SATELLITE SYSTEM WITH ROLLING WAVE HANDOVERS

• US 20180097561A1
• Filed: 07/23/2016
• Published: 04/05/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/23/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Maxar Space LLC (Galileo Parent, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Space Systems/Loral Incorporated (Loral Space and Communications Incorporated)
• Inventors: Wharton, Anne E., Turner, Andrew E.
• Granted Patent: US 10,225,002 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18523 Satellite systems for providing broadcast service to terrestrial stations, i.e. broadcast satellite service arrangements specially adapted for satellite broadcast receiving H04H40/90; picture transmission via satellite H04N1/00103; television transmission via satellite H04N7/20
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18541 for handover of resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18584 Arrangements for data networking, i.e. for data packet routing, for congestion control data switching networks H04L12/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/2041 Spot beam multiple access
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/13 Cell handover without a predetermined boundary, e.g. virtual cells
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/14 Reselecting a network or an air interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/06 Airborne or Satellite Networks space-based or airborne stations H04B7/185

Abstract

A constellation of non-geosynchronous satellites are in a common orbit. Each time one of the satellites is at a trigger location, a new rolling wave of handovers is started that includes performing handovers of a group of dependent spot beams between adjacent satellites in sequence for pairs of adjacent satellites in a single direction around the orbit.

Claims

1. A satellite system, comprising:

a plurality of satellites adapted to be in a common orbit and to implement handovers of beams between adjacent satellites in sequence for pairs of adjacent satellites in a single direction around the orbit.

2. A satellite system according to claim 1, wherein:

the handovers of beams include handovers of all communication beams together per satellite.

3. A satellite system according to claim 1, wherein:

the handovers of beams include handovers of all steerable communication beams together per satellite.

4. A satellite system according to claim 1, wherein:

each satellite includes only steerable beams; and

the handovers of beams include concurrent handovers of all steerable beams per satellite.

5. A satellite system according to claim 1, wherein:

the satellites are non-geosynchronous satellites; and

the plurality of satellites are configured such that each time one of the satellites is at a trigger location, a new rolling wave of handovers is started that includes performing handovers of a group of dependent spot beams between adjacent satellites in sequence for pairs of adjacent satellites in the single direction around the orbit.

6. A satellite system according to claim 1, wherein:

the plurality of satellites include a first satellite and a second satellite;

the orbit is divided into zones with gaps between the zones;

the first satellite is configured to point all of its beams of a group of beams at ground locations associated with zone A+1;

the first satellite is configured to move into zone A+1 from a gap between zone A and zone A+1 while the second satellite is in zone A+1;

the second satellite is configured to concurrently hand over all beams of its group of beams to the first satellite while the first satellite and the second satellite are in zone A+1;

the second satellite is configured to move out of zone A+1 into a gap between zone A+1 and zone A+2; and

the first satellite is configured to update pointing of its beams of the group of beams while the first satellite traverses zone A+1 and maintains communication with ground terminals using its beams of the group.

7. A satellite system according to claim 1, wherein:

the plurality of satellites include a first satellite and a second satellite;

the orbit is divided into zones with gaps between the zones;

the first satellite is configured to point all of its beams of a group of beams at ground locations associated with zone A+1 while traveling in a gap between zone A and zone A+1;

the first satellite is configured to be in an entrance band of zone A+1 while the second satellite is in an exit band of zone A+1;

the second satellite is configured to concurrently hand over all beams of its group of beams to the first satellite while the first satellite is in the entrance band of zone A+1 and the second satellite is in the exit band of zone A+1;

the second satellite is configured to move out of zone A+1 into a gap between zone A+1 and zone A+2; and

the first satellite is configured to update pointing of its beams of the group of beams while the first satellite traverses zone A+1 and maintains communication with ground terminals using its beams of the group.

8. A satellite system according to claim 1, wherein:

the satellites are non-geosynchronous satellites;

the plurality of satellites are configured such that each time one of the satellites is at a first trigger location, a new first rolling wave of handovers is started that includes performing handovers of a first group of dependent spot beams between adjacent satellites in sequence for pairs of adjacent satellites in the single direction around the orbit; and

the plurality of satellites are configured such that each time one of the satellites is at a second trigger location, a new second rolling wave of handovers is started that includes performing handovers of a second group of dependent spot beams between adjacent satellites in sequence for pairs of adjacent satellites in the single direction around the orbit.

9. A satellite system according to claim 1, wherein:

the plurality of satellites includes N satellites;

the orbit is divided into N−

1 zones with gaps between the zones; and

the plurality of satellites are configured such that each time one of the satellites is at a boundary of a first zone, a new rolling wave of handovers is started.

10. A method of operating a satellite system, comprising:

orbiting a plurality of non-geosynchronous satellites in a common orbit; and

each time one of the satellites is at a trigger location, starting a new rolling wave of handovers that includes performing handovers of a group of dependent spot beams between adjacent satellites in sequence for pairs of adjacent satellites in a single direction around the orbit.

11. A method according to claim 10, wherein:

the plurality of satellites includes N satellites;

the orbit is divided into N−

1 zones with gaps between the zones; and

each time one of the satellites is at a boundary of a first zone, the new rolling wave of handovers is started.

12. A method according to claim 10, wherein:

each satellite includes only steerable beams; and

the handovers include concurrent handovers of all steerable beams per satellite.

13. A method according to claim 10, wherein:

the plurality of satellites includes a first satellite and a second satellite;

the common orbit is divided into zones with gaps between the zones;

the performing handovers comprises;

the first satellite traveling in a gap between zone A and zone A+1,

the first satellite pointing all of its beams of a group of beams at ground locations associated with zone A+1 while traveling in the gap between zone A and zone A+1,

the first satellite moving into zone A+1 while the second satellite is in zone A+1,

the second satellite concurrently handing over all beams of the group of beams to the first satellite while the first satellite and the second satellite are in zone A+1,

the second satellite moving out of zone A+1 into a gap between zone A+1 and zone A+2, and

the first satellite updating pointing of its beams of the group while the first satellite traverses zone A+1 and maintains communication with ground terminals using its beams of the group.

14. A method according to claim 10, further comprising:

each time one of the satellites is at a second location, a new second rolling wave of handovers is started that includes performing handovers of a different group of dependent spot beams between adjacent satellites in sequence for pairs of adjacent satellites in the single direction around the orbit.

15. A satellite system, comprising:

a non-geosynchronous satellite configured to concurrently handover all of its beams of a group of dependent beams to a trailing adjacent satellite and subsequently reconfigure pointing of the group of dependent beams, the non-geosynchronous satellite is configured to concurrently receive handover of beams for the group of dependent beams from a leading adjacent satellite after reconfiguring the pointing of the group of dependent beams.

16. A satellite system according to claim 15, wherein:

the satellite is configured to participate in a rolling wave of handovers of the group of dependent spot beams between adjacent satellites in sequence for pairs of adjacent satellites in a single direction around a common orbit.

17. A satellite system according to claim 15, wherein:

the group of dependent beams are all steerable beams.

18. A satellite system according to claim 15, wherein:

the non-geosynchronous satellite, the trailing adjacent satellite and the leading adjacent satellite travel on a common orbit;

the common orbit is divided into zones with gaps between the zones;

the non-geosynchronous satellite is configured to point all of its group of dependent beams at ground locations associated with zone A+1 while traveling in a gap between zone A and zone A+1;

the non-geosynchronous satellite is configured to move into zone A+1 while the leading adjacent satellite is in zone A+1;

the non-geosynchronous satellite is configured to receive handover of all beams of its group of beams from the leading adjacent satellite while the non-geosynchronous satellite and the leading adjacent satellite are in zone A+1; and

the non-geosynchronous satellite is configured to update pointing of its beams of the group of beams while the non-geosynchronous satellite traverses zone A+1 and maintains communication with ground terminals using its beams of the group.

19. A satellite system, comprising:

a first satellite configured to travel in an orbit that is divided into zones with gaps between the zones, the first satellite is configured to travel in a gap between zone A and zone A+1, the first satellite is configured to point all of its beams of a group of beams at ground locations associated with zone A+1; and

a second satellite configured to travel in the orbit, the first satellite is configured to move into zone A+1 while the second satellite is in zone A+1, the second satellite is configured to concurrently hand over all beams of its group of beams to the first satellite while the first satellite and the second satellite are in zone A+1, the second satellite is configured to move out of zone A+1 into a gap between zone A+1 and zone A+2, the first satellite is configured to update pointing of its beams of the group of beams while the first satellite traverses zone A+1 and maintains communication with ground terminals using its beams of the group.

20. A satellite system according to claim 19, wherein:

all user communication beams for the first satellite and the second satellite, including the group of beams, are steerable beams.

21. A method of operating a satellite system that includes a plurality of satellites including a first satellite and a second satellite in a common orbit that is divided into zones with gaps between the zones, the method comprising:

the first satellite traveling in a gap between zone A and zone A+1;

the first satellite pointing all of its beams of a group of beams at ground locations associated with zone A+1 while traveling in the gap between zone A and zone A+1;

the first satellite moving into zone A+1 while the second satellite is in zone A+1;

the second satellite concurrently handing over all beams of the group of beams to the first satellite while the first satellite and the second satellite are in zone A+1;

the second satellite moving out of zone A+1 into a gap between zone A+1 and zone A+2; and

the first satellite updating pointing of its beams of the group of beams while the first satellite traverses zone A+1 and maintains communication with ground terminals using its beams of the group.