System and method for multiple layer satellite communication
First Claim
1. A communication system, comprising:
- a first constellation of satellites traveling in an inclined orbit and operable to communicate with earth-based user terminals over respective radio frequency (RF) links;
a processor operable to monitor separation angles between beams of said first constellation of satellites and a GSO beam and maintain each of the separation angles by at least a selected number of degrees by temporarily tilting at least some satellites in the first constellation of satellites to move the beams of the respective RF links away from the GSO beam to avoid an interference with the GSO beam without deviating from the inclined orbit; and
a second constellation of satellites traveling in an inclined orbit at a higher altitude than the first constellation and operable to communicate with selected satellites in said first constellation over respective optical communication links.
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Abstract
A system and method are disclosed that may include a system and method for transmitting user data from an initial satellite in a first constellation located conveniently to an origination user terminal to a destination satellite in the first constellation located conveniently to a destination user terminal, the method including transmitting the user data over an optical link from the initial satellite in the first constellation to a first satellite within a second satellite constellation; conveying the user data over an optical link from the first satellite in the second constellation to a second satellite in the second constellation; and receiving the user data from the second satellite in the second constellation at the destination satellite in the first constellation.
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Citations
30 Claims
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1. A communication system, comprising:
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a first constellation of satellites traveling in an inclined orbit and operable to communicate with earth-based user terminals over respective radio frequency (RF) links; a processor operable to monitor separation angles between beams of said first constellation of satellites and a GSO beam and maintain each of the separation angles by at least a selected number of degrees by temporarily tilting at least some satellites in the first constellation of satellites to move the beams of the respective RF links away from the GSO beam to avoid an interference with the GSO beam without deviating from the inclined orbit; and a second constellation of satellites traveling in an inclined orbit at a higher altitude than the first constellation and operable to communicate with selected satellites in said first constellation over respective optical communication links. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A communications system comprising:
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a first satellite constellation in orbit around the earth and operable to communicate with a plurality of user terminals on the earth over radio frequency (RF) links; a processor operable to monitor separation angles between beams of said first satellite constellation and a GSO beam and maintain each of the separation angles by at least a selected number of degrees by temporarily tilting at least some satellites in the first satellite constellation beams of the respective RF links away from the GSO beam to avoid an interference with the GSO beam; and a second satellite constellation operable to provide a high-speed communication trunk line between a data-path origination satellite and a data-path destination satellite within said first satellite constellation. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. The communication system of 11 where the satellites of the first constellation include the ability to route traffic between two individual user terminals without passing the data traffic to a satellite in the second constellation.
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17. A method for transmitting user data from an initial satellite in a first constellation to a destination satellite in the first constellation, the method comprising the steps of:
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(a) transmitting the user data from the first-constellation initial satellite to a first satellite in a second constellation, the second constellation having a different orbit altitude than that of the first constellation, the first and second constellations both including a plurality of satellites and both having non-geostationary orbits; (b) identifying a second satellite in the second constellation that is most suitable for communication with the first-constellation destination satellite; (c) transmitting the user data from the first satellite in the second constellation to the identified second satellite in the second constellation; (d) transmitting the user data from the second satellite in the second constellation to the first-constellation destination satellite; and (e) monitoring separation angles between beams of said first constellation of satellites and a GSO beam and maintaining each of the separation angles by at least a selected number of degrees by temporarily tilting at least some satellites in the first constellation of satellites to move the beams of the respective RF links away from the GSO beam to avoid an interference with the GSO beam. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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23. A method for transmitting user data from an initial satellite in a first constellation located conveniently to an origination user terminal to a destination satellite in the first constellation located conveniently to a destination user terminal, the method comprising the steps of:
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transmitting the user data over an optical link from the initial satellite in the first constellation to a first satellite within a second satellite constellation; conveying the user data over an optical link from the first satellite in the second constellation to a second satellite in the second constellation; receiving the user data from the second satellite in the second constellation at the destination satellite in the first constellation; and monitoring separation angles between beams of said first constellation of satellites and a GSO beam and maintaining each of the separation angles by at least a selected number of degrees by temporarily tilting at least some satellites in the first constellation of satellites to move the beams of the respective RF links away from the GSO beam to avoid an interference with the GSO beam. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
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Specification