US 12,191,975 B2 · Radio system using nodes

Abstract

A radio communication route enables communication from an originating ground station to a destination ground station via one of multiple randomly orbiting, rotating satellites with no active attitude control. The ground stations and satellites include directional antennas for receiving radio signals from and transmitting radio signals in multiple directions. The satellites store an address of a destination ground station from which an initial information signal is transmitted and antenna information identifying the satellite antenna on which the initial information signal was received. Plural satellite antennas transmit linking information identifying the satellite to the originating ground station. Data transmissions received at the originating ground station that designate a particular destination are transmitted by the originating ground station using the antenna on which the linking information was received and the satellite retransmits the data transmission using the satellite antenna identified by the stored antenna information.

Claims36

Dependent claims

A radio communications system capable of providing a radio route for transmitting data between plural system nodes including multiple orbiting satellite nodes, wherein:

at least one of said multiple orbiting satellite nodes comprises a rotating satellite node that during each orbit rotates continuously through plural revolutions about a rotational axis passing through said orbiting satellite node;
each of a number of said orbiting satellite nodes includes a plurality of satellite antennas having separate identities for transmitting and receiving radio signals in a plurality of different directions associated with corresponding antenna identities, route creation circuitry for transmitting routing messages to and receiving routing messages transmitted from other system nodes, and data transmission circuitry for transmitting data to other system nodes;
said route creation circuitry of a said rotating satellite node determines a value of a parameter associated with a routing message received by said rotating satellite node from another system node and the corresponding identity of the satellite antenna that received said routing message, the value of the parameter indicating the suitability of including said rotating satellite node as a link in a radio route for transmitting the data to the other system node;
and
said data transmission circuitry of the said rotating satellite node transmits the data to the other system node using a satellite antenna the identity of which is selected by said route creation circuitry of the said rotating satellite node based at least in part on the value of the parameter associated with a routing message received on said satellite antenna.

2 more elements

A radio communications system capable of providing a radio route for transmitting data between plural system nodes including multiple orbiting satellite nodes, wherein:

at least one of said multiple orbiting satellite nodes comprises a rotating satellite node that during each orbit rotates continuously through plural revolutions about a rotational axis passing through said orbiting satellite node;
each of a number of said orbiting satellite nodes includes a plurality of satellite antennas having separate identities for transmitting and receiving radio signals in a plurality of different directions, route creation circuitry for transmitting routing messages to and receiving routing messages transmitted from other system nodes, and data transmission circuitry for transmitting data to other system nodes;
said route creation circuitry of a said rotating satellite node determines a value of a parameter associated with an initial routing message received by said rotating satellite node from an initiating ground node with at least one ground station antenna for transmitting and receiving radio signals, the value of the parameter indicating the suitability of including said rotating satellite node as a link in a radio route for transmitting the data to the initiating ground node;
the route creation circuitry of the said rotating satellite node transmits on at least one said satellite antenna a further routing message incorporating a parameter value associated with an initial routing message received from said initiating ground node;
the route creation circuitry in a further system node that receives said further routing message determines the value of said parameter associated with said received further routing message and determines a combined parameter value based on said value and the parameter value incorporated in said received further routing message, said combined parameter value indicating the suitability of including said further system node and the said rotating satellite node as a radio link for transmitting the data to the initiating ground node;
said data transmission circuitry of said further system node transmits the data to said rotating satellite node using an antenna selected by said route creation circuitry of said further system node based at least in part on the value of the combined parameter associated with a further routing message received on said antenna;
and
said data transmission circuitry of the said rotating satellite node transmits the data to said initiating ground node using a satellite antenna selected by said route creation circuitry of the said rotating satellite node based at least in part on the value of the parameter associated with an initial routing message received on said satellite antenna.

5 more elements

A radio communications system capable of providing a radio route for transmitting data between plural system nodes including multiple orbiting satellite nodes that travel in uncontrolled orbital paths, wherein:

at least one of said multiple orbiting satellite nodes comprises a rotating satellite node that during each orbit rotates continuously through plural revolutions about a rotational axis passing through said orbiting satellite node;
each of a number of said orbiting satellite nodes includes a plurality of satellite antennas having separate identities for transmitting and receiving radio signals in a plurality of different directions associated with corresponding antenna identities, route creation circuitry for transmitting routing messages to and receiving routing messages transmitted from other system nodes, and data transmission circuitry for transmitting data to other system nodes;
said route creation circuitry of a said rotating satellite node determines a value of a parameter associated with a routing message received by said rotating satellite node from another system node and the corresponding identity of the satellite antenna that received said routing message, the value of the parameter indicating the suitability of including said rotating satellite node as a link in a radio route for transmitting the data to the other system node;
and
said data transmission circuitry of the said rotating satellite node transmits the data to the other system node using a satellite antenna the identity of which is selected by said route creation circuitry of the said rotating satellite node based at least in part on the value of the parameter associated with a routing message received on said satellite antenna.

2 more elements

at least one of said multiple orbiting satellite nodes comprises a rotating satellite node that during each orbit rotates continuously through plural revolutions about a rotational axis passing through said orbiting satellite node;
each of a number of said orbiting satellite nodes includes a plurality of satellite antennas having separate identities for transmitting and receiving radio signals in a plurality of different directions, route creation circuitry for transmitting routing messages to and receiving routing messages transmitted from other system nodes, and data transmission circuitry for transmitting data to other system nodes;
said route creation circuitry of a said rotating satellite node determines a value of a parameter associated with an initial routing message received by said rotating satellite node from an initiating ground node with at least one ground station antenna for transmitting and receiving radio signals, the value of the parameter indicating the suitability of including said rotating satellite node as a link in a radio route for transmitting the data to the initiating ground node;
the route creation circuitry of the said rotating satellite node transmits on at least one said satellite antenna a further routing message incorporating a parameter value associated with an initial routing message received from said initiating ground node;
the route creation circuitry in a further system node that receives said further routing message determines the value of said parameter associated with said received further routing message and determines a combined parameter value based on said value and the parameter value incorporated in said received further routing message, said combined parameter value indicating the suitability of including said further system node and the said rotating satellite node as a radio link for transmitting the data to said initiating ground node;
and
said data transmission circuitry of said further system node transmits the data to said rotating satellite node using an antenna selected by said route creation circuitry of said further system node based at least in part on the value of the combined parameter associated with a routing message received on said antenna;
and
said data transmission circuitry of the said rotating satellite node transmits the data to said initiating ground node using a satellite antenna selected by said route creation circuitry of the said rotating satellite node based at least in part on the value of the parameter associated with an initial routing message received on said satellite antenna.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Radio system using nodes

Life of this patent

Radio system using nodes

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims36