Flexible capacity satellite constellation
First Claim
1. A satellite system for use in a multi-satellite constellation for providing a communications network, the multi-satellite constellation comprising a plurality of non-geosynchronous satellites, the system comprising:
- an antenna system comprising a plurality of feeds to generate a plurality of fixed spot beams, including first and second terra-link beams and a cross-link beam;
a bent-pipe pathway associated with the plurality of fixed spot beams;
a memory coupled with the bent-pipe pathway and having a pathway configuration schedule stored thereon; and
a pathway configuration system to sequentially configure the bent-pipe pathway in each of a plurality of timeslots to form a signal path between a selected pair of the fixed spot beams via corresponding feeds of the plurality of feeds according to the pathway configuration schedule to account for movement of the multi-satellite constellation over time with respect to a plurality of terrestrial terminals according to the pathway configuration schedule,such that the bent-pipe pathway is configured in a first timeslot to establish connectivity between the first and second terra-link beams, and the bent-pipe pathway is configured in a second timeslot to establish connectivity between the first terra-link beam and the cross-link beam.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Embodiments provide in-flight configuration of satellite pathways to flexibly service terra-link and cross-link traffic in a constellation of non-processed satellites, for example, to facilitate flexible forward-channel and return-channel capacity in a satellite communications system. For example, each satellite in the constellation can include one or more dynamically configurable pathway, and switching and/or beamforming can be used to configure each pathway to be a forward-channel pathway or a return-channel pathway in each of a number of timeslots according to a pathway configuration schedule. At least some of the pathways can be further selectively configured, in each timeslot, to carry “terra-link” traffic to and/or from terrestrial terminals and “cross-link” traffic to and/or from one or more other satellites of the constellation.
236 Citations
30 Claims
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1. A satellite system for use in a multi-satellite constellation for providing a communications network, the multi-satellite constellation comprising a plurality of non-geosynchronous satellites, the system comprising:
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an antenna system comprising a plurality of feeds to generate a plurality of fixed spot beams, including first and second terra-link beams and a cross-link beam; a bent-pipe pathway associated with the plurality of fixed spot beams; a memory coupled with the bent-pipe pathway and having a pathway configuration schedule stored thereon; and a pathway configuration system to sequentially configure the bent-pipe pathway in each of a plurality of timeslots to form a signal path between a selected pair of the fixed spot beams via corresponding feeds of the plurality of feeds according to the pathway configuration schedule to account for movement of the multi-satellite constellation over time with respect to a plurality of terrestrial terminals according to the pathway configuration schedule, such that the bent-pipe pathway is configured in a first timeslot to establish connectivity between the first and second terra-link beams, and the bent-pipe pathway is configured in a second timeslot to establish connectivity between the first terra-link beam and the cross-link beam. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A method for scheduled connectivity switching in a non-geosynchronous satellite of a multi-satellite constellation, the method comprising:
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first configuring a pathway of the satellite to form a bent-pipe signal path that establishes connectivity between a first terra-link beam and a second terra-link beam in a first timeslot according to a pathway configuration schedule stored in memory of the satellite, the satellite having an antenna comprising a plurality of feeds to generate a plurality of fixed spot beams including the first and second terra-link beams and a cross-link beam; and second configuring the pathway to form a bent-pipe signal path that establishes connectivity between the first terra-link beam and the cross-link beam in a second timeslot according to the pathway configuration schedule to account for movement of the multi-satellite constellation over time with respect to a plurality of terrestrial terminals according to the pathway configuration schedule. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
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Specification