EPFD coverage for NGSO satellites

• US 9,585,150 B2
• Filed: 09/24/2015
• Issued: 02/28/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/20/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Marsh, Gene Wesley, Wu, Qiang, Black, Peter John, Vassilovski, Dan, Gurelli, Mehmet Izzet
• Primary Examiner(s): Aminzay, Shaima Q
• Application Number:
  US14/864,791
• Publication Number:
  US 20160278064A1
• Time in Patent Office: 523 Days
• Field of Search: 455/3.02, 455/1, 455/3.3, 455/3.01, 455/9, 455/12.1, 455/12.3, 455/13.4, 455/427, 455/414.1, 455/456.1, 244/158.4, 244/158.6
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/185 Space-based or airborne stations; Stations for satellite systemsH04B7/204 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18513 Transmission in a satellite or space-based system
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18539 Arrangements for managing radio, resources, i.e. for establishing or releasing a connection
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/2041 Spot beam multiple access
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/243 taking into account interferences
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/046 the resource being in the space domain, e.g. beams

Abstract

A method and apparatus for operating one or more satellites in a non-geosynchronous orbit (NGSO) satellite constellation are disclosed. In some aspects, a coverage area on Earth for a first beam transmitted from a first satellite in the NGSO satellite constellation may be determined, a cone may be projected onto a first region of the beam coverage area, a second region of the beam coverage area may be defined as including portions of the beam coverage area lying outside the first region, and a minimum arc angle for each of a plurality of points within the first region but not the second region of the beam coverage area may be determined.

Claims

1. A method for operating one or more satellites in a non-geosynchronous orbit (NGSO) satellite constellation, the method comprising:

determining a coverage area on Earth for a first beam transmitted from a first satellite in the NGSO satellite constellation;

projecting a cone onto a first region of the beam coverage area, the first region of the beam coverage area corresponding to an area on the Earth'"'"'s surface for which a power flux density (PFD) is greater than a threshold PFD level;

defining a second region of the beam coverage area as including portions of the beam coverage area lying outside the first region, the second region of the beam coverage area not interfering with geosynchronous orbit (GSO) satellite communications; and

determining a minimum arc angle for each of a plurality of points within the first region but not the second region of the beam coverage area.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first region of the beam coverage area corresponds to an area on the Earth'"'"'s surface for which the first beam'"'"'s antenna gain is within a threshold value of the first beam'"'"'s maximum antenna gain, and the second region of the beam coverage area does not interfere with geosynchronous orbit (GSO) satellite communications.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

for a selected one of the plurality of points within the first region,

comparing the determined minimum arc angle for the selected point with a threshold angle; and

selectively disabling the first beam based at least in part on the comparing.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the selectively disabling comprises:

disabling the first beam based on the determined minimum arc angle being less than the threshold angle; and

selecting another point of the plurality of points based on the determined minimum arc angle being not less than the threshold angle.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the selectively disabling comprises:

enabling the first beam based on the determined minimum arc angle being greater than or equal to the threshold angle for each of the plurality of points within the first region.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

reducing a power level of the first beam based on the determined minimum arc angle being less than a threshold angle.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

modifying a shape or size of the first beam based on the determined minimum arc angle being less than a threshold angle.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

redirecting the first beam to another coverage area on Earth based on the determined minimum arc angle being less than a threshold angle, the minimum arc angles associated with the other coverage area being greater than or equal to the threshold angle.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

based on the determined minimum arc angle being less than a threshold angle,

disabling the first beam; and

directing a second beam, transmitted from a second satellite in the NGSO satellite constellation, to one or more portions of the coverage area associated with the first beam.

10. An apparatus for operating one or more satellites in a non-geosynchronous orbit (NGSO) satellite constellation, the apparatus comprising:

means for determining a coverage area on Earth for a first beam transmitted from a first satellite in the NGSO satellite constellation;

means for projecting a cone onto a first region of the beam coverage are, the first region of the beam coverage area corresponding to an area on the Earth'"'"'s surface for which a power flux density (PFD) is greater than a threshold PFD level;

means for defining a second region of the beam coverage area as including portions of the beam coverage area lying outside the first region, the second region of the beam coverage area not interfering with geosynchronous orbit (GSO) satellite communications; and

means for determining a minimum arc angle for each of a plurality of points within the first region but not the second region of the beam coverage area.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the first region of the beam coverage area corresponds to an area on the Earth'"'"'s surface for which the first beam'"'"'s antenna gain is within a threshold value of the first beam'"'"'s maximum antenna gain.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, further comprising:

for a selected one of the plurality of points within the first region,

means for comparing the determined minimum arc angle for the selected point with a threshold angle; and

means for selectively disabling the first beam based at least in part on the comparing.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the means for selectively disabling is to:

disable the first beam based on the determined minimum arc angle being less than the threshold angle; and

select another point of the plurality of points based on the determined minimum arc angle being not less than the threshold angle.

14. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the means for selectively disabling is to enable the first beam based on the determined minimum arc angle being greater than or equal to the threshold angle for each of the plurality of points within the first region.

15. The apparatus of claim 10, further comprising:

means for redirecting the first beam to another coverage area on Earth based on the determined minimum arc angle being less than a threshold angle, the minimum arc angles associated with the other coverage area being greater than or equal to the threshold angle.

16. The apparatus of claim 10, further comprising:

based on the determined minimum arc angle being less than a threshold angle,

means for disabling the first beam; and

means for directing a second beam, transmitted from a second satellite in the NGSO satellite constellation, to one or more portions of the coverage area associated with the first beam.

17. An apparatus for operating one or more satellites in a non-geosynchronous orbit (NGSO) satellite constellation, the apparatus comprising:

one or more processors; and

a memory storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the apparatus to;

determine a coverage area on Earth for a first beam transmitted from a first satellite in the NGSO satellite constellation;

project a cone onto a first region of the beam coverage area, the first region of the beam coverage area corresponding to an area on the Earth'"'"'s surface for which a power flux density (PFD) is greater than a threshold PFD level;

define a second region of the beam coverage area as including portions of the beam coverage area lying outside the first region, the second region of the beam coverage area not interfering with geosynchronous orbit (GSO) satellite communications; and

determine a minimum arc angle for each of a plurality of points within the first region but not the second region of the beam coverage area.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the first region of the beam coverage area corresponds to an area on the Earth'"'"'s surface for which the first beam'"'"'s antenna gain is within a threshold value of the first beam'"'"'s maximum antenna gain.

19. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein execution of the instructions causes the apparatus to further:

for a selected one of the plurality of points within the first region,

compare the determined minimum arc angle for the selected point with a threshold angle; and

selectively disable the first beam based at least in part on the comparing.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein execution of the instructions to selectively disable the first beam causes the apparatus to:

disable the first beam based on the determined minimum arc angle being less than the threshold angle; and

select another point of the plurality of points based on the determined minimum arc angle being not less than the threshold angle.

21. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein execution of the instructions to selectively disable the first beam causes the apparatus to:

enable the first beam based on the determined minimum arc angle being greater than or equal to the threshold angle for each of the plurality of points within the first region.

22. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein execution of the instructions causes the apparatus to further:

redirect the first beam to another coverage area on Earth based on the determined minimum arc angle being less than a threshold angle, the minimum arc angles associated with the other coverage area being greater than or equal to the threshold angle.

23. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein execution of the instructions causes the apparatus to further:

based on the determined minimum arc angle being less than a threshold angle,

disable the first beam; and

direct a second beam, transmitted from a second satellite in the NGSO satellite constellation, to one or more portions of the coverage area associated with the first beam.

24. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of an apparatus, cause the apparatus to perform operations comprising:

determining a coverage area on Earth for a first beam transmitted from a first satellite in a non-geosynchronous orbit (NGSO) satellite constellation;

projecting a cone onto a first region of the beam coverage area, the first region of the beam coverage area corresponding to an area on the Earth'"'"'s surface for which a power flux density (PFD) is greater than a threshold PFD level;

defining a second region of the beam coverage area as including portions of the beam coverage area lying outside the first region, the second region of the beam coverage area not interfering with geosynchronous orbit (GSO) satellite communications; and

determining a minimum arc angle for each of a plurality of points within the first region but not the second region of the beam coverage area.

25. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 24, wherein the first region of the beam coverage area corresponds to an area on the Earth'"'"'s surface for which the first beam'"'"'s antenna gain is within a threshold value of the first beam'"'"'s maximum antenna gain.

26. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 24, wherein execution of the instructions causes the apparatus to perform operations further comprising:

for a selected one of the plurality of points within the first region,

comparing the determined minimum arc angle for the selected point with a threshold angle; and

selectively disabling the first beam based at least in part on the comparing.

27. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 26, wherein execution of the instructions for selectively disabling the first beam causes the apparatus to perform operations further comprising:

disabling the first beam based on the determined minimum arc angle being less than the threshold angle; and

selecting another point of the plurality of points based on the determined minimum arc angle being not less than the threshold angle.

28. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 24, wherein execution of the instructions causes the apparatus to perform operations further comprising:

redirecting the first beam to another coverage area on Earth based on the determined minimum arc angle being less than a threshold angle, the minimum arc angles associated with the other coverage area being greater than or equal to the threshold angle.

29. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 24, wherein execution of the instructions causes the apparatus to perform operations further comprising:

based on the determined minimum arc angle being less than a threshold angle,

disabling the first beam; and

directing a second beam, transmitted from a second satellite in the NGSO satellite constellation, to one or more portions of the coverage area associated with the first beam.