Device and system for the reception of ADS-B messages by an orbiting satellite

A method for controlling, via a ground station, a device for the reception of ADS-B messages which is carried onboard a satellite in non-geostationary orbit around the Earth, said reception device comprising an array of sources and a beamforming module capable of forming beams within a field of view of said array of sources, a ground footprint of said field of view defining a service area of said reception device, different service areas being associated with different respective positions of the satellite on the non-geostationary orbit, a ground footprint of a beam defining a spot within the service area, said beamforming module being configured to form each beam by combining signals supplied by the array of sources by applying combination coefficients,

• wherein said control method comprises, for each among a plurality of predetermined positions of the satellite in said non-geostationary orbit, the steps of:
• obtaining an aircraft density map representative of the geographical distribution of aircrafts within the service area associated with the considered position of the satellite on the non-geostationary orbit,
• determining a set of combination coefficients on the basis of the aircraft density map, the set of combination coefficients being determined so as to adapt a surface area and/or a shape of the formed beam spots to the geographical distribution of aircrafts within the service area associated with the position considered,
• for each position among the plurality of positions of the satellite, determining the activation duration of each beam spot on the basis of the geographical distribution of aircrafts within the service area associated with the position considered, and
• wherein said control method further comprises a step of transmitting, to the reception device onboard the satellite, a mission plan which groups together the sets of combination coefficients respectively associated with the plurality of positions of the satellite on the non-geostationary orbit.

A method for controlling, via a ground station, a device for the reception of ADS-B messages which is carried onboard a satellite in non-geostationary orbit around the Earth, said reception device comprising an array of sources and a beamforming module capable of forming beams within a field of view of said array of sources, a ground footprint of said field of view defining a service area of said reception device, different service areas being associated with different respective positions of the satellite on the non-geostationary orbit, a ground footprint of a beam defining a spot within the service area, said beamforming module being configured to form each beam by combining signals supplied by the array of sources by applying combination coefficients,

• wherein said control method comprises, for each among a plurality of predetermined positions of the satellite in said non-geostationary orbit, the steps of:
• obtaining an aircraft density map representative of the geographical distribution of aircrafts within the service area associated with the considered position of the satellite on the non-geostationary orbit,
• determining a set of combination coefficients on the basis of the aircraft density map, the set of combination coefficients being determined so as to adapt a surface area and/or a shape of the formed beam spots to the geographical distribution of aircrafts within the service area associated with the position considered,
• wherein said control method further comprises a step of transmitting, to the reception device onboard the satellite, a mission plan which groups together the sets of combination coefficients respectively associated with the plurality of positions of the satellite on the non-geostationary orbit,
• wherein at least one set of combination coefficients is determined so as to adapt the shape of at least one beam spot to a preferred path for aircrafts within the service area associated with the position considered.

A method for controlling, via a ground station, a device for the reception of ADS-B messages which is carried onboard a satellite in non-geostationary orbit around the Earth, said reception device comprising an array of sources and a beamforming module capable of forming beams within a field of view of said array of sources, a ground footprint of said field of view defining a service area of said reception device, different service areas being associated with different respective positions of the satellite on the non-geostationary orbit, a ground footprint of a beam defining a spot within the service area, said beamforming module being configured to form each beam by combining signals supplied by the array of sources by applying combination coefficients,

• wherein said control method comprises, for each among a plurality of predetermined positions of the satellite in said non-geostationary orbit, the steps of:
• obtaining an aircraft density map representative of the geographical distribution of aircrafts within the service area associated with the considered position of the satellite on the non-geostationary orbit,
• determining a set of combination coefficients on the basis of the aircraft density map, the set of combination coefficients being determined so as to adapt a surface area and/or a shape of the formed beam spots to the geographical distribution of aircrafts within the service area associated with the position considered,
• wherein said control method further comprises a step of transmitting, to the reception device onboard the satellite, a mission plan which groups together the sets of combination coefficients respectively associated with the plurality of positions of the satellite on the non-geostationary orbit,
• wherein at least one set of combination coefficients is configured so as not to form spots within a predetermined exclusion region within the service area associated with the position considered.