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US 12,007,486 B2Granted
Systems and methods for synchronizing satellite-based clock devices
AssigneeVit Tall LLC
InventorSteve Chan
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The present disclosure provides methods and systems for improving the time synchronization of global positioning system (GPS) satellite systems and related methods of using such systems. In some aspects, the GPS satellite systems comprise a swarm of CubeSat or other small form factor satellites.
Claims21
A method for managing a plurality of satellites, comprising:
- providing the plurality of satellites, wherein each satellite comprises a clock device, and a communications system configured to allow communications with one or more other satellites selected from the plurality of satellites;
- assigning each of the plurality of clock devices to a clock group, wherein there are at least three clock groups;
- receiving clock data from a subset of the plurality of clock devices located on the plurality of satellites;
- selecting a group election logic for each clock group;
- for each clock group, applying the group election logic to the received clock data corresponding to that clock group to select a group best clock and storing each selected group best clock in a set of group best clocks;
- selecting a master election logic;
- and
- applying the master election logic to the set of group best clocks to select a grand master clock device.
5 more elements
A method for synchronizing a plurality of clock devices, comprising:
- providing a plurality of satellites, wherein each satellite comprises a clock device, and a communications system configured to allow communications with one or more other satellites selected from the plurality of satellites;
- receiving clock data from a subset of the plurality of clock devices located on the plurality of satellites;
- grouping the clock devices into clock groups;
- selecting a group best clock for each group using a first selection process and providing a set of group best clocks;
- selecting a master clock group based on the set of group best clocks using a second selection process;
- selecting a grand master clock from the master clock group using a third selection process;
- and
- synchronizing the plurality of clock devices to the grand master clock;
- wherein the first selection process and second selection process use different selection algorithms.
6 more elements
A time-synchronizing GPS satellite network, comprising:
- a plurality of satellites, wherein each satellite comprises a clock device, and a communications system configured to allow communications with one or more other satellites selected from the plurality of satellites;
- wherein one satellite selected from the plurality of satellites is a time controller configured to
- assign each of the plurality of clock devices to a clock group, wherein there are at least three clock groups;
- receive clock data from a subset of the plurality of clock devices located on the plurality of satellites;
- select a group election logic for each clock group;
- for each clock group, apply the group election logic to the received clock data corresponding to that clock group to select a group best clock and storing each selected group best clock in a set of group best clocks;
- select a master election logic;
- and
- apply the master election logic to the set of group best clocks to select a grand master clock device, wherein the groups are assigned to correspond to the plurality of satellites.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.