributed ground-control sites in a network architecture and associated ground-control system software, said method comprising the steps of:

monitoring selected telemetry points from the selected satellites by both a control site and a monitor site of the geographically-distributed ground-control sites;

determining by both the control site and the monitor site whether an undesirable telemetry state change referred to as an event has been received in the monitoring step from a satellite in the fleet of at least one satellite by comparing the received telemetry with parameters stored in a corresponding database, the corresponding database for each ground site comprising identical data and being accessible by the other ground sites via an updating means, and if an event has been received, then automatically;

(a) verifying by the control site that no critical satellite on-board commanding of the satellite from which the event was received is scheduled to interfere with a predefined corrective sequence of commands;

(b) discontinuing interruptible activities of the satellite from which the event was received;

(c) stopping any transmissions from the monitor site to the satellite from which the event was received;

(d) switching an uplink means to transmit to the satellite from which the event was received, if the fleet of satellites comprises more than one satellite;

(e) transmitting the corrective sequence of commands to the satellite from which the event was received, thereby configuring the satellite'"'"'s operational parameters into a desired state;

or alternatively, if the control site is unable to interrupt activities being performed by the control site, then

directing the monitor site to perform steps (a), (b), (d) and (e) in place of the control site performing these tasks wherein steps (a) to (e) are performed, but if the monitor site cannot interrupt activities being performed by the monitor site, then

communicating by the monitor site to the control site a “

defer”

status; and

storing by the control site the corrective sequence of commands in a queue until such time that activities of one of the control site and monitor site allow the corrective sequence of commands to be sent by one of the control site and monitor site to the satellite from which the event was received.

10. A method for satellite ground-control of a fleet of at least one satellite, as recited in claim 9, further comprising the steps of:

identifying parameters for selected telemetry points transmitted by selected satellites in the fleet of at least one satellite;

identifying a ground site of the geographically-distributed ground-control sites for designation as a control site for each of the selected telemetry frames;

identifying a ground site of the geographically-distributed ground-control sites for designation as a monitor site for each of the selected telemetry frames; and

generating a “

golden”

database comprising parameters and designations identified in the identifying steps, wherein the “

golden”

database is distributed as a corresponding database to each ground control site, wherein each of the corresponding databases is accessible for read/write by both the control site and the monitor site via an updating means.

11. A method as recited in claim 10, wherein parameters of an event identified in the “

golden”

database comprise;

an unique identifier for the event,

an enable/disable status,

a designated control site,

a designated monitor site,

a telemetry identifier,

a location in a telemetry stream containing the telemetry identifier,

a qualifier and trigger value defining an undesired state corresponding to the telemetry identifier,

an event validation algorithm to allow sophisticated validation schemes,

noise eliminating measures,

a priority level,

identification of time windows, if the telemetry identifier is not enabled at all times, and

re-transmit measures to accommodate queued corrective command sequences.

12. A method as recited in claim 9, wherein a parameter in the “

golden”

database indicates that the corrective sequence is not sent automatically in response to the received event and triggers intervention by an operator prior to transmitting a corrective sequence of commands to the satellite from which the event was received.

13. A method as recites in claim 9, wherein a parameter in the “

golden”

database indicates that the corrective sequence is sent automatically after a time delay in response to the received event, thereby allowing user intervention, if desired.

14. A method as recited in claim 9, wherein with respect to a selected telemetry event corresponding to a selected satellite, a ground site in the network of geographically-distributed ground-control sites may be designated as a control site or monitor site for the selected telemetry event satellite, thereby disabling control and monitoring of a previously designated site for the selected telemetry event satellite.