Position-based communication

• US 9,515,724 B2
• Filed: 02/05/2016
• Issued: 12/06/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/05/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Iridium Satellite Llc (Iridium Communications, Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Iridium Satellite Llc (Iridium Communications, Incorporated)
• Inventors: Thompson, Joel, Chandler, Garrett, Tillet, Daniel
• Primary Examiner(s): SHARMA, SUJATHA R
• Application Number:
  US15/016,808
• Publication Number:
  US 20160233949A1
• Time in Patent Office: 305 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18508 with satellite system used as relay, i.e. aeronautical mobile satellite service
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18545 Arrangements for managing station mobility, i.e. for station registration or localisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/10 Push-to-Talk [PTT] or Push-On-Call services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/60 Subscription-based services using application servers or record carriers, e.g. SIM application toolkits

Abstract

In one implementation, information indicating that a communication device is requesting to enter a dedicated transmission mode in a talkgroup may be received. In addition, information indicating a first position of the communication device may be received. A satellite constellation may be controlled to establish a first channel for communications for the talkgroup within a first beam that has a coverage area including the first position of the communication device. Further, a potential second position of the communication device may be determined. The satellite constellation may be controlled to establish a second channel for communications for the talkgroup within a second beam that has a coverage area including the potential second position of the communication device.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving information indicating that a first communication device is requesting to enter a dedicated transmission mode in a talkgroup;

receiving first information indicating a first position of the first communication device;

controlling a satellite constellation to establish a first communication channel for communications for the talkgroup within a first beam that has a coverage area including the first position of the first communication device;

determining a potential second position of the first communication device; and

controlling the satellite constellation to establish a second communication channel for communications for the talkgroup within a second beam that has a coverage area including the potential second position of the first communication device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving second information indicating a second position of the first communication device;

determining that the coverage area of the second beam includes the second position of the first communication device;

in response to determining that the coverage area of the second beam includes the second position of the first communication device, controlling the satellite constellation to discontinue the first communication channel within the first beam;

determining a potential third position of the first communication device using the first information and the second information; and

controlling the satellite constellation to establish a third communication channel for communications for the talkgroup within a third beam that has a coverage area including the potential third position of the first communication device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the coverage area of the first beam overlaps with the coverage area of the second beam.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving information indicating that the talkgroup is inactive while the first communication channel is established within the first beam and the second communication channel is established within the second beam; and

in response to receiving the information indicating that the talkgroup is inactive, controlling the satellite constellation to discontinue the first communication within the first beam and the second communication channel within the second beam.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving second information indicating a second position of the first communication device;

determining that the coverage area of the second beam does not include the second position of the first communication device; and

controlling the satellite constellation to adjust the second beam to make the coverage area of the second beam include the second position of the first communication device.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

in response to receiving the information indicating that the first communication device is requesting to enter the dedicated transmission mode in the talkgroup, identifying a second communication device that is a member of the talkgroup;

receiving additional information indicating a first position of the second communication device;

controlling the satellite constellation to establish a third communication channel for communications for the talkgroup within a third beam that has a coverage area including the first position of the second communication device;

determining a potential second position of the second communication device; and

controlling the satellite constellation to establish a fourth communication channel for communications for the talkgroup within a fourth beam that has a coverage area including the potential second position of the second communication device.

7. A system comprising:

a plurality of communication devices permitted to participate in a talkgroup, the plurality of communication devices comprising;

a first communication device; and

a second communication device;

a satellite constellation configured to generate a plurality of beams including a plurality of carriers; and

a controller configured to control the satellite constellation,

wherein the first communication device is configured to transmit to the satellite constellation a request to enter a dedicated transmission mode in the talkgroup,

wherein, in response to receiving the request to enter the dedicated transmission mode in the talkgroup, the satellite constellation is configured to transmit to the controller information indicating that the first communication device is requesting to enter the dedicated transmission mode in the talkgroup, and

wherein the controller is configured to;

in response to receiving the information indicating that the first communication device is requesting to enter the dedicated transmission mode in the talkgroup, obtain first information indicating a first position of the second communication device;

control the satellite constellation to establish a first carrier for communications for the talkgroup within a first beam that has a coverage area including the first position of the second communication device;

determine a potential second position of the second communication device; and

control the satellite constellation to establish a second carrier for communications for the talkgroup within a second beam that has a coverage area including the potential second position of the second communication device.

8. The system of claim 7,

wherein at least one of the first carrier and the second carrier periodically carries an instruction to transmit a registration signal,

wherein, in response to receiving the instruction to transmit the registration signal, the second communication device is configured to transmit the registration signal to the satellite constellation, and

wherein the satellite constellation is configured to:

determine a second position of the second communication device using the registration signal received from the second communication device; and

transmit to the controller second information indicating the second position of the second communication device.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the controller is configured to:

determine that the coverage area of the second beam includes the second position of the second communication device;

in response to determining that the coverage area of the second beam includes the second position of the second communication device, control the satellite constellation to discontinue the first carrier within the first beam;

determine a potential third position of the second communication device using the first information and the second information; and

control the satellite constellation to establish a third carrier for communications for the talkgroup within a third beam that has a coverage area including the potential third position of the second communication device.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the controller is configured to:

determine that the coverage area of the second beam does not include the second position of the second communication device; and

control the satellite constellation to adjust the second beam to make the coverage area of the second beam include the second position of the second communication device.

11. The system of claim 7,

wherein the first communication device is disposed in a wide coverage area, the wide coverage area being a fixed geographic area for which one or more satellites of the satellite constellation provide substantially continuous availability for the talkgroup regardless of whether any of the plurality of communication devices are disposed in such geographic area, and

wherein the second communication device is disposed in a tightly-focused coverage area, the tightly-focused coverage area being a geographic area different from the wide coverage area in which one or more satellites of the satellite constellation provide availability for the talkgroup only when at least one of the plurality of communication devices is disposed in such geographic area.

12. The system of claim 7, wherein the controller is configured to:

receive information indicating that the talkgroup is inactive while at least one of the first carrier within the first beam and the second carried within the second beam is established; and

in response to receiving the information indicating that the talkgroup is inactive, control the satellite constellation to discontinue the at least one of the first carrier and the second carrier.

13. The system of claim 7, wherein the controller is configured to:

in response to receiving the information indicating that the first communication device is requesting to enter the dedicated transmission mode in the talkgroup, obtain additional information indicating a first position of the first communication device;

control the satellite constellation to generate a third carrier for communications for the talkgroup within a third beam that has a coverage area including the first position of the first communication device;

determine a potential second position of the first communication device; and

control the satellite constellation to establish a fourth carrier for communications for the talkgroup in a fourth beam that has a coverage area including the potential second position of the first communication device.

14. The system of claim 7, wherein the controller is configured to:

in response to receiving the information indicating that the first communication device is requesting to enter the dedicated transmission mode in the talkgroup, obtain additional information indicating a first position of the first communication device;

determine if the first communication device and the second communication device are disposed within a threshold distance of each other using the first information and the additional information; and

in response to determining that the first communication device and the second communication device are disposed within the threshold distance of each other, control the satellite constellation to adjust the first beam to make the coverage area of the first beam include the first position of the first communication device and the first position of the second communication device.

15. A system comprising:

a processing system; and

a memory configured to store computer-readable instructions that, when executed by the processing system, instruct the processing system to perform processes comprising;

receiving information indicating that a first communication device, which is permitted to participate in a talkgroup, is requesting to enter a dedicated transmission mode in the talkgroup;

in response to receiving the information indicating that the first communication device is requesting to enter the dedicated transmission mode in the talkgroup, identifying a second communication device that is a member of the talkgroup;

in response to identifying the second communication device, obtaining first information indicating a first position of the second communication device;

controlling a satellite constellation to establish a first channel for communications for the talkgroup within a first beam that has a coverage area including the first position of the second communication device;

determining a potential second position of the second communication device; and

controlling the satellite constellation to establish a second channel for communications for the talkgroup within a second beam that has a coverage area including the potential second position of the second communication device.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the computer-readable instructions, when executed by the processing system, instruct the processing system to perform further processes comprising:

receiving second information indicating a second position of the second communication device;

determining that the coverage area of the second beam includes the second position of the second communication device;

in response to determining that the coverage area of the second beam includes the second position of the second communication device, controlling the satellite constellation to discontinue the first communication channel within the first beam;

determining a potential third position of the second communication device using the first information and the second information; and

controlling the satellite constellation to establish a third channel for communications for the talkgroup within a third beam that has a coverage area including the potential third position of the second communication device.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the computer-readable instructions, when executed by the processing system, instruct the processing system to perform further processes comprising:

receiving information indicating that the talkgroup is inactive while at least one of the first channel and the second channel is established; and

in response to receiving the information indicating that the talkgroup is inactive, controlling the satellite constellation to discontinue the at least one of the first channel and the second channel.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the computer-readable instructions, when executed by the processing system, instruct the processing system to perform further processes comprising:

receiving second information indicating a second position of the second communication device;

determining that the coverage area of the second beam does not include the second position of the second communication device; and

controlling the satellite constellation to adjust the second beam to make the coverage area of the second beam include the second position of the second communication device.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein the computer-readable instructions, when executed by the processing system, instruct the processing system to perform further processes comprising:

in response to receiving the information indicating that the first communication device is requesting to enter the dedicated transmission mode in the talkgroup, obtaining additional first information indicating a first position of the first communication device;

controlling the satellite constellation to establish a third channel for communications for the talkgroup within a third beam that has a coverage area including the first position of the first communication device;

determining a potential second position of the first communication device; and

controlling the satellite constellation to establish a fourth channel for communications for the talkgroup within a fourth beam that has a coverage area including the potential second position of the first communication device.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein the coverage area of the first beam overlaps with the coverage area of the second beam.